Short answer: since April 1, 2026, every visitor to Padar Island — Indonesian citizens included — must book a timed entry slot in advance through Komodo National Park’s SIORA online reservation system. Same-day walk-in tickets are no longer sold. Since 1 April 2026, Komodo National Park as a whole — not Padar Island alone — has been capped at 1,000 visitors per day, split into three timed entry sessions (the park does not publish a per-session figure; 1,000 divided across three sessions implies roughly 330 each). Under the system in force since 1 April 2026 there is no separate Padar-only daily quota, and the pre-2026 figure of 400 visitors per day for Resort Padar Selatan was superseded by that park-wide cap. An earlier, much stricter 2022 proposal for a Rp 3,750,000 fee was scrapped before it ever took effect and is not what’s in force now — a distinction that a surprising number of travel blogs still get wrong.
Last updated: August 24, 2026. Quota figure verified against national media coverage of the 1 April 2026 rollout, independent of this publisher: Kompas, 14 April 2026. No source published by this site’s own group is used to establish it. Park fees and quota rules have changed more than once in recent years; always cross-check the live figures on your booking date via SIORA.id or your operator before paying.
What actually changed in 2026 — and what was only ever proposed?
It’s worth separating two very different things that get conflated online: a policy that was proposed, postponed, and ultimately cancelled, and a policy that is actually in force.
| Policy | Status | What it would have meant |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 conservation fee (~Rp 3,750,000 per person per year) | Announced 2022 → postponed to 1 January 2023 → cancelled mid-December 2022 — never actually collected from a single visitor. | Would have covered entry to both Komodo Island and Padar Island (plus surrounding waters) for Indonesian and foreign visitors alike — not only foreigners, and not Komodo Island alone. |
| SIORA online booking + daily visitor cap for Komodo National Park | In force since April 1, 2026 | Every visitor books a dated, timed slot in advance; Komodo National Park as a whole (not a Padar-specific figure) is capped at 1,000 visitors per day, divided into three timed sessions. |
| Standard national park entry ticket (WNA/WNI rate, unchanged in structure) | Ongoing | A per-day entry ticket priced differently for foreign visitors and Indonesian citizens — see the exact current figures on our entrance fee page. |
If a page you’re reading quotes the Rp 3,750,000 figure as something you need to pay to visit Padar today, it is describing the abandoned 2022 proposal, not current policy — a common and costly mix-up for anyone budgeting a trip. (Source: Kompas, Aug 2022; Kompas, Dec 2022.)
What is SIORA, and why does it matter for Padar Island?
SIORA (Sistem Informasi Online Reservasi wisata Alam) is the park authority’s official digital booking platform, live at SIORA.id (per the Ministry of Forestry launch announcement), and mandatory for all Komodo National Park sites since April 2026 — Padar included. It replaced the older system where operators could often secure entry with same-day paper tickets purchased at the dock. Under SIORA, your visit exists as a dated, timed reservation tied to your identity document before you ever leave Labuan Bajo.
For Padar Island specifically, this matters because it draws from the park-wide 1,000-visitor daily cap, split across only three windows — 05:00–08:00, 08:00–11:00, and 15:00–18:00 WITA, though the park does not publish a per-session figure (1,000 divided across three sessions implies roughly 330 each) — meaning Padar’s popular pre-dawn sunrise slots are proportionally more likely to sell out during high season (July–September and the Christmas/New Year window) than an off-peak mid-morning slot.
How do I book a Padar Island permit through SIORA? (step by step)
- Gather your documents. You’ll need a valid passport (foreign visitors) or KTP/ID (Indonesian citizens), plus an active email address and phone number for each traveller in your party.
- Choose your date and session. Padar Island is booked as South Padar Island inside SIORA, with one of three fixed time sessions — decide which session matches your planned itinerary first (sunrise, mid-morning, or sunset).
- Create or log in to your SIORA account at SIORA.id (the platform supports both Indonesian and English).
- Enter traveller details for every person in the booking: full name exactly as it appears on the passport/ID, passport or ID number, nationality, and contact information. Details must match your physical document precisely at the entry point.
- Select an available time slot. Morning sunrise slots at Padar are the most requested and the first to fill during peak season; if flexibility matters more than sunrise timing, the mid-morning or afternoon session is usually easier to secure closer to your travel date.
- Pay online via credit card or Indonesian bank transfer, then download or screenshot your confirmed permit.
- Bring the physical document that matches your booking (passport/KTP) on the day — rangers check identity against the reservation at the landing point.
Most travellers booking through a tour operator (rather than independently) have the operator handle steps 3–6 as part of the package — ask your operator to confirm your SIORA slot is locked in and to send you the confirmation, since the operator’s back-office booking is what actually reserves your place, not a verbal itinerary.
