Bali in 8 Days
This route shows you Bali in big, contrast-rich images: quiet temple courtyards, lush green rice terraces, jungle paths and cliffs above turquoise water. You start around Ubud between culture and nature, hike at sunrise on Mount Batur and then switch to the beaches of Kuta Selatan. To close, Nusa Penida awaits with dramatic bays, rock formations and exactly the island feeling you get up early for.
What is special about this trip is the rhythm: first the green, spiritual island interior, then the open coast in the south and finally a spectacular excursion to Nusa Penida. So in eight days you get many facets of Bali without the days feeling the same.
Who is this trip for?
This trip is ideal for anyone who wants more than just streets and sights on a city trip: culture, landscape, viewpoints and swim stops alternate constantly. The pace is active but not extreme, and suits travelers who start early, see a lot and still like moments to catch their breath in between.
What to expect
Expect days with a good mix of drives, short walks, temple visits and viewpoints, plus a few more active units like the sunrise trekking on Mount Batur. The flow is varied: often most beautiful in the morning, more relaxed in the afternoon, with nature, coast and culture in a harmonious alternation.
Day 1 · Ubud
Village culture, springs and rice fields
Your start around Ubud connects Bali's quiet, traditional side with impressive landscape. In Penglipuran Village you walk through an ordered village with clear lines and lots of atmosphere, before it turns more spiritual and lively at Pura Tirta Empul. Later the slopes open in rich green at the Tegallalang Rice Terrace, and the day ends with wide views over terraced fields.
- Penglipuran Village
- Pura Tirta Empul
- Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu
- Tegallalang Rice Terrace
© Balou46 · CC BY-SA 4.0
© Chainwit. · CC BY 4.0Day 2 · Ubud
Monkeys, art and Ubud flair
Today it turns playful, view-rich and classically Ubud. In the Sangeh Monkey Forest the day begins among tall trees and curious residents, after which Taman Dedari feels open and monumental. On the Campuhan Ridge Walk you walk along a gentle ridge with lots of air and breadth, before around Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati water, stone and fine details set the tone again.
- Sangeh Monkey Forest
- Taman Dedari
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati (Water Palace)
© Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 3 · Ubud
Cave, park and waterfalls
The third day starts with history and a touch of mysticism in Goa Gajah. Then it turns more laid-back and greener in the Taman Kota Ciung Wanara Gianyar, before water takes over the pace. First the Kanto Lampo Waterfall rushes over stepped rocks, then Tibumana Waterfall feels calmer and almost hidden.
- Goa Gajah
- Taman Kota Ciung Wanara Gianyar
- Kanto Lampo Waterfall
- Tibumana Waterfall
© Chainwit. · CC BY 4.0Day 4 · Ubud
Sunrise and Ubud highlights
Setting off early especially pays off today: on the Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking you experience how the light slowly moves over crater, clouds and landscape. Back in Ubud it turns more regal and dense as you pass the Ubud Palace and feel the center of the town. In the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary the day ends among overgrown paths, temple remains and that typical jungle feeling right in Ubud.
- Mount Batur Sunrise Trekking
- Ubud Palace
- Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- Sacred monkey forest sanctuary
© Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 5 · Kuta Selatan
Temples and beaches in the south
With the switch to Kuta Selatan the mood changes at once: more coast, more expanse, more salt in the air. Tanah Lot sets a striking image of rock, sea and temple right at the start. Then it turns more relaxed at Jimbaran Beach, before Balangan Beach and Bingin Beach let the day wind down with cliff views and a real south-Bali feeling.
- Tanah Lot
- Jimbaran Beach
- Balangan Beach
- Bingin Beach
© Grayswoodsurrey · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 6 · Kuta Selatan
Cliffs, bays and monuments
Today the peninsula shows its open, bright side. At the Waterblow the surf crashes with force against the rocks, then Pandawa Beach invites you to a quieter stretch of coast. Later Melasti Beach feels wide and photogenic, while the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park gives the day size and clear contours at the end.
- Waterblow
- Pandawa Beach
- Melasti Beach
- Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
© Cc-by-sa-3.0Day 7 · Kuta Selatan
Surf coast and temple view
This day belongs to the dramatic coastlines in the south. Padang Padang Beach starts compact and well-known, then it turns more rugged and wild between rock and sea at Suluban Beach. With Uluwatu Temple one of the island's most striking temple views follows, before Nyang Nyang Beach lets the finish feel wider, quieter and almost remote.
- Padang Padang Beach
- Suluban Beach
- Uluwatu Temple
- Nyang Nyang Beach
© TMFalkner · CC BY-SA 4.0
© Paskuu · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 8 · Penida Island, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali, Indonesia
Nusa Penida in images
For the finale, Nusa Penida awaits with landscapes that look almost drawn. Atuh Beach and Diamond Beach show steep coasts, bright sand and that intense blue you keep in your head for a long time right in the morning. Then Kelingking Beach delivers the famous silhouette, while Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach stage the rock landscape in a completely different way once more, before Crystal Bay Nusa Penida lets the day wind down more relaxed.
- Atuh Beach
- Diamond Beach
- Kelingking Beach
- Angel's Billabong
- Broken Beach
- Crystal Bay Nusa Penida
Free – swap sights, rearrange days, add hotels & restaurants.