Komodo Island Tour from Bali: Late-2026 Status & 2027 Planning Guide

Last updated: August 16, 2026 · Written by the Bali Premium Trip team, part of the same travel group as Komodo Luxury in Labuan Bajo

Quick answer: As of August 16, 2026, Komodo island tours from Bali are running. The M7.7 earthquake of August 15 struck the sea roughly 200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo; Komodo Airport is operating, the Harbormaster reopened sailing the same day (Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026), and Komodo National Park was never closed. If you are planning a Komodo trip for late 2026 or 2027, the route from Bali is open — here is the verified status and what to watch.

• Earthquake: M7.7 (BMKG’s initial estimate of M7.0 was later revised), Saturday, August 15, 2026, 05:58 WITA, in the sea north of Flores near Mbay, Nagekeo — about 200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo, at a shallow depth of roughly 15 km.
• Tsunami: BMKG issued an early warning; no destructive tsunami formed. The Labuan Bajo tide gauge recorded about 0.36 m, and the warning was lifted around three hours later.
• Komodo Airport (Labuan Bajo): runway and apron declared safe; the airport remained operational and flights were back to normal by the evening of August 15.
• Sailing: officially reopened the same day by the Harbormaster (KSOP Labuan Bajo) under Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026. Boats were back on the water that afternoon.
• Komodo National Park: open — it was never closed. Trips have been running normally since August 16.

Are Komodo island tours from Bali still running after the earthquake?

Yes — so far, everything a Komodo island tour depends on is functioning. The two links in the chain from Bali are the flight into Labuan Bajo and the boat out to the park, and both held. The Komodo Airport authority declared the runway and apron safe on the day of the quake; a section of taxiway showed cracks and was closed for inspection, and a handful of flights were adjusted that morning, but operations returned to normal by the evening of August 15. On the water side, the Harbormaster’s office (KSOP Labuan Bajo) issued Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026 the same day, formally reopening sailing after BMKG declared the tsunami potential over.

That same-day reopening matters more than any reassurance we could write; port authorities do not reopen a harbor casually. Komodo Luxury, the group’s flagship Komodo operator, had crews at sea with guests when the earthquake struck — every guest and crew member was safe and accounted for, and their boats returned to the water the same afternoon. For the day-by-day picture from the ground, their team maintains a live status report written from Labuan Bajo.

Where exactly was the earthquake — and how far is that from the tour route?

The epicenter was in the sea north of Flores near Mbay, Nagekeo — around 200 km northeast of Labuan Bajo. Flores is a long island, and the geography is the key to understanding the news coverage: the serious damage and the loss of life are concentrated in central and eastern Flores (Nagekeo, Sikka, Manggarai, and Manggarai Timur), a long way from the western tip where Labuan Bajo sits. Labuan Bajo itself saw limited, moderate damage — including one hotel — and the town kept functioning. Komodo National Park lies west of Labuan Bajo, even further from the epicenter, which is why the park never closed.

Dozens of lives were lost in central and eastern Flores, and our thoughts are with the families and communities there. The affected districts are far from the tourism corridor, and arrivals through Labuan Bajo remain one of the region’s most important sources of income.

How does a Komodo island tour from Bali work right now?

The route is unchanged: a short domestic flight from Bali to Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo, then a boat into the national park — either a day trip by speedboat or a multi-day Komodo island cruise on a traditional phinisi. Nothing about the earthquake altered this itinerary. Padar, Pink Beach, and the dragon islands are inside a park that never closed, served by a harbor that officially reopened within hours.

If you are comparing formats, the group’s Komodo desk runs both shared open-trip sailings — the simplest way to join a scheduled departure from Labuan Bajo — and private charters aboard a luxury phinisi for families and small groups who want the boat to themselves. Their Komodo tour from Bali page covers the full journey starting from the Bali side, which is the version most of our readers take.

If you’re booked for September–December 2026: what should you expect?

September through December is normally a rewarding window for Komodo, and as of mid-August the operational picture supports keeping those plans: airport open, sailing reopened, park open, trips running normally so far. The honest caveat is that conditions after any major earthquake deserve monitoring rather than blind confidence — which is why we point readers to sources that update, not just reassure. The Komodo Luxury team has published a detailed season outlook for September–December 2026, written from Labuan Bajo and updated as the situation develops.

Booking-wise, the sensible move is to choose an operator with a flexible rebooking guarantee, so that if authorities ever restrict sailing on your dates, your payment is protected as travel credit rather than lost. That structure removes most of the practical risk of booking now.

Planning a Komodo island tour or cruise for 2027?

For 2027 travelers, the earthquake is a headline, not a planning obstacle. The infrastructure your trip relies on — Komodo Airport, the Labuan Bajo harbor, the national park — was either undamaged or cleared and operating within hours of the quake. European and North American travelers often book Komodo six to twelve months ahead, and there is no operational reason to change that rhythm for 2027. For a deeper look at the question most long-range planners are asking, read what the 2026 earthquake means for a 2027 Komodo trip.

What would change this answer?

We would revise this guide if any of the following occurred: BMKG issued a new warning affecting the Labuan Bajo–Komodo area; the Harbormaster suspended sailing again; Komodo Airport restricted operations; or park authorities closed Komodo National Park. None of these applies as of August 16, 2026. Status claims in this article are accurate “so far” — the phrase is deliberate, because that is how honest post-earthquake reporting works. Named sources you can verify yourself: BMKG, the Harbormaster/KSOP Labuan Bajo (Maklumat Pelayaran No. 05/MP-VIII/2026), and the Komodo Airport authority.

Frequently asked questions

We’re planning Komodo in September 2026 — will tourism be back to normal?

The operational side already is: sailing reopened the same day as the earthquake, the airport is running, and the park never closed. Trips have operated normally since August 16. What typically lags after any earthquake is traveler confidence, not infrastructure — which for September visitors tends to mean quieter viewpoints rather than closed ones.

Should we still book for October, or wait and see?

Booking now with a flexible operator is the lower-stress option. Choose a trip backed by a rebooking guarantee, so your payment converts to travel credit if authorities ever restrict sailing on your dates. Waiting gains you little, since the facts that matter — harbor, airport, and park status — are already public and positive so far.

Komodo in 2027 — is it too early to worry about the earthquake?

There is nothing to act on for 2027. The August 2026 event caused no lasting damage to the airport, harbor, or park that serves Komodo tours, and operations resumed within hours. Book on the normal timeline you would use for any high-demand sailing destination.

Is it too soon to do a boat trip from Labuan Bajo right now?

Boats have been sailing since the afternoon of August 15, when the Harbormaster formally reopened the port after BMKG declared the tsunami potential over. No responsible operator will promise absolute safety anywhere on earth — what we can say is that the authorities who assess these waters cleared them, and trips have run normally since, so far.

If you’d like help planning a Komodo island tour from Bali — whether a shared sailing or a private charter — the group’s Komodo concierge is available on WhatsApp at +62 811-3823-875, with first-hand knowledge from Labuan Bajo rather than second-hand headlines.