Best Time to Visit Lombok: A Local’s Month-by-Month Guide

The best time to visit Lombok is the dry season, from April to October, and the driest stretch runs June to September. Mataram gets around 20 to 45 mm of rain a month in that window, against 225 to 280 mm in January and February.

We live here and ride the island every week, and our pick is the shoulder months: May and September for the most reliable weather, with April and October not far behind. You get the dry roads and clear mornings without the July and August crowds, and accommodation is easier to find.

This guide goes month by month, then covers surfing, Rinjani, beaches, waterfalls and crowds. We run the Lombok Loop all year, so we’ve ridden these roads in every kind of weather the island has.

Lombok’s Seasons at a Glance

Lombok has two seasons, and in our experience the line between them moves a few weeks either way each year. Rain in the wet season usually comes in heavy bursts, often in the afternoon, so even in January you’ll get dry hours most days.

• Dry season (April to October): Sunny, low humidity and calm seas on the south coast. June to September is the driest, with 2 to 5 rainy days a month in Mataram
• Wet season (November to March): Heavy afternoon downpours, high humidity and the greenest the island gets. December and January are the wettest months
• Peak crowds: July and August, when European and Australian school holidays line up with the best weather
• Our pick: May and September. April and October are close behind but a little wetter
• Mount Rinjani: Closed every year from 1 January to the end of March
• Sea temperature: 27 to 29.5°C all year, so the water’s never the problem

Lombok Weather by Month

These are long-term averages for Mataram, on the west coast. We’ve found the south coast around Kuta is a little drier, and the hills around Tetebatu, Senaru and Sembalun are wetter and cooler, especially in the afternoons.

Month	Rain	Rainy days	Temp (low to high)	Sea	Our take
January	280 mm	15	24 to 31°C	29°C	Wettest month, Rinjani closed
February	225 mm	15	24 to 31°C	29°C	Wet, green, quiet. Bau Nyale on the south coast
March	160 mm	15	24 to 32°C	29°C	Rain easing, waterfalls at their fullest
April	110 mm	12	24 to 32°C	29.5°C	Shoulder month, Rinjani reopens
May	95 mm	7	23 to 32°C	29°C	Our favourite month
June	45 mm	5	22 to 31°C	28°C	Dry and settled, crowds building
July	30 mm	4	21 to 30°C	27°C	Peak season, book ahead
August	20 mm	2	21 to 31°C	27°C	Driest and busiest month
September	35 mm	3	22 to 31°C	27°C	Dry, quieter, our other favourite
October	110 mm	9	23 to 32°C	28°C	Hottest month, first storms
November	165 mm	13	24 to 32°C	29°C	Wet season starting
December	245 mm	17	24 to 32°C	29.5°C	Wet, humid, Christmas crowds

Figures are 1991 to 2020 averages for Mataram from Climates to Travel. Other sources put the wettest months a little higher or lower, but the pattern is the same.

Lombok Month by Month

Lombok in January and February

They’re the wettest months, with around 15 rainy days each in Mataram. Expect a heavy downpour most afternoons, muddy back roads and swollen rivers, but also empty beaches and the island at its greenest. We don’t mind it, but you’ll want a poncho on a scooter. Rinjani’s closed for the whole period.

Bau Nyale, the Sasak sea worm festival, happens on the south coast around February. Thousands of people head to Seger Beach near Kuta before dawn to catch the nyale worms, and the date follows the Sasak calendar, so it moves every year. In 2026 the peak fell on 7 and 8 February.

Lombok in March

The rain’s easing by March and the waterfalls are at their fullest, so it’s the month we’d pick for chasing them. In 2027, Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February, with Idul Fitri around 10 March. In the villages you’ll find fewer warungs open during the day, and roads and ferries get busy around Idul Fitri as families travel home.

If you’re flying or sailing in from Bali in March, check the date of Nyepi, Bali’s day of silence. The airport and harbours in Bali close for 24 hours, so plan your crossing around it.

Lombok in April and May

April’s a shoulder month: there are still a few storms, but the island’s green and Rinjani reopens. The park reopened on 1 April in 2026. By May the rainy days drop to around seven a month, the roads have dried out, and the crowds haven’t arrived. If you asked us to pick one month, we’d say May.

Lombok in June, July and August

It’s the heart of the dry season. August is the driest month of the year, with around two rainy days, and the nights are the coolest, dropping to about 21°C in Mataram and much colder up in the hills. It’s also peak season. Popular spots like Selong Belanak and the Gilis are at their busiest, and the best-value rooms in Kuta book out, so we’d sort accommodation a few weeks ahead.

Lombok in September and October

September keeps the dry-season weather with fewer people, and we’ve always found it the easiest month to book, which is why it’s our other favourite month. October is the hottest month and brings the first afternoon storms. Late in a long dry season, forest fires can close parts of Rinjani, as they did in September 2026.

MotoGP comes to the Mandalika circuit near Kuta in October. The 2026 race weekend ran from 9 to 11 October. Rooms around Kuta fill up and prices jump that week, so either book early or avoid the south coast for those few days.

Lombok in November and December

The wet season builds through November, and by December you’ll get rain on about 17 days. It’s humid, the rice terraces are bright green, and the island fills up again over Christmas and New Year. Rinjani stays open through December, but the trails get wetter and slipperier, and the park closes on 1 January. Heavy rain can also flood low-lying roads; our guide to whether Lombok is safe covers what to do when it does.

Best Time to Visit Lombok for Surfing

There’s surf all year, but we’d call the dry season prime time. From April to October the southeast trade winds blow offshore on most of the south coast, and the Indian Ocean swells roll in consistently.

• Beginners (April to October): Selong Belanak and the inside breaks at Gerupuk have soft, forgiving waves in the dry season, and the weather makes learning easy
• Experienced surfers (June to September): The biggest swells arrive in the middle of the year. Mawi and Desert Point (Bangko-Bangko) are at their best, and busiest, in these months
• Wet season (November to March): The winds swing round, so the east coast and spots like Ekas Bay come into their own. Mornings are often glassy before the afternoon rain

Our pick for surfers is May or September: good swell, fewer people in the line-up. If you need a bed near the breaks, we’ve rounded up our favourite Lombok surf hostels.

Best Time to Climb Mount Rinjani

The park is open from April to December and closed from 1 January to the end of March. In 2026 it reopened on 1 April. We’d aim for May, June or September: dry trails, clear sunrises and fewer trekkers than July and August, when you’ll want to book two to four weeks ahead.

• April: Quieter, but the first weeks can still bring storms and wet trails
• July and August: The most reliable weather and the most people. The summit camps get crowded
• September and October: Dry and quieter, but late in a long dry season fires can close routes. In 2026, Torean and Senaru both closed in late September
• November and December: Open, but wetter, slipperier and cloudier at sunrise

Routes, permits and the 2026 rules are all in our Mount Rinjani trek guide.

Best Time to Visit Lombok for Beaches

Lombok’s beaches are at their best in the dry season, when the sea is calm and the water’s clearest for swimming and snorkelling. On the south coast near Kuta, Tanjung Aan, Mawun and Selong Belanak all look their best from May to September, and that’s when we spend most of our beach days there.

• Dry season (April to October): Calm, clear water and the most reliable sun
• Shoulder months (April, May, September, October): The same beaches with far fewer people. A good time for the quieter Secret Gilis off Sekotong
• Wet season (November to March): Rain usually comes in bursts, so you’ll still get beach hours. The southeast is the driest corner of the island, and Pink Beach (Pantai Tangsi) and Ekas Bay are good options

Local Tip: We run island hopping and camping trips to the Secret Gili Islands if you’d like a night on a sandbar.

Best Time to Visit Lombok for Waterfalls

Lombok’s waterfalls are fullest in the wet season and easiest to reach in the dry. Which you’d prefer depends on whether you’re after the power or the easy walk.

• Wet season (December to March): Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile turn into roaring curtains of water, and the jungle is at its greenest. The trails are muddy and the rocks are slippery, so wear shoes with grip
• Dry season (April to November): Lower flow, but drier trails and safer river crossings. Tiu Kelep and Benang Kelambu still have plenty of water
• Shoulder months (April, May, October): Our favourite for waterfalls: decent flow, firmer trails and fewer people

We always start waterfall walks early, before the heat and the day-trip groups.

Best Time to Visit Lombok to Avoid Crowds

Lombok’s far quieter than Bali at any time of year, but it’s still got a busy season. If you want quiet beaches and easy bookings, avoid these:

• July and August: European and Australian summer and school holidays. The Gilis, Selong Belanak and Rinjani are at their busiest
• Christmas and New Year: A short, sharp spike in visitors and prices
• Idul Fitri: Indonesia’s biggest holiday, expected around 10 March 2027. Domestic travel peaks, and ferries and flights fill up for a week or so either side
• MotoGP week: Kuta and the south coast fill up for the Mandalika race weekend in October

The quietest good-weather months are April, May, September and early October. The wet season is quieter still, with Kuta, Senggigi and the Gilis far emptier than in August. We compare the two islands side by side in Lombok vs Bali.

Riding the Lombok Loop Through the Seasons

The Lombok Loop runs all year, leaving Senggigi every Thursday and Kuta every Friday. In the wet season we move stops around the weather, and when the rain comes we hand out ponchos. We think some of the mountain roads look their best in the wet, with mist on the rice terraces around Tetebatu and the waterfalls running hard.

If you’re planning your own trip instead, start with our 7-day Lombok itinerary, and these will help:

• Where to Stay in Lombok: the best areas and hotels for every budget
• Where to Stay in Kuta Lombok: the surf town and our Friday departure point
• Where to Stay in Senggigi: the west coast base and our Thursday departure point
• Where to Stay in Tetebatu: rice fields, cooler nights and the black monkeys in the forest
• Things to Do in Lombok: everything else worth your time on the island