THE ULTIMATE BALI ITINERARY: 10 DAYS IN PARADISE

First off – thank you for checking this out! We can’t stress enough about HOW much research we did before taking this trip…like read every blog, Instagram post, etc etc. We truly believe these are the top 3 places to go in Bali and that this route works best if you only have a short amount of time to spend here! This Bali Itinerary has EVERYTHING you need to know from accommodations, restaurants, outings, you name it! If you have any questions about anything check out our more detailed posts on each location for Uluwatu, Seminyak, or Ubud, or ask us anything in the comments below! Bali truly is the trip of a lifetime and something you’ll NEVER EVER FORGET! ENJOY!

DAY 1: ULUWATU

• Make your way to Uluwatu which is about a 40 minute drive from the main airport in Bali: Ngurah Rai International Airport located in Denpasar
• Check in at your hotel or Airbnb – we stayed at this luxury Airbnb that included breakfast each morning (most do!) in Bingin Beach. It was truly a dream stay! If that’s out of your budget, definitely choose somewhere along that beach or the beach beside it to stay at!
• Make sure to head to The Cashew Tree for lunch! One of our favourite restaurants ever!
• Head to Bingin Beach and enjoy a sunny day on the beach, or surfing on the waves (or watching other people surf because you don’t know how like us haha!)
• We rented a scooter for a few days at a place near our Airbnb. You can find scooter rentals everywhere! They are very, very cheap so it’s definitely worth it!
• Ride your scooter to Uluwatu Temple and make it for sunset! You pay a fee to watch a traditional Kecak Fire Dance. You HAVE to do this and go here- it’s a must!
• Grab some dinner at Bukit Cafe or Suka Espresso on your way back – you won’t be disappointed! Maybe grab a Bintang or two while you’re there! (Bali’s beer!)

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DAY 2: ULUWATU

• Head to GWK Cultural Park – about a 20 minute drive from the area. You can spend a few hours here walking to grounds, eating at their cafe, and seeing all of the amazing statues and structures!
• Head to Nyang-Nyang Beach – arguably one of the nicest beaches in Bali! The sand stretches for miles and the water is SO blue!
• Watch the sunset at Sunset Point Uluwatu Bar – they have so many beanbag chairs to sit on the beach and watch the sunset! There is also a pool and bar here! Very chill spot!
• Grab some dinner on the beach at Lucky Fish (they do a seafood dinner on the beach each night!) OR if you’re into the nightlife head to Ulu Cliffhouse which is a beach club that plays amazing music and serves great food & drinks! You’ll have a blast like we did!

For more details on everything you need to know about Uluwatu, check out our post on the Ultimate Guide to Uluwatu

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DAY 3: ULUWATU -> SEMINYAK

• Wake up and head to Seminyak! We took a driver to Seminyak which is about a 50 minute drive from Uluwatu (you can book drivers from anywhere – your accommodation, restaurants, etc. everyone in Bali is a driver or knows a driver lol!)
• Checked in at your hotel! As long as you book a place near Jl. Kayu Aya Street you’ll be walking distance from most places in Seminyak! We stayed at the Amadea Resort and Villas which was like a mini resort for a good price and great location! We enjoyed our stay here and the included breakfast buffet had so many options!
• Have lunch at Sisterfields Cafe. SO drool worthy & aesthetically pleasing!
• Go shopping! Explore Seminyak Village & Seminyak Square which is across from the cafe. There are so many unique products that locals are selling! Definitely walk around this area! The Square is also the location of the famous “I LOVE BALI” sign that people take pictures in front of! Get lost in exploring the area, it’s definitely more lively than Uluwatu!
• Head to dinner at La Favela Restaurant & Bar. We had a late reservation that turned into a bar night for us! We couldn’t believe how many rooms and levels this place had! It was SO much fun! The food was amazing, they played great music, and we loved the whole atmosphere & vibe! It honestly had the most unique interior. A must for us!

