The Siora app is Komodo National Park’s mandatory booking platform, in force since April 2026. Visitors create an account, choose one of three timed sessions (06:00–11:00, 11:00–15:00, or 15:00–18:00), and pay entrance, guide, and conservation fees in-app before arrival. Daily entries are capped at roughly 1,000 visitors, so booking early — or letting your liveaboard operator handle it — is essential.
Every week our office in Labuan Bajo fields the same worried message: “I just read that Komodo has a visitor quota now — can we still land on Padar?” The short answer is yes, but the way you enter the park changed fundamentally in 2026, and 2027 trips need to be planned around it. As a Labuan Bajo liveaboard operator sailing Komodo National Park since 2015, we have booked hundreds of guests through the Siora system since it went live, so this guide comes from daily, first-hand use — not secondhand summaries.
Here is exactly how the Siora app works, what it costs, where travelers get caught out, and the session strategy we use to keep our itineraries running on time.
What Is the Siora App, and Why Is It Mandatory?
Siora is the official digital gateway to Komodo National Park. The park authority trialed it from January 2026 and made it mandatory in April 2026 as part of a pilot program that caps daily visitors at around 1,000 people, with the tightest controls on Komodo and Padar Islands — the two most visited landing points in the park.
The logic is conservation, not bureaucracy. The park marked its 45th anniversary in 2026 with new conservation programs, ranger-supervised trekking routes, and stronger protection of sensitive marine zones. Timed entry spreads visitors across the day so the dragons, the trails, and the reefs are never overwhelmed at once. Having watched Padar’s summit trail on an August morning before the cap, we genuinely think this is the best thing to happen to the park in a decade.
What it means for you practically: no Siora booking, no landing. Ranger posts check confirmations at the entry points, and boats cannot simply “show up” the way they could before 2026.
Setting Up Your Siora Account
Account creation is straightforward, but do it before you fly — connectivity on board and in remote anchorages is patchy. The setup flow looks like this:
- Download and register. Install the official Siora app and create an account with your email address.
- Enter traveler details. Each visitor is registered by name against their passport or ID, so the names must match your travel documents exactly.
- Select your visit date and session. You choose the specific day and one of the three timed windows for the sites you plan to visit.
- Pay fees in-app. Entrance, guide, and conservation fees are settled digitally inside the app — no more cash queues at ranger stations.
- Save your confirmation. Screenshot it. You will show it at the park entry point, often somewhere with zero signal.
If you book a trip with us, you can skip most of this: our operations team registers guests and secures sessions as part of every charter. It is one of the quiet advantages of using an established operator — see how it folds into our booking process.
The Three Timed Sessions Explained
Every park entry in 2027 is tied to one of three windows. Choosing well is the difference between a golden-hour Padar summit and a midday slog.
| Session | Hours | Best for | Availability in peak months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 06:00–11:00 | Padar sunrise trek, active dragons on Komodo, calm seas, soft light | Sells out first — book weeks ahead Jun–Sep |
| Midday | 11:00–15:00 | Snorkeling, Pink Beach, transit days between islands | Moderate demand |
| Afternoon | 15:00–18:00 | Padar sunset light, cooler treks late in the window | Usually the last to fill |
Our honest take after a full year under the system: the morning session is worth fighting for. Komodo dragons are most active in the cool early hours, Padar Island is at its most photogenic before 08:00, and you finish trekking before the heat peaks. The afternoon session has its charm for sunset on Padar’s ridgeline, but midday treks in dry-season heat are something we steer guests away from.
What You Pay Inside the App: 2027 Fee Breakdown
Fees for foreign visitors are charged per person, per day, and paid inside Siora. A few group-based fees sit alongside them. Here is the full picture we use when quoting trips:
| Fee | Amount (IDR) | Approx. USD | Charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park entrance (foreigners) | 250,000 | ~$16 | Per person, per day — in-app |
| Guide fee | 75,000 | ~$4.50 | Per person, per day — in-app |
| Conservation contribution | 25,000 | ~$1.50 | Per person, per day — in-app |
| Ranger trek: Komodo Island | 200,000 | ~$12.50 | Per group of up to 5 |
| Ranger trek: Rinca Island | 200,000 | ~$12.50 | Per group of up to 5 |
| Ranger trek: Padar Island | 150,000 | ~$9.50 | Per group of up to 5 |
| Harbour fee | 25,000 | ~$1.50 | Per person |
So a couple doing a classic two-day park itinerary that lands on Komodo Island and Padar should budget roughly IDR 1.4–1.6 million (about US$90–100) in total park costs. On our charters these fees are itemized transparently — our pricing page shows exactly what sits inside the charter rate and what the park charges on top, across budget boats from US$150–250 per person per night to luxury phinisi at US$800–1,500+.
