Perfect 10 Day Bali (+ Gili Trawangan) Itinerary

Bali is one of those places I had dreamed about since I was a little kid. Our family friends went to Bali and I poured over their photographs - it looked like the most magical place. We finally planned a trip there over the 2017 holidays and a few months before we were set to travel, the volcano eruptions occurred. We decided to travel anyways and I’m glad we did, we had no interruptions to our trip and it was quite a bit less busy than usual (woo!)

Our trip fell directly over the holidays so we didn’t miss any work, but you could do this missing only a week + a day if you wanted to try to do it another time as well! I think it gave a really nice sampler to what Bali and Lombok have to offer. But still things to go back and see another time!

Bali is very small, and you can really base yourself anywhere and do day trips to other parts of the island. I recommend staying in Ubud, as it’s really beautiful and if you stay in downtown/central Ubud there are lots of restaurants, shops and bars walkable to you. To get around, you really need to hire a driver or take a tour as distances between sites are pretty spread out (contact info for an amazing guide/driver Panca below!) Keep in mind that traffic in Bali is very bad….for shorter distances (especially in Kuta/Seminyak areas) Moto taxi is going to be your best friend.

Why did I include Lombok (Gili T) in addition to Bali? In my opinion, the beaches in Bali aren’t particularly nice and I wanted some epic, gorgeous Southeast Asia beaches in the itinerary. The Gili Islands are often combined with Bali due to their proximity. I specifically chose Gili T since it has the most action and energy (and is the most built up of the 3 Gilis). But don’t take it from me - here’s an article that goes into detail on How to Choose the Best Gili Island.

Vegans and vegetarians rejoice, Bali is for you!! The food options in Bali are endless and SO SO good. I would go back just to visit the plethora of delicious restaurants. Lots of healthy food, and every dietary restriction accommodated.

Ok well let’s get into it….

As always, make sure you are traveling safely with TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE

BALI 10 DAY ITINERARY

Day 0 - Travel to Bali

Day 1 - Arrive at Denpasar Airport

Taxi to Ubud
- Travel time is about 90 min to 2 hours (depending on traffic)

Day 2 - Ubud

Day: Take a Tour around Ubud - including Monkey Forest, Art Market, Palace, Temples, & Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Bali Swing
- I LOVED our guide Panca, and highly highly recommend reaching out to him if you will be coming thru the area (we did all of our organized tours thru him and enjoyed them immensely) - you can reach him at info@balicustomizedtours.com
- We customized our tour to include the Bali Swing
Evening: Traditional Indonesian dinner at Dirty Duck, then head over to Ubud Palace for their Cultural Show (starts at 7:30PM)

Day 3 - Ubud

Day: Mountain & Lake Temples - Beratan Lake, Taman Ayun Temple, Twin Lake, Waterfall
- We also did this tour thru Panca and was great
- Beratan Lake is where you’ll find that highly photographed/iconic temple - don’t miss it!
Evening: Visit some of Ubud’s premiere cocktail bars
- Here’s a list of Ubud’s 14 Best Bars

‘Day 4 - Ubud

Mt Batur Sunrise Hike (dress warmly lol)

Early Morning: Mount Batur Sunrise Trek
Afternoon: Rest & relax (or shop in the downtown area)
Evening: Bali has amazing food and some really outstanding restaurants - plan a nice dinner while you’re in town.
- Here’s a list of Ubud’s 10 Best Restaurants

Day 5 - Ubud

Day Time: Nusa Penida Tour
- Nusa Penida is a beautiful uninhabited island - there is one spot where all the instagrammers go and take pictures (lol). Photos HERE.
Evening: Hit up bars in downtown Ubud like the Laughing Buddha (one of the liveliest bars in town)

Day 6 - Ubud—> Gili Trawangan

AM: Catch the fast boat to Gili T
- Make sure to book in advance since the boat that goes directly to Gili T fills up fast
- The ride takes about 2.5 hours if nonstop
PM: Walk around Gili T, stopping to check out some of the beach bars & find a good spot for an epic sunset
- You will also find places to get mushroom shakes in the beach bars on Gili T (if that’s your thing! They are STRONG….much stronger than you’ll find in Thailand, so keep that in mind!)

Day 7 - Gili T

Day Time: Snorkeling tour or booze cruise
Evening: Night Market for Dinner

Day 8 - Gili T —> Kuta

Day Time: Travel via fast boat to Kuta
- Fast boat takes about 2.5 hours if nonstop
Afternoon: Check out Kuta Beach or go to Potato Head Day Club
- In my opinion Kuta Beach is not very nice (lots of trash and the beach itself isn’t anything special), but it is lively….we met some really fun Balinese people strolling around the beach area!
- Potato Head is a very popular day club with infinity pools, multiple restaurants, parties, and activity.
Evening: