Bintan in 3 days: a first-timer's walking itinerary (2026)
This is the route we would hand a friend visiting Bintan for the first time. Each day is eight stops in walking order, timed so the busy places come before the tour groups and the viewpoints land near sunset. Prices were checked in November 2026; where a price is older or not published, we say so.
Open the interactive 3D route →Day 1 · Lagoi lagoon & beach: Ferry to Lagoi, a lagoon swim and a beach sunset
Take the first ferry from Tanah Merah, swim in the Crystal Lagoon at Treasure Bay while it's cool, have lunch with the locals at Pujasera, and rest through the hottest hours. Late afternoon belongs to Lagoi Bay: the lake, the only public beach in Bintan Resorts, sunset at about 5:50pm and dinner by the sand.
Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal
The resort-area ferry terminal: you land, clear immigration and customs, and the Lagoi resorts, Treasure Bay and Plaza Lagoi are all within a short drive.
Price: Free · ferry about S$100 return all-in (Oct 2026) · Hours: First BRF ferry leaves Tanah Merah 8:10am Singapore time and arrives around 8:10–8:20am Bintan time (check)
Tip: Submit the free All Indonesia arrival card within 72 hours before you sail and keep the QR code ready. Korean passports need a visa on arrival (Rp500,000) or an e-VOA bought in advance; Singapore passports are visa-free. Set your watch back one hour.
Treasure Bay · Crystal Lagoon
A huge man-made saltwater lagoon, about 800m long, with calm clear water for swimming, kayaks and paddleboards, a short ride from the ferry.
Price: Rp120,000 adult (2025 price · check on site) · Hours: Crystal Lagoon 9am–6pm, ticketing 9am–5pm (check)
Tip: Come at opening, before the midday sun. Entry covers swimming; kayaks, the inflatable park and ATV rides cost extra. Bring a swim shirt and reef-safe sunscreen.
Pujasera Lagoi · lunch
The food centre where resort staff eat: ayam penyet, nasi goreng, soto and nasi Padang at local prices, with shops selling keropok, snacks and data SIM cards.
Price: Free entry · pay per dish · Hours: Food centre 7am–midnight; stalls vary
Tip: Bring rupiah in small notes. If you didn't get a SIM at the terminal, the provision shops here sell them. Some reviews say parts have closed, so check before you go.
Plaza Lagoi
The two-storey open-air centre of Lagoi Bay, with cafés, spas, the Cinderamata craft shop and the Rumah Imaji trick-eye museum, next to the beach.
Price: Free · Hours: Daily; shops keep their own hours
Tip: Pick up souvenirs and water here. Rumah Imaji has limited hours and may close at weekends, so check before you pay.
Lake Lagoi
A 2.5-hectare freshwater lake beside the Grand Lagoi Hotel, with pedal boats and a floating fishing platform: a short, shady loop before the beach.
Price: Free · pedal boats extra (price not published) · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: Monkeys live in the trees around the lake and golf course: keep food and bags closed and don't feed them.
Lagoi Bay beach
About 3.5 km of sand and the only public beach in Bintan Resorts, with showers, changing rooms, beanbags and jet skis, kayaks and snorkelling for hire.
Price: Free · water sports extra · Hours: Open all day
Tip: There's no lifeguard information on the official page: swim only where it's calm and other people are in the water, and stay out when waves pick up in the monsoon.
Sunset on Lagoi beach
Walk west along the sand as the sky colours over the coast; the beach faces north, so the sun drops to your left behind the shoreline rather than into the open sea.
Price: Free · Hours: Sunset about 5:50pm in November
Tip: Sunset in Bintan is around 5:48–5:53pm through November, earlier than Singapore clocks suggest. Bring insect repellent for dusk.
Dinner by Lagoi beach
Food stalls near the beach and the cafés of Plaza Lagoi serve satay, Indomie, seafood and nasi Padang a few steps from the sand.
Price: Free entry · pay per dish · Hours: Evening; varies by stall (check)
Tip: Prices around the resorts are often in S$ or close to Singapore levels; check the menu currency before you order. BinBin shuttle line 3 runs back towards the ferry terminal side until about 10pm (check).
