Dili to Atauro Ferry Schedule 2026: Times, Fares and Ports

Two vessels run the route. MV Success is a roll-on/roll-off passenger and cargo ferry. It sails Tuesday and Friday for $5 each way, leaving Dili at 08:00 and Atauro at 15:00, from the Kolmera ticket office and boarding point in central Dili.

Berlin Nakroma is the larger ferry and carries passengers, motorbikes and vehicles. It sails Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for $4 each way, also leaving Dili at 08:00 and Atauro at 15:00. It departs from Porto Dili, the main commercial port, in the Farol area on the central waterfront.

Between them there is a sailing every day except Monday. Weather, maintenance and public holidays can change a sailing, so confirm at the port the day before, especially in the wet season (December to April), when crossings are sometimes cancelled.

The two ferries use different ports. Berlin Nakroma leaves from Porto Dili in Farol, and Success from Kolmera. Both are on the central Dili waterfront, so check which one you need before you set off.

There is no online booking. Tickets are sold at the port on the day of travel, for US dollar cash, so bring small notes. Arrive at least an hour before departure, and earlier at weekends and around public holidays, when the ferries fill up. The operator is APORTIL, the government ports authority, and its port office can confirm a sailing in advance.

Yes, on any ferry day, but the time on the island is short. The boat lands at about 10:15 (Berlin Nakroma) or 11:00 (MV Success) and leaves again at 15:00. That is enough for a look around but tight for diving or snorkelling, and most travellers find a rushed day trip wastes Atauro.

To dive, snorkel properly or see village life, stay at least one or two nights. You come back on the next day's 15:00 boat (there is none on Monday). It reaches Dili in the early evening, too late for a same-day flight to Darwin, so plan your last night in Dili before you fly out.

For most people an overnight stay is better. Atauro has simple eco-lodges and guesthouses, very good snorkelling and diving straight off the shore, and a slow pace that suits staying put. One or two nights lets you dive or snorkel properly and still catch an afternoon ferry home.

A day trip makes sense only if your schedule is fixed and you just want to set foot on the island and see the coast.

Bring all the cash you need in small US notes. There are no ATMs on Atauro, and ferry tickets and island guesthouses are cash only.

Book your accommodation ahead, especially in the May to November high season. Most Atauro places confirm over WhatsApp and can be slow to reply, and the better lodges fill up.

Pack water, snacks, sun protection, and a light layer. The ferries have little or no catering, and the daytime crossing is exposed to strong sun.

In the wet season seas are rougher and sailings can be cancelled, so build in a buffer day rather than booking a tight onward connection.

Flying home? The 15:00 boat reaches Dili around 17:15 on Berlin Nakroma or 18:00 on MV Success, too late for a flight to Darwin that day, so spend your last night in Dili. There is often no boat off Atauro on a Saturday morning either. To be in Dili earlier, ask your lodge about its boat or take the MAF flight back (Mon 08:10, Wed 10:40, Fri 17:10).

If the ferry does not run: MAF flies a light aircraft from Dili to Atauro (Mon 07:30, Wed 10:00, Fri 16:30, about 20 minutes, $80 one way; seats are few and can be bumped for a medical evacuation). Lodge boats run by Compass, Atauro Dive Resort and Beloi Beach Hotel cost about $70-$75 a person one way, and a private charter starts at about $200 an hour. Miss the return boat and you wait for the next sailing or pay for a lodge boat, so keep a buffer day before your flight.