Perfect 10 days Flores itinerary in Indonesia

The island of Flores is a long and narrow island in East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia, at the Eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. Basically every destination we visited in Indonesia was incredible: from the more popular Bali and Nusa Penida, to the more wild North Sumatra, going through the cultural Yogyakarta… But Flores holds a special place in my heart. It was definitely one of the top highlights of my 6 months trip through Southeast Asia. That is why I prepared this perfect 10-days Flores itinerary!  You can use it as a template for your trip to this incredible island.

Flores has an incredible range of things to offer, from the beautiful islands and incredible wildlife of Komodo National Park or Riung, to the misty mountains and dramatic volcanoes around Bajawa, Ruteng and Moni and the unique cultural heritage of this island, it will absolutely captivate you!

Structure of the post

I will try to keep this post light by only introducing each of the regions this Flores itinerary stops in. Mainly because otherwise it could be as long as a book! But I will link each section to dedicated posts for each region where I explain the best things to do, how to get there, where to stay and where to eat! I hope this Flores itinerary is helpful for your trip!

Note: this Flores itinerary can be done in both directions, since both Labuan Bajo and Ende (Moni) have airports with flights from other parts of Indonesia like Bali or Jakarta. If you extend your trip you can also fly to Maumere on the eastern part of Flores.

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Exploring the island of Flores in 10 days

Day 1-3. Moni

We’ll start this Flores itinerary in Moni, a village near the Ende airport in central Flores. This tiny mountain village at the foothills of Kelimutu volcano is truly a gem that people tend to rush through. Its main attraction is of course the tri-colored crater lakes of the Mt. Kelimutu. But its beauty doesn’t stop there! The nature surrounding this village is absolutely stunning and it is home to some unique traditional villages that will immerse you into the incredible cultural heritage of the island. Visit Moni’s authentic traditional villages and meet the tribe elders! To be able to taste all the different wonders of Moni, I suggest that you stay at least 2 nights. Discover all the great things to do in Moni in the link below:

What to do in Moni in Flores, Indonesia

Travel tip: if you have more than 10 days, you can start in Maumere instead. Maumere is a beautiful beach town on the East of Flores that is perfect to unwind and do some scuba diving without the “crowds” of Komodo NP. You can fly to Maumere and stay 1-2 nights, then drive to Moni.

Route day 3. Blue Stone Beach

On our way from Moni to Riung we stopped at the Blue Stone Beach. This volcanic sand beach is covered in pebbles from all shades of blue, which geologists still don’t agree how they were formed. Most likely volcanic. Anyway it is a beautiful place with basically no tourists and we had a delicious shrimp curry facing the beach @Blue Stone Beach Restaurant and Guesthouse.

Days 3-5. Riung

Riung is the odd one out in this itinerary. Many people leave it out of their Flores itinerary because of 2 reasons: 1) it is quite a bit out of the way, especially a few years back when the road was in a very bad state and 2) they were snorkeling in Komodo so it seemed redundant. I say it’s a mistake. The 17 Islands National Park may be not as spectacular as Komodo but it is still an incredible set of islands and reefs and, best of all, you’ll have it for yourself! Also, Riung is home to some of the best seafood we had in Indonesia, so there’s that.  There is not much more to do in Riung other thant the 17 Islands, but you should reserve 2 nights for Riung Read about our experience in Riung in the link below:

Discovering the 17 islands National Park in Riung: a hidden paradise in Flores, Indonesia

Days 5-7. Bajawa

The next stop in this Flores itinerary is Bajawa, the cultural center of Flores. This small mountain city is surrounded by beautiful nature, including its imposing volcano Mt. Inerie. There are waterfalls, lush forests and hills and valleys to hike. After that, you can relax in one of its natural hot springs. And of course, there are many traditional villages scattered around the region. Visit them to learn about the Ngada tribes, their traditions, crafts and way of life. In this itinerary we include 2 nights in Bajawa, but if you want to squeeze everything there is to do you’ll have to stay longer. Discover the best things to do in Bajawa in the link below:

What to do in Bajawa in Flores, Indonesia

Travel tip: if you plan to climb Mt. Inerie and still see some of the other sights in Bajawa, I suggest that you add one more night.

Route day 7. Aimere and Keli

On our route from Bajawa to Ruteng, we stopped in Keli (Aimere) to visit a friend of our driver. He owned a beautiful guesthouse by the Suva sea. We had a nice cup of coffee with a view, and he taught us how they make Arrack, a local coconut flower sap liquor. Of couse we had to try a bit! (we ended up buying a bottle to bring to our Komodo boat expedition). If you’d like to visit, the guesthouse is called Gemo Beach Cottages.

Days 7-8. Ruteng

Ruteng is the last inland stop in this Flores itinerary. This small village is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, making it a very scenic location. While the city itself lacks the charm of smaller towns like Moni, there are a lot of amazing things to do around, such as visiting the traditional villages of Wae Rebo and Ruteng Pu’u, view the spiderweb rice terraces in Cancar or learn about the Homo floresiensis at the Liang Bua cave. Add to that amazing hikes and one of the best coffee in the island and we have a hit! We only stayed 1 night in Ruteng, but would have happily stayed longer. Check out all the things to do in Ruteng in the link below:

What to do in Ruteng in Flores, Indonesia

Days 8-10. Komodo National Park

The last stop in this Flores itinerary is Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park. This incredible natural reserve is home to some gorgeous islands, unique wildlife and paradise white- and pink-sand beaches. Oh, and it is heaven for anyone interested in marine life, snorkeling and scuba diving! In this itinerary we included 2 nights in Komodo National Park to allow for a day trip or an overnight boat tour and still round the tour to 10 days. However, you can easily stay as long as you want here and not run out of things to do! In fact, we stayed for 4 nights. Learn how to organize your visit to Komodo National Park on the link below:

How to visit Komodo: a quick guide to Komodo National Park and Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo to Lombok: a 4-day Komodo boat expedition in Indonesia with Wanua Adventure

Got more than 10 days? Add these stops

New stops

• Maumere: Maumere is a beach city located towards the Eastern part of Flores. It is a great place to unwind and do some snorkeling and it has its own airport with flights from other parts of Indonesia, so you can start or end your Flores itinerary there. There are also opportunities for hikes and mountain climbs.

