While those of us who live in Bali are fortunate enough to have time on our side, the majority of visitors have around one week to see the many sites and attractions of the Island of the Gods. And though you simply can’t experience everything Bali has to offer in 7 days, you can still have an amazing trip full of both relaxation and adventure.
Below we’ve outlined a sample itinerary for one week in Bali. While there are endless possibilities based on your personal interests and travel priorities, this is a solid start. Enjoy, and happy travels!
Bali: One Week Itinerary
Day 1 – 3: Uluwatu
A short cab ride from the airport will land you in Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, an area known for its white sand beaches framed by steep ocean cliffs, amazing surf and panoramic sunset views.
Recommended Activities:
- Go beach hopping at Padang Padang (Saturday night beach parties from 8pm-midnight), Suluban, Impossibles, Balangan, Bingin, Dreamland, Pandawa, Green Bowl Beach, and the gorgeous private beaches of Finn’s Beach Club and Karma Kandara. If you’re a surfer (intermediate to advanced), you don’t want to miss this area!
- Attend the Kacek Dance performance at Uluwatu Temple. Held daily from 6-7pm (100,000 IDR/person), we recommend arriving early and bringing a hat and SPF for sun coverage. Enjoy spectacular sunset views and a special dance performance, including fire!
- Seafood dinner at Jimbaran Bay. Make a reservation for an outside table on the beach before sunset, and enjoy some of the best seafood in Bali with your toes in the sand. We love Menega Cafe at Jimbaran Bay’s southern end.
- Enjoy cocktails with a view at one of many popular bars in the area, including the famed Rock Bar, El Kabron Spanish Bar, or Single Fin. Bonus: Single Fin hosts weekly ‘Sunday sessions’ with live music and plenty of people-watching.
- Try the delicious food at restaurants like Cashew Tree, Buddha Soul and Blue Heaven Bali.
Day 3 – 5: Seminyak & Canggu
After you’ve enjoyed plenty of fun and relaxation in Uluwatu, we recommend a short cab ride to the popular areas of Seminyak and Canggu. Known for fun nightlife, chic bars and restaurants, amazing spas and shopping, this is where you’ll get a taste of busier city life on Bali.
Recommended Activities:
- Explore the foodie scene in Seminyak. Some of our favorite restaurants include Barbacoa, La Lucciola, Revolver Espresso, Sardine, Warung Bambuku, Warung Taman Bambu, and so many more! Favorite hangouts in Canggu include Crate Cafe, Little Flinders Cafe, Old Man’s and the seafood restaurants at Echo Beach.
- Watch the sunset at La Plancha Bali or Life on the Juice. With colorful umbrellas and beachside seating, these two bars are picture-perfect places to enjoy cocktails!
- Go dancing at popular spots like La Favela, Red Carpet Champagne Bar, Bali Joe, or one of the countless other places you’ll find in the area.
- Relax with a spa treatment at Seminyak Bali or Bodyworks Bali, our personal favorites.
- Head to the gorgeous Tanah Lot Temple to see one of Bali’s most unique and significant landmarks. Though you cannot enter the temple, it’s a view you’ll never forget.
- While the beaches here aren’t great for swimming due to strong currents, there are some fun, small surf breaks to check out.
Day 5 – 7: Ubud, Amed, Singaraja or Munduk
For the final portion of your Bali adventure, we recommend escaping the beach and city life to explore more of Bali’s natural, remote beauty in places like Ubud (still crowded, but near many enjoyable activities), Amed (small, charming fishing village with great scuba diving), Singaraja or Munduk (excellent waterfalls and quiet, relaxed vibe).
Recommended Activities:
- When staying in Ubud, we highly recommend a visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest, Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Bali temples, nearby coffee farm, art market and many healthy, scenic restaurants in the area such as Cafe Pomegranate, Yellow Flower Cafe, Jungle Fish and more.
- Go sunrise trekking up Mount Batur, Bali’s active volcano. The views are incredible, and Lake Batur and its natural hot springs are also worthy of a visit.
- Go museum hopping. If art is an interest of yours (and Bali is home to some truly amazing local artists), check out Agung Rai Museum of Art, Blanco Renaissance Museum, Puri Lukisan Museum, and Neka Art Museum. Also browse the art shops on the street!
- Snorkel and scuba dive the many amazing sites of Amed and its surrounding villages, including the Japanese shipwreck, USS Liberty and many more. Enjoy calm waters, peace and quiet, and tranquility with excellent volcanic views.
- Enjoy amazing jungle hikes to Bali’s many waterfalls, such as Sekumpul, Aling Aling, Jembong, Gitgit, and more. Singaraja and Munduk are known for their seclusion and beauty, and are miles away (literally and figuratively) from the crowds of South and central Bali. Banjar hot springs are also in the vicinity!
While there are obviously a ton of alternate routes, villages and areas worthy of their own visit, one week simply isn’t enough to see and do everything on Bali! This general itinerary is a good place to start for ideas to see some of Bali’s best and most interesting areas. Enjoy, and let us know what you would add (or subtract) during your week-long journey. Terima kasih!
Thanks, well written, good content and overall an enjoyable read which has re-iterated to me that my upcoming planned itinerary is so far a good choice. (However, chose to base ourselves in Seminyak for 8 nights rather than move around – day trips instead). Many of the hot spots you have referenced in here make an appearance on my TO-DO-LIST. Hindsight proves that my hours of scouring the world wide web could have been avoided if I had stumbled across your article before now. All the same, I am looking forward to returning to the Island of the Gods and you’ve renewed my energy even moreso! Cheers!
Very kind of you, Nicole. We hope you enjoy your trip to Bali, and cheers to you!
Best Guide I’ve seen online so far! Thank you!!! 🙂