10 Days in Bali
Welcome to Bali! The land of spiritual culture, a place that is filled with tradition, scattered with unbelievable waterfalls and some of the most friendly people you will ever meet. People come to Bali for many reasons and this itinerary is filled with both adventure and leisure for all budgets. We will include a lot of local places to eat Balinese food but there are also a plethora of western restaurants serving up DELICIOUS food so we will include those as well. As always, our blog posts are straight to the point and filled with clickable links to give you the most up to date information. This 10 day itinerary for Bali is designed to allow you to see as much as possible in 10 days without burning you out while changing locations every other day.
Be sure to read our guide Everything You Need To Know About Bali.
Day 1-3 Uluwatu
Where to Stay: Uluwatu Beach Area - Uluwatu is a smaller area and there are incredible places to stay near the ocean. We splurged and stayed at PinkCoCo Uluwatu (adults only) and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. For a more budget friendly stay, look for a guesthouse.
What to Do: Begin your Bali adventure in Uluwatu by exploring the iconic Uluwatu Temple. Watch the captivating Kecak Dance at sunset, and relaxing on the pristine beaches like Padang Padang. If you're a surfer, don't miss the renowned surf spots along the coast. If you are an experienced motorbike rider, we recommend to rent one from your hotel and ride around Uluwatu exploring beaches like Green Bowl, Suluban and Dreamland. Otherwise, hire a driver for the day (or half the day) and head to Melasti Beach. If beach clubs are your thing then you will be in heaven! This beach area is stunning and packed with fancy beach clubs. You can also opt to eat some delicious local food at the food stalls located just near the beach clubs.
Where to Eat: For breakfast and delicious coffee head over to The Loft. You might want to visit this next spot twice for dinner because it is THAT GOOD. Make a reservation at Ours for incredible pasta and wine and save room for dessert because it’s delicious!
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Day 4-9 Ubud
How to Get There: Instead of just taking a taxi from Uluwatu to Ubud, hire a driver for a day and make a day trip out of it. Ask your driver to make some stops along the way and turn your travel day into an adventure! We’ve used Ketut as our driver several times in Bali and he’s super reliable and friendly- you can contact him on WhatsApp +6281999405463. WhatsApp is the app everyone uses for texting in Bali (including restaurants and other businesses).
Where to Stay: Ubud Center if you want to walk everywhere. If you are an experienced motorbike driver, or don’t mind taking a taxi into town, we recommend accommodations amidst rice terraces for an authentic experience. Ubud is a very central location which will acts as a great homebase for day trips. We’ve stayed at the following places in Ubud and can recommend them all: Ayunda Ubud Cottage, this Airbnb is a little off the beaten path but had STUNNING views of the rice terraces, Ubud Kerta City Hotel is a great budget option and right in the middle of Ubud.
What to Do: Dive into Ubud's rich culture by visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. We aren’t big fans of monkeys so we have skipped this on our trips to Bali. Hire a driver and explore Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Go shopping at the Ubud Art Walk or Ubud Market. At night, witness the traditional Balinese dance- these tickets can be purchased from the venu but make sure to get there at least 30 minutes ahead of time to get a good seat. Get a massage! The BEST massage I’ve ever had was at Gratia Spa- for the life of me I cannot remember the womans name but I’m sure they all give great massages. If you’re wondering how much a 30 minute foot massage is- its less than $6. As we mentioned before, Ubud’s central location will allow you to explore a lot of the island. An hour before sunset, hike the Campuhan Ridge walk for beautiful views. Visit the Goa Gajah Temple and be sure to dress appropriately (cover your legs, midrif and shoulders). A lot of Temples will still require you to wear a traditional sarong and will provide them for you either for a fee or included with the temple entry ticket. We recommend to hire a driver for the day and see as much as possible. If you aren’t sure what to do or where you want to go, you can always ask your driver for recommendations. Below we have listed several things you could do on day trips from Ubud.
Day Trips: Stop by a local coffee plantation for a tour and tasting of local coffee, including Luwak (poop) coffee. Visit one of Bali’s MANY waterfalls like Nyung Nyung or Leke Leke (waterfalls are best visited early in the morning to avoid the crowds). Hike Mt. Batur, which will require you to get up extremely early, or take a Jeep tour up to watch the sunrise. We opted for the latter and had the most amazing morning! 10/10 we recommend you take this walking tour that includes lunch. Not only did we get to spend time in the rice fields but our guide,Putu, was an incredible speaker and story teller. We learned SO much about Balinese culture, food and traditions. His wife, Ria, cooked us lunch at the end of the tour and to this day it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. Head up to Sideman and make your own silver jewelry at Agung Silver- this was by far one of our favorite things we’ve done in Bali. Spend the morning at Taman Ujung Water Palace, it’s so beautiful here and a great place to take some photos. What you won’t see mentioned here is any of the “bali swing” locations as they are incredibly busy and not really our thing- no judgement at all so do it if you want! Get the real Balinese rice terrace experience without the crowds at Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, a Unesco World Heritage site.
Where to Eat: Savor Balinese dishes at local warungs like Nasi Goreng, Nasi Campur or Gado Gado. Ubud is also FILLED with cafes and restaurants serving up delicious coffee and food. Here are some of our favorite restaurants. Stroll through the rice terraces just before sunset and have dinner at Sweet Orange Warung. They have both western and Balinese food and be sure to pet their friendly cat. Lazy Cats Cafe is going to be your go to breakfast spot, not only is this cafe incredibly aesthetic but the food and coffee are good too! For an escape from the Ubud crowds have breakfast or lunch at the true hidden gem Lexxy’s Ground. Located on top of a hill and connected to a hotel, this little slice of peaceful heaven is the perfect spot to have a quiet, and delicious, breakfast. Enjoy the most delicious coconut affogato at Tukies Coconut Shop. Some other places we enjoyed are MD Burger, Sushi at Ikigai Ubud, splurge on cocktails at The Lair.
Day 9-10 Kuta
How to Get There: Hire a driver or take a taxi/Grab.
NOTE: We only recommend to stay in Kuta the day before your flight. The traffic in Bali can be INSANE and for us, it’s not worth the risk of missing our flight by staying somewhere outside of the airport area. Kuta used to be a popular spot in Bali years and years ago but it is now a little run down and completely westernized. You won’t experience the true Bali culture in Kuta but you will have peace of mind knowing you are only 10 minutes or less from the airport.
Where to Stay: Mamaka by Ovolo , BS Home and Amnaya Resort are some of the highest rated hotels in Kuta. We stayed at Amnaya and it was a beautiful ending to our time in Bali.
What to Do: Spend your final day in Bali with a visit to Kuta Beach to watch the sunset with a Bintang in hand. There is also a lot of shopping available in Kuta if you want to pick up any last minute souvenirs.
Must-Try Food: You will find mostly western restaurants in Kuta and honestly, we ordered delivery to the hotel instead of venturing out.
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