How Many Days in Bali? A 5-Day Route and How to Get Around

How many days? The 5-day picture and where to stay

Five to six days suits Bali well. The beach-and-food south and Ubud's forests, rice fields and culture feel very different, so seeing both means allowing time for the drive between them.

This plan takes the guide's four-day route and adds one flexible day, making five days and four nights. Day 1 is a southern hotel, the beach and sunset at Tanah Lot Temple; Day 2 a car with driver to Ubud for Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Tirta Empul Temple and an evening show at Ubud Palace; Day 3 Ubud Monkey Forest and the market, then back south; Day 4 one of Nusa Penida, the Mount Batur sunrise trek or a beach day; Day 5 Uluwatu Temple, the Kecak dance and dinner on Jimbaran beach before the airport. With six days, add a second Day 4 option.

Base yourself in the south and spend only the night of Day 2 in Ubud. Kuta suits a first visit, close to the airport and good value, though the beach is busy and the streets noisy. Seminyak suits restaurants, cafes and sunsets, but traffic gets heavy in the evening. Canggu suits surfing and cafes, though sidewalks are narrow. Nusa Dua suits resort stays and families, with relatively calm water but fewer restaurants outside the resorts. Ubud is about rice fields, forests, culture and yoga, but the sea is far.

• Full Bali travel guide →
• Ubud vs Seminyak: where to stay? →

Day 1: Airport, southern hotel, beach, sunset at Tanah Lot

After landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), check in to your southern hotel and spend the afternoon on the beach. Choose one of these to get from the airport.

Around sunset, head to Tanah Lot Temple, built on a rock in the sea and famous at sunset. Whether you can walk out to it depends on the tide. Traffic in the south gets heavy in the evening, so allow more time than the map estimate.

In temples, cover your shoulders and knees and wear a sarong (a cloth wrapped around the waist). Many entrances lend them.

• Official airport taxi: at the taxi counter in the arrivals area, name your destination and you get a fixed zone fare up front, with no haggling. Kuta about 15-20 min, Seminyak about 30-45 min
• Ride-hailing app car: the fare is fixed in the app, and at the airport you can only be picked up at designated pickup points, so follow the app and airport signs. Kuta about 15-20 min, Seminyak about 30-45 min
• Hotel pickup: if you stay somewhere far such as Ubud or Nusa Dua, booking in advance is easiest. Ubud about 1.5 hours, or more in traffic

Days 2-3: Ubud by car with driver, then the Monkey Forest

On Day 2, hire a car and driver for the day and head to Ubud. Touring temples, rice terraces and waterfalls this way is common; confirm the hours and what is included (fuel, parking) first. Tegallalang Rice Terraces, north of Ubud, are best early in the morning, with fewer people and softer light, so an early start helps.

Next comes Tirta Empul Temple, known for purification rituals in its holy spring; a sarong is required to enter. In the evening, watch a traditional dance show at Ubud Palace in central Ubud. Shows are held on many evenings. Spend this night in Ubud.

On the morning of Day 3, visit Ubud Monkey Forest and the Ubud market. The forest is a temple sanctuary home to monkeys, so don't bring food or plastic bags in, avoid staring at the monkeys, and keep sunglasses, hats and phones in your bag. Relax at a cafe or spa in the afternoon, then head back south. Bebek betutu, duck slow-cooked in a spice paste, is popular around Ubud; some places need an advance order.

Day 4: The extra day — Nusa Penida, Mount Batur sunrise or the beach

This is the day added to the guide's four-day route. The Nusa Penida day trip takes you by boat to an island with dramatic cliff beaches. Boats get rough on high-wave days, so check the weather first.

The Mount Batur sunrise trek is a pre-dawn hike to watch sunrise from the volcano. Go with a local guide and bring good shoes and a warm layer.

For a slower day, spend it on a beach near your hotel: Nusa Dua has relatively calm water and Canggu has plenty of surf beaches. With six days, pick two of these three.

Day 5: Uluwatu Temple, Kecak dance, Jimbaran beach, airport

On the last afternoon, visit Uluwatu Temple at the edge of a high cliff. Monkeys snatch glasses, hats and phones, so keep your belongings secure.

Watch the evening Kecak dance show at the temple, then have dinner on Jimbaran beach before heading to the airport. Evening traffic in the south is heavy, so leave early. This route assumes a night flight; if you leave earlier, move Uluwatu to Day 4.

Getting around Bali: apps, metered taxis, cars with drivers, scooters

These are the four ways to get around Bali. Whichever you use, allow more time than the map estimate for evening trips in the south.

• Ride-hailing apps: book cars and motorbikes in the app. In some areas local transport groups restrict app pickups; if so, ask your hotel to arrange a car
• Metered taxis: blue metered taxis are easy to find in the southern tourist areas. Make sure the meter is on
• Car with driver: hire a car and driver by the day to visit temples, rice terraces and waterfalls in one go. It suits days like Day 2; confirm the hours and what is included (fuel, parking) first
• Scooter rental: popular, but traffic is chaotic and accidents are common. The Bali provincial government requires foreign tourists to hold a valid driving licence, obey traffic laws and rent only from licensed providers. Check official sources for which licences are recognized, and always wear a helmet

Before you go: budget, when to visit, entry

Per person per day, budget about 500,000 IDR with guesthouses, local food and app motorbikes; about 1,500,000-2,000,000 IDR with a pool villa or hotel, restaurants and a shared car with driver; and about 4,000,000 IDR+ with a resort, private tours and a spa. Nasi campur costs about 25,000-50,000 IDR at a local warung, and nasi goreng or mie goreng about 30,000-60,000 IDR.

April to October is the dry season, with plenty of sunny days. November to March is the wet season with frequent showers, and the rain is heaviest around December to February. By the 1961–1990 normals for Denpasar (WMO city data) from the WMO World Weather Information Service — Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), monthly rainfall is about 25-93 mm from April to October and about 179-345 mm from November to March. January is the wettest at about 345 mm, and August the driest at about 25 mm. Average daytime highs are about 30-34°C all year. On Nyepi, the Balinese New Year (usually March, sometimes April), the whole island shuts down for a day and the airport closes for 24 hours, so check the date. Prices rise in July-August and during major holidays.

Entering Indonesia requires the online All Indonesia arrival card (allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id) and its QR code; check the official site for timing and other details. Foreign tourists must pay a tourism levy for Bali. The amount and how to pay can change, so check the Bali provincial government's official information. Entry and visa rules (visa on arrival, e-visa) can also change, so check the Indonesian embassy or official sources before you travel.

• Don't drink tap water; buy bottled water. Be careful with ice and street food at first
• Change money only at authorized money changers and count it on the spot. Avoid places advertising unusually good rates

• Incheon → Bali flights →
• Bali vs Phuket for a first trip →

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