Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Sulawesi: Tana Toraja and the Togean Islands
10 days from Makassar to Gorontalo: three nights among the tongkonan villages of Tana Toraja, Lake Poso at Tentena and three nights on the Togean Islands.
10 days · Makassar to Gorontalo · up to 12 guests
The tongkonan row at Kete Kesu, Tana Toraja Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ke%27te%27_Kesu%27_1.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Makassar to Gorontalo
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Village and grave walks in Tana Toraja of 2 to 4 hours on steps, uneven stone and muddy paths, a 6 to 8 km downhill walk through the Batutumonga rice terraces at about 1,300 m (or ride down instead), boat transfers with wet landings, and snorkelling in shallow water from a boat. One very long road day of about 11 hours and one long road-and-boat day.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 415 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The row of boat-roofed tongkonan houses and rice barns at Kete Kesu, with the hanging graves on the cliff behind
- Wooden tau tau effigies looking out from the cliff balconies at Lemo in the morning sun
- Into the cave graves of Londa by lantern light with a local guide
- A walk down through the Batutumonga rice terraces on the slopes of Mount Sesean, with lunch and the valley below
- Dawn on the bridge at Tentena, where the Poso River leaves Lake Poso
- Three nights at one Togean lodge: snorkelling on reefs from the boat, a swim in a lake of stingless jellyfish, and quiet evenings over the water
- The Bajau stilt village of Pulau Papan and its wooden footbridge from Malenge
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 415 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Makassar
Sultan Hasanuddin Airport (UPG) to Makassar
- Dinner
- Stay in Makassar
- Drive about 45 min
Your trip starts at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (UPG), about 25 km from the centre of Makassar, where a driver meets your flight. Makassar is the old trading port of the Bugis and Makassarese, and still the busiest city in eastern Indonesia.
Afternoon
If you land by early afternoon, walk with your guide through Fort Rotterdam, the Dutch fort rebuilt in the 17th century on the site of the Gowa sultanate's stronghold, then on to Paotere harbour, where wooden pinisi schooners still load cargo for the islands. The art of building them is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. As the sun drops over the Makassar Strait, the seafront at Losari fills with food stalls.
Evening
In the evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week ahead and a welcome dinner: grilled fish, coto Makassar beef soup or konro ribs.
Included
- Pick-up at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport (UPG)
- Fort Rotterdam and Paotere harbour with your guide, if you arrive by early afternoon
- Welcome briefing and dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: We confirm the latest arrival time for the afternoon walk when we book.
Up to Tana Toraja and Kete Kesu
Makassar to Toraja Airport by air, then Rantepao and Kete Kesu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rantepao
- Drive about 1 h
We fly from Makassar to Toraja Airport at Buntu Kunik, about an hour over the mountains, instead of spending eight or nine hours on the road.
Afternoon
If the flight is not running on your date, we drive instead, via Pare-Pare and the coast, with stops and lunch on the way, and tell you before you travel. From the airport it is a short drive past Makale to Rantepao, our base for three nights. After lunch, your local Torajan guide joins us. In the late afternoon we drive the 4 km out to Kete Kesu, a village where a row of tongkonan, the ancestral houses with roofs that sweep up like boat hulls, faces a matching row of rice barns. Buffalo horns stacked on the posts show the funerals each family has held. Behind the village a path climbs past old wooden coffins and tau tau effigies set into the rock. Then we walk the 4 km back to Rantepao along the road through the rice fields, in the soft late light.
Included
- Flight from Makassar to Toraja Airport (TRT)
- Lunch in Rantepao
- Kete Kesu with your local Torajan guide: the tongkonan, the rice barns and the hillside graves
Easier option: Ride back to Rantepao in the van instead of walking.
Free time: Evening free in Rantepao
Activity: About 2 hours on foot: an hour at Kete Kesu, with steps on the hillside, and about an hour's walk back on a flat road.
Lemo, Londa and a funeral only if invited
Rantepao to Lemo and Londa, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rantepao
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
Torajans bury their dead in the rock, and this morning shows how. We start at Lemo after breakfast, when the light is still soft and the rows of tau tau, carved wooden figures of the dead, stand on their balconies dressed in real clothes, watching the rice fields below. Then to Londa, where a local guide with a gas lantern leads you into the cave graves: coffins stacked on ledges, skulls set on rocks, and more tau tau at the entrance.
Afternoon
We are back in Rantepao for lunch, and the afternoon is free. Funerals, called Rambu Solo, are held mostly in the drier months and can last several days. We never schedule or sell one. If a family invites the group through our guide, the funeral takes the place of the free afternoon; if the only invitation falls in the morning, we go to the funeral instead of Londa and visit Londa on day 4. Dress in dark, modest clothes and bring the customary gift of sugar or cigarettes. Buffalo and pigs are sacrificed, and you are free to stay back.
