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Sulawesi: Planning Your Travel Route Effectively

07-12-2025 Kristy

Getting around Sulawesi takes time. The island’s shape, mountainous interior, and limited road network make overland travel time-consuming. Peninsulas are poorly connected, ferries depend on weather, and routes often require backtracking. Trips that look short on a map can easily take a full day or more.

Because of this, it’s worth being strategic about your route before you arrive. You can travel spontaneously—I did—but Sulawesi is so large that you’ll inevitably lose days just moving between destinations. Without some planning, you may be forced to backtrack or book expensive last-minute flights. For example, after visiting the Banggai Islands, flights from Luwuk to Makassar jumped from about $70 to $340 per person in just five days. I managed to find $90 tickets using Traveloka, but it was a close call.

In many destinations, spontaneity makes travel easier. Sulawesi is different. Planning your route at least loosely in advance can save significant time and money—and help you see more of the island.

Below are several route options that, based on my experience, are realistic to complete within one month in Sulawesi. Keep in mind that completing any of these routes requires moving quickly, with few or no rest days. If you work remotely or prefer a slower pace of travel, this timeline may not be feasible. In that case, consider extending your visa for an additional month in Luwuk to allow more flexibility.

#1: North to south with stops in the Togian and Banggai Islands:

  1. Fly into Manado. Spend a day or two in Manado getting settled.
  2. Travel to Siau Island. Take a public speedboat five hours north to Siau. Three days there is enough.
  3. Return to Manado. There, rent a scooter and spend a day at Tangkoko National Park. Divers can head to Bunaken, Bangka, or the Lembeh Strait.
  4. Travel to Tomohon. Rent a scooter in Manado and ride 40 minutes to Tomohon; four full days there is sufficient.
  5. Return to Manado. Drop off your scooter and buy a bus ticket to Gorontalo. The trip takes about 10 hours.
  6. Rest in Gorontalo. Arrange a ferry ticket from Gorontalo to Wakai, a small harbor town on Batudaka Island in the Togian Islands.
  7. Explore the Togians. Four to five days should be enough. Then, arrange a ticket from Wakai to Ampana in Central Sulawesi.
  8. Reach Ampana. There, arrange an overnight bus to Luwuk. The journey takes 8-10 hours.
  9. Reach Luwuk. Spend one full day visiting nearby waterfalls. Arrange a ferry ticket to Peleng Island via Leme Leme or Luk Panenteng.
  10. Travel to Banggai Peleng. Spend one to three full days exploring west Peleng, home to Paisu Pok and Gua Bab’banang.
  11. Overland to Salakan. From Peleng, hire a driver to Salakan and spend a full day at nearby beaches such as Mandel Beach.
  12. Overland to Tobing. Travel by car to Tobing (southeast Peleng), then continue by private speedboat to Banggai Laut.
  13. Reach Banggai Laut. Spend at least four full days exploring Banggai Laut.
  14. Visit Mbuang Mbuang. Travel from Banggai Laut to Mbuang Mbuang by speedboat or ferry, either as a day trip or overnight.
  15. Return to Luwuk. Take an overnight ferry from Banggai Laut to Luwuk. Give yourself a rest day.
  16. Fly to Makassar. Fly from Luwuk to Makassar. Rent a scooter in the city.
  17. Drive to Maros. Leave Makassar early. Drive to Maros and explore the karst region. Stop at Leang Leang Archaeological park.
  18. Rest in Pare Pare. Stay overnight in Pare Pare, or continue onward to Toraja if you have time.
  19. Reach Tana Toraja. Spend four to five full days in Toraja, ideally with a guide.
  20. Head back to Rammang Rammang. Drive from Toraja to Rammang Rammang; stay overnight and spend one full day there.
  21. Return to Makassar. Your trip in Sulawesi ends here.

#2. North to south, skipping the Togian Islands:

Follow the same route as above, but skip the Togian Islands and spend more time in Banggai instead. Instead of traveling from Gorontalo to Wakai, take the ferry from Gorontalo to Pagimana, then continue two hours by road to Luwuk before heading on to Banggai.

#3. South to north, completely overland, with a stop in Banggai:

  1. Reach Makassar. Arrange a bus to Maros.
  2. Visit Maros. Spend a day exploring Leang Leang Archaeological Park and the surrounding karst region. Arrange a bus ticket to Tana Toraja.
  3. Reach Tana Toraja. Spend four to five full days in Toraja. Arrange a bus ticket to Palopo.
  4. Reach Palopo. Rest for a night here. Arrange a bus ticket to Poso. The trip takes about 14-16 hours.
  5. Reach Poso. Spend a day or two exploring the Lake Poso / Tentena area. Arrange a bus ticket to Luwuk.
  6. Reach Luwuk. Spend two to three days in Luwuk snorkeling and exploring waterfalls. Book a ferry ticket to Banggai Peleng via Leme Leme or Luk Panenteng.
  7. Reach Banggai Peleng. Spend two days here visiting Paisu Pok, Paisu Batango, Kawalu bay, and Gua Bab’banang.
  8. Overland to Salakan. Hire a driver to take you to Salakan. Spend a full day exploring beaches in northeast Peleng.
  9. Reach Tobing. Hire a driver to take you to Tobing. From there, hire a private speedboat to Banggai Laut.
  10. Reach Banggai Laut. Spend four to five full days here plus one day exploring Mbuang Mbuang.
  11. Return to Luwuk. Take an overnight ferry back to Luwuk. There, arrange an overnight ferry from Pagimana to Gorontalo.
  12. Reach Gorontalo. Spend a day or two in Gorontalo. Arrange a bus ticket towards Tomohon.
  13. Stop in Tumbak. This is optional, but a nice stop en route to Tomohon. Spend a night at Tumbak cottages snorkeling and sleeping in the mangroves.
  14. Reach Tomohon. Spend four to five full days here. Book a bus ticket to Manado.
  15. Reach Manado. Visit Tangkoko national park or dive around Bunaken, Bangka, or the Lembeh strait.
  16. Travel to Siau Island. Take a speedboat from Manado to Siau Island. Spend three to four days exploring the archipelago around Siau.
  17. Return to Manado. Your trip in Sulawesi ends here.

I’d only recommend this route if you’re set on traveling Sulawesi entirely overland.

Which route is best?

I think route #2 is the best option: travel north to south, then fly from Luwuk to Makassar after visiting the Banggai Islands. When booked in advance, the flight costs around $70 and saves several days of overland travel.

This route avoids the long, tiring travel through central Sulawesi via Ampana, Poso, and Palopo to reach Tana Toraja. I chose to skip the Togian Islands and spend more time in Banggai, and I was very happy with that decision. While the Togians are undoubtedly beautiful, the Banggai archipelago offers similar—and possibly more—experiences. I preferred spending extra time in this archipelago rather than rushing to see both.

If you travel this route south to north instead, consider renting a scooter in Makassar and spending about a week exploring Maros, Rammang Rammang, and Toraja before returning to Makassar. From there, you can fly to Luwuk and continue your journey northwards.

What places are worth prioritizing?

I’ve only spent about five weeks in Sulawesi so far. There’s a lot I didn’t have time to see, and plenty I plan to return for. That said, based on my experience, the absolute must-sees are:

  • Siau Island
  • Tomohon
  • The Banggai Islands
  • Tana Toraja

If you can spend around 4-7 days in each of these places, you’ll have a well-rounded trip and come away with a strong sense of Sulawesi’s diversity. On Siau, you’ll see an active volcano and tiny tarsiers; in Tomohon, dramatic volcanoes and rich highland culture; in Banggai, world-class snorkeling and Bajo maritime life; and in Toraja, some of Indonesia’s most fascinating cultural experiences.

Sulawesi truly has a bit of everything and there are many options to tailor your trip. If snorkeling or diving is your priority, consider spending more time around Manado exploring Bunaken, Bangka, and the Lembeh Strait before heading to the Togian and Banggai Islands. If you have time, you can fly to Kendari and take a ferry to Wakatobi National Park.

For volcanic landscapes, focus on North Sulawesi. Spend time on Siau Island observing Mount Karangetang, and visit nearby Mount Ruang. Back in Manado, look east toward Mount Klabat. Allow extra time in Tomohon to explore Mount Lokon, Mount Mahawu, and Mount Soputan, and don’t miss Bukit Kasih.

If your main interest lies in ritual, tradition, and culture, make Sulawesi’s highlands your focus. Split your time between Maros, Tana Toraja, and Minahasa (the region that includes Tomohon), and take the opportunity to explore the region’s distinctive highland coffee culture as well.

If I’ve missed a place you think is a must-see, let me know in the comments!