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Sulawesi Island Tour

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Sulawesi Island Tour
From $740USDBook Now
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9 days from $740USD
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Sulawesi Island Tour
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Get off the beaten path on this delightful 9-day adventure of Indonesia’s beautiful Sulawesi Island. If you’re looking for the perfect balance of cultural experiences, active excursions, and free time to explore—this is the tour for you!

Get to know the island’s towns and cities, with guided tours of Makassar and Rantepao. Find yourself welcomed by the Torajan people of Toraja, as you hike through stunning natural landscapes and sleepy villages where you’ll enjoy tea and lots of laughs with locals. Take in the beauty of Lake Tempe as you enjoy a peaceful canoe ride on its sparkling waters.

Customize your experience on Sulawesi Island by choosing between standard, superior, or deluxe accommodations. Book this one-of-kind adventure in Indonesia and get to know a unique part of this incredible country.

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Sulawesi Island Tour

Spend 9-days getting to know the local way of life on Sulawesi Island
4.80
(60 reviews)
9 days from $740USD
Easy quote
Duration
9 days
Season
Jan-Dec
Season
Soft Adventure
Type
Partially-guided, Private
Accommodation
Homestays, hotels, resorts
Difficulty
Moderate (3/5)
From $740USD (see prices for this tour)
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Backpacker
National Geographic
Guardian
Sulawesi Island Tour
Personalized Service
Let our experienced travel advisors plan your perfect adventure

Get off the beaten path on this delightful 9-day adventure of Indonesia’s beautiful Sulawesi Island. If you’re looking for the perfect balance of cultural experiences, active excursions, and free time to explore—this is the tour for you!

Get to know the island’s towns and cities, with guided tours of Makassar and Rantepao. Find yourself welcomed by the Torajan people of Toraja, as you hike through stunning natural landscapes and sleepy villages where you’ll enjoy tea and lots of laughs with locals. Take in the beauty of Lake Tempe as you enjoy a peaceful canoe ride on its sparkling waters.

Customize your experience on Sulawesi Island by choosing between standard, superior, or deluxe accommodations. Book this one-of-kind adventure in Indonesia and get to know a unique part of this incredible country.

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Trip highlights

Uncover hidden gems in the south Sulawesi capital of Makassar with an intriguing, guided tour of the city’s top sights.

Find yourself welcomed into an array of small authentic villages on the island and spend the night at a homestay in Toraja.

Savour mouth-watering local Indonesian delicacies like Dange cookies and ‘papion manuk’ (bamboo chicken!).

Hike your way through Toraja and paddle out into beautiful Lake Tempe on a guided excursion by canoe.