Included
- Lemo cliff graves and tau tau effigies
- Londa cave graves with a lantern guide
- Lunch in Rantepao
- A funeral ceremony, only if a family invites the group, in place of the free afternoon or of Londa
Easier option: Stay at the cave entrance at Londa; the tau tau are visible from outside.
Free time: Afternoon free in Rantepao, unless the group is invited to a funeral
Activity: Londa's caves are low and slippery in places; wear shoes with grip.
The Batutumonga rice terraces
Rantepao to Batutumonga, then down to Lo'ko' Mata and Bori Kalimbuang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rantepao
- Drive about 1.5 h
We drive about 20 km north up the slopes of Mount Sesean to Batutumonga, about 1,300 m up, early, before cloud gathers on the peak.
Morning
From here the Rantepao valley opens out below, and on a clear morning you can see across the whole of it. Then we walk down: about 6 to 8 km on village paths and rice-field dikes, past tongkonan, bamboo groves and terraces stepped down the hillside, stopping at Lo'ko' Mata, a huge boulder cut with family graves.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a terrace-side restaurant in Batutumonga. On the way back to Rantepao we stop at Bori Kalimbuang, a rante, or ceremonial field, of standing stones raised over generations for funerals of high rank. The whole loop is about 50 km of driving, there and back. Back in Rantepao, if it is the day of the six-day market cycle, your guide takes you to Bolu's buffalo market.
Included
- Batutumonga viewpoint on Mount Sesean
- Guided walk down through the rice terraces
- Lo'ko' Mata boulder graves
- Lunch at Batutumonga
- Bori Kalimbuang standing stones
Easier option: Ride down in the van and walk only the short last section to Lo'ko' Mata.
More active option: Start higher and walk the full descent from near the Mount Sesean trailhead.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: About 3 hours of mostly downhill walking on paths and dikes that are muddy after rain.
The long road to Lake Poso
Rantepao to Palopo, Wotu and Pendolo, then Tentena
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tentena
- Drive about 11 h
This is the trip's one very long road day: about 380 km and 10 to 11 hours with stops, far over our usual 4 hours. Local operators who drive this road by private car quote about 11 hours; the public bus takes 13.
Morning
There is no flight or ferry between Toraja and Lake Poso, and it is the only road north to the Togeans, so we leave after a 7 am breakfast and break the day three times. The road drops out of the highlands to the coast at Palopo, about two and a half hours, for coffee and a stretch.
Afternoon
Then north past clove and cocoa farms to Wotu for a sit-down lunch. In the afternoon we cross into Central Sulawesi and climb to Pendolo on the south shore of Lake Poso, for a walk on the shore. The last stretch follows the lake to Tentena, where the Poso River leaves its north end.
Evening
Dinner is together at the hotel, as Tentena has few restaurants.
Included
- Drive from Rantepao to Tentena with your guide
- Coffee stop in Palopo
- Sit-down lunch in Wotu
- Stop on Lake Poso at Pendolo
- Dinner in Tentena
Activity: About 10 to 11 hours with three stops, on mountain roads that landslides can close after heavy rain; bring motion-sickness tablets if you need them.
Tentena at dawn, then out to the Togeans
Tentena to Poso and Ampana, then by boat to the Togean Islands
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Togean Islands
- Drive about 5.5 h
Get up early to walk onto the bridge at Tentena as mist lifts off Lake Poso and the fishermen check the V-shaped eel traps set in the river below, a Pamona tradition. Then a second long day, though shorter than yesterday: about 57 km down to Poso on the coast, then about 160 km east along the Gulf of Tomini to Ampana, about five and a half hours of driving, over our cap because Ampana is the nearest harbour for the islands.
Afternoon
We stop in Poso and have lunch in Ampana. From the harbour a chartered boat for our group takes about two hours to reach the lodge in the Togean Islands, a national park of forested islands, reefs and mangroves. There is no public ferry to wait for.
Evening
You arrive in the late afternoon, with time for a swim before dinner at the lodge, where all meals are included.
Included
- Dawn on the Tentena bridge over the Poso River
- Drive from Tentena to Ampana with your guide
- Lunch in Ampana
- Chartered boat from Ampana to the Togean lodge
- Dinner at the lodge
Easier option: Sleep in and skip the dawn walk.
Free time: Late afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: Boat landings at the lodge can be wet; keep your bag small and waterproof.
Reefs and the jellyfish lake
Togean Islands by boat
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Togean Islands
- By boat
A day on the water.
Morning
We set out by boat in the morning, when the sea is calmest and the light is clear through the water, and snorkel at two or three reefs chosen by the boat crew for the day's conditions: hard and soft corals, giant clams and reef fish in the shallows, with drop-offs where the reef falls into deep blue. Snorkel gear is provided, and you can stay on the boat at any stop.
