This 5 days in Bali itinerary covers the island day by day: the beaches of Seminyak and Canggu, Ubud's monkey forest and palaces, the Tegallalang rice terraces and Tirta Empul, a sunrise climb of Mount Batur, the clifftop temples of the Bukit and a boat day to Nusa Penida. Bali is bigger than it looks on a map — the traffic is famously slow — so each day stays in one corner of the island instead of criss-crossing it. Costs are in rupiah with dollar equivalents, the seasonal weather is spelled out, and every stop links to Google Maps.
May to September is the dry season — sunny days around 27–31°C, the best surf and the lowest humidity, but also the busiest. April, May, June and October are the sweet spot for good weather with fewer crowds. The wet season runs November to March: mornings are usually fine with heavy afternoon downpours, prices drop and the landscape is at its greenest. Avoid the Christmas–New Year and Indonesian public holiday weeks if you hate traffic.
Bali has no rail and no ride-hailing metro, so plan around a driver. A private car with driver costs about IDR 600,000–800,000 (US$40–$55) for a full day and removes the stress entirely — most hotels arrange one. Gojek and Grab apps work for short hops in the south but are blocked in some areas. Scooter rental is US$5–$8 a day and fun on quiet roads, but only ride if you are experienced, licensed and insured. The fast boat to Nusa Penida leaves from Sanur (about 45 minutes).
Morning
Free
Most flights land at Denpasar in the morning. Base yourself in Seminyak or Canggu for the first night — close to the airport, flat and easy. Recover from the flight with a long walk on the sand and a coconut; Jetlag is real, so keep day one gentle.
Seminyak Beach, BaliAfternoon
IDR 250,000–500,000 minimum spend · massage ~IDR 150,000
Claim a lounger at a beach club for the afternoon — the south coast does this better than anywhere in Asia — or book a traditional Balinese massage at a local spa for a fraction of hotel prices. Both are a soft landing into the trip.
Ku De Ta, SeminyakEvening
IDR 150,000–400,000
Watch the sun drop into the Indian Ocean from a table on Seminyak Beach, then eat at a warung or a grilled-seafood spot. If tonight is quiet you can move dinner earlier — tomorrow starts at dawn.
La Lucciola, SeminyakMorning
IDR 80,000
Drive to Ubud (about 90 minutes) and go straight to the banyan-shaded sanctuary, home to over a thousand macaques. Hold bags and sunglasses tight — the monkeys are professional thieves — and skip the feedings. The mossy dragon bridges and temple ruins are the photo of the morning.
Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, UbudAfternoon
Free–IDR 50,000 · lunch IDR 40,000–100,000
Walk the compact centre: the lotus pond at Pura Taman Saraswati, the royal Puri Saren Agung palace and the covered Ubud Art Market, where fixed-price shops behind the stalls make haggling easier. Lunch on nasi campur at a warung off Jalan Raya.
Ubud Palace, UbudEvening
Free · dance show ~IDR 100,000
Do the Campuhan Ridge Walk in the golden hour — a grass-spine ridge between two river valleys, 30–60 minutes round trip. Then catch the nightly Legong or Kecak performance at Ubud Palace at 19:30, one of the best-value cultural shows in Asia.
Campuhan Ridge Walk, UbudMorning
IDR 25,000–50,000 · tastings IDR 50,000
Leave Ubud by 07:30 for the Tegallalang terraces before the tour buses and the heat — small entry donations at each terrace section, and swing operators charge extra if you want the photo. Continue to a coffee plantation to see luwak coffee and try the tasting flight.
Tegallalang Rice Terrace, TegallalangAfternoon
IDR 50,000 · sarong rental IDR 15,000
At Tirta Empul, pilgrims queue to be cleansed under the sacred spring spouts — you may join, wearing a rented sarong and sash. Continue up to the Kintamani viewpoint over the Mount Batur caldera and Lake Batur for lunch with the volcano in front of you.
Tirta Empul Temple, TampaksiringEvening
Lodge IDR 400,000–800,000
The smart move is sleeping near the mountain, not driving back. Check into a lodge above Lake Batur, eat an early dinner and set a 01:30 alarm — the sunrise climb starts in the dark.
Kintamani, BaliMorning
Trek IDR 400,000–600,000 · hot springs IDR 150,000
With a licensed guide, climb the 1,717-metre volcano in about two hours to stand above the clouds as the sun rises over Lake Batur and Mount Abang. Steam vents on the crater rim double as breakfast service — eggs boiled in the fumaroles. Descend by 09:00, soak in the natural hot springs, then nap in the car on the drive south.
Mount Batur, KintamaniAfternoon
IDR 25,000 parking/entry
Reach the Bukit peninsula by mid-afternoon. Padang Padang — the hollow rock-entrance beach from Eat Pray Love — is the classic, with Bingin and Dreamland as quieter alternatives. Swim, surf or just sit under an umbrella with a fresh coconut.
Padang Padang Beach, PecatuEvening
Entry IDR 50,000 · dance IDR 150,000 · Jimbaran dinner IDR 200,000–400,000
At cliff-top Uluwatu Temple, one of Bali's nine directional temples, the daily Kecak dance is performed at sunset on a platform above the breaking surf — chanting men, fire and the best show on the island. Book tickets ahead; then finish with grilled seafood on the sand at Jimbaran Bay.
Uluwatu Temple, PecatuMorning
Boat IDR 300,000–400,000 return · tour IDR 400,000–700,000
Catch an early boat from Sanur (45 minutes, book the first departure) and drive straight to Kelingking Beach, the T-rex-shaped cliff that is the most photographed view in Indonesia. The path down to the sand is steep and loose — the viewpoint is enough for most people.
Kelingking Beach, Nusa PenidaAfternoon
Free · donations at each site
Continue to two natural wonders on the rugged southwest coast: Angel's Billabong, a natural infinity pool in the rock (never swim when the swell is up), and Broken Beach, a collapsed sea cave with a natural arch. Lunch is simple and local in the island's small capital.
Broken Beach, Nusa PenidaEvening
Dinner IDR 150,000–350,000
Take a late-afternoon boat back and squeeze in one last dinner — either back in Seminyak near your hotel or at an airport-adjacent spot in Jimbaran, depending on tomorrow's flight. Sunset over the bay is the full stop the trip deserves.
Sanur Harbour, DenpasarMid-range estimate: a good villa or hotel room shared by two, breakfast plus lunch and dinner out, a private driver for the inland days and entry fees. Bali scales in every direction — guesthouses and warungs bring the floor near $40 a day, while cliff villas and beach clubs can push past $300.
Estimated daily total
IDR 1,200,000–2,400,000 per person, per day (about $75–$150)
| Season | Typical range | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | 23–33°C / 73–91°F | Rains taper off by April; green landscapes and thinner crowds. |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 22–30°C / 72–86°F | Dry, sunny and breezy — peak season, book ahead. |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | 23–32°C / 73–90°F | Still dry into October, then the wet season begins. |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 23–31°C / 73–88°F | Wettest months with afternoon downpours; lowest prices. |
SmartVoyage shows the live forecast, or seasonal averages for far-off dates, next to every day of a generated itinerary.
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