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Day by day itinerary
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Day 1
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Arrival Makassar
Welcome to Makassar! Upon your arrival at Sultan Hassanuddin Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel, found in the heart of the city. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure and get your first taste of Makkasar!
Distance None
Overnight Location Hotel in Makassar
Included Meals None
Day 2
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Guided City Tour of Makassar
Today following breakfast you’ll set out to explore the capital of South Sulawesi—the beautiful port city of Makassar. First up, you’ll visit Fort Rotterdamn, one of the best-preserved examples of Dutch architecture in Indonesia. Next stop is Paotere Harbor. Paotere Harbor represents a bustling hub of seaside life and fishing activity. Survey the locally built, famed Bugis ships, which dock here throughout the day and watch as friendly locals load and unload their goods. Together with the locals working the fisheries, these ships provide a valuable insight into the day-to-day life of the area. Walk down the dock to visit a variety of stalls then head south to experience the vibrant fish market. In the evening, walk around Losari Beach and savour some delicious Indonesian food to top of the day!
Distance Flexible
Overnight Location Hotel in Makassar
Included Meals Breakfast
Day 3
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Drive to Rantepao
This morning you’ll set out the long, but scenic 11-hour journey to Rantepao with a few stops along the way. The first part of the route will follow the coastline for about 3 - 4 hours until you reach Pare Pare. On the way short stops can be made to take pictures and enjoy short walks to take in the varying landscaepes. In Pangkep, stop to taste some traditional cookies called Dange that are well worth the stop. Later, grab a bite for lunch in Pare Pare before continuing the last stretch to Rantepao with a short stop at the picturesque Sa’dan River along the way.
Distance Flexible
Overnight Location Hotel in Rantepao
Included Meals Breakfast
Day 4
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Explore Rantepao
Today you will have the chance to explore Rantepao, a town rich in culture and tradition, in -depth. You will visit Lemo Village. This funeral site is a place where you can see carved wooden effigies of the dead. The wooden statues are a symbol of social status. Called "Tau-Tau" in Indonesian, each effigy represents a Torajan noble from the area that passed away. Continue to visit King Suaya Graveyard. The graveyard lies on one of the hillsides and is carved as the resting place of the kings and king's family. Next is a visit to Londa, a steep rocky side grave. One of its sides is located on a higher place from the hill with deep caves where coffins are arranged and grouped based on the family lines. On the other side of the hill, on the balcony, dozens of "Tau-Tau" stand up high, as if they were alive, eyes open, looking over the green landscape. From here continue to visit Kete Kesu, a vibrant small village which is still traditional in its character. If you take a look from the front side, you will find it lying in the middle of the wide paddy fields, set against the backdrop of curved roofs and carved barn walls. Return back to your hotel to the enjoy an evening at your leisure in Rantepao.
Distance Flexible
Overnight Location Hotel in Rantepao
Included Meals Breakfast
Day 5
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Toraja Hiking and Homestay
This morning you’ll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the trailhead of today’s hike which starts from Salu Village. The beautiful hike unfolds through a unique part of Toraja and you will have the opportunity to spend the night in a small typical Toraja village, staying in a Tongkonan (traditional house of Toraja). The hike leads through rice terraces balancing on narrow rice dikes and winding small dirt roads, crossing meandering rivers via bamboo bridges. The villages you’ll pass through are very traditional and along the way you’ll stop to have tea, coffee and lunch alongside the locals. Tonight, you’ll stay in a Tongkonan house and enjoy a mouth-watering dinner featuring a local specialty, known as ‘papion manuk’, which is chicken cooked in bamboo tubes with veggies and rice.
Distance 10-15km, 400m of ascent
Overnight Location Homestay in Toraja
Included Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6
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Half-Day Hike in Toraja and Free Time
After breakfast this morning you’ll spend some more time exploring the stunning natural landscapes of Toraja on foot with a half-day hike before transferring to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you please, soaking up the sights and sounds of this unique area brimming with culture.
Distance 15km, 300m of ascent
Overnight Location Hotel in Toraja
Included Meals Breakfast, lunch
Day 7
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Transfer to Sengkang and Lake Tempe by Canoe
Set out this morning on the 6-hour bus ride to Sengkang, passing through scenic landscapes along the way and enjoying a few short stops to stretch the legs and grab some lunch. On arrival in the early afternoon in Sengkang, you’ll then enjoy an excursion by canoe on the beautiful Tempe Lake, filled with floating lilies and exotic birdlife. On the lake you will find the village of floating houses which you can visit to meet the local fishing families. Please note: Canoe excursions on Tempe Lake is only possible when water levels are high enough.
Distance None
Overnight Location Hotel in Sengkang
Included Meals Breakfast
Day 8
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Transfer to Maros - Hike and Canoe to Makassar
Another day of adventures on land and water await you as you transfer this morning from Sengkang to Maros. You’ll then hike through rice fields and limestone cliffs (5km-10km) to reach a small village where you can enjoy a snack and tea in a local Bugis style house. From here, continue the walk along rice fields and continue between 2 huge walls of limestone to reach a small cave which you can explore. The final stretch is completed by a small pedal canoe to the main road which takes around 30 minutes. Return to your hotel in Makassar to unwind and enjoy another delicious dinner this evening in town.
Distance 1.5hours, 5-10km, 300m of ascent
Overnight Location Hotel in Makassar
Included Meals Breakfast
Day 9
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Depart Makassar
Your island adventure comes to an end this morning in Makassar. Following breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport to depart.
Distance None
Overnight Location None
Included Meals Breakfast

Why book with 10 Adventures?

