Even though I’ve been to Bali for a few times now, Bali remains one of my favourite destination for a short break besides Bangkok. I feel that Bali has something for everyone, nature, food and partying, Bali has it all. Here’s a Bali itinerary I’ve put together from my past trips to Bali.
Overview of this Bali Itinerary
Day 1: Nusa Dua, Chill at Beach Club
Water Sports Adventure
My best friend loves water sports and insisted we included water sports in our itinerary.
We booked our water sports activity via Klook and paid SGD 28.35/pax for 3 activities — Jetski, Banana Boat and Parasailing. This was a great deal as we would have to pay double the price if we didn’t prebook online.
The instructors were really friendly and went out of the way to make the experience special for us. They would use our phones to get videos and photos for us.
We were picked up at our hotel at 10 in the morning and arrived at Bali Dolphin Water Sports Adventure in Nusa Dua in less than an hour. The instructors were really friendly and did their best to ensure we enjoyed the experience. Once we were done with the activities, we were dropped off at our hotel.
Chill out at a Beach Club
Have a slow afternoon relaxing at one of the many beach clubs in Bali. We went to Finns Beach Club, one of my favourites after our water sports adventure. Besides a great view and great decor, the food at Finns Beach Club is also pretty good.
Opening hours: 10am – 12am daily
Address: Jl. Pantai Berawa No.99, Canggu, Kec. Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
There are many other beach clubs you can consider, such as Potato Head Beach Club (Seminyak), The Lawn (Canggu) and La Brisa (Canggu) but book in advance if you can, as walk-ins are always left with the lousy tables.
Day 2: Day trip to Nusa Penida
Get up early and head to Sanur Port to catch a 40-minute ferry that leaves for Nusa Penida. Most ferries leave around 7–8am and do remember to take traffic jam into account as well. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Sanur Port from Seminyak via car without traffic.
Read: How to get to Nusa Penida from Bali
I’d recommend hiring a driver for the day. Not only will it be more comfortable, the driver can also ensure you get back to the port in time to catch the ferry back to Bali. The price to get a private driver for a day ranges between 500,000 to 700,000 IDR. You can also choose to rent a scooter, which would be a much cheaper option.
Kelingking Beach
Kelingking Beach is home to the famous T-rex rock, which I’m sure everyone has come across pictures of. Kelingking Beach is also a spot not to be missed if it’s your first time on Nusa Penida.
I would totally recommend going down to the beach, if you have time, but do note that it’s a very steep climb down and would take about 40 minutes one way (probably more when climbing up). Bring proper hiking or covered shoes at least if you plan on going down to the beach. I once tried climbing down in flip flops and ended up just going barefoot (I didn’t make it all the way down, we didn’t have enough time, sadly).
Entrance fee: 10,000 IDR for carpark
Angel’s Billabong
Angel’s Billabong is a tidal pool. Besides being able to take a dip here, the cliff formation is also stunning.
Even though many do it, I wouldn’t recommend taking a dip here as the waves can be very unpredictable. It can get pretty dangerous and there have been cases of serious injuries at this spot.
Entrance fee: 10,000 IDR for carpark
Note: Angel’s Billabong and Broken Beach shares a carpark so you can visit both spots at once.
Broken Beach
Broken Beach (Pasih Uug) is a short 5-minute walk from Angel’s Billabong. It’s Balinese name translates to ‘damaged beach’ but there isn’t actually a beach here you can get to. However, you can marvel at the beautiful arch formation and clear blue waters from the walking path.
Crystal Bay
Crystal Bay is a popular snorkelling and diving location as you can often see turtles in the water here. If you’re diving, there’s also a chance you’ll get to see a Mola Mola between July and October. There are snorkelling equipment for rent at the beach, or you can also get your tour guide to arrange for it.
If the water is not for you, you can also hang under a parasol with snacks from the warungs on the beach.
Entrance fee: 5,000 IDR for carpark
Other spots on Nusa Penida to consider
Kelingking Beach, Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach and Crystal Bay are on the West side of the island, and are locations most tour groups will bring you to. As we were done with the first 3 locations pretty early, we had over 2 hours to kill at Crystal Bay and it got pretty boring as we did not snorkel. If you don’t intend to snorkel and have a private guide or driver, I recommend checking out other parts of the island, rather than sit on the beach for 2 hours.