DAY 4: SEMINYAK

• Wake up and venture to W Bali Hotel and go to their SPA! We had a spa day and wow was this spa incredible. We booked it in advance the day before, but they accept walk-in’s if it isn’t too busy! We #treatedourselves and got a couples Balinese massage and it was the best massage we’ve ever had lol! You have to get one before leaving Bali! They also have a pool and other amenities to take advantage of. It felt so tranquil!
• Have lunch or at least get a coffee at Coffee Cartel! It’s a well known spot in Seminyak and you’ll find out why! Such a cute interior and serves delicious snacks and drinks!
• Next stop in your day should be the Pura Petitenget Temple which is a beautiful Hindu temple that you pay a small fee to enter and get to explore! People usually think Seminyak lacks culture as it is a more touristy area, but this hidden gem adds a special touch to the area
• Okay so WOW, Seminyak definitely comes alive at night! On any night of the week. At any time of year!! We ended up going to the famous Potato Head Beach Club for around sunset. It’s on the beach, has an infinity pool with great seating and cabana options, and has delicious food! We stopped here for a few hours to have some drinks and ended up staying much longer than we planned as we met SO many people from around the world! It was so fun and definitely has a social vibe!
• If you want to leave Potato Head, spend the rest of the night at a fancier Italian dinner spot called La Lucciola. It was such a beautiful place and the meal was surprisingly amazing for Italian food in Bali! It has a beachfront view and watching the water while we ate felt like paradise!

For more details on everything you need to know about Uluwatu, check out our post on our Guide to Visiting Seminyak

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DAY 5: SEMINYAK -> UBUD

• Set up a driver with your accommodation to take you to your final and longest stop in Bali: Ubud. Ubud was definitely our favourite spot in Bali and you’ll see why below, but there is SO much to do and see in it! You HAVE to go to Ubud…like have to, it’s a must!
• During your drive to your accommodations in Ubud, we recommend you getting your driver to stop for about an hour or two at the famous Bali Swing. This is the main spot to take all of those swing photos you see all over Instagram! It’s about an hour into the drive from Seminyak to Ubud. It’s actually considered a theme park, and you can spend as little or as much time here as your want, but there is usually large lines to take photos at the swings so just be aware!
• Check into your accommodation! We stayed in 2 different spots in Ubud. 2 nights more remote, and then 2 nights around the main streets in Ubud. Both experiences were awesome.
• This was by far our favourite Airbnb ever. If you can stay here, DO IT, but it books up so far in advance! It’s called Bennu House Ubud and was literally on a rice field, and had to most unique decor and we can’t say enough good things about it! Check out the listing here !
• Since we ended up getting to Bennu House late, and we had to get up at 2 AM for Day 6 which you’ll see below, we had a very low key night in – which ended up being one of our favourite nights of the whole trip because we booked a Balinese cooking class through the Airbnb host and it was UN-REAL. The sweetest woman and man came to our Airbnb and cooked for us, teaching us all about their culture and lifestyle. We chatted for HOURS. You’ll come to find that Balinese people are the kindest people in the world.

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DAY 6: UBUD

• Head to the Mt. Batur Volcano Sunrise Hike for the day! THIS IS A MUST. REPEAT. A MUST! Wake up at 2 AM, hop in a van for an hour, drive to the base of the volcano, begin the 2 hour hike uphill to the top, make it in time for sunrise and see the beautiful volcano view and 360 views of the entire island! The best experience! The hike was pretty strenuous if you aren’t athletic. (We’re not, and we were okay, but it was a challenge at times) Hike back down (NOT easy) and go back to your accommodations and sleep forever LOL. Realistically this was around a 7 hour experience. It did include food, and we booked it through our Airbnb, but you can book it anywhere. We couldn’t believe how many people were there doing this! Very popular attraction.
• Head to The Seeds of Life for dinner! This is a vegan restaurant, but wow was it good! You get the cultural experience of sitting on the floor with cushions and it was just so fun and tasty!
• Watch the sunset and get a good night sleep – it’ll be well deserved after the day you’ll have!

