How to Travel from Kupang to Dili (Timor Leste) by Bus

Given its remote location, travel to Timor Leste can be both time-consuming and expensive. If you, like me, are also a budget traveler, there is a way to get to Timor Leste relatively cheaply.

One trick to reach it on a budget is to take a bus from Kupang to Dili.

If you don’t even know where Timor Leste is, don’t worry, many don’t. It is a tiny country of 15.000 sq. km. sharing the island of Timor with Indonesia, about 500 km north of Australia.

It is one of the world’s newest countries (only Montenegro, Kosovo, and South Sudan are younger) and officially became independent in 2002. It would help if you read my comprehensive travel guide to Timor Leste before your trip.

Bus from Kupang to Dili

There’s a regular service with a modern, air-conditioned bus from Kupang to Dili. The distance is 450 km but it takes 12-13 hours since the roads are very winding.

Even though the drivers are good and the roads are in acceptable condition, it’s still not the most pleasant bus trip, especially if you have a weak vestibular system.

Two companies serve the bus route between Kupang and Dili – Damri and Babadok.

When planning my journey, reliable information about the Damri service was difficult to come by, so I went with Babadok. Everything was perfect on both legs of the journey so I will share my experience with them.

How to book a ticket with Babadok

You have to message them on WhatsApp to book your ticket. Babadok’s number is +62 821-4765-2911. They speak enough English, but Google Translate can prove helpful still.

Another option is to contact them via their Instagram.

The bus travels every 2 days in both directions:

• The bus from Kupang to Dili travels on even dates (2, 4, 6…)
• The bus from Dili to Kupang travels on odd dates (3, 5, 7…)

The price is 400.000 IDR / 25$ one way and 750.000 IDR / 46$ return.

Do note, that if you pay in USD or you book/pay from Dili, they charge more: 40$ one way and 75$ return. However, sometimes they run promos with reduced prices so you may get lucky.

All prices are subject to change, so it’s best to see their Instagram for up-to-date information.

The bus departs at 6 AM from Terminal A Bimoku in Kupang and arrives around 5-6 PM behind Timor Plaza. Note the 1 hour time difference between Kupang and Dili.

On the return leg, the bus departs at 7 AM from behind Timor Plaza and arrives at 6-7 PM at Terminal A Bimoku.

Border Crossing at Mota’Ain

The border crossing is very quick, efficient, and without any problems. You get off the bus with your luggage, go through Indonesian Immigration, walk to Timor Leste Immigration, pass customs and passport control, and board the bus again.

They were so lax with checking luggage, that I somehow managed to get through without having my luggage checked. Then I went back (unprompted) to tell them and they waved me through.

Throughout all that everybody was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Arrival in Dili

My bus arrived in Dili close to sunset. Note the 1 hour difference between Indonesia and Timor Leste – you will be “losing” 1 hour when you go to Dili and “earning” it back when you return.

The bus terminus is Timor Plaza, which is the only mall-like place in all of Timor Leste. If you need to use the ATM, exchange money, or get a SIM card (or get an eSIM from Airalo and have internet immediately), this is the place.

Check out my guide to money in Timor Leste for some tips.

To get to anywhere else in Dili, you can either hop on one of the colorful microlets or take a taxi.

The first option is much cheaper at 0.25$ per ride, and one of the best things to do in Dili. The microlet routes, as few as they are, can be a bit confusing, so here’s a map with all the microlet routes.

The return journey (Dili to Kupang)

I spent 10 amazing days in Timor Leste (check out my complete guide to backpacking in Timor Leste) and even witnessed a full solar eclipse but then it was time to go back.

There is nothing much different about the return trip:

• Book with Babadok via WhatsApp or Instagram;
• Take the bus at Timor Plaza at 7 AM;
• Cross the Mota’ain border into Indonesia. You can get a visa on arrival at this border and the Indonesian eVoA is accepted.
• Have lunch shortly after the border;
• Travel on the bus until 6-7 PM. Arrive at Terminal A Bimoku and get a Grab/GoJek to your hotel in Kupang.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

How to get to Kupang from the rest of Indonesia

Before you even start to consider the bus from Kupang to Dili, you must first get to Kupang, right? Thankfully, Kupang’s El Tari Airport is connected by relatively cheap flights to the rest of Indonesia.