Book as early as your dates allow. The park authority publishes no maximum advance window for SIORA, but it does publish a deadline: the reservation must be completed at the latest on H-1, the day before your visit, because on-site ticket sales ended when timed entry started on 1 April 2026. Past that deadline the pattern is consistent — the sunrise session (05:00–08:00 WITA) is the most requested and fills first, and that during July–September and around Christmas/New Year popular slots can go a week or more ahead. Komodo Luxury’s Komodo boat trip and tours from Bali packages include SIORA booking as part of the service, which removes this step from your own to-do list.
How much does the Padar Island permit actually cost?
Park entry is priced per person, per day, with a different rate for foreign visitors and Indonesian citizens — it is not sold as a bundled route package. Figures below are the current published rates as of mid-2026; see our dedicated Padar Island entrance fee page for the full breakdown, including add-on fees.
| Visitor category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Foreign visitors (WNA) | IDR 250,000 flat (every day) |
| Indonesian citizens (WNI) – weekdays | IDR 50,000 per person per day |
| Indonesian citizens (WNI) – Sundays & national holidays | IDR 75,000 per person per day |
| “Harbor fee” (per person) | Not officially verified — only a per-boat vessel entry ticket is documented |
These are park-side fees only, separate from what you pay your boat/tour operator for the vessel, crew, fuel, and any meals. Legal basis and full context: PP No. 36 Tahun 2024 (PNBP KLHK), published by Balai Taman Nasional Komodo — the live tariff page is returning HTTP 502 as of August 2026, so use the archived copy of 11 February 2026 — see our full Padar Island cost breakdown for how the park fee and boat cost combine into a total trip price.
Total practical park-fee cost, layered (per August 2026): the IDR 250,000 PNBP entrance fee is only part of the picture. Add the on-site ranger/guide fee (roughly IDR 150,000 per group of 1–5) and the conservation, dock, and insurance components bundled into the SIORA ticket, and a foreign visitor’s practical one-day park-fee cost typically lands around IDR 400,000–525,000 per person. Official schedule: tnkomodo.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id (live page returning HTTP 502 as of August 2026 — archived copy, 11 February 2026).
What happens if Padar’s daily quota is full on my date?
If the park-wide 1,000-visitor daily cap for a session is reached for your target date, SIORA simply won’t offer that session for booking — you’ll need to choose a different date, a different session on the same date if any remain, or an alternate itinerary that visits Padar on a day with availability. This is the practical reason to book earlier rather than later, especially if your travel dates are fixed and you specifically want the sunrise session rather than any session.
Is there a Padar-only daily quota, and what was the old 400-per-day figure?
Quick answer: under the system in force since 1 April 2026 there is no separate Padar-only daily quota. The 1,000-visitor daily cap belongs to Komodo National Park as a whole and is shared across Padar Island, Komodo Island, Rinca Island and 23 dive sites, split into the three timed sessions above (Kompas, 14 April 2026).
You may still meet a figure of 400 people per day attached to Padar. That number is real but superseded. Before timed entry, the park authority published a per-resort daya dukung wisata (carrying-capacity) table that listed Resort Padar Selatan at 400 people per day, next to Loh Buaya on Rinca at 1,000, Loh Liang on Komodo at 750 and Gililawa at 25 — and it used slightly different windows for Padar: 05:30–08:00, 08:00–10:00 and 15:00–18:00 WITA. That table survives in the 11 February 2026 archived copy of the park’s tariff page, which is dated seven weeks before the change.
A third number circulates as well: 17,885 visitors per year for Padar, taken from the 2018 and 2022 carrying-capacity studies the ministry cited when it set the cap. That is an annual capacity estimate used as policy input, not a daily allowance you book against. So if you see 400 per day, 17,885 per year and 1,000 per day quoted side by side, only the park-wide 1,000 per day governs the slot you actually reserve.
Do children, seniors, or Indonesian citizens need a different permit?
Every visitor, regardless of age, needs an individual entry record tied to an ID or passport number under SIORA — there’s no household or family booking shortcut. Fee amounts do differ by nationality: Indonesian citizens (WNI) pay a substantially lower per-day rate than foreign visitors (WNA) — see the exact figures in the fee table above and on our entrance fee page. Always confirm the current rate with your operator or directly on SIORA at the time of booking, since fee levels are periodically reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to book Padar Island online in advance now?
Yes. Since April 1, 2026, walk-in entry without a SIORA reservation is not accepted at Komodo National Park sites, Padar Island included. Arriving without a booked slot means being turned away or, at best, delayed while your operator scrambles for a same-day booking that may not be available given the daily cap.
What is the Komodo National Park visitor quota for Padar Island?
Since 1 April 2026, Komodo National Park overall has been capped at 1,000 visitors per day, divided into three timed sessions — 05:00–08:00, 08:00–11:00, and 15:00–18:00 WITA — the park does not publish a per-session figure; 1,000 divided across three sessions implies roughly 330 each. This is a park-wide figure covering all park sites, not a Padar-only allocation, and the park authority has set no Padar-specific daily allocation under the 2026 system.
