Bali Itinerary for 5 to 10 Days: Ubud, the North, the East and the Beach

Bali looks small on a map, but heavy traffic, winding mountain roads and an almost endless list of temples, rice terraces and beaches mean that the order of your stops matters more than the number of days. This guide shows how to build a Bali itinerary of 5, 7 or 10 days around four bases: Ubud in the center, the highlands of the north, the quieter east and a beach in the south. If you are still deciding when to go, start with our guide to the best time to visit Bali.

The four bases at a glance

Most good routes combine two to four of these areas. Each has a different character, and moving between them takes roughly one and a half to three hours by car. The nights below add up to the trip length, counting the departure day.

Bali in 5 days: Ubud and the beach

Day 1: Arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport and drive to Ubud, usually 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic. Keep the evening light: a stroll past the Ubud Palace and the lotus pond of Saraswati Temple is plenty after a long flight.

Day 2: Start early at the Tegallalang rice terraces, before the crowds, then continue to Tirta Empul, the spring-water temple where Balinese Hindus come to purify themselves. Gunung Kawi, with its ancient shrines carved into a river cliff, is close by and much quieter. In the evening, watch a Legong dance performance in Ubud.

Day 3: Walk the Campuhan Ridge in the cool of the morning, then drive south via Goa Gajah and the craft villages of Mas (woodcarving) and Celuk (silverwork) to your beach hotel. In the late afternoon, head to Uluwatu Temple on its clifftop for sunset and the Kecak fire dance, or to Tanah Lot if you are staying on the west coast.

Day 4: A day at the beach, with an optional Balinese cooking class or a seafood dinner on the sand at Jimbaran.

Day 5: A free morning by the sea, then a short transfer to the airport.

Planning a trip? Get a private, tailor-made itinerary within 24 hours: Vietnam holiday with Nha Trang beach, 10 days →

Bali in 7 days: add the northern highlands

Slot two nights in the north between Ubud and the beach. On the way up, stop at the Jatiluwih rice terraces, part of Bali’s UNESCO-listed subak landscape, and at Taman Ayun, the royal temple of Mengwi surrounded by wide moats. Ulun Danu Beratan, the shrine that seems to float on Lake Bratan, is at its best early in the morning, when mist still hangs over the water.

Around Munduk the air is noticeably cooler. Gentle trails lead through clove and coffee gardens to waterfalls, and the twin lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan lie in an old volcanic caldera. Sekumpul, one of the island’s most spectacular waterfalls, involves a long staircase and suits active travelers. From the north, the drive to Tanah Lot takes around two and a half hours, so you can end your transfer day with sunset at the sea temple before continuing to the beach.

Bali in 10 days: the east and Nusa Penida

With ten days, add the east, which many first-time visitors skip. Sidemen is a valley of rice fields and weaving villages with views of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest volcano. From there you can visit Besakih, the island’s largest temple complex on the slopes of Agung, the water palace of Tirta Gangga and, if you do not mind waiting for the famous photo, Lempuyang Temple. Amed, farther east, is a string of fishing villages with black-sand beaches and easy snorkeling; divers head to the Liberty wreck at nearby Tulamben.

Finish with three nights in the south and give one full day to Nusa Penida. Fast boats from Sanur take well under an hour, and the island’s west coast holds the viewpoints most people come for: Kelingking, Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong. Roads on Nusa Penida are steep and bumpy, so a private car with a driver who knows the island makes the day far more comfortable. On windy days the crossing can be rough, which is why we keep a flexible day in the plan.

Realistic driving times

• Airport to Ubud: about 1.5–2 hours
• Ubud to Munduk: about 2.5 hours, via Jatiluwih or Lake Bratan
• Ubud to Sidemen: about 1.5 hours; Sidemen to Amed: about 1.5 hours
• Amed to Sanur or Nusa Dua: about 2.5–3 hours
• Ubud to Uluwatu: about 1.5–2 hours, longer at rush hour

Traffic in the south, especially between Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta, can double these times in the late afternoon, so plan longer transfers for the morning.

Pace tips for families and couples

Bali rewards a slower rhythm. Visit popular sights before 9 a.m. and save the hot middle of the day for lunch and the pool. Temples require a sarong and sash, which your guide can provide, and many sites involve steps: Tirta Gangga and Tirta Empul are easy, while Lempuyang, Sekumpul and Kelingking on Nusa Penida are demanding. For children over ten, a cooking class, a rice-field walk with a local farmer or a snorkeling morning in Amed often turns into the highlight of the trip. Older travelers often add a night so they can stay three nights per base and a hotel with a garden or pool to come back to in the afternoon.

Ready-made routes you can adjust

If you would rather start from a tested plan, our Bali and Nusa Penida private tour covers temples, volcano views and the island cliffs in six days, from US$570 (confirmed in your quote). Families who want more time at the beach can look at the 12-day Bali family holiday, from US$1,110 (confirmed in your quote). Bali also pairs beautifully with Vietnam; our Vietnam and Bali honeymoon shows one way to combine the two. You will find more ideas on our Bali private tours page.

Before you fly, check the current entry rules on Indonesia’s official e-Visa portal and pay the Bali tourist levy on the official Love Bali website. Rules change, so check again shortly before departure.