Welcome to Bali, the mystical island jewel of Indonesia, where vibrant cultures, lush landscapes, and ancient traditions intertwine to create an enchanting tapestry.
Known as the “Island of the Gods,” Bali invites travelers on a journey of discovery through emerald rice terraces, sacred temples, and pristine beaches. Bali, with its warm hospitality and breathtaking landscapes, is more than a destination; it’s a state of mind.
In this 4 day Bali itinerary, I’ll share the best things to do in Bali, Indonesia!
When I am researching activities and things to see in a new city, I wish I found more itineraries that ranked the list of activities they recommend. Everyone’s time is different in a new city and it’s important to be able to prioritize activities that are a MUST versus activities that are nice, but could possibly be skipped. I like to schedule my days and build an itinerary with one MUST item, one TRY TO DO item, and one SKIP item a day in case something happens or we are too tired, we can always hit the MUST item and SKIP the item that’s not as important.
★★★ MUST SEE
★★ TRY TO DO
★ SKIP (BUT WORTH IF YOU HAVE TIME)
★★★ Sacred Monkey Forest
Sanctuary
★★★ Tegalalang Rice Terrace
★★★ Kecak Dance
★★★ Nusa Penida
★★ Bali Swing
★★ Tirta Empul Temple
★★ Tegenungan Waterfall
★ Luwak Coffee Plantation
★ Cooking Class
★ Uluwatu Sunset
When: August 2023
Who: My husband and I for our honeymoon (2 adults)
Where we stayed: Sanur area (southeast on the island)
Day 1 Information ~
Hyatt Regency Bali ~ reserve your hotel room ahead of time
We arrived at the Denpasar International Airport around 8:30PM. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Bali Resort where we could pre book airport transportation through the hotel. This was amazing since I had read that the Bali airport is very overwhelming. There were probably 100 people waiting outside with signs and another 50 random cabs shouting at you their prices. It was awesome to just walk straight up to a driver with our names and get in and go, especially at night.
It was about a 45 minute drive from the airport to the hotel and even in the dark, we were able to see statues, etc.
As avid Hyatt guests, we had “Hyatt Regency Club Passes” . Read more about our Hyatt stays and perks of having Hyatt Globalist status HERE. The club passes were amazing as it grants you club access for up to 7 days at one hotel. Since we were here for 5 days this saved us so much money on breakfast and dinners.
Day 2 Information ~
Best of Ubud Tour~ reserve your tour ahead of time online
My husband and I did a full day private tour called Best of Ubud through Viator. We were provided with a driver, who picked us up from our hotel and drove us around to the different spots. He was also our tour guide and spoke amazing English. The tour cost about $90 per person and included the driver, lunch, admission to any of the attractions, and more. I highly recommend this tour just because the driver/guide knows all the right things to do. For example if you want a picture with a monkey at the Monkey Sanctuary, there are stands all along the way to purchase a monkey photo session ticket. But it’s not very apparent to tourists (nowhere does it say you have to purchase a ticket for a photo; people think it’s free). The lines for the photo session were long too, but we moved fast because most of the people in front didn’t know they had to pay for a photo and they had to leave the line and go find one of the stands to purchase a ticket. Our driver/guide knew about the cost of taking a photo and got my husband and I tickets from one of the stands as we were entering the forest. This sort of knowledge makes for a relaxing, easy-going time.
Balinese House Compound: We stopped here first for a tour of a traditional Balinese house. Our tour guide went with us and talked about the house and how it functions. It was cool to see, but could be skipped if you don’t have time
★★★Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary: This was our second stop. Our guide was able to park somewhere close and he secured our tickets while we used the bathroom. The experience was amazing! Our guide did warn us if we have water bottles or glasses/necklaces on, the monkeys will come up to you and take your stuff so BE AWARE! I will forever cherish the selfies I have with the monkey on my lap.
★★★Tegalalang Rice Terrace: Next stop was the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. The terraces are known for their beautiful views of rice paddies and their traditional irrigation system, called subak. We walked up and down the paths through the rice terraces. There were loads of photo opportunities and we learned a lot about how rice is cultivated. When we went it was July and it was not the “greenest or fullest” as some of the other months of the year, it was still gorgeous and a must visit!
★★Bali Swing/Lunch: We stopped for lunch at d’Alas Warung. At this location, they have the Bali Swing on property. We did the Bali Swing first before lunch as it wasn’t crowded (more crowded when we were leaving). It was incredible! The views were absolutely stunning. Our lunch at d’Alas Warung was included; we got a chicken plate and some chicken fried rice and both were super delicious. We did pay for bottled water as we were trying not to drink any of the tap water in case it upset our stomachs.
