Plan your trip
Bali itineraries, day by day
Four routes, from a long weekend to ten days, built around the drive times that shape every Bali trip.
By The Bali Guideline Editorial TeamUpdated 12 November 2026
Choose by days
How long do you have?
Pick the plan that matches your days on the ground. Each one tells you where to sleep each night, which two or three places to see each day, and how long the drives between them take, using the travel times from our own attraction guides.
3days
3 Days in Bali: Ubud, Then the Uluwatu Cliffs
A long weekend or a stopover
- Ubud · 2 nights
- Uluwatu · 1 night
8 stops · See the plan
5days
5 Days in Bali: Ubud, Tanah Lot and the Uluwatu Beaches
A first trip of under a week, split between hills and sea
- Ubud · 3 nights
- Uluwatu · 2 nights
14 stops · See the plan
7days
7 Days in Bali: Volcano, Island Cliffs and Uluwatu
A first week with a bit of adventure
- Ubud · 3 nights
- Sanur · 2 nights
- Uluwatu · 2 nights
20 stops · See the plan
10days
10 Days in Bali: A Loop Through the Center, East and South
A first long trip, or a return visit that goes beyond the south
- Ubud · 4 nights
- Amed · 2 nights
- Sanur · 2 nights
- Uluwatu · 2 nights
27 stops · See the plan
Compare
The four plans side by side
| Plan | Where you sleep | Pace | Longest drive | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 daysUbud and Uluwatu | Sleep: Ubud 2 → Uluwatu 13 nights | Pace: Steady | Longest drive: Day 3, about 2–3 hours | Stops: 8 |
| 5 daysUbud, Tanah Lot and Uluwatu | Sleep: Ubud 3 → Uluwatu 25 nights | Pace: Steady | Longest drive: Day 3, about 2.5–3.5 hours in all | Stops: 14 |
| 7 daysUbud, Sanur, Nusa Penida and Uluwatu | Sleep: Ubud 3 → Sanur 2 → Uluwatu 27 nights | Pace: Full | Longest drive: Day 5, about 3–4.5 hours of boats and island roads | Stops: 20 |
| 10 daysUbud, Amed, Sanur, Nusa Penida and Uluwatu | Sleep: Ubud 4 → Amed 2 → Sanur 2 → Uluwatu 210 nights | Pace: Steady, with three pre-dawn starts | Longest drive: Day 3, about 4–5.5 hours in all | Stops: 27 |
How we plan
Three rules behind every route
01
One part of the island per day
Bali’s roads are slow: Ubud to Uluwatu takes 2–3 hours by car. Every day in these plans stays in one area, and hotel moves happen on the way to the next day’s sights.
02
Drive times you can check
Each drive and boat leg names the visitor guide it comes from, so you can see the route options and the reasoning. Times are ranges, because traffic changes by the hour.
03
Places, not businesses
Stops are temples, beaches, rice terraces, markets and viewpoints. For where to sleep and eat, each day links to our area guide and the stay and restaurant listings for that base.
When to go
Rain, month by month
The plans work all year. In the wet months, keep a spare day next to the boat and beach days.
Dry season: April to OctoberBetween seasonsWet season: November to March
Average rain per month in millimeters on the south coast, 2021–2025, from the model data behind our Bali weather guide. Tap a month for details.
FAQ
Bali itinerary questions, answered
How long are the drives between Bali’s main areas?
Allow 75–120 minutes from the airport to Ubud, 2–3 hours from Ubud to Uluwatu, 2–2.5 hours from Ubud to Amed on the east coast and 60–90 minutes from Sanur to Uluwatu, all by car and depending on traffic. The fast boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida takes 30–45 minutes.
Do visitors have to pay a tourist levy in Bali?
Yes. Foreign visitors pay a one-time levy of IDR 150,000 per person, per visit (checked Nov 2026). Pay it online through the provincial government’s Love Bali site before you travel and keep the QR code on your phone.
Can you visit Nusa Penida as a day trip?
Yes. Fast boats from Sanur take 30–45 minutes, and Kelingking Beach is 45–60 minutes by car from Banjar Nyuh harbor. Since 1 September 2026, each ticketed site charges about IDR 25,000 per adult, cashless (checked Nov 2026). Boats are canceled in high seas, so keep a spare day before your flight.
Does Bali’s airport close for Nyepi?
Yes. On Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence, usually in March, the airport suspends flights for 24 hours, and visitors must stay inside their hotel grounds. The date follows the Balinese calendar and changes each year, so check it before you book flights.
When is the dry season in Bali?
On the south coast, the dry season covers April to October and the wet season November to March, going by average monthly rain in 2021–2025. Every plan here works all year; in the wet months, keep a spare day near the boat and beach days and see the temples in the morning.
How we researched this
Sources and fact checks
Opening hours, ticket prices, show times and safety rules on this page were checked against official sites, government pages and recent reporting on 12 November 2026. Drive and boat times come from our own visitor guides, each linked under the leg it covers. See our editorial policy.
We re-check these plans at least every three months and whenever we hear about a change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.