Afternoon
Lunch is on a beach or back at the lodge. In the afternoon the boat takes us to Lake Mariona, on the small island of Katupat off Togean Island: a marine lake cut off from the sea, reached by a short path, where you can swim among stingless jellyfish. Their numbers vary, and we check with the boat crew before going.
Evening
The late afternoon is free: a hammock, a kayak, or the jetty at sunset. Certified divers can arrange a dive with a dive centre on the islands, including the wreck of an American B-24 bomber from the Second World War.
Included
- Snorkelling boat trip to two or three reefs, with gear
- Lake Mariona on Katupat and its stingless jellyfish
- All meals at the lodge or on the boat
Optional experiences
- Scuba diving with a local dive centre, including the B-24 wreck (certified divers, paid locally)
Easier option: Stay on the boat and watch from above, or spend the day at the lodge.
More active option: Kayak along the mangroves near the lodge in the late afternoon.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: Snorkelling is from a boat in shallow water; a life vest is available for anyone who wants one.
The Bajau of Pulau Papan
Togean Islands to Malenge and Pulau Papan, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Togean Islands
- By boat
The Bajau are sea people who have lived on boats and in stilt villages across these waters for generations. Their village of Pulau Papan sits at the eastern end of the islands, so this is a full boat day.
Morning
We leave after breakfast: from lodges near Kadidiri and Wakai, where most Togean lodges are, the boat ride east to Malenge takes about one and a half hours each way, and we confirm the time when the lodge is chosen. A snorkel stop breaks the ride out. At Malenge a wooden footbridge, reported at between 1 and 1.8 km, runs across the shallows to Pulau Papan, a village built on a small rocky island and over the water around it. Storms have taken planks out in places, so if it is broken we land at the village by boat instead. With your guide and a local host, walk the boardwalks between houses, see fish drying on racks, and stop for coffee with a family. Please ask before taking photos.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Malenge, and we are back at the lodge by mid-afternoon.
Included
- Boat to Malenge and Pulau Papan, with a snorkel stop
- Pulau Papan Bajau village and its footbridge with a local host
- Lunch in Malenge and dinner at the lodge
Easier option: Go by boat straight to Pulau Papan and skip the walk across the bridge.
More active option: A late-afternoon snorkel off the lodge reef when we are back.
Free time: Late afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: About three hours in the boat in all. The footbridge is narrow planks over the water, with no rail in places.
Across the Gulf of Tomini to Gorontalo
Togean Islands to Gorontalo by boat
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Gorontalo
- By boat
Morning
After breakfast a chartered boat carries the group north across the Gulf of Tomini to Gorontalo, about four to five hours depending on the sea. The public ferry from Wakai to Gorontalo sails only on certain days of the week, so a charter keeps the group on its own schedule; we confirm the ferry timetable as the fallback when we book. We leave in the morning, when the gulf is usually calmest, with water, snacks and shade on board.
Evening
If the crew judges the sea too rough, we go back to Ampana by boat and continue by road, and tell you the plan the evening before. Lunch is in Gorontalo on arrival, then the afternoon is free at the hotel, with a shower and full power for the first time in three days. Gorontalo is a quiet provincial city, and its Benteng Otanaha, a hilltop fort above Lake Limboto, is a short drive if you want a last view. In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Chartered boat from the Togean Islands to Gorontalo
- Lunch in Gorontalo
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Benteng Otanaha fort above Lake Limboto
Free time: Afternoon free in Gorontalo
Activity: Bring seasickness tablets if you need them; the crossing is open water.
Fly home from Gorontalo
Gorontalo to Djalaluddin Airport (GTO)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
A slow last morning after breakfast. There is time for a walk to the market or a coffee near the hotel, and your guide checks your flight before saying goodbye. Your guide and driver then take you to Djalaluddin Airport (GTO), about 30 km and 45 minutes from the city, for your flight to Makassar or Jakarta and your connection home. If your international flight leaves from Makassar, Jakarta or Bali the same day, allow at least four hours between the domestic flight and the international one, as domestic schedules in Indonesia often change.
Evening
If you would rather not rush, we can book an extra night in Gorontalo, or in Makassar, Jakarta or Bali on the way home, and we send the flight options with your final itinerary.
Included
- Drop-off at Djalaluddin Airport (GTO)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight from GTO leaving after about 10 am.
