We arranged our Bali itinerary the way we planned our Indochina trip in 2017—we wanted a mix of everything. With Bali having such diverse offers and me being a first timer in Indonesia, I wanted to experience a little bit of nature, culture, beach bumming, and nightlife. To accomplish this, we decided to stay 6 nights in Bali; to see the island’s different facets, we explored the northern, eastern, and southern parts—as well as the neighboring island, Nusa Penida.
If you don’t have the luxury of taking week-long vacations, I think 4 days is enough to get a feel of everything but there won’t be time for you to simply relax and enjoy some downtime. Now, if your lifestyle permits extended trips, I highly recommend you stay in Bali for a week or more, especially if it’s your first time.
Below is the summary of our 6D7N Bali itinerary. Feel free to copy or modify as you wish. I have included links to a spreadsheet that contains all details of our expenses, itinerary, hotels, tours, and transportation costs. Enjoy planning your Bali trip!
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Read also: Travel Guide: Bali, Indonesia's Dreamland
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6D7N Bali itinerary
Day 1: Ubud
Our original plan is the below, but due to time constraints, we were not able to go to some of them (marked with *). Klook lets you communicate your desired itinerary with your driver via email beforehand, so make sure you ask them what's possible. They will ask for an extra minimal fee if your destination is a little too far (example: we paid extra 250K on day 2 to go to North Bali), but don't worry, they'll let you know the price before you even make the final arrangements.
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Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Pura Tirta Empul
Tibumana Waterfall*
Campuhan Ridge Walk (plus lunch at Ant Coffee Roastery)
Locavore*
Ubud Market*
Sacred Monkey Forest
Saraswati Temple
Tegenungan Waterfall
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Tour Time: 10 hours + 2 hours excess (50K IDR per hour)
Total Expenses for Day 1: PhP2,848.50/ 789K IDR / $53 (details)
Day 2: Bali Swing + Northern Bali
We went very early to Bali Swing to beat the crowds and just as we expected, people started streaming in right after we went in. There are a lot of swings in Bali but our guide recommended this place because it’s a full eco-park with 12 swings, some bird’s nest installations, a swimming pool, and a restaurant, complete with complimentary lunch buffet. It’s quite pricey at $35, the food wasn’t that good, but we really had fun doing the swing and just relaxing in the waterside restaurant after taking 4 million photos!
After lunch, we proceeded to the North to conquer the Sekumpul Waterfall in Singaraja. Unlike Tegenungan, you can’t go here without a guide. The one assigned to us was very funny and hyper—he made the almost 2-hour trek seem easy, and super fun!
Because the drive going to Sekumpul from Ubud took 2 hours, we didn’t have time to do everything planned out once again. Between Wanagiri Hidden Hill and Ulun Danu Temple, we decided to skip Wanagiri since it seemed like we would be seeing pretty much the same things there as in the Bali Swing. So, for day 2:
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Bali Swing
Sekumpul Waterfall
Wanagiri Hidden Hill*
Ulun Danu Temple
Handara Gate
Dinner at Urbana Restaurant
Super late check in at Padoba Mimpi House in Karangasem (East Bali)
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Note: I’ve seen amazing sunrise photos of the Ulun Danu temple, so if you want to see this place in more beautiful conditions (it was super foggy and low tide when we went), switch up your itinerary accordingly.
After the tour, we got our stuff from our hotel and made arrangements with the same driver to take us to Karangasem, where we would be staying the night. He also offered to be our driver the next day for a minimal added fee. LOVE YOU!
Tour Time: 12 hours
Total Expenses for Day 2: PhP5,099.81/ 1.41M IDR / $94 (details)
Day 3: East Bali
With only 3 hours of sleep, we dragged our tired bodies to Pura Lempuyang, also known as the Heaven’s Gate. Aside from a Caucasian couple, we were the first to get there. After a few hours in Lempuyang, we drove back to Tirta Gangga to see the Royal Water Garden. At this point, we were so tired that I honestly didn’t get to appreciate the gardens that much (our fault, not the garden’s, LOL). We only stayed here briefly, checked out some shops, and dined in a restaurant, which served horrible food—please don’t eat there.
We then checked out of Padoba Mimpi, and braved the 3-hour drive to Seminyak. After checking into our Airbnb, we just relaxed and checked out a couple of restaurants. Recommended: La Plancha (Spanish tapas and beer) and Motel Mexicola. Disappointment: the much-Instagrammed Sea Circus. Everything we ordered could use just a bit more … seasoning.