This way of getting to Timor Leste takes way longer than a direct flight to Dili but also costs half (or less) and allows you to check out Kupang!

If you’re flexible and not in a hurry, then this is for you, so read on!

Flights to Kupang

There are regular flights to Kupang from most airports in Indonesia, including Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Labuan Bajo. The carrier is usually Lion Air, but some flights are with Batik Air, Wings Abadi Airlines (both part of Lion Air Group), and Citilink.

Just as a reference, if you book between 1 and 4 weeks in advance, the cost of a one-way ticket is around:

• Jakarta to Kupang: 100-120 USD
• Surabaya to Kupang: 65-80 USD
• Denpasar (Bali) to Kupang: 70-90 USD
• Labuan Bajo to Kupang: 70-80 USD

You will need a place to sleep in Kupang for one or two nights as the bus to Dili is once every 2 days (on even dates).

I stayed in this RedDoorz hotel close to the Mangrove forest and, well, it’s good enough for the price range.

Hotels in Indonesia are paradoxically almost always cheaper if booked online. I paid 120.000 IDR / 8$ per night.

Other Ways to Travel to Timor Leste

Even though the bus from Kupang to Dili is the cheapest, it still requires you to be in Indonesia before that to take a domestic flight to Kupang. Even though El Tari Airport has an international status, it has no regular international connections.

Here are your other options to travel to Timor Leste.

Fly directly into Dili

Timor Leste has one international airport in its capital Dili – Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport. It’s small and only has a few flights per week. The Timorese government is planning to make the big airport in Baucau operational, but until then it’s only Dili.

There are only two international destinations served from and to Dili – Denpasar (Bali) and Darwin (Australia).

From Denpasar (Bali)

There are 4 weekly flights from Bali to Dili – on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The carrier is the Indonesian Citilink known to be reliable and comfortable. A one-way ticket costs between 220-300 USD.

Booking directly with Citilink outside of Indonesia can be problematic, as they often reject foreign debit and credit cards. You can circumvent this by booking through Skyscanner.

From Darwin (Australia)

Daily flights by the Australian flag carrier Qantas connect Darwin and Dili. The price is between 220-280 USD.

In addition, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday there is one more flight on the regional Australian airline Air North. It’s marginally cheaper with prices between 220-240 USD.

You can book directly with Qantas and Air North, or check offers on Skyscanner.

Visa for Timor Leste

If you’re carrying a passport from the European Union, plus wider Schengen, Cabo Verde, or Indonesia, you don’t need a visa for Timor Leste.

EU/Schengen citizens can stay up to 90 days, whereas Cabo Verdians and Indonesians up to 30 days.

Everybody else can acquire a visa on arrival (30$) at Dili International Airport or seaport ONLY! This means you cannot just turn up at Mota’ain (the overland border crossing with Indonesia if taking the bus) and get a visa on arrival!

If you’re from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, etc., and want to enter Timor Leste via the Mota’ain border, you must go to the Timor Leste Consulate in Kupang and apply for an Authorization Letter, which will give you the right to enter Timor Leste overland.

I haven’t done this myself as I have an EU passport and I entered Timor Leste visa-exempt. However, I’ve read reports that it could be as quick as 1 day or as slow as 3 days. You have to go and check for yourself.

Other Entry Requirements

Officially, these are the requirements for traveling to Timor Leste as a tourist:

• Secured accommodation;
• Return or onward ticket;
• US$150 per day in the country;

In practice, nobody ever checks for either of these. I find the last requirement especially ridiculous.

Yes, Timor Leste is more expensive than neighboring Indonesia but not nearly as much as 150$+ per day. I managed to travel for way less and you can see my budget report here.