A Banggai Islands tour starts in Luwuk, Central Sulawesi, and with us it runs from one day to six. Prices start at IDR 2,700,000 (about $151) per person for the one-day boat trip to Paisupok Lake and Puganda Beach, and reach IDR 8,175,000 for six days across the mainland waterfalls and the islands. Those are the rates with four people sharing.
Every package is a private trip for your own group, priced for one to four travellers, with car and boat transport and entrance fees included. Prices are from our tour pages in October 2026.
The seven Banggai Islands tour packages
- Length
- 1 day, 06:00 to 18:00
- Where it goes
- Paisupok Lake, Paisu Batango, Puganda Beach
- From, per person
- IDR 2,700,000
- Length
- 2 days, 1 night
- Where it goes
- Kamumu, Laumarang and Piala waterfalls, then the lake and Puganda
- From, per person
- IDR 3,750,000
- Length
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Where it goes
- Piala, Teletubbies Hill, the lake, Puganda, Kilo 5, Laumarang
- From, per person
- IDR 4,500,000
- Length
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Where it goes
- Luwuk town, Mokokawa and two more waterfalls, the lake, Kilo 5
- From, per person
- IDR 5,250,000
- Length
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Where it goes
- Salakan, Banggai Laut beaches, the lake, Mandel, Bone Pompon
- From, per person
- IDR 7,350,000
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Where it goes
- Three waterfalls, the lake, Salakan, Oyama, Bone Pompon
- From, per person
- IDR 8,175,000
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Where it goes
- Whale sharks in Gorontalo, night ferry, the lake, Sasundeng Cave
- From, per person
- IDR 7,500,000
| Package | Length | Where it goes | From, per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banggai one-day trip | 1 day, 06:00 to 18:00 | Paisupok Lake, Paisu Batango, Puganda Beach | IDR 2,700,000 |
| Waterfalls and islands | 2 days, 1 night | Kamumu, Laumarang and Piala waterfalls, then the lake and Puganda | IDR 3,750,000 |
| Island hopping | 3 days, 2 nights | Piala, Teletubbies Hill, the lake, Puganda, Kilo 5, Laumarang | IDR 4,500,000 |
| Paisupok Lake and islands | 4 days, 3 nights | Luwuk town, Mokokawa and two more waterfalls, the lake, Kilo 5 | IDR 5,250,000 |
| Banggai 5 days | 5 days, 4 nights | Salakan, Banggai Laut beaches, the lake, Mandel, Bone Pompon | IDR 7,350,000 |
| Banggai 6 days | 6 days, 5 nights | Three waterfalls, the lake, Salakan, Oyama, Bone Pompon | IDR 8,175,000 |
| Gorontalo to Luwuk | 6 days, 5 nights | Whale sharks in Gorontalo, night ferry, the lake, Sasundeng Cave | IDR 7,500,000 |
The car, the boat and the fuel cost the same for one traveller as for four, so the price per person falls as the group grows. On the three-day trip a solo traveller pays IDR 8,500,000, two people pay IDR 6,300,000 each and four pay IDR 4,500,000 each.
Which package to choose
With a single spare day, the one-day boat trip leaves at 07:00, gives you two hours at Paisupok Lake and has you back at your hotel by 18:00. It comes on a local ship or, for IDR 3,000,000 per person with four sharing, on a speedboat. Both boats run the same stops at the same times.
Three or four days is enough for the lake and the waterfalls behind Luwuk. Day two of the three-day trip starts at 04:30 and puts you on Paisupok for three hours in the morning light, when the spring water is clear to the bottom.
For the islands almost nobody visits, take five days. The five-day Banggai trip crosses four hours from Luwuk to Salakan and spends a day among the empty beaches of Banggai Laut. The six-day trip visits the same coast and adds the mainland waterfalls.
Luwuk, Central Sulawesi
Three days: waterfalls, the lake and Puganda
Piala Waterfall and Teletubbies Hill on arrival day, then a boat day to Paisupok Lake, Paisu Batango and Puganda Beach, and Laumarang Waterfall before the flight out.
What is included, and what is not
All packages include car and boat transport and entrance fees. Pickup, meals and a guide are included as listed on each tour page, so check the one you pick. Overnight stays are in hotels in Luwuk and simpler guesthouses and homestays out in the islands.
Flights are not included, and snorkel gear is rented or brought from home. The usual route in is a flight to Luwuk through Makassar, and our guide on how to get to the Banggai Islands explains the connections.
Flights into Luwuk are morning-heavy
Makassar to Luwuk takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, and most travellers sleep a night in Makassar on the way in. The longer packages are built around an afternoon arrival on day one.
The package that starts with whale sharks
The Gorontalo to Luwuk trip is the one package that does not begin in Luwuk. It opens with six hours beside the whale sharks on Tomini Bay, takes the overnight ferry to Pagimana and ends at Luwuk airport six days later. Sightings peak between May and July and are never guaranteed.
When to go, and what else to read
June to September is the driest stretch, with the calmest sea and the best visibility. The waterfalls run fullest between December and March, when the crossings to the islands are roughest.
Our Luwuk Banggai travel guide covers the region, and things to do in Luwuk Banggai ranks the stops.
Booking a Banggai Islands tour
Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling, and we will quote the exact rate for your group size. Trips need at least two days' notice. You can plan your Banggai trip with us before you book flights.
Written by
Asik Travel Editorial
Local travel editors
We write from the islands we sell, with first-hand notes from our guides and operators.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Banggai Islands tour cost?
From IDR 2,700,000 (about $151) per person for the one-day trip and IDR 4,500,000 for three days, with four travellers sharing. Smaller groups pay more each: on the three-day trip two people pay IDR 6,300,000 each and a solo traveller IDR 8,500,000. Flights are extra.
How many days do you need for the Banggai Islands?
One day reaches Paisupok Lake and Puganda Beach from Luwuk. Three or four days add the waterfalls behind town. Five or six days are needed for Salakan and the empty beaches of Banggai Laut, because the crossing from Luwuk alone takes four hours.
Where do Banggai Islands tours start?
In Luwuk, Central Sulawesi, the town of Syukuran Aminuddin Amir Airport (LUW). Each tour page says whether pickup from the airport or your hotel is included. One six-day package starts in Gorontalo with the whale sharks, crosses by overnight ferry and finishes at Luwuk airport, so book that onward flight from Luwuk.
Are these Banggai tours private or shared?
Private. The car, the boat and the route are for your own group, and the rate card runs from one to four travellers. Because those costs are fixed, the price per person drops as the group grows. Four sharing is the cheapest rate and the one shown as the from-price.
When is the best time for a Banggai Islands tour?
June to September. It is the driest stretch, with the calmest sea and the best underwater visibility, and September is often the driest month. The waterfalls are fullest between December and March, but the sea crossings to the islands are roughest then.