Some other spots on Nusa Penida you can consider visiting are — Diamond Beach, Molenteng Tree House, Atuh Beach and Teletubbies Hill. These are in the East side of the island. I’d say the views at Diamond Beach rivals Kelingking Beach’s and it’s definitely worth a visit if you have time. Do discuss with your driver as they know the island best and will be able to recommend you a suitable route.
Check out What to do on a Nusa Penida Day Trip for a more detailed explanation of each spot.
Day 3: Ubud
Route: Tegalalang Rice Terrace – Naughty Nuris – Ubud Palace – Ubud Art Market – Campuhan Ridge Walk
Tegalalang Rice Terrace
Also spelled Tegallalang Rice Terrace, you’ll find neatly arranged rice paddies and photo-worthy installations here. Tegalalang Rice Terrace is a 20-minute drive north of Ubud and is a great place to start your Ubud day trip.
Besides rice paddies, swings are also scattered around Tegallanlang Rice Terrace. If you do not want to pay a whooping SGD 50 for the branded Bali Swing, you can find swings for a much cheaper price here. We were one of the first people at the rice terrace and only paid SGD 10 for two people.
Note that the carpark is across the road from the rice terrace and not within the rice terrace compounds.
Tip: Come before 9am as the rice terrace gets crowded after that. Wear slippers or shoes you do not mind getting mud on.
There are restaurants and shops along the roads of the rice terrace. You can have a meal with the view of the terrace, but the prices of the food will likely be higher here.
Entrance fee: 15,000 IDR
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm
Address: Jl. Raya Tegallalang, Tegallalang, Kec. Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80561
Naughty Nuris (Ubud)
Have a lunch break at Naughty Nuris, a spot known for its BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (IDR 150,000). Naughty Nuris is a famous lunch spot that is worth a try but in my opinion, the standards have dropped over the years. I remember loving the ribs back in 2018 and 2020, but during my recent visit in May 2022, the ribs were pretty dry and tough, a far cry from what it used to be. Prices have also increased.
Tailor your expectations if you do visit.
Edit in 2023: if time allows, visit the Seminyak branch instead, the quality of ribs at that branch is much better in my opinion.
Opening hours: 12pm – 9pm
Address: Jl. Raya Sanggingan No.88X, Kedewatan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571
Ubud Palace
Located in the heart of Ubud, Ubud Palace is the perfect place to admire and appreciate Balinese architecture and art. However, don’t expect a large and grand palace as only a small section of the area is open to public. For a full cultural experience, you can stay for the traditional Balinese dance performance in the evening at 7.30pm. It’ll cost 100,000 IDR (≈ SGD 9.30) to watch the performance.
There is also a Starbucks at the entrance of the palace where you can grab a coffee or take a short break at.
Opening hours: 8am – 6pm
Traditional dance performance: 7.30pm – 9pm
Address: Jl. Raya Ubud No.8, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Ubud Art Market
You can find lots of clothing, bags and even homeware at Ubud Art Market. This is also the place for you if you’re looking for the famous Bali rattan bags.
Though it is best to come early in the day or towards the end of the day, if you only have a day in Ubud, you’ll likely find yourself at the market in the afternoon. Note that it will be crowded and finding a parking space can be quite challenging, even if you’re riding a scooter.
If you hired a driver, set a time and location for your driver to pick you up and make sure you have your driver’s contact number.
Opening hours: 10am – 5pm
Address: Jl. Raya Ubud No.35, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Campuhan Ridge Walk
Campuhan Ridge Walk is, as its name suggests, a walking path. It is a pretty straightforward trek and will take only 20 – 25 minutes to complete the trek. The terrain is also pretty easygoing, but there are some uneven portions along the way.
Funny story, it actually took 3 trips to Bali for me to visit Campuhan Ridge Walk as the previous drivers could not find the entrance to this walkway.
