If you’ve been thinking about visiting Komodo, 2026 is the year to stop thinking and start booking.
Starting April 1, 2026, Indonesia is enforcing a hard daily cap of 1,000 visitors across Komodo National Park. Whether you’re joining a liveaboard, a day trip from Labuan Bajo, a snorkeling cruise, or a land tour to see the dragons, you’re counted. Showing up without a reservation and sorting it out on arrival is no longer an option.
Why the Quota Was Introduced
Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering three main islands, Komodo, Rinca, and Padar, along with some of the most biodiverse marine territory in Indonesia. It’s home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest living lizard, and underwater environments that include manta ray cleaning stations, healthy coral gardens, and reef walls few places in the region can match.
That combination draws serious numbers. In 2025, the park received over 432,000 visitors, with peak days exceeding 1,700 people. The consequences were becoming visible: eroded trails on Padar Island, stressed coral, disturbed wildlife habitats, overcrowded viewpoints.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry made the call. 1,000 visitors per day, firm limit, no exceptions. Conservation comes first.
How the New System Works
All visits to Komodo National Park must now be pre-booked through the SiOra application, the official government platform managing permits and daily allocation. There are no walk-in tickets and no exceptions.
The system tracks visitor numbers in real time and closes bookings for a given date once the cap is reached. Every visitor must be registered in advance with their full name, gender, passport number, and nationality. Have your travel documents ready when you book. Your operator needs this information to secure your permit.
Tour operators, boat companies, and dive centres coordinate directly with park authorities to manage their allocations. Some handle the SiOra process entirely in-house; others work through agencies like Ocean Earth Travels. Either way, the permit logistics are handled for you, but only if you plan ahead.
What It Means for Your Trip
Liveaboard and day-trip passengers all count toward the daily quota, regardless of whether you’re diving, snorkeling, or cruising through for the scenery. Your boat operator must register your group and secure permit slots before departure.
Any island landing — the Padar sunrise trek, the dragon-spotting walks on Rinca, the viewpoints — requires a valid permit for that day, subject to the same 1,000-person daily total.
Snorkeling and leisure cruises work the same way. If your itinerary includes stops within park boundaries, whether for a swim, a snorkel, or a beach break, you’re in the count.
Mid-trip flexibility is harder too. If your boat wants to change plans at sea, it depends on available quota for that day. Build some flexibility into your plans; don’t assume you can always pivot.
High Season Is Already Filling Up
Komodo’s peak season runs roughly April through October, with July to September seeing the most demand. Calm seas, strong visibility, active manta rays. This is when Komodo delivers.
With a daily cap of 1,000 visitors across the entire park, those dates go fast. Operators are reporting bookings 4 to 6 months out for high season. If your trip is July to October, start booking now.
Shoulder season, November through March, offers more flexibility, fewer people, and often lower prices. The snorkeling and diving are still excellent; the park is quieter; and the quota is less likely to be the binding constraint. Worth considering if your dates are open.
Park Entry Fees: No Change for Now
The quota is new. The fee structure isn’t. Komodo National Park entry fees remain as they were: IDR 250,000 for international visitors and IDR 75,000 for domestic visitors. On top of that, you will also have to pay harbor fees, rnager fees (for trecking on Padar island and Komodo) as well snorkeling or diving fees.
For the full breakdown of what’s included and how fees are calculated per activity, see our complete guide to Komodo National Park fees.
A fee review is possible at some point in 2026 given the new access system. We’re monitoring the situation and will update our fees guide as soon as anything changes.
A New System, Still Finding Its Feet
This is a genuinely new framework, introduced quickly in response to real pressure on the park. Like any new system, it’s still being refined. Some operational details are being worked out in real time between park authorities, boat operators, and booking platforms. There may be hiccups as everyone adapts.
What we’re confident of: the intent is serious, the infrastructure is in place, and everyone involved is working to make things run smoothly for visitors. Work with experienced operators who have direct relationships with the park, and give them the lead time they need.
The Ocean Earth Travels Take
Our team runs Komodo trips year-round. We work with operators embedded in the Labuan Bajo ecosystem who have direct lines to park administration. We’re following how the quota plays out in practice, not just on paper, and adapting our processes to make sure our clients’ permits are confirmed before they board.
What we know for certain: the travellers who planned early are securing the best dates in 2026. Those waiting for more clarity may find their preferred windows gone.
If Komodo is on your list for this year, whether for diving, snorkeling, or just to experience something genuinely wild, get in touch. We’ll walk you through what’s available, what to expect, and how to put together a trip worth making.
