If you’re in Bali and looking for pure pieces of heaven after the hassle of streets, Gili Islands is definitely worth including to your Bali itinerary.

Located off near the northwest corner of Lombok, Gili Islands are a group of three incredible beautiful isles namely, Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno.

Being the gorgeous bliss, the islands are becoming a popular destination among travelers. In fact, everything here is just mesmerizing – pristine sandy beaches, crystal clear waters to a calming breeze.

Moreover, a plethora of eating, staying and entertainment choices gives unforgettable memories and relaxation any city traveler can ever dream of.

And, as you’re in Bali, how to miss such beautiful escape of glory? Here’s how you can get to Gili Islands:

How to get to the Gili Islands from Bali

You can have a range of options to get to the Gili Islands, which includes fast boat to Gili, private charters, cost-friendly public ferry and even flying. In the end, it’s all about where you’re staying in Bali and how much you’re willing to splurge:

Fast Boats

Fast boats are the quickest and convenient way to commute to the Gili Islands from Bali. These boats leave from the different areas of Bali (Padang Bai, Benoa Serangan, Amed).

Based on which you can consider the flexibility to reach the nearest port of your hotel. The journey takes around 2.5 excluding the time for you to arrive at the port from your stay.

A handful of fast boats operates between 9 AM to 9:30 AM from Padang Bai and the ride is of 1.5 hours. Though, an ideal path is to hop on a shuttle bus from Kuta to reach Padang Bai.

However, Amed is the fastest way to Gilis since it takes only 45 minutes to Cross the Lombok Strait.

Public Ferry

Perfect for the people on a budget but doesn’t mind on time. The public ferry is used by locals as well as travelers and is a very cheap mode of transport.

It departs from Padang Bai to Lombok every hour, but take 5 hours to reach. Additionally, after arriving, it’ll then take another 2-3 hours via road and ferry to the Gili Islands.

Thus, the only one-way trip is itself of 8-hours. The only benefit of a public ferry is it just costs IDR 40,000 per person.

Private Charter

As it’s not a big deal for you to splash out the cash and classy entry is all matters, you can consider the private sailing charter.

There is a number of operators that allow you to find a fancy way in a variety of luxury including speedboat or luxurious yachts. Family and couples seeking private space on holiday love to make a private charter trip.

By Air

There are no direct flights to the Gilis. Lombok airport is the nearest airport you can get by air. However, this is a long journey and expensive than fast boats.

Because you need to take a flight of 30 minutes from Bali to Lombok. After that, a taxi will bring you to the harbour and next is a ferry or faster boat to the Islands.

Hence, the total time will be about 2-3 hours, considering the waiting time.

On the other hand, a private helicopter charter is another adventurous and aerial option to arrive in style. With this, you’ll be able to see the splendid views of Bali and Gilis from above.

Air Bali is the only operator for a Private helicopter charter and names it as “Gilicopter” which operates only on Fridays and Sundays. The ride is of 45 minutes and accommodates 5 people depending on weight.