Is the Rp 3.75 million Komodo Island fee still happening?
No. That figure refers to a 2022 conservation-fee proposal for Komodo and Padar Islands, which was postponed to January 2023 and then cancelled outright in December 2022. It was never collected. Current visitors pay the standard per-day entry fee described above, not an annual membership.
Do domestic travellers also have to book online to visit Padar Island?
Yes. Since the SIORA system took full effect in April 2026, every visitor — including Indonesian citizens — must make an online reservation before visiting Padar Island or any other site in Komodo National Park. Walk-in arrivals without a reservation are no longer accepted at the entry point.
How far in advance should I book my Padar Island slot?
As early as you can, and no later than H-1. The park authority publishes no maximum advance window, so any “book at least N days ahead” minimum quoted elsewhere is an estimate rather than an official rule; the one deadline it does publish is that the reservation must be completed by the day before the visit (IDN Times NTB). In practice, during busy season (July–September and around the year-end holidays), it is safer to be a week or more ahead — because the park-wide daily quota of 1,000 people, split across three sessions, fills quickly, especially the sunrise session.
For related regulation and safety context, see our main Padar Island guide, our cost breakdown, and Komodo Luxury’s own Komodo boat trip booking page, which folds SIORA registration into the tour booking process.
What passport and ID details does SIORA actually require?
For each traveller in the booking, SIORA asks for: full legal name exactly as printed on the passport or KTP, the passport or ID number, nationality, date of birth in most implementations, an active phone number, and an email address for the party’s lead booker. Foreign visitors should double-check that the passport number entered matches the document they will actually be carrying on travel day — a common error is booking with an old passport number after a renewal, which can cause a mismatch at the entry checkpoint. If your operator books on your behalf, send them a clear photo or scan of the passport photo page rather than typing the number from memory, since a single-digit transcription error is enough to flag a mismatch.
What happens if my details don’t match at the entry point?
Rangers at the Padar Island landing point check physical identity documents against the SIORA reservation record. A minor mismatch (a middle name included on one document but not the other, for example) is usually resolved on the spot with the ranger’s discretion, especially when travelling with a licensed operator who can vouch for the booking. A more significant mismatch — wrong passport number, wrong name entirely — can result in denied entry for that individual, which is why operators generally ask for document copies well before departure day rather than at the dock.
Does booking through a tour operator cost more than booking SIORA myself?
Not necessarily, and for most travellers it’s simpler. SIORA is built primarily for operators and increasingly tech-comfortable independent travellers; an operator already holds an account, understands the route-and-slot logic, and bundles your permit into the price of the boat trip without an extra service fee in most cases. Independent travellers booking their own SIORA slot need to separately arrange the boat and crew, since the permit alone doesn’t include transport — meaning “doing it yourself” mainly saves an operator’s margin on the permit line item, not the trip as a whole, and adds coordination work that a packaged tour otherwise absorbs.
How has the quota system changed pricing and availability since April 2026?
Two effects are visible in the market since the SIORA rollout. First, last-minute bookings (arranged the same day or one day ahead) have become harder to secure precisely at Padar Island because of the park-wide 1,000-visitor cap (not a Padar-only allocation) split across only three sessions, pushing many operators to ask for more notice than they once did, even outside peak season. Second, mandatory advance booking has made cost comparisons between operators somewhat easier, since the underlying park fee component is now a fixed, publicly known per-day rate rather than something negotiated informally at the dock.
Can I change my Padar Island SIORA booking date after confirming it?
Sometimes, but SIORA decides that, not your operator. Policies on changes and refunds are set by the park authority’s platform rules at the time of booking and can be more restrictive than a typical tour cancellation policy; check the specific terms shown during checkout on SIORA, and confirm separately with your boat operator whether their own trip can be rescheduled to match a new permit date.
How long does the SIORA online booking process usually take?
For a single family or small group with passport/ID documents ready, filling in the details and paying on the SIORA platform typically takes around 10–20 minutes. It can take longer with a larger group or if the system runs into technical issues during busy periods.
Booking, and what happens if you do not
If you would rather have the reservation handled for you, Komodo Luxury — the operator within the same group as this publication — folds the SiORA booking into its packages: the Komodo one-day trip for a single sunrise session, the Komodo boat tour range for multi-stop days, and the Komodo liveaboard if you want to be anchored near Padar before dawn. This site documents Padar and sells nothing; questions about a specific date go to WhatsApp +62 811-3823-875 or sales@komodoluxury.com.