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With over 600 tours across 30+ countries, we specialize in self-guided tours.

Combine the freedom of travelling on your own with the confidence that all of your logistics are taken care of.

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We take care of accommodations, luggage transfers, gear rentals, and more - so you can focus on making memories.

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4.80 (60 reviews)
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Dates and prices

This partially guided tour to Sulawesi Island is always run as a private tour for your group only and the prices depend on the size of your group. Please note that the prices might be higher during the Indonesian National Holidays. The prices below are per person sharing a double or a triple room and those and those willing to have a single room will have to pay a supplement.

Tour with Standard Accommodation

  • Guided Groups of 2: $1,095USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 3: $925USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 4-5: $825USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 6+: $740USD per person

Tour with Superior Accommodation

  • Guided Groups of 2: $1,225USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 3: $1,070USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 4-5: $970USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 6+: $880USD per person

Tour with Deluxe Accommodation

  • Guided Groups of 2: $1,275USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 3: $1,090USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 4: $995USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 5: $990USD per person
  • Guided Groups of 6+: $950USD per person
What’s included

Meals

8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner are included.

Accommodations

Accommodations for 8 nights are included.

Transportation during the Tour

Transportation for you and your luggage are included throughout the tour, including transfers to and from the airport. In some cases, the transfers are shared.

Also Included

  • Local English-speaking guides
  • Taxes

Not included

  • Visa fees
  • International flights and taxes
  • Personal expenses
  • Optional excursions

Optional Extras

  • Extra nights before or after the tour

Accommodation for Sulawesi Island Tour

The accommodation on this tour is mainly taking place in 3-star hotels with and option to upgrade to more luxurious accommodations, except for day 5 when you’ll be spending a night in a rustic homestay.

In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.

Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
Standard rooms are of double and triple occupancy and those willing to have a single room will have to pay a supplement of {price currency="USD" value="167"} - {price currency="USD" value="350"} (depending on the hotel category chosen).

Frequently asked questions

How hard is the Sulawesi Island Tour?

We rate this tour as a 3 / 5. Overall, the activities on this tour are quite easy, however, during the trekking part of the tour you’ll be walking up to 6 hours per day.

Do I need a visa to travel to Indonesia?

Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.

What does partially-guided mean?

Booking a partially-guided tour is a perfect choice for those who like to be in charge of some of their time while travelling, but also don’t want to be on their own during activities. In most cases, a partially-guided tour doesn’t have a tour leader assigned to a group, but some or most of the activities, such as hikes, city walks, or historic site visits, are led by different guides. Also, in most cases, booking a partially-guided tour is way cheaper than booking a fully-guided tour!

Are meals included on the Sulawesi Island Tour?

8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner are included.

When is the best time to travel to Indonesia?

The best time to travel to Indonesia is from April or October, when the weather is warm and pleasant. Indonesia can be travelled to all year long, however, it tends to be more rainy from November to March.

Do I need insurance?

Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover (activity). Get your Travel Insurance.

How do I get to Sulawesi to start this tour?

Fly into Sultan Hasanuddin Airport (UPG) which can be reached from many major airports all over the world.

Is the Sulawesi Island Tour in English?

Yes, the tour guide is English-speaking.

Do I need special vaccines to travel to Indonesia?

Check with your family doctor.

Are there any travel restrictions for Indonesia?

Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.

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Why travellers choose this tour
At 10Adventures, it’s easy to make memories with the following six optional inclusions on this tour:
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