• Ende: Ende is not necessarily a touristically beautiful city. That is the reason why it’s interesting! It has a much more unfiltered lifestyle than other towns and cities in this list. It is also a culinary center for Flores. You can have an overnight stay just to walk around, interact with the locals and have some delicious food.

• Koka Beach: located on the southern coast of Flores, east of Moni, you’ll find Koka Beach. It is considered one of the best beaches in mainland Flores.

Extending your stay in previous stops

• Bajawa: Bajawa is one of the cities in Flores with a highest density of things to do. For that reason,  you can extend your stay in Bajawa. This is especially true if you plan to climb Mt. Inerie (which will take you the better part of a day).

• Ruteng: we stayed only one night in Ruteng and, while it was enough to see the main attractions, we regretted a bit not staying longer. The Ruteng area is very charming and it has an interesting lifestyle, caused by the old influence of Bajawa and the modern influence of Labuan Bajo. You can also include an overnight stay at Wae Rebo traditional village!

• Komodo: as I mentioned in the Komodo section, there is virtually no limit on how many days you should stay in Komodo National Park. I will say this, especially if you’re a snorkeler or diver, 2 days will not be enough! Also, there are other things that you can do from Labuan Bajo, like visiting Goa Rangko cave.

How to move around in Flores, Indonesia

It is generally a good thing (at least for me) that the touristic infrastructure of a place is not super developed. It usually means that the area has not been overrun by hoardes of tourists. However, it comes with a few complications. In the case of Flores, this means few and bad transportation methods.

Rent a motorbike or car

Renting a motorbike or a car gives you a lot of freedom when traveling around Flores. Rentals are not extremely expensive and you can stop wherever you want and change your itinerary on the go. However, to my knowledge, there are very few car rental companies that allow you to return your car in a different city, and if they do, the rental becomes wildly expensive. You will find car rental companies in most big cities, including Labuan Bajo, Ende and Maumere.

Take public transportation

For budget travelers, this will be the only option. The public buses between the main touristic places are in fact very cheap. However, they are not very frequent, they are very uncomfortable and crowded. Worst of all, they take forever to get from one place to another, being very unreliable as well. The good thing is that, if you plan it well, you’ll save a lot of money in the process.

The problem with public transportation is that it is difficult to access any attractions that are outside of the main towns and cities. For that, I suggest that you rent a motorbike for the day. They are usually very cheap in these circumstances, and it will give you the freedom to explore the area arround.

Hire a driver for your Flores itinerary

The best option, in my opinion, is to hire a driver. This takes a lot of worries out of the picture. We had a great time with our driver Gusti in our Flores trip. You can contact him through WhatsApp and get a quote in this number +62 82147244300. He is an excellent driver and, even though he will tell you he’s not a guide, he is very knowledgeable and will recommend you places to visit and help you communicate with the locals.

Alternatively, if you’d like a driver and a guide, you can contact Sipri at sipri.muda@gmail.com.

How to get to Flores, Indonesia

There are three main airports in the island of Flores. They connect to some other airports in the country as well as some other cities such as Singapore. These are Labuan Bajo (or Komodo International Airport), which is the main airport in the west of the island; Ende, which is the main airport in central Flores; and Maumere, the main entrance to the east of the island. Any of these is a good entry point, and you just need to adapt the sense of your Flores itinerary accordingly.

Travel tip: The island has a long and narrow shape. Therefore, it is much more convenient to enter through one airport and leave through another one.

You can also get to Flores by ferry or speedboat: either from Sumbawa in East Nusa Tenggara, docking in Labuan Bajo, or from Sumba or Timor, docking in Aimere. Of course, if you do a boat expedition, as we did with Wanua Adventure, you can arrive to Labuan Bajo from Lombok or some other island.

Where to stay in Flores, Indonesia

If you’re already planning your perfect Flores itinerary, I suggest you look at the individual posts that I wrote about the main regions: Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Bajawa, Riung and Moni. In these posts I suggests things to do in each region, but also how to get there, where to eat and where to stay. However, if you’re too lazy to hear (read?) me blabbering about hotels, just use the map below

: Booking.com

Closing statement

Flores is one of the most incredible islands on this planet, at least to me. It has everything to offer: paradise beaches, beautiful mountains, both warm and cool weather, unique culture and wildlife, gorgeous coral reefs, friendly locals, delicious food, low prices and not many tourists. What more can you ask for? I hope that I convinced you to visit Flores with this very sumarized post and that you’re intrigued enough to look at the more detailed posts about each region or, even better, to book your incredible trip to Flores!

Continue reading

If you have in fact decided to visit Flores, check out the individual posts: Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Bajawa, Riung and Moni, as well as our Komodo boat expedition.

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