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Pura Lempuyang
Tirta Gangga Royal Water Garden
Drive to Seminyak
La Plancha (sunset)
Sea Circus (dinner)
Motel Mexicola (drinks/party)
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Tour Time (Pura Lempuyang and Tirta Gangga): 7 hours
Total Expenses for Day 3: PhP4,588/ 1.27M IDR / $85 (details)
Day 4: Nusa Penida
Since we are big fans of Jackson Groves, we listened to his advice and booked our Nusa Penida tour via Liburan Bali. The tour costs $55 per person—inclusive of hotel pick-up and drop-off, boat transfers, the van rental within the island, and packed lunch. Actually, the price can get down to $45 each if there are at least 6 persons in your group.
The tour is 8 hours long, and you will depart from Sanur port via Mola Mola Express speed boat. Upon disembarking on the island, your driver/guide will pick you up and take you around the island. The itinerary includes the following spots: Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach, Kelingking Beach, and Crystal Beach. Stay tuned for a separate Nusa Penida blog post I’m publishing soon.
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Depart to Sanur Port
Angel’s Billabong
Broken Beach
Kelingking Beach
Crystal Beach
Dinner
La Favela Bali (drinks/party)
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Tour Time: 8 hours
Total Expenses for Day 4: PhP4,526.76/ 1.25M IDR / $83 (details)
Day 5: Canggu
The entire day is reserved for simply chilling out! After a fun night out in La Favela, we woke up past noon, ate brunch in the Airbnb, and went to Canggu to explore some restaurants and bars. This is a really laid-back day, and we absolutely had no plans.
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La Brisa Bali
The Lawn Canggu
*that night, I partied alone while my friends slept, LOL
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Total Expenses for Day 5: PhP3,219.00/ 891K IDR / $59 (details)
Day 6: Seminyak
Yet another lazy day, we just walked around Seminyak, shopped for souvenirs, ate, had coffee, and had some cocktails while waiting for our evening flight. After 4 days of intense tours, we really just wanted to kick back and breathe in the Bali vibes.
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Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen
JCo Donuts (authentic! Hahahahaha!)
Revolver Espresso
La Favela (dinner and drinks)
Head to Ngurah Rai International Airport
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Total Expenses for Day 6: PhP2,734.30/ 1.03M IDR / $50 (details)
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Read also:
 7 PLACES TO SEE IN UBUD One cannot visit Bali and not spend a day or two in its cultural core. |  BALI DRINK GUIDE Where to party in Seminyak and Canggu for a taste of Bali's nightlife! |
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Summary of Itinerary
Day 1: Ubud
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Pura Tirta Empul
Campuhan Ridge Walk (plus lunch at Ant Coffee Roastery)
Sacred Monkey Forest
Saraswati Temple
Tegenungan Waterfall
Day 2: Bali Swing + North Bali
Bali Swing
Sekumpul Waterfall
Ulun Danu Temple
Handara Gate
Dinner at Urbana Restaurant
Check in at Padoba Mimpi House (Karangasem)
Day 3: East Bali + Seminyak
Pura Lempuyang
Tirta Gangga Royal Water Garden
Drive to Seminyak
Check in at Seminyak Airbnb
La Plancha (sunset)
Sea Circus (dinner)
Motel Mexicola (drinks/party)
Day 4: Nusa Penida
Depart to Sanur Port
Angel’s Billabong
Broken Beach
Kelingking Beach
Crystal Beach
Dinner
La Favela Bali (drinks/party)
Day 5: Canggu
La Brisa Bali
The Lawn Canggu
Day 6: Seminyak
Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen
JCo Donuts
Revolver Espresso
La Favela (dinner and drinks)
Check out
Head to Ngurah Rai International Airport
Alternative Itineraries
For those who can't travel as long as 1 week, here are some suggested shorter itineraries:
3D4N:
Day 1: Ubud (stay in Ubud)
Day 2: Bali Swing + North Bali or East Bali + Bali Swing (check in late in Seminyak)
Day 3: Nusa Penida
4D5N:
Day 1: Ubud (stay in Ubud)
Day 2: Bali Swing + North Bali or East Bali + Bali Swing (check in late in Seminyak)
Day 3: Nusa Penida (stay in Seminyak)
Day 4: Seminyak (chill time)
Note: I haven't been to Uluwatu and Nusa Dua, so I didn't include these options here. Most likely, however, you can do side trips to these places while staying at Seminyak.
Breakdown of Expenses (per Type)
| Expense Type Food Drinks Transportation Accommodation Entrances and fees Tour Packages Personal Total |
Totals Php 5,550.60 Php 4,514.00 PhP 3,441.00 Php 6,687.00 Php 3,321.68 Php 4,661.59 Php 2,305.10 PhP 30,435.98 |
Percentage 18.09% 14.83% 11.31% 21.97% 10.91% 15.32% 7.60% 100.00% |
But life is short—so if you have the means, then why not? After all, we all save up for trips (unless you’re filthy rich, in which case, I don’t want to talk to you LOL)—you decide how to use your hard-earned money to maximize your travels. Cheers!
What do you think of our itinerary? Would you do it?
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