Ubud is an hour inland among rice terraces and river gorges, and the sea is a decision rather than a stroll. Serangan harbour, where our four yachts moor, is 60–75 minutes away by car (approx., traffic dependent) — through Denpasar, which is why the day starts before the city wakes up. Done properly it is a long, full day: mantas and cliffs at Nusa Penida, then back among the terraces for dinner.
One Format Dominates: The Full Day
From Ubud the 8-hour Nusa Penida day is nearly everything we book — $950 on the Accura 39 for up to 8 guests, $1,550 or $1,850 on the 13.5 m Accura 49 and 48 for up to 12, $2,750 on the 17-guest flagship. A long coastal private day charter is the alternative for groups who want swimming rather than a crossing. The 10-hour Gili Islands run from $3,600 is possible but means a 05:30 departure from Ubud; most guests here choose Penida and keep the Gilis for another trip.
| Ubud day | Leave Ubud | Board at Serangan | Back at the dock | Back in Ubud | Whole boat from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nusa Penida · 8 h | ~06:45 | ~08:00 (cast off 08:30) | ~16:30 | ~18:00 | $950 · Accura 39 |
| Coastal day charter | ~07:00 | ~08:15 | mid-afternoon | early evening | $750 · 4 h, longer by quote |
| Gili Islands · 10 h | ~05:30 | 07:00 (cast off 07:30) | late afternoon | after dark | $3,600 · Accura 49 |
Door-to-door estimates for central Ubud in normal traffic; Tegallalang and Payangan add ten to fifteen minutes. Prices are for the whole yacht with skipper, crew, fuel, snorkel gear, soft drinks and welcome fruits included.
Getting from Ubud to the Dock
South through Mas and Batubulan, across Denpasar on the bypass, then the Serangan turning to the floating dock (Dermaga apung, Denpasar 80229). Leaving at 06:45 you are through the city before the rush hour and on the calmest sea of the day; leaving at 08:00 you are in traffic for an extra half hour and miss the morning window at Manta Point. Nearly every Ubud group takes the private transfer from $50 — car or bus, priced for Ubud and the head count, a separate line from the charter — because the return at 17:00 through Denpasar is a drive nobody wants after eight hours in the sun.
Terraces in the Morning, Mantas by Ten
The contrast is the point. You leave the valley in cool air, and by mid-morning you are floating above a manta cleaning station on Penida's south-west coast — the skipper goes there first, and only when the swell allows. Then Crystal Bay or Gamat Bay for reef fish and the occasional turtle, a cruise under the Kelingking cliffs you have seen in every photo, lunch at anchor in a sheltered bay, a last swim and the hour back across the Badung Strait. At 16:30 you step off at Serangan; by 18:00 you are back in Ubud with the terraces turning gold.
Four Charters Ubud Guests Ask About
Nusa Penida Day Trip
The Ubud day: early start, mantas, cliffs and a long lunch at anchor, from $950. Sample timing →
Private Day Charter
A coastal day with swim stops and no long crossing, for groups who want the deck. Day charter options →
Island Hopping — Gili
The 10-hour run east for groups ready for a 05:30 start, from $3,600. Penida or Gili? →
Luxury Yacht — Accura 55
The flagship when a retreat group or a wedding party of 17 comes down from the hills. Flagship details →
Get a Quote from Ubud
Pick the charter and the group size — WhatsApp opens with “Pick-up: Ubud” already written, so the quote can include the early car or bus from the valley.
🚐 Optional hotel transfer from $50. No prepayment — WhatsApp opens with your request filled in.
Ubud Charter Questions
How early is early for an Ubud pick-up?
Is the sunset cruise worth it from Ubud?
What do we see on the Nusa Penida day that we cannot see from Ubud?
Can we drive ourselves down from Ubud?
Deposit, cancellation and bad weather?
Closer to the Water
Coming Down from the Hills for a Day at Sea?
Send the date, how many of you there are and where in Ubud you are staying. The skipper desk replies the same day with the yacht, the all-in price and the early pick-up time that gets you to Manta Point while the sea is still calm.
WhatsApp Us from Ubud