A Flores overland package is a multi-day private car charter that crosses the island west to east on the Trans-Flores Highway — Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende, Kelimutu and out at Maumere — with one vehicle and one driver for the whole journey. Komodo Car Hire quotes it per vehicle in USD, not per seat, so the itinerary belongs to you rather than to a fixed group departure. Three, four and five-day versions are all workable, and most guests finish with a one-way drop at Ende or Maumere airport instead of driving back west.
The crossing covers roughly 650–700 km, a figure that understates the effort: the highway is sealed and genuinely beautiful, but it climbs and switchbacks almost continuously. A sound plan is built on driving hours and daylight, not kilometres.
What is included in a Flores overland charter?
The package is a vehicle charter with a professional driver, not a packaged tour. Included as standard:
- Your chosen vehicle for the full number of days, exclusively for your group
- An experienced Flores driver, with the driver’s own meals and accommodation covered
- Fuel for the entire route, plus parking, tolls and inter-district road fees
- Pickup at Komodo Airport (LBJ), your hotel or the harbour, and drop at your final airport
- Route planning against your actual flight times, plus WhatsApp coordination throughout
Not included: your own hotels and meals, national park and village entrance fees (paid at the gate), trekking guides, and flights. Keeping these outside the charter shows exactly what you pay the vehicle for. We can book the route hotels alongside the car if you prefer.
What are the driving times leg by leg?
Times below are typical daytime estimates in dry conditions, excluding photo stops, lunch and village visits.
| Leg | Distance | Driving time | Usual stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labuan Bajo → Ruteng | ~130 km | 4–5 hours | Cancar spiderweb rice fields, Lembor valley |
| Ruteng → Bajawa | ~130 km | 4–5 hours | Ranamese lake, Aimere coast |
| Bajawa → Ende | ~120 km | 4 hours | Bena and Gurusina villages, Blue Stone beach |
| Ende → Moni | ~50 km | 1.5–2 hours | Ende waterfront, hot springs |
| Moni → Kelimutu → Maumere | ~110 km | 3.5–4 hours plus crater time | Kelimutu at sunrise, ikat weaving villages |
SUV or HiAce — and is an EV realistic for the crossing?
Two classes handle this route properly. A high-clearance SUV such as a Fortuner or Innova Zenix suits two to four guests with luggage and copes best with the rougher approaches to villages. A Toyota HiAce takes six to twelve guests plus cases and camera gear, and is the usual choice for families travelling together. Both come with a driver — see car hire with driver for how the chauffeured model works. Self-drive is not offered on this route; night fog on the Ruteng pass and unlit roadworks are not conditions to meet for the first time.
On electric vehicles we will give you the honest answer rather than the flattering one. As of 2026, public fast-charging on Flores is thin and concentrated in the larger towns, with no dependable charging chain through the Ruteng–Bajawa–Ende mountain corridor. We therefore run the multi-day crossing on diesel or petrol vehicles and keep our electric car hire fleet for town runs, harbour transfers and day trips around Labuan Bajo where charging is predictable. The practical low-emission mix: an EV for your Labuan Bajo days, a conventional SUV for the crossing.
How do the 3, 4 and 5-day itineraries differ?
Three days is the fastest sensible pace: a long first run to Bajawa, then Bena and Ende to Moni, then Kelimutu at sunrise and down to Maumere for an afternoon flight. It works, but leaves almost no slack for weather.
Four days is what we recommend. Nights in Ruteng, Bajawa and Moni break the two heaviest mountain sections apart, and there is time for Ranamese, hot springs and the Ngada villages without rushing. Kelimutu still sits on the final morning — see Labuan Bajo to Kelimutu by car for that leg in detail.
Five days adds one flexible night — a second in Bajawa for Wogo and Gurusina, or a night in Maumere for the coastal weaving centres. Photographers and families with young children generally choose this version.
How does the one-way drop work?
Because the vehicle and driver must return west afterwards, a one-way crossing carries a repositioning component, shown as a visible line in the quotation rather than buried in the daily rate. Drops are available at Ende (H. Hasan Aroeboesman) or Maumere (Frans Seda) airport, and the reverse direction — starting in Maumere — works equally well. A return-to-Labuan-Bajo version removes the repositioning charge but adds two to three driving days.
How do you book?
- Send your dates, group size, luggage count and both flights — arrival into Labuan Bajo, departure from Ende or Maumere.
- We check feasibility against those flight times. This step saves trips: a late-afternoon arrival cannot start a three-day crossing the same day.
- You receive a written USD quotation showing vehicle class, days, fuel, driver, repositioning and exclusions.
- Confirm with a deposit; the balance settles on completion. Driver and vehicle details are shared before pickup.
What does a Flores overland package cost as of 2026?
Every crossing is quote-based, because price moves with vehicle class, season and drop point. The indicative ranges below are per vehicle, not per person, and cover the inclusions listed above.
| Package | SUV (up to 4 guests) | HiAce (up to 10–12 guests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-day crossing, drop Maumere | from ~USD 340 | from ~USD 470 |
| 4-day crossing, drop Maumere | from ~USD 440 | from ~USD 610 |
| 5-day crossing, drop Maumere | from ~USD 540 | from ~USD 740 |
Disclaimer: these are indicative starting points as of 2026, not a fixed tariff. Fuel movements, peak demand in July–August and over Christmas–New Year, pre-dawn starts and non-standard drop points all change the figure. See our car hire price list for daily rates by vehicle. Your written quotation is the binding number.
Common questions about the Flores crossing
Is the drive suitable for children or older travellers?
Yes, at four or five-day pacing. Motion sickness is the real issue rather than safety, since the road winds continuously. Tell us in advance and the driver plans earlier starts and shorter segments.
What time do we leave for Kelimutu?
Departure from Moni is usually around 04:00–04:30 to reach the viewpoint before first light. Park entry is paid at the gate that morning and is not part of the charter.
What happens if rain or a landslide blocks the road?
Between roughly December and March this occasionally occurs. The driver reroutes or holds you in the nearest town overnight, and we tell you at once about any effect on hotels or flights.
Can we add Wae Rebo to the crossing?
Yes, as an extra night between Labuan Bajo and Ruteng. The access road to Denge needs a high-clearance vehicle, and the village is reached on foot from the trailhead.
Plan your crossing
Send your dates, group size and departure airport, and we will reply with a written quotation, a realistic day plan and the right vehicle. Komodo Car Hire is operated under Komodo Luxury — part of Juara Holding Group, operating from Bali across Indonesia since 2015.
WhatsApp +62 811-3810-5742 or email sales@komodoluxury.com