5 Days in Bali: A Complete Itinerary

Five days lets you combine Bali's south coast beach scene with Ubud's rice terraces and temples, plus a clifftop sunset in Uluwatu, without spending most of the trip in transit between regions.

Day 1: Arrival and Seminyak or Canggu

Ease into the trip around your beach base — Seminyak for a more polished beach club scene, or Canggu for a younger, surf-focused atmosphere. Spend the afternoon at the beach and the evening exploring the area's restaurant scene.

Day 2: South coast beach day

Use a full day to properly enjoy the beach clubs, surf lessons if that interests you, or simply relaxing by the water. This is also a reasonable day to arrange a driver for the following days if you haven't already.

Day 3: Travel to Ubud and rice terraces

Head inland to Ubud, stopping at the Tegalalang rice terraces on the way if timing allows — early morning is best for both light and crowds. Spend the afternoon exploring Ubud's art markets and settling into the area's slower pace.

Day 4: Temples and Ubud culture

Visit Tirta Empul for the purification ritual (bring a sarong or rent one on site), then continue to other nearby temples or a coffee plantation if time allows. If you're prepared for a serious pre-dawn hike, this is also when some visitors choose to do the Mount Batur sunrise trek instead, starting the night before.

Day 5: Uluwatu and sunset

Travel to the Uluwatu peninsula, visiting Uluwatu Temple in the late afternoon and staying for sunset, ideally paired with a Kecak fire dance performance. Spend the evening in the area before departing or heading back to the south coast.

Getting around

A private driver for the days involving longer transfers (south coast to Ubud, Ubud to Uluwatu) removes much of the stress of navigating Bali's traffic and road conditions yourself.

What to pack

A sarong or modest cover-up for temple visits, and reef-safe sunscreen given how much time this itinerary spends near water — see our Bali travel guide for the fuller packing list and safety notes on scooter travel.