★Luwak Coffee Plantation: After lunch, we stopped close by at the Luwak Coffee Plantation. This plantation is famous for its Kopi Luwak coffee. Kopi Luwak is a coffee made from beans that have been partially digested by a civet cat, a cat-like creature. We got a coffee and tea flight which our guide paid for and we purchased one cup of the Kopi Luwak coffee just to try it. It was super bitter and wasn’t anything extraordinary. But the coffee flight was yummy and we purchased some of their beans to take home.
★★Tirta Empul Temple: After a coffee pick me up we went to the Tirta Empul Temple. Tirta Empul Temple is a Hindu water temple in Bali, Indonesia. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of water. It was incredibly beautiful and a powerful experience to watch people complete the bathing ritual to cleanse themselves. We didn’t participate as we didn’t have a bathing suit, but I would bring one if you want to participate. The ritual involves entering the pool on the left side, standing in waist-deep water, and purifying oneself under the first water spout. While standing, you should say a prayer or make an offer, and splash water over your head three times. BE AWARE there is a dress code – our guide rented us long skirts to cover our legs. While you are leaving, be prepared to go through mazes of souvenir stalls set up to reach the exit.
★★Tegenungan Waterfall: Our last stop of the day was the Tegenungan Waterfall. We arrived a little before sunset and when we were leaving, the sun had gone down. Tegenungan Waterfall is a 40-meter-tall waterfall and it is absolutely stunning. BE AWARE: you have to go down (and back up) almost 150 stairs to reach the waterfall, which can be difficult for elderly and unfit people. It was well worth it though. You are also allowed to swim, but again we didn’t have bathing suits.
Breakfast: We got breakfast in the Regency Club area (read more HERE) which was fantastic and delicious.
Rest/Beach Day: After breakfast, I got dressed into my swimsuit and went to the beach/pool. I will say the earlier you go the better in July as it is Bali’s peak season in July so the beach/pool area was SO CROWDED. I was lucky and got a spot in the shade where I read my book and drank some beer for a few hours. I love that the Hyatt was connected to the beach walkway so we could easily walk up and down the sidewalk past lots of restaurants and shops all while feeling safe and secure.
★Cooking Class: We decided to participate in a cooking class that our hotel offered. It was kind of pricey about $50 per person. But it was 2 hours of so much fun and we got a delicious meal out of it. We learned so much about the traditional Balinese culture and made our own sambal which is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste. We also made chicken satay, a whole roasted chicken, rice, and deep fried corn fritters. I definitely recommend taking a cooking class!
Dinner: We were stuffed for dinner so we went to the Regency Club and had drinks and desserts (all included)!
Day 4 Information ~
Uluwatu Tour ~ reserve your tour ahead of time online
Breakfast: We got breakfast in the Regency Club area which was fantastic and delicious. One of my favorite things to get every morning was their green juice. It was super cleansing and good for my gut health.
Laundry: Since we were on a long trip, we needed to do laundry so we found a laundry place within walking distance of the hotel. They said they would drop it off for free that night, but of course it wasn’t there so we had to chase it down the next day. It was only about ~$4 to do most of our laundry though.
Nail Salon: I went to Rizm gelnails which was a short taxi ride from our hotel to get my nails redone. It took a few hours, but it was worth it. I really liked this place and if you are needing nail services done in Bali, I recommend going here.
Lunch: On our walk back to the hotel from the nail salon we stumbled upon a Tex Mex restaurant (WHAT! IN BALI!?). Since we were hungry, we decided to try it out and see how good it was compared to our favorite Tex Mex restaurants back home in Texas. The restaurant was named Jalapeno; it was pretty decent. The tacos were really good, but the guacamole was watery and the chips were weird. They were also out of stock on a lot of stuff so we didn’t even try to order drinks.
Tour: Uluwatu Sunset, Kecak Dance, and Dinner Jimbaran Beach
My husband and I did a half day private tour called Uluwatu Sunset, Kecak Dance, and Dinner Jimbaran Beach through Viator. We were provided with a driver, who picked us up from our hotel and drove us to Uluwatu (about a 45 minute drive from our hotel). He was also our tour guide and spoke amazing English. The tour cost about $50 per person and included the driver, dinner, admission to any of the attractions, and more. I highly recommend this tour just because the driver/guide knows all the right things to do.
★Uluwatu Sunset: We got to the Uluwatu cliffs around 4PM. Our guide paid for our admission into the temples and we were able to walk along the path on the cliffside to explore the temple and marvel at the extraordinary views of the sun on the water. A little bit about the Uluwatu temple: Uluwatu Temple, also known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu, is a Balinese Hindu sea temple that’s located in Pecatu Village. It’s situated on a steep cliff about 70 meters above the waves and has been protecting Hindu islanders from evil spirits since 900 AD.
