Bus from Makassar to Bira: terminal, times and changes

By Bira Sulawesi Editorial Desk

Sourced figures: prices in the table carry their source and check month. They are third-party figures, sources can disagree, and none of them is our offer.

A bus from Makassar to Bira does exist, but do not expect a fixed timetable. Buses and shared minivans leave Mallengkeri terminal in southern Makassar, mostly in the morning, and generally go when full. Some run through to Tanjung Bira, others stop in Bulukumba. Arrive early, and ask where the vehicle ends before you get on.

Is there a bus from Makassar to Bira?

Yes, with conditions. Seascapes Bira, a resort on Bara Beach, says buses and shared minivans run from Makassar and that they leave when full. That wording is the most important thing to understand on this page. You are not buying a seat on the nine o'clock. You are joining a vehicle that goes when there are enough passengers, on a route that may or may not reach the beach. For the wider picture of the trip, see the Bira Sulawesi overview.

For travellers with time and light bags, that is workable. The price table on this page lists a resort's approximate figures for a seat and for a shared car, as that resort states them, so check its page before you rely on either. Everything about private cars and self-drive is on the Makassar to Bira road page. This page deals only with public transport from Makassar to Bira.

Where do you catch it?

At Mallengkeri terminal in southern Makassar, according to the resort. A Taka Bonerate National Park page spells it Malengkeri, with one L, so look for either on a map or a sign. Both sources agree on the place, and it is the one detail here that is not in dispute.

If you are coming straight from a flight, the terminal is a separate ride through the city. The airport page explains how landing time affects the plan.

When do services leave?

The three published accounts do not line up, and they come from very different years. Here they are as written:

The 2014 page is too old to use as a schedule and is useful mainly as a sign that times shift. The blog is a single report on a single morning. Even so, it sits awkwardly with the resort's 9am to 10am cluster, and that is the point: neither one can promise you what will happen on your morning.

Our suggestion, given one traveller's report of no buses at 8:30am: arrive well before that, ask at the terminal which vehicles are filling, and have a shared car as your fallback, so that an empty bay does not end your day. If you need to know for certain the night before, this is not the right way to travel.

Do you have to change in Bulukumba?

Possibly. Seascapes Bira says some services run through to Tanjung Bira, while others stop in Bulukumba town, where you change to a pete-pete, the local minibus, for the last 40 km. Journey Beyond Horizon, a travel blog, says most Makassar buses end in Bulukumba or continue 30 to 40 minutes to Bira.

Ask before you board, because the answer differs by vehicle. Use plain words: "Sampai Bira?" means "All the way to Bira?" If the answer is no, you are not necessarily on the wrong bus, but you should expect a second vehicle and a second fare.

The Bulukumba to Tanjung Bira leg has its own disagreement. The blog's 30 to 40 minutes is well under the national tourism site's figure of about 40 km and about one hour. A stopping minibus is unlikely to match the quicker number, so use the hour when you are working out your arrival. We know of no pete-pete timetable, so our suggestion is to change in Bulukumba early in the afternoon.

What do through buses do?

Some are not really going to Bira at all. The same blog says buses bound for Benteng, across the strait, board the ferry at Bira. Those vehicles pass through on their way to the port, which is useful, but it creates a risk: stay in your seat too long and you may find yourself on the water. Tell the driver or conductor where you want to get off when you board, and remind them as you get close.

Remember also that the port is not the beach. The tourism ministry's village platform places Bira port at the south end of Panrang Luhu, on the eastern shore. The resort's guide also reports no ride-hailing out there and no bus network for getting around the peninsula, even though its location page describes buses and pete-pete coming in from Bulukumba. Settle your last few kilometres with your lodging in advance. If you are going on to Selayar, the ferry port page covers delays and what to check.

How does a shared Kijang work?

A Kijang is a people-carrier run as a shared ride, and it goes once its driver has enough passengers. Nomadic Notes describes vehicles that carry eight, with the option of buying an extra seat. That 2015 return trip took 4 hours 40 minutes, including 30 minutes collecting passengers. The same writer's bus south took 5.5 hours with lunch. Let's Explore reports 5 to 6 hours in a shared car, with one extra pickup and a warung stop.

Journey Beyond Horizon adds two options: arranging a time with a driver at Mallengkeri, who then collects you from your hotel in Makassar, and a Damri bus for Benteng that stops at the Bira ferry port, where you can get off. A through bus may not reach your room, since Nomadic Notes was dropped on the road to the beach, ten minutes on foot. Tell the driver exactly where you need to stop before you pay.

How long does it take?

Expect most of a day once waiting is counted. The 2014 park page gave about five hours including a meal stop, and the national tourism site gives five to six hours overland for the journey in general. Neither figure includes the time you spend in the terminal waiting for a vehicle to fill, or the wait for a pete-pete if you change.

So if you leave at 10am after a long wait, you could be reaching Bulukumba in the afternoon, with the narrow final road still ahead. A change or a slow fill could push your arrival towards dark. You would be a passenger rather than a driver, but finding your room in an unfamiliar place at night, without a car of your own, is still worth avoiding.

Who is it not suited to?

The bus suits flexible travellers who enjoy the process. Think twice in these cases:

• A tight schedule: a same-day flight, a booked dive or a ferry connection at the other end.
• Children or anyone who struggles with long waits: waiting time in the terminal is open-ended.
• Bulky gear: dive bags and other large items depend on the crew and the space on the day. Ask before you pay.
• A late arrival in Makassar: the departures described above are morning ones, so plan on a night in the city.

For those trips, compare a shared or private car on the road options page. Limited Indonesian will make the questions above harder to ask, so save the key phrases on your phone.

What else should you know about the bus from Makassar to Bira?

Is there a bus from Makassar to Bira?

Yes. Seascapes Bira says buses and shared minivans leave from Mallengkeri terminal in southern Makassar when full, though not all of them run the whole way to Tanjung Bira.

What time do buses leave Makassar for Bira?

No reliable timetable is published. The resort guide reports most departures between 9am and 10am, a 2014 park page listed 02:00 and 09:00, and one traveller found no buses at 8:30am.

How long is the bus from Makassar to Bira?

A 2014 park page gave about five hours including a meal stop. Add time for the vehicle to fill and for any change in Bulukumba, and treat it as most of a day.

Do I have to change in Bulukumba?

Sometimes. Some services run through and others end in Bulukumba town, where you take a pete-pete for the last 40 km. Ask the driver before you board.

Which sources support this page?

• Seascapes Bira, location and access guide (resort operator)
• Seascapes Bira, Tanjung Bira guide (resort operator)
• Taka Bonerate National Park, access page, 2014
• turtlephd.me, personal travel blog on Bira (one traveller's account)
• Journey Beyond Horizon, Makassar to Bira to Selayar (travel blog)
• Pantai Tanjung Bira, Indonesia's national tourism site
• Pantai Panrang Luhu, tourism ministry village platform
• Nomadic Notes: notes on Bira, 2015, updated 2024 (personal travel blog)
• Journey Beyond Horizon: Tanjung Bira guide, September 2025, updated May 2026 (travel blog)

How do I reach the desk?

The bus needs no booking through us, and the desk does not sell seats on it or know the day's departures. If you decide a shared or private car suits you better, send your date and route to WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or bd@juaraholding.com. A request may lead to a paid booking, from which we would earn, so the terms reach you as a written offer before you commit.