Since April 2026 a SiORA online reservation for your date and time slot is required before you enter the park, and there are no walk-in tickets at the jetty. Most visitors never touch the platform themselves because their boat operator handles it, but the confirmed slot is what gets you onto the trail, so reserve as early as your dates are fixed. There is no separate Padar-only ticket — the reservation and the daily park ticket cover Padar along with the other permitted stops on your route, and boat companies normally package it all together.
Boats need booking ahead too, particularly in the drier months and around public holidays, when shared speedboats and overnight phinisi trips sell out on popular dates and last-minute space is limited or dearer. Arriving in Labuan Bajo hoping to sail immediately is increasingly risky in high season. Advance arrangements are now simply how the park works.
The e-ticket carries a QR code that rangers scan on arrival, so a phone display is usually enough — but carry a printed backup against a flat battery or no signal, and check whether your operator prefers to hold the master copy for the group. Bring ID that matches the booking, since rangers run spot checks: a passport for foreign visitors, a KTP for Indonesian citizens. Having the document to hand also resolves any discrepancy in a name or date quickly.
Changing a date is possible only if quota remains on the new day and session, and the mechanics depend on who issued the booking, so contact them first — some companies restrict changes or apply their own conditions. Cancellations by weather work the same way: if a captain or operator calls off a sailing for safety, you normally move to another day or switch to a route closer to Labuan Bajo, and any refund follows the company’s rules rather than park policy. If the date moves, the park booking has to move with it.
Sailings run most days, but cancellations happen when the sea is rough, particularly in the wetter months and through the peak wind periods. Well-run operators cancel or reroute when safety is in doubt even under a clear sky, which is a good sign rather than a bad one. Build a spare day into your Labuan Bajo stay.
What entry actually looks like
The sequence is consistent: your operator books a SiORA slot, you receive an e-ticket, park fees are settled before or on the day, and at Padar’s jetty rangers scan the QR code, check identification where required and assign a ranger escort to your group. From there you climb with the group inside your session window.
For a sunrise hike, the constraint is arithmetic. You need to be ashore early enough to complete a 25 to 45 minute ascent before the sun clears the horizon, which means holding the earliest session and coordinating closely with your boat on departure time. Late arrival costs you the light, and possibly the climb.
Crowding is now managed by the park-wide daily cap and the timed sessions, which spread arrivals through the day. The main viewpoint still feels busy at the peak sunrise and sunset slots, with people pausing on the stairs to photograph, so choosing a less popular session is the practical lever. Christmas and New Year use the same three daily sessions as any other date — the holidays create no extra capacity, only more people competing for the same quota — and they fall in the wetter season, so expect greener hills alongside a higher chance of rain and choppier seas, with demand still high because both Indonesian and international visitors travel then.
April is one of the better months for a first visit: a transition into the drier season with improving sea conditions and hills still holding green. Showers pass through, so boats adjust timings, but it usually avoids both the wettest weather and the peak crowds.
What is on the island, and what is not
Padar supports only a very small, sparse Komodo dragon population, and in practical terms visitors do not see them. Historical reports exist, but current management does not treat it as an active dragon habitat, standard itineraries use the island for trekking and viewpoints only, and rangers brief guests accordingly. Dragon populations are concentrated on other islands in the park where viewing is ranger-supervised, and your guide will schedule a separate stop on Komodo or Rinca for that. Anyone selling Padar as a dragon experience is selling something else.
There is no Wi-Fi and only patchy mobile reception even at height. Treat the island as fully offline: back up data, upload photographs and do anything online at your accommodation or in Labuan Bajo.
There is no forest either. Padar is open grassy slopes and rocky ridges with scattered shrubs and a few small trees, which is exactly what creates the views and exactly why you are exposed to the sun from the moment you leave the jetty area.
The sea around the island supports the usual Komodo National Park marine life — reef fish, turtles, rays and healthy coral communities — with dolphins and the occasional manta on some routes, never guaranteed. Closer in, expect the smaller reef species rather than anything headline.
Fitness, budget and preparation
Overweight but reasonably active travellers complete this climb regularly by pacing themselves and taking breaks. The staircase is steep in places with sustained elevation gain, so cardiovascular fitness matters considerably more than body size, and proper footwear matters more than either.
If you want to prepare, train for a sustained uphill stair climb in warm humid conditions rather than for distance. Regular brisk walks on hills or staircases with gradually increasing duration simulate the effort closely, and some simple leg and core work helps with stability on uneven steps. A few weeks is enough to make a noticeable difference.
On budget, the park fees and ranger costs are only part of the picture and the boat is usually the dominant expense. Staying inside a daily budget is easiest on a shared speedboat day tour, which spreads fuel and crew costs across the group — the same climb, the same view, at a fraction of a charter.
Penjelasan SIORA dan kuota dalam Bahasa Indonesia: Tiket, Biaya dan Transportasi Pulau Padar.
This guide does not operate boats. Bookings are fulfilled by Komodo Luxury, and this site may earn a referral commission.