BE AWARE – it was super crowded and there were so many monkeys so be careful of your jewelry, sunglasses, cell phones, etc. We watched a monkey grab someone’s cell phone and try to eat it.
★★★Kecak Dance: Another amazing reason to book a tour: the line to buy a ticket to see the Kecak Dance at 6PM was insane and they sold out quickly, but our guide had a friend come early and get in line to secure us a ticket! When we were done exploring the temple, we were able to walk right in with our ticket to see the show and find a really good seat. We had the most amazing view of the sunset, but sometimes the sun was directly in our eye line and a little bit blinding. The dance was one of the most phenomenal performances I’ve ever seen. Truly, there is nothing like it! It is a must see! The Kecak dance is a traditional Balinese dance-drama that tells the story of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The dance is performed by a group of up to 150 men who wear checked cloth around their waists and chant “chak” in unison while moving their hands and arms rhythmically. The dance highlights the art of movement and the art of sound (chants) without any instrumental music. The Kecak dance depicts the battle from the Ramayana in which the god Rama fights the demonic King Ravana with the help of the monkey god Hanuman.
Dinner: After the performance, our driver/guide took us to Jimbaran Beach for dinner on the beach. The drive was brutal as there was so much traffic, but our driver was able to take some back roads. Honestly, we would have skipped the dinner if we could. The beach was super crowded, but it was pitch black so we couldn’t see the water. The seafood dinner was not great. It was just one plate full of different seafood and some rice. I didn’t love most of the seafood, so I mostly ate the rice. I tried to get the waiter’s attention to order something different and I was just going to pay, but the service was horrible! The waiter literally never came to our table. When we were done, we just got up and left. No one ever came to check on us. It was about a 30 minute drive back to our hotel.
Day 5 Information ~
Nusa Penida tour~ reserve your tour ahead of time online
️★★★Nusa Penida by Private Boat – Snorkeling 4 spots, Swim with Mantas + Land Tour
My husband and I did a full day shared boat tour called ️Nusa Penida by Private Boat – Snorkeling 4 spots, Swim with Mantas + Land Tour through Viator. We didn’t need pick up or drop off since the meeting point was walking distance from our hotel. The tour cost about $120 per person and included the guides, boat, land tour, lunch, and more. BE AWARE: pick up and drop off at hotel is EXTRA. I thought this was going to be a private tour since the title says private, but it was in fact NOT private. We shared the tour with about 8 other people. It was fine, because it was such a fun group and we loved getting to know everyone, but I didn’t like being misled. I still recommend this tour because Nusa Penida was amazing and it was still a fun time.
First thing we did was take the speedboat across the Lombok strait. The waters were super choppy and we knew speedboats are not smooth so we prepped ahead of time by taking a dramamine. Our speedboat driver was amazing and was able to cut the waves to keep the ride as smooth as possible. Once we were near the island, we went to different bays to snorkel. This was my favorite part of the day. The snorkeling was some of the best we have ever experienced!
After snorkeling, we parked the boat and transferred on land to our car. The big highlights on Nusa Penida are far apart so honestly the land tour was a lot of driving, but it went by fast as we were chatting with our fellow car passengers.
In between seeing all the beautiful spots on the island, we stopped for a buffet lunch. The food was outstanding and the restaurant was on a cliffside so the views were amazing as well.
My favorite spot on Nusa Penida was Kelingking Cliff which, of course, was the most crowded, but we were still able to get pictures and see everything.
That was basically the whole day. After seeing all the spots on Nusa Penida, we took the speedboat back to Bali and parted ways.
We were able to make it back to the hotel in time for free food and drinks at the Regency Club happy hour.
Once again, like how we arrived, we organized hotel transportation to take us back to the airport. It was very smooth and I definitely recommend doing this if your hotel offers it. Our flight departed at 2:50PM and we used Jetstar. This is a budget airline and was decent. We did have time to go to the Concordia Lounge using our Priority Pass (read more about Priority Pass HERE) in the International Terminal of the Bali Airport. It was okay; there were too many people and not enough food. We found a nice seat, but it took a while before fresh food was distributed in the buffet area. The food, also, was not very good. It took my husband about 15 minutes to get a drink. Until next time Bali!
Bali, Indonesia, has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The weather in Bali is generally warm and humid throughout the year. Here’s an overview of the weather patterns:
Dry Season (May to Sept):
Wet Season (Oct to April):
Monsoon Season (Dec to March):
Shoulder Season (April and Oct):
Bali offers a wide range of accommodations across various regions, each with its own unique charm and appeal. Here are some popular areas in Bali and the characteristics that make them distinct:
Bali’s public transportation system is not as extensive as in some other destinations, and many visitors rely on private transportation options to explore the island. However, there are some modes of public transportation available in Bali:
