Ampana to Togean Islands: All Boats, Schedules & Prices

Two speedboats run Ampana to Wakai daily — Hercules ~09:00 and Cahaya Manakara ~12:00-13:00, about 1.5 hours, Rp 130,000-170,000. Full schedules for the multi-stop boats to Katupat, Malenge and Dolong, the car ferry, tickets, and what happens in rough weather.

Two speedboats run from Ampana to Wakai every day — Hercules around 09:00 and Cahaya Manakara around 12:00-13:00 — taking about 1.5 hours and costing Rp 130,000-170,000. Bigger public boats continue past Wakai to Katupat, Malenge and Dolong on alternating days (Wamburabura Mon/Wed/Sat, Allya Express 1 Tue/Thu/Sun), and a slow car ferry runs about three days a week for around Rp 56,500. Everything leaves in the morning; nothing reliable departs Ampana in the afternoon except the midday speedboat.

Last verified: June 2026. Boats here break down, change owners and shift schedules without notice — treat this as the best-available picture and confirm at the harbor or with your resort the day before.

All departures from Ampana

Boat	Type	Days	Departure	Destinations	Duration	Price
Hercules	Speedboat	Daily	~09:00	Bomba (on request), Wakai	~40 min Bomba / ~1.5h Wakai	Rp 130,000-170,000
Cahaya Manakara	Speedboat	Daily	~12:00-13:00	Bomba (on request), Wakai	~1.5h Wakai	Rp 130,000-170,000
KM Wamburabura	Milk-run fast boat	Mon / Wed / Sat	~08:00-10:00	Wakai, Katupat, Malenge, Popolii, Dolong, Tongkabo	3.5h Wakai, 4-5h Katupat, 5-6h Malenge	Rp 110,000-180,000
MV Allya Express 1	Milk-run fast boat	Tue / Thu / Sun	~09:30	Wakai, Katupat, Malenge, Pulau Papan, Dolong	as above	Rp 130,000-180,000
KMP Tuna Tomini (ASDP car ferry)	Car ferry	~3 days/week (Thu/Sun/Mon on the June 2026 schedule)	~09:00-10:00	Wakai	~5h	~Rp 56,500
Wooden "bodi" boats	Local boats	Most days	ask locally	Bomba-side villages	~3h	≤ Rp 50,000

Returns: speedboats leave Wakai roughly 08:30-10:00 and 12:00-13:00 daily. The multi-stop boats come back from the Malenge/Katupat side on the opposite days to their outbound runs (roughly Sun/Tue/Thu for Wamburabura) — confirm with your resort, as our sources conflict on exact times.

Other vessels (KM Touna Express, KM Kapia Touna, KM Banawa Nusantara 78, KM Belavista) appear in Indonesian schedule listings on the Mon/Wed/Sat pattern, but we have weaker confirmation that all of them are actually running — the table above covers the boats travelers consistently report using.

Getting to Ampana port

The main harbor, Pelabuhan Ampana, is close to the town center — a few minutes by ojek or car from any Ampana hotel. Official ticket counters are at the harbor. Smaller jetties around town serve the cheap wooden bodi boats toward Bomba; ask your hotel which jetty on the day.

If you are coming from Luwuk airport (~5 hours by car) or Palu (8-12 hours), plan to overnight in Ampana: a morning arrival rarely makes the morning boats, and the only afternoon option is the ~12:00-13:00 Manakara. Resorts with their own transfer boats are the exception to the morning rule — Reconnect on Buka Buka, for instance, runs private boats from Tete jetty just east of Ampana (~30 minutes) timed to guests' arrivals rather than to the public schedule.

Buying tickets

Speedboats: buy at the official ticket point at the harbor. Children up to 7 travel half price. In July-August the boats fill up — the Hercules carries only ~22 passengers — so have your resort book seats ahead by WhatsApp.
Milk-run boats: tickets at the harbor; economy and VIP classes exist on some boats (VIP gets you the air-conditioned cabin, roughly Rp 20,000-30,000 extra).
Car ferry: tickets at the ASDP counter at the port.

Luggage

Speedboats are small: soft bags beat hard suitcases, and crews stack luggage on the bow under a tarp. Keep electronics in a dry bag in your lap — spray over the bow is normal at speed. Surfboards and dive bags travel fine on the multi-stop boats; on the speedboats, mention oversized bags when booking.

What happens in rough weather

Simple: boats do not go. There is no marginal-conditions sailing culture here — if the captain judges the Gulf of Tomini too rough, the departure is cancelled, occasionally for several days running. December-January is the windiest window. Practical consequences:

Keep 1-2 buffer days between your island stay and any onward flight from Luwuk or Palu.
If you are stuck in Ampana, it is a pleasant enough town with hotels and warungs — and if you are stuck on the islands, your resort will keep feeding you. Worse places to be stranded.
Breakdowns cancel sailings with no notice too. The day-before confirmation habit is not paranoia; it is how everyone here travels.

FAQ

What time do boats leave Ampana for the Togean Islands?

Almost everything leaves in the morning: the Hercules speedboat around 09:00, multi-stop boats between 08:00 and 10:00, and the car ferry mid-morning. The only afternoon departure is the Cahaya Manakara speedboat around 12:00-13:00.

How much is the boat from Ampana to Wakai?

Speedboats cost Rp 130,000-170,000 per person (~1.5 hours). The slow car ferry costs about Rp 56,500 (5-6 hours).

Can I get directly from Ampana to Malenge or Katupat?

Yes — KM Wamburabura (Mon/Wed/Sat) and MV Allya Express 1 (Tue/Thu/Sun) run past Wakai to Katupat (~4-5h) and Malenge (~5-6h) for Rp 110,000-180,000. On other days you would take a speedboat to Wakai and charter from there.

Do I need to book boat tickets in advance?

Outside July-August, turning up an hour early is usually fine. In high season, book speedboat seats ahead by WhatsApp (most resorts will do this for you) — capacity is small and they do sell out.

Can I bring a motorbike?

Yes, on the ASDP car ferry (motorbike fare around Rp 106,000 on the Gorontalo route; similar order of magnitude from Ampana). The speedboats take passengers and bags only.