There are 2 entrances to the ridge walk, north and south and you can start from either, depending on which direction you want to walk. We started at the south entrance and got our driver to pick us up at the north entrance, where Amora Ubud Boutique Villas is.
As there are no official opening hours, you can visit Campuhan Ridge Walk any time, but I would recommend going early in the morning or in the evening as it will get very hot in the afternoon. The ridge walk does not have any shelter so you will be at the mercy of the sun, or rain. There are also no street lights so it will be pitch black at night, so it is not advisable to visit after sunset.
Alternative route
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace – Ulun Danu Beratan Temple – Naughty Nuris – Ubud Palace – Ubud Art Market – Campuhan Ridge Walk
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace is the largest rice terrace in Bali and is much quieter than Tegalalang Rice Terrace as it is further from the city. If you’re a fan of trekking, Jatiluwih offers a number of trekking paths. I would recommend taking a photo of the map at the start of the entrance of the rice terrace as there aren’t any maps in the terrace compounds. The trails can also get confusing, we almost ended up on a 6-hour trek instead of a 20-minute walk.
The reception in the area isn’t the best. We had to call our driver with a local’s mobile phone as we could not get any connection on ours. Despite that, I still enjoyed Jatiluwih and would recommend checking it out if you want a less crowded spot. For context, we were there at 9am and only saw 1 other group of visitors.
Jatiluwih is around a 1 hour 40 minute drive from Seminyak and 1 hour drive from Ubud.
Entrance fee: 40,000 IDR
Opening hours: 8am – 5pm
Address: Village, Jl. Jatiluwih Kawan No.Desa, Jatiluwih, Kec. Penebel, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82152
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
It is likely you’ve come across photos of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple when you searched ‘Bali’ on Google or even on travel brochures. Ulun Danu Beratan Temple sits on Lake Beratan, the second largest lake in Bali, and was built to worship Goddess Danu, the Water Goddess.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple sits is about 1,200 meters above sea level so the temperatures here are slightly lower than the rest of Bali.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is a 45-minute drive from Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, 1 hour 30 minute drive from Seminyak and 1 hour 10 minute drive from Ubud.
Entrance fee: 75,000 IDR
Opening hours: 7am – 7pm
Address: Danau Beratan, Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan Regency, Bali 82191, Indonesia
Other Spots to Consider
Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang
Located on the eastern end of Bali, Lempuyang Temple has got to be one of the most photographed temples in Bali. The temple is known for its “heaven gate” and the spectacular view of the Mt Agung volcano.
If you want to visit this spot, I would advise to stay nearer as it is a long drive from the touristy side of Bali (about 3 hours drive from Seminyak). We stayed in the Klungkung area, which is a 1.5 hours drive away from the temple. We started our journey to the temple at 4am but the temple was already quite crowded when we got there. We also heard from our driver that some people used to sleep overnight at the temple just to avoid the long queues because queues for the photo spot at the “heaven gate” can get up to 3 hours long.
To enter the premises, you’ll also have to wear a sarong, even if your legs are covered. Do also make sure your shoulders are covered.
As of 2022, you’re also not allowed to drive into the temple compound and will have to take a shuttle bus for 45,000 IDR (≈ SGD 4.13), followed by a steep climb to get to the heaven gate.
Note: the reflection in the photos are created by a mirror, the temple staff will take photos for you with your device and a mirror which creates the reflection. There is no actual water or pond, please tailor your expectations and be respectful as this is a place of worship for the locals.
Opening hours: 6am – 7pm
Entrance fee: 100,000 IDR
Tirta Gangga
Tirta Gangga Water Palace is a former royal palace that has been turned into a public garden. The garden grounds are not big and the ponds here are filled with huge koi fish.
Tip: Bring bread to feed the fish if you want to have them in your photo. Bread works much better than the fish food on sale at Tirta Gangga. I bought fish food and the fish weren’t interested at all. A kind photographer saw me struggling to get the fish into my shots and threw some bread into the water, which the fish loved!
Tirta Gangga is 30-minute drive from Lempuyang Temple so these two locations can be done in one morning.
Opening hours: 8am – 5pm
Entrance fee: 30,000 IDR
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