DAY 7: UBUD

• We switched accommodations in Ubud on this day. We stayed 2 nights in the more remote area, and now spent 2 nights at an Airbnb right along the main streets of Ubud a.k.a. walking distance to everything! We would suggest doing this, or just staying the 4 nights somewhere along the main streets, especially if you aren’t into scootering! (We used Lazy Cats Cafe as our central point in Ubud so near there). This was the Airbnb listing to our 2nd place. It was so beautiful and there was a little cafe right in the centre of all the buildings!
• Once you’re settled, get a driver to take you around for the day today! Negotiate a good price! We paid about 20 USD for the entire day of him driving us!
• First Stop: the famous rice fields Tegalalang Rice Terrace. You have to see them in real life! SO cool to learn how rice is grown, and the beautiful landscape of it all. Truly something we’d never seen before!
• Second Stop: Tegenungan Waterfall. The grounds of this area were so cute! Bring your swimsuit and go for a swim under the large waterfall. It’s a little bit of a hike down, and you pass by cafes and local vendors, so you could definitely spend a couple hours here.
• Third Stop: Visit a School! I may be biased because I’m a teacher at home, but this was one of our favourite memories! We were talking to our driver and I asked if we could visit a school. There were a few just outside the city and he brought us to one and we actually got to go teach 3 classes English! It was so cool to see how their education system worked and to see the smiling faces of the children!
• Grab some dinner at The Elephant or bridges to end the night. Both are delicious!

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DAY 8: UBUD

• Head to the Ubud Art Market and walk around the lively streets. This was so fun! There is so much to see and so many streets to wander! Summed up, it’s basically a bunch of locals selling their handcrafted pieces! Everything from bowls to wall art, to little knick knacks! You’ll find everything here! Tip: Be sure to barter with them. They know you’re a tourist and will always ask for much higher than an item is worth!
• Have lunch at Lazy Cats Cafe. The vibe of this place is so cute! We loved the food and actually went twice! Definitely recommend!!
• Next is Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary which you can walk from the cafe. This is the best place ever if you love monkeys/animals orrr the worst if you’re afraid of them literally being everywhere lol!! Even though monkeys are pretty much everywhere in Bali, we LOVED this place. We love animals so much, and to see them treated well here made us happy. But don’t be fooled, some can be pretty aggressive and take your things. One stole Shawn’s sunglasses off of him!
• When you’re done experiencing the monkeys, grad some cocktails and apps at Dumbo. It is very chic and has a cool open rooftop patio!
• To finish off the night, ask around for a schedule of the Fire Dances. They do mini versions of the Uluwatu during the same nights of the week in front of various temples. Check one out before heading back to your room for the night!

DAY 9: UBUD

• Ahh, your last full day. Sad face. Saved a very culturally amazing experience for last!
• Head to Tirta Empul Temple Tampaksiring. Try pronouncing that haha. This is a Hindu Balinese water temple, famous for its holy spring waters. This is where people go for ritual purification. People line up to bathe themselves under each water spout. The water in the pools is believed to have magical healing powers and the Balinese go here to purify themselves. You must put your head under each of the 30 spouts. You are given the garments to wear via a donation. To say this was a unique experience is an understatement. We just love learning about other cultures so much. This is a VERY popular spot for locals as well as tourists, so try to get there when it opens!
• Go to a class at Yoga Barn. Continue your relaxing day with yoga! Can you really go to Bali without doing yoga at least once?! Bali is HUGE on meditation and yoga practices that promote healing and renewal! This place was so tranquil and we’d highly recommend doing a class!
• Get some food at Watercress Cafe Ubud! Wow was this an awesome place! Cafe by day, bar by night. If you haven’t already, you have to try the famous Kopi Luwak coffee before you leave. It really is a bizarre process, but it’s made from fermented coffee cherries that an animal poops out. LOL sounds nasty, but it’s a whole process and tasted really good! Also, it’s your last night, stay here for the bar and let loose. You deserve it!

DAY 10: UBUD

• HOME TIME (a.k.a. tear up a little as you reminisce on the best trip ever).
• The drive is about 1.5 hours from Ubud to the airport. We used the same driver the entire time! Click here for his contact info, he’s the BEST & speaks English so well!

For more details on everything you need to know about Ubud, check out our post on The Best of Ubud

We hope you enjoyed this Bali Itinerary and found it useful! We wish we had an itinerary like this when we were planning our trip! I’m telling you guys, this was an entire YEAR of planning, and I may be biased, but I think this is the perfect itinerary to experience a little bit of everything! PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT IS GOING TO BALI!
Never hesitate to send us a message!

With love,
S & S

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Thanks for checking out The Ultimate Bali 10 Day Itinerary!