Day 2 · Penyengat & Tanjung Pinang: The royal island by pompong, then sunset over it
Ride about an hour from Lagoi to Tanjung Pinang, cross to Penyengat by pompong boat and walk the old royal island of the Riau-Lingga sultanate: the yellow 1844 mosque, the tomb of Engku Putri Hamidah, the ruler's office and the Malay custom hall. After a midday rest, wander the old town, watch the sun set behind Penyengat from the seafront and eat at the Akau Potong Lembu night hawker centre.
Pompong pier to Penyengat
Wooden pompong water taxis cross from the old-town waterfront to Penyengat in about 15 minutes; it's the only way onto the island.
Price: Boat fare not published · pay the boatman in cash · Hours: Boats run through the day (check)
Tip: Lagoi to Tanjung Pinang is about an hour by road: book a taxi or a car with driver the night before. Carry small rupiah notes, wear the life jacket offered, and don't board in a storm.
Masjid Raya Sultan Riau
The bright yellow-and-green royal mosque of Penyengat, built in 1844 and still in use, the first thing you see from the boat and the heart of the island's Malay-Islamic heritage.
Price: Free · donations welcome · Hours: Open outside prayer times (check); avoid Friday midday prayers
Tip: Dress modestly: long trousers or skirt, covered shoulders, and a headscarf for women. Take off your shoes at the steps and stay quiet if people are praying.
Tomb of Engku Putri Hamidah
The yellow-walled resting place of Engku Putri Hamidah, the queen to whom Penyengat was given as a wedding gift; Raja Ali Haji, author of the Gurindam Dua Belas poems, is buried nearby.
Price: Free · donations welcome · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: It's a place of prayer for visitors from across the Malay world: keep voices low and don't step on the graves.
Istana Kantor
The office-palace of the Yang Dipertuan Muda, the viceroys who ran the sultanate from Penyengat, about 150 m west of the mosque.
Price: Free · Hours: Grounds open in daytime (check)
Tip: Many visitors tour the island by becak motor (motorised trishaw); agree the route and price before you set off.
Balai Adat (Malay custom hall)
A hall built like a traditional Malay house on stilts, with wedding fittings inside and a view across the water.
Price: Free · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: From here a short climb leads to Bukit Kursi, the hill fort with old cannons facing the sea, if you have energy left before lunch.
Old town · Jalan Merdeka
The old trading town behind the harbour: shophouses, coffee shops, a Chinese temple and stilt-built pelantar walkways over the water.
Price: Free · Hours: Shops roughly 9am–evening; many close on Sunday (check)
Tip: Stop in a kopitiam for kopi and kueh. Watch your step on the plank walkways and ask before photographing people at home.
Tepi Laut seafront at sunset
The city's seafront park faces west across the strait, so the sun goes down over the strait towards Penyengat and its mosque.
Price: Free · Hours: Open all day · sunset about 5:50pm in November
Tip: Locals gather here in the evening; snack stalls set up along the promenade. Lights come on after dark.
Akau Potong Lembu · dinner
A car park by day that turns into an open-air hawker centre at night: bak kut teh, char kway teow, fish soup, satay, gonggong sea snails and ice chendol.
Price: Free entry · pay per dish · Hours: Daily 5pm–midnight; stalls vary
Tip: Order from several stalls and pay each one. Ask the price of seafood by weight before it's cooked. It's about 1 km from the seafront: walk or take a short ride.
Day 3 · Senggarang & the ferry home: Teochew temples across the bay, then the ferry home
Cross Tanjung Pinang's bay by pompong to Senggarang, the old Chinese fishing village on stilts, with a 200-year-old shrine wrapped in banyan roots and the seaside Vihara Dharma Sasana. Back in town, lunch in the market lanes, the Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah museum and the shell-shaped Gonggong building, then the afternoon ferry from Sri Bintan Pura to Singapore.
Pompong pier to Senggarang
Senggarang sits across the bay from the old town: about 15 minutes by pompong, against roughly 45 minutes round by road.
Price: Boat fare not published · pay in cash · Hours: Morning boats until the afternoon (check)
Tip: Leave your luggage at the hotel or at the ferry terminal's left-luggage counter if there is one (check). Ask the boatman when the last return boat leaves.
Senggarang stilt village
Believed to be where Teochew settlers first gathered in the 1700s: timber houses on stilts, mirrors over doors to ward off bad luck, and stalls frying keropok and prawn fritters.
Price: Free · Hours: Daytime
Tip: People live here: walk the boardwalks quietly and ask before you photograph anyone. Some planks are uneven.
Banyan Tree Temple
A village shrine from 1811, once a house, now held together by the banyan roots that grew over its walls; it honours a deified Kapitan Cina.
Price: No ticket listed · donations welcome · Hours: Daily 8am–5pm
Tip: Don't touch or climb the roots; light joss sticks only where offered. The temple is busiest in the seventh lunar month.
Vihara Dharma Sasana
Thought to be the oldest temple in Tanjung Pinang, from the 18th century: an ornate archway, two old temples with carved roofs, a newer hall and big colourful Buddha statues looking out to sea.
Price: No ticket listed · donations welcome · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: The temple has its own jetty: ask your boatman to collect you here for the ride back to town, which saves walking back to the village.
Old-town market lanes · lunch
The lanes behind the waterfront where locals buy fish, spices and kueh, with coffee shops serving mie lendir, laksa and otak-otak.
Price: Free entry · pay per dish · Hours: Morning to early afternoon is liveliest (check)
Tip: Buy keropok or kueh lapis here to take home: check the Singapore customs allowance for food if you're carrying a lot.
Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah Museum
The city museum, in a colonial-era building, with Malay royal regalia, old photographs, ceramics and the story of the Riau-Lingga sultanate you saw on Penyengat.
Price: Price not published · check on site · Hours: Weekday daytime; may close on some days (check)
Tip: A good air-conditioned stop in the midday heat. If it's closed, the Gonggong building and seafront are a few minutes away.
Gonggong Building & Laman Boenda
A tourist information centre shaped like the gonggong sea snail, the city's symbol and favourite seafood, on a promenade looking across to Penyengat.
Price: Free · Hours: Promenade open all day; information centre hours vary (check)
Tip: Last photos of the strait before the ferry; the information desk can confirm ferry times if it's open.
Sri Bintan Pura ferry terminal
Tanjung Pinang's international ferry terminal, a few steps from the Gonggong building: Majestic and Sindo sail to Tanah Merah (journey time: check).
Price: Free · Majestic base fare S$76 return + fuel surcharges and terminal fees · Hours: Check in 60 min before departure (Majestic); several sailings a day (check)
Tip: Book a late-afternoon sailing and arrive an hour early. The Indonesian fuel surcharge (Rp65,000) and terminal fee are paid in rupiah cash on this leg. Submit the SG Arrival Card before you land in Singapore, and remember Singapore is an hour ahead.
Top 10 places for a first visit
| # | Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Treasure Bay · Crystal Lagoon A man-made saltwater lagoon about 800m long, with calm clear water for swimming, kayaks and paddleboards. | Lagoi | Rp120,000 adult (2025 price · check on site) |
| 2 | Penyengat Island The small royal island of the Riau-Lingga sultanate, 15 minutes by pompong from Tanjung Pinang, with its mosque, palaces and royal tombs. | Tanjung Pinang | Free entry · boat fare not published |
| 3 | Masjid Raya Sultan Riau The yellow-and-green royal mosque of Penyengat, built in 1844 and still in use. | Penyengat | Free · donations welcome |
| 4 | Lagoi Bay beach About 3.5 km of sand and the only public beach in Bintan Resorts, with showers, changing rooms and rentals. | Lagoi | Free · water sports extra |
| 5 | Senggarang stilt village An old Teochew fishing village on stilts across the bay from Tanjung Pinang, with temples and snack stalls. | Senggarang | Free |
| 6 | Banyan Tree Temple, Senggarang A shrine from 1811, once a house, now held together by the banyan roots that grew over it. | Senggarang | No ticket listed · donations welcome |
| 7 | Trikora Beach Long white-sand beaches with granite boulders on the east coast, in four sections from busy Trikora 1 to quiet Trikora 4. | East coast | Free |
| 8 | Gurun Pasir Busung (Bintan desert) White sand dunes and a turquoise lake left by old bauxite and sand mining, a striking photo spot inland. | Busung | Price not published · check on site |
| 9 | Plaza Lagoi The open-air centre of Lagoi Bay with cafés, spas, souvenir and craft shops, next to the beach. | Lagoi | Free |
| 10 | Akau Potong Lembu A car park by day and an open-air hawker centre by night: bak kut teh, char kway teow, fish soup, satay and chendol. | Tanjung Pinang | Free entry · pay per dish |
Before you go
Entry
- Korean passports: visa on arrival or e-VOA: Korea is on Indonesia's visa-on-arrival list: Rp500,000 for 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. You can pay at the arrival counter or buy an e-VOA in advance on the official portal, evisa.imigrasi.go.id (e-VOA holders can also extend online). Confirm with the official site before travel.
- Singapore passports: visa-free: Singapore citizens, as ASEAN nationals, can visit Indonesia without a visa for up to 30 days (not extendable). Confirm with the official immigration site before travel.
- All Indonesia arrival card (required): Since 1 October 2025 all arrivals, including at the Bintan ferry terminals, fill in the free All Indonesia declaration (immigration, customs and health in one) within 72 hours before arrival, at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or in the All Indonesia app. Show the QR code at immigration. It is not a visa, and look-alike sites charge fees.
- Passport and tickets: Have at least 6 months left on your passport and keep your return ferry ticket handy. Ferry check-in in Singapore needs your passport, not an NRIC.
- Back into Singapore: Submit the free SG Arrival Card within 3 days before you sail back to Tanah Merah.
Ferries from Singapore
- To Lagoi (Bintan Resorts): Bintan Resort Ferries sails from Tanah Merah to Bandar Bentan Telani in about an hour, from 8:10am Singapore time. Check in at least 1.5 hours before departure. An economy return was about S$100 all-in in October 2026 (S$110 on peak dates); check brf.com.sg.
- To Tanjung Pinang: Majestic and Sindo sail from Tanah Merah to Sri Bintan Pura, the capital's terminal; check in 60 minutes ahead. Majestic's base return was S$76 in October 2026, plus a S$6 fuel surcharge leaving Singapore and Rp65,000 leaving Indonesia, and terminal fees paid in rupiah on the way back.
- Time difference: Bintan runs on Western Indonesia Time (UTC+7), one hour behind Singapore. Ferry times from Singapore are in Singapore time and return times are in Bintan time.
- Open-jaw trip: This plan arrives at Lagoi (BBT) and leaves from Tanjung Pinang (SBP): book two one-way tickets with the two operators, or return to Lagoi for a round trip.
SIM & eSIM
- eSIM before you sail: An eSIM installed at home works as soon as you land, for maps, Grab and translation. Compare days and data, not just price.
- Local SIM: Provision shops at Pujasera Lagoi and phone shops in Tanjung Pinang sell data SIMs; you register them with your passport.
- Roaming: Singapore roaming plans can be expensive in Indonesia; check yours before the ferry.
Getting around
- No metro: There is no metro or train on Bintan. Inside the resort area use hotel transfers, the BinBin electric shuttle (four lines with a day pass; price not published) or GrabCar, which is officially available in Bintan Resorts.
- Lagoi to Tanjung Pinang: About an hour by road. Book a taxi or a car with driver through your hotel; a 2025 guide price was about S$80–100 for six hours (check). Carry your passport through the Simpang Lagoi checkpoint.
- Pompong boats: Wooden water taxis cross to Penyengat and Senggarang in about 15 minutes. Fares are not published: pay the boatman in cash, wear the life jacket offered and don't board in a storm.
- Becak motor: On Penyengat, motorised trishaws tour the island; agree the route and price first.
- Batam connections: Speedboats run from Tanjung Uban to Batam (about Rp40,000 one way, roughly hourly 7am–6pm) and from Lagoi to Telaga Punggur on Monday and Friday–Sunday (Rp120,000).
Money
- Two currencies: Resorts, ferries and many Lagoi venues quote and accept Singapore dollars and cards. Outside the resorts, use rupiah: pompong boats, hawker stalls, temples and terminal fees are cash.
- Count the zeros: Prices run into hundreds of thousands of rupiah. Check menus for 'S$' or 'Rp' before you order, and count your change.
- Seafood by weight: At kelong and seafood restaurants, ask the price per kilo and see the fish weighed before it's cooked.
Respect & safety
- Mosques and royal tombs: On Penyengat cover shoulders and knees; women should also cover their hair at the mosque. Take off shoes where others do, and avoid Friday midday prayers.
- Temples: At Senggarang's temples dress modestly, don't touch the banyan roots or altars, and ask before photographing worshippers.
- Villages on stilts: Senggarang and the old-town walkways are lived-in homes: keep voices down and watch for loose planks.
- Wildlife: Monkeys live around Lagoi's lake and golf courses: keep food out of sight. Use insect repellent at dusk and in the mangroves.
Weather in November
- Monsoon begins: November brings the start of the north-east monsoon: frequent showers, often in the afternoon, and choppier seas on the north and east coasts. Small boats and water sports may stop at short notice; keep the boat crossings in the morning.
- Heat: Expect around 27°C and high humidity. Plan outdoor sights for the morning and late afternoon and rest at midday.
- Sunset: About 5:48–5:53pm through November, so the routes put the beach and seafront just before dark.
Sources
- Bintan Resort Ferries (official) — Tanah Merah ↔ Bandar Bentan Telani schedule, check-in 1.5 hr, Bintan time GMT+7
- Bintan Resorts (official) — getting to Bintan: ferry about 60 min, check in 1.5 hr before
- Bintan Resorts (official) — getting around: BinBin shuttle lines, GrabCar in the resort area, taxis and car rental
- MissLobang — Singapore–Batam/Bintan ferries 2026: all-in return fares (updated 31 Oct 2026)
- Majestic Fast Ferry (official) — Tanah Merah ↔ Tanjung Pinang timetable from 7 Apr 2026, check-in 60 min
- The Jakarta Post — ferry fuel surcharge S$6 / Rp65,000 one way from 12 Mar 2026
- Pelago — Treasure Bay Bintan: Crystal Lagoon 9am–6pm, ticketing 9am–5pm (2026)
- Wikivoyage (2025 snapshot) — Bintan Resorts: Treasure Bay Rp120,000 adult, car and driver to Tanjung Pinang
- Bintan Resorts (official) — a day at Plaza Lagoi: Lagoi Beach, Lake Lagoi, food and shops
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Lagoi Beach, the only public beach in Bintan Resorts
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Pujasera Lagoi food centre, 7am–midnight
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Pulau Penyengat: pompong from Tanjung Pinang, mosque, tombs, Bukit Kursi
- Wikipedia — Grand Mosque of the Sultan of Riau (1844), Penyengat
- Republika — Kepri tourism office: no entry fee for Penyengat sites (30 Jul 2023)
- Kemdikbud (Ministry of Culture) — Keraton Istana Penyengat: Istana Kantor about 150 m west of the mosque
- Kupi — Tanjung Pinang guide: old town (Kota Lama) around Jalan Merdeka and Jalan Teuku Umar, night markets
- Kupi — Tepi Laut Park, Tanjung Pinang (open all day, sunset views)
- Kupi — Gonggong Building, tourist information centre on Laman Boenda
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Akau Potong Lembu, 5pm–midnight
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Senggarang village: 15-min pompong from Tanjung Pinang, stilt houses
- Bintan Resorts (official) — Banyan Tree Temple Senggarang (1811), 8am–5pm
- Lonely Planet — Vihara Dharma Sasana, Senggarang (temple jetty, older boat fare)
- Antara — Vihara Dharma Sasana, oldest vihara in Tanjungpinang, 10 min by sea (Jan 2025)
- RRI — Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah Museum, Tanjungpinang
- sunrisesunset.io — Tanjung Pinang sunset 5:48–5:53pm in November 2026
- Directorate General of Immigration — VoA Rp500,000, 30 days, extendable once; e-VOA at evisa.imigrasi.go.id
- Indonesia e-Visa / e-VOA — official portal
- All Indonesia arrival card — official portal (free, within 72 hours before arrival)
- Bintan Resorts — All Indonesia e-arrival card required at Bintan ferry terminals since 1 Oct 2025
- Wego — Indonesia visa on arrival 2026: eligible countries incl. Korea; ASEAN visa-free (4 May 2026)
- Illustrated draft map by 3DAYS · positions approximate · real-data 3D map in preparation
Prices are for adults and can change; always check the official site on the day. Some ticket, hotel and eSIM links on 3DAYS are affiliate links: your price is the same and we may earn a commission. Rankings and routes are not paid placements.