14 Days in Lombok – The ultimate 2 weeks Lombok itinerary

Forget Bali and travel to Lombok!! After spending 7 months on Bali, and only 14 days on Lombok, I am very excited about Lombok! The Indonesian island has beautiful nature and is known for amazing beaches and surfing spots. This Lombok itinerary will show you how to make the most of two weeks in Lombok, spending time in Senggigi, Mataram, Ampenan, Kuta, and around Indonesia’s second highest volcano: Mount Rinjani.

Day one: arrival on Lombok

Today I take the fast boat from Padang bai in Bali to Bangsal harbor in Lombok. In about 2.5 hours we reach the harbor, where I continue my trip to Senggigi. Together with other travelers also heading to Senggigi, I decide to share a car with private driver to Senggigi.

After an hour driving, I arrive at my first overnight place, Zerosix Villa Senggigi, an amazing and unique Airbnb villa. In the evening, I go to the city center to rent a scooter and to try some fresh seafood at the amazing beach restaurant ‘Coco Loco Bar & Restaurant’.

Day two: day trip from Senggigi to the paradise islands of Lombok

Today we’re going to explore some of the most beautiful islands of Indonesia with incredible natural beauty and unexploited nature. The islands, Gili Nanggu, Gili Tangkong, Gili Kedis and Gili Sudak, are located at the southwest of Lombok and can only be reached by boat.

This day trip is like being transported to a completely different world, or at least a different part of Indonesia! No traffic, no crowds, and no vendors, but just unexploited nature and plenty of tropical fish. This day trip basically looks as follow; drive from Senggigi to West Sekotong, take a boat to Gili Nanngu, snorkel for two hours at Gili Nanggu, take a boat to Gili Kedis, snorkel for one hour at Gili Kedis, take a boat to Gili Sudak, have lunch at Gili Sudak and snorkel some minutes, take a boat to Gili Tangkong, snorkel for two hours at Gili Tangkong, take the boat back to West Sekotong, and drive back to Senggigi.

Day three: relaxing day in Senggigi

Today I will take it easy. In the morning, I spend some hours at the villa’s swimming pool and in the afternoon, I will move to a new place more downhill at the city center; Cozy Cottages Lombok.

After the check-in, I decide to explore Senggigi beach. The beach itself is not that spectacular, but good to visit for an afternoon and to relax. In the evening, I have some dinner at ‘Happy café’.

Day four: day trip from Senggigi to Mataram and Ampenan

Senggigi is a good base to see the rest of Lombok. Visiting Lombok’s capital Mataram is one of the interesting possibilities. The capital is only a 30 minutes ride from Senggigi and offers many interesting cultural sites.

During this day trip, you can explore the ‘Pasar Kebon Roek’ traditional market in Ampenan, learn about the pottery process at Banyumulek village, visit the ‘Pura Taman Mayura’ water palace, the ‘Pura Agung Narmada’ park, the Mataram shopping hall, and the ‘Islamic Centre Masjid Agung Baiturrahim’.

Day five: climbing to the summit of Mount Rinjani 3.726 meters –  Senaru village (601m)

Climbing to the top of Mount Rinjani, Lombok, in 3 days and 2 nights, will be one of your most memorable experiences ever! I can promise you that!

I climbed to the top of Mount Rinjani via Sembalun village, the Segara Anak lake, and finished in Senaru village. Around 14:00 pm the driver of Rinjani Fun Trekking picks me up and drives me to Senaru Village. From the well-known touristic area Senggigi, it takes about two hours before we arrive in Senaru. After meeting the owner, I put on my hiking boots to check out the nearby waterfalls; Sendang Gile Waterfall and Tiu Kelep waterfall. The waterfalls truly look amazing!

After the waterfalls, I get some dinner at the office of Rinjani Fun Trekking. It tastes delicious. After dinner, we get a briefing about how the next three days will look like.