- Makassar1 night
- Rantepao3 nights
- Tentena1 night
- Togean Islands3 nights
- Gorontalo1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to October is the drier part of the year in Tana Toraja, though showers still come in the highlands; July and August bring the most funeral ceremonies, and the most visitors. The Gulf of Tomini is usually calm in these months, but boat crossings depend on the weather, and we will hold or change a crossing if the sea is rough.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Bali and want a less visited Indonesia
- An interest in living traditions: Torajan houses, graves and ceremonies
- Snorkellers happy with a simple island lodge for three nights
- Guests comfortable with one very long road day in exchange for remote places
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs hot water, air conditioning and wifi every night
- Travellers uneasy about animal sacrifice, if a funeral invitation comes
- Step-free access: caves, rice-field dikes, boat landings and a plank bridge
- A beach resort holiday
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Makassar1 night
- Rantepao3 nights
- Tentena1 night
- Togean Islands3 nights
- Gorontalo1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 1 in Makassar, 3 in Rantepao in Tana Toraja, 1 in Tentena, 3 at an island lodge in the Togean Islands, 1 in Gorontalo
- Central 3-star-plus hotels in Makassar, Rantepao and Gorontalo; the best small hotel in Tentena; a simple Togean lodge with a private bathroom (cold water) and evening power
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Makassar Airport (UPG) and drop-off at Gorontalo Airport (GTO)
- Flight from Makassar to Toraja Airport (TRT), or the road if it is not running
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group on Sulawesi
- Chartered boat from Ampana to the Togean Islands
- Boat days in the Togeans with crew, life jackets and snorkel gear
- Chartered boat from the Togean Islands to Gorontalo
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- A local Torajan guide on all three Toraja days
- Lantern guide at Londa and a local host at Pulau Papan
Activities
- Makassar: Fort Rotterdam and Paotere harbour
- Tana Toraja: Kete Kesu, Lemo, Londa, Batutumonga terrace walk, Lo'ko' Mata and Bori Kalimbuang, all fees included
- A Torajan funeral, only if a family invites the group
- Tentena: the bridge over the Poso River at dawn
- Togean Islands: national park fee, snorkelling at two or three reefs, Lake Mariona and the Bajau village of Pulau Papan
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 8 lunches, days 2 to 9
- 6 dinners: welcome in Makassar, Tentena, three at the Togean lodge and farewell in Gorontalo
Not included
- International flights to Makassar and from Gorontalo
- Indonesia visa on arrival
- Travel insurance
- Dinners in Rantepao (days 2 to 4)
- Drinks
- Scuba diving
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Gifts for a funeral if you choose to bring your own
Local fees
- Indonesia visa on arrival if your passport needs one.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 415 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
The price includes nine nights in hotels and a Togean island lodge, 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 6 dinners, the flight from Makassar to Toraja, every boat in the Togeans and the crossing to Gorontalo, a private vehicle and driver, airport transfers, your See Sight Tours guide, a local Torajan guide and every fee in the day plan.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits one boat in the Togeans, one table at lunch and a quiet visit to a Torajan village or a family's home, where a large group would be an intrusion.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Makassar to Gorontalo. In Tana Toraja a local Torajan guide joins for all three days, because families and graves are best explained, and approached, by someone from the valley. A local host takes us into Pulau Papan.
Will we see a Torajan funeral?
Only if a family invites us. Ceremonies are held mostly in the drier months, and our local guide often hears of one, but we never sell or schedule them. If invited, it takes the place of a free afternoon, and we go in dark modest clothes with a customary gift. Buffalo and pigs are sacrificed, and you are free to stay back.
What is the Togean lodge like?
Simple and on the water: wooden bungalows on the beach or on stilts, each with its own bathroom with cold water and a mosquito net. Power comes from a generator in the evenings, phone signal is weak or absent, and all meals are included. We stay three nights at one lodge.
How long are the drives?
Most days are under two hours. Day 5, Toraja to Lake Poso, is the exception at about 10 to 11 hours with stops, as there is no flight or ferry; we break it with coffee in Palopo, lunch in Wotu and a lake stop. Day 6 is about five and a half hours to Ampana, then two hours by boat.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. The Batutumonga walk is 6 to 8 km mostly downhill on muddy paths, Londa's caves are low and slippery, and boat landings can be wet. Every demanding day has an easy option, such as riding down from Batutumonga or staying on the boat while others snorkel.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 415 more on the small-group trip, shown before you book. If you would rather share, ask us when you book and we will try to pair you with another solo guest of the same gender; if we cannot find a match, the single supplement applies.
When is the best time to go?
May to October, the drier months in Tana Toraja and usually the calmest on the Gulf of Tomini. July and August bring the most funerals and the most visitors. Rain can still fall in the highlands, and any boat crossing can be held for weather.
Do I need a visa for Indonesia?
Most visitors do, including Canadians: Indonesia's visa on arrival, which you can buy online before you fly. Your passport needs at least six months of validity. We send the current rules and the online arrival form with your final itinerary.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 2,430 per person sharing, with taxes, and the private trip from CAD 4,375.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and boat. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same flights, boats and hotels.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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