The 1,000-a-Day Quota: How Tight Is It Really?
The cap is a pilot, and the authorities have said quotas and zones may be adjusted after evaluation — but through 2026 it held at roughly 1,000 visitors per day, concentrated on Komodo and Padar. In the November-to-March low season, that quota rarely fills and you can often book days ahead. In July and August it is a different story: sessions genuinely sell out, and morning slots go first.
Two things are pushing demand up for 2027. New direct international flights — Scoot flying Singapore–Labuan Bajo twice weekly and AirAsia connecting Kuala Lumpur three times weekly — put the park within a short hop of two major hubs for the first time. And the Labuan Bajo airport expansion plus new piers completed through 2026 mean more boats can turn around faster. More access, same quota: the math favors travelers who book early.
How We Handle Siora for Our Liveaboard Guests
When you confirm a departure with us, our shore team takes over the entire Siora process. We register every guest, match sessions to the day-by-day plan on our itinerary, pay the in-app fees, and carry the confirmations aboard. Our local expert crew — the same team recognized by TripAdvisor as Best Boat Agency in Labuan Bajo — has processed park permits since long before Siora existed, so the digital shift changed our tools, not our standards.
This matters most on multi-day routes. A 4D3N Komodo liveaboard typically needs separate session bookings for Padar, Komodo, and Rinca on different days, each aligned with sailing times, tides, and dive windows at Manta Point. Coordinating three or four timed entries around a moving boat is exactly the kind of logistics you do not want to manage from your phone at anchor. Whether you join an open trip or take a full private charter, the permits are our problem, not yours.
Pitfalls We See Every Month
Sold-out morning sessions in peak season
The single most common issue. Travelers arrive in July with boat tickets but no park session, then discover 06:00–11:00 on Padar is gone for three days straight. Fix: lock your park sessions the moment your trip dates are firm — or book with an operator who secures them for you at confirmation.
Name and passport mismatches
Bookings are tied to identity documents. A nickname or a missing middle name can cause friction at the checkpoint. Register names exactly as they appear on the passport you will carry.
Assuming one booking covers the whole trip
Fees are per day and sessions are per entry. A three-day liveaboard visiting park islands on each day needs park bookings for each day — not a single ticket.
Relying on signal at the gate
Ranger posts sit in some of the most beautiful dead zones in Indonesia. Screenshot every confirmation before you leave Labuan Bajo harbour.
Our Morning-Session Strategy
Here is the operating pattern we settled on after a year under the new rules, and it shapes how we schedule the entire fleet: we anchor overnight near the next day’s landing site and secure the 06:00–11:00 session wherever the itinerary allows. Guests summit Padar at first light with a fraction of the day’s visitors, walk with the dragons while they are active, and are back on board for a late breakfast as day boats are still steaming out from town. The midday window then belongs to snorkeling at Pink Beach or drifting with mantas — activities the timed sessions barely constrain.
It is a small piece of choreography, but it is the difference between experiencing the park and queueing for it. Perfectly arranged mornings are, frankly, the whole point of sleeping on the water.
FAQ
Can I book the Siora app after arriving in Labuan Bajo?
Technically yes — the app works anywhere with internet, and in low season (roughly November to March, outside holidays) next-day sessions are usually available. In June through September we strongly advise booking as soon as your dates are fixed, because morning sessions for Padar and Komodo can sell out days in advance under the 1,000-visitor cap.
Does my liveaboard operator book Siora sessions for me, or do I do it myself?
Reputable operators handle it. We register every guest, align sessions with the sailing plan, and pay all in-app fees before departure — you just carry your passport. If an operator asks you to sort your own park permits for a multi-day route, treat it as a red flag about how the rest of the trip will be run.
What happens if my chosen Siora session is sold out?
You have three options: switch to another window the same day (afternoon slots last longest), shift that island to a different day of your route, or substitute a less-constrained site. Because we plan flexible itineraries, our crew re-sequences landings around available sessions — one reason we schedule departures around the morning Siora session months ahead in peak season.
Planning a 2027 Komodo trip and want the Siora bookings, sessions, and fees handled end to end? Check live availability and reserve your dates on our booking page, or contact our Labuan Bajo team — we will map your ideal itinerary around the sessions that make the park shine.