Day six: Senaru village (601m) – Sembalun village(1.100m) – Sembalun crater rim (2.639m)

Today, I wake up at 6:00 am, enjoy the beautiful sunrise, and get breakfast. At the breakfast table, I met my other hike companions, a Dutch- and German girl. After breakfast, we drive to the Rinjani information center in Sembalun village, where we officially get registered. After a two-hour walk, we reach pos 1 (1300m), and after another 45 minutes we arrive at pos 2 (1500m) where we stop for lunch. After the delicious lunch, we continue walking to pos 3 (1800m) and finally, to the sembalun crater rim (2639m). Around 15.30, we finally arrive at the crater rim, where our first camping site will be located. The porters will set-up our tents, and start cooking for us. After a short rest, we are eating mie goreng while enjoying the sunset.

Day seven: Sembalun crater rim (2.639m) – Summit (3.726m) – Segara anak lake and hot spring (2.000m) – Senaru crater rim (2.641m)

It is early, but time to wake up! It is 02:00 am, and it is still dark outside. Together with our head lights, we start our way to the top. The beginning is fairly easy, but the higher you come, the harder it gets. The final part involves a steep climb over a loose volcanic scree with stones and a lot of sand. After 4 hours, I reach the summit and get rewarded with amazing views and a feeling of proudness.

After taking some photos at the summit of 3.726 meters, you will walk back down to the camp site and continue your way down to the Segara anak lake and hot spring. Finally, you will continue your way up again to the Senaru crater rim (2641m), the second campsite.

Day eight: Senaru crater rim (2.641m) – Senaru village (601m) – Kuta

Today you will start the trek down back to Senaru village. Back at the office of Rinjani Fun Trekking, a driver will bring you to your next destination. I am planning to visit the other tourist hub of Lombok; Kuta, the place for exploring some of the best beaches and surfing spots of Lombok!

In Kuta, you can find plenty of home stays and budget accommodations. I will overnight at the JM hotel Kuta Lombok, a nice and good hotel with a medium class price. Later, I have dinner at ‘Drifters’, a great place for burgers, wraps, falafel and other vegetarian dishes.

Day nine: relaxing day in Kuta

Today it is relaxing day!! My entire body hurts from climbing Mount Rinjani, so today the only steps I take are to the swimming pool and to the beach. In the night, I have dinner at ‘El Bazar’, a restaurant serving Mediterranean and Moroccan dishes.

Day ten: beach and sunset time!

There are plenty of amazing beaches close to Kuta, Lombok. There is Pantai Kuta, Mawun beach, Mawi beach, Selong Belanak beach, Sedek beach, Tanjung Aan beach, or Pink beach. Today, we can visit Sedek beach and Tanjung Aan beach.

In the night, it is a nice experience to drive uphill to Ashtari coffee house. From here you have an amazing view over Kuta and you can see one of the best sunsets ever. The views are truly stunning!

Day eleven: another beach day!

Time to visit some other beaches! First, we go to Mawun beach, followed by Mawi beach, and Selong Belanak beach. In the evening, I can recommend you to have dinner at ‘Mexican in town’. This place is pretty new and offers some really tasty Mexican food. You can eat all kind of things here like tacos, quesadillas, or other Mexican dishes. They even have vegetarian tacos and quesadillas with jack fruit. Very delicious! After dinner, we can party our ass off at ‘the bus’, a Volkswagen van that has been transformed into a cozy bar.

Day twelve: a beach of your choice

Today, you can visit Pink beach or any other beach of your choice! In the evening, it is fun to check out one of the parties. Perhaps at the ‘Surfers bar’!

Day thirteen: travel to the northern Gili islands

After spending twelve days on Lombok, it is time to move on to the Northern Gili Islands. A few years ago, I already spent some time at Gili Trawangan, so for now, I will only explore Gili Meno and Gili air. The Gili islands exists of really blue water, white beaches, palm trees, boats and lots of bikes. On all the islands no motorized vehicles are allowed, so you will only see bikes, cidomo (small horse-drawn carriage) or people who are walking. This makes the Gili islands very peaceful and quiet islands.

Day fourteen: travel back from the Gili islands to Bali

Today, I will travel back to Bali, but of course you can also continue your journey somewhere else, for example to another Gili Island, Komodo, or Flores.

I hope this itinerary can help you to better orientate and prepare for your trip to Lombok! Want to share your tips or comments? Got questions? Let me know in a comment!

Author: Daphne

This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.

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