Booking Tours and Guides in Dili
Guided experiences in Dili are few and mostly arranged by contacting the provider yourself. These questions cover the usual ones.
Can I get a guide at the museums?
Yes, at both. The Centro Nacional Chega! sits in the former Comarca Balide prison and takes tour bookings by phone on +670 331 0465. Reported hours are 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, with free entry, so ring before you go. Inside, the displays are panels about the occupation and the findings of the truth commission, plus an archive. The prison was built in 1963 and the commission, known as CAVR, used it from 2001 to 2005.
The Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum on Rua Formosa also has guides. Its days are Tuesday to Saturday, from roughly 09:00 or 09:30 until 16:30. Sunday and Monday are closed days. Expect to pay a few dollars.
These are memorial institutions, not entertainment. Book direct, dress modestly and give the material your full attention.
Which boats go looking for whales and dolphins?
Three names appear on the official listings: Compass Diving, Dive Timor Lorosae and Moby Wildlife Tours. Blue and sperm whales are listed at their peak from August to November, while a press report places pygmy blue whales from September to December. Spinner dolphins live along the north coast and appear daily. Pick a boat that follows the national whale-watching guidelines. Ask each operator for a quote.
Who runs the Atauro dive trips?
On the mainland: Dive Timor Lorosae (operating since 2000), Aquatica Dive Resort, Timor Sunshine Divers and Dreamers Dive Academy. On Atauro: Atauro Dive Resort, Beloi Beach Hotel Dive Resort, Compass Diving, Beni-Marine and Mysaffy, plus ATKOMA for community snorkel trips. The official diving page lists them all. Atauro is also the one stretch where the official tourism site drops its crocodile warning for the coast.
To look at packaged options before you commit, run a search such as boat and dive trips from Dili .
How do I get to Atauro without a tour?
The public ferry is cheaper. The Berlin Nakroma leaves Porto Dili at 08:00 on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for US$4 each way, with a crossing of about 2 hours 15 minutes. The Success departs Kolmera at 08:00 on Tuesday and Friday for US$5 and takes about 3 hours. Tickets are cash only and sold at the port office the same day, so arrive an hour early. There is no online booking. Call APORTIL on +670 331 7264 to confirm the sailing, especially from December to April. The official ferries page carries the latest timetable.
What about shows and events?
Check the official events calendar. It lists the Timor-Leste Coffee Festival for November 2026, with the date still to be confirmed.
Read more: Sightseeing in Dili , day trips and the 2-day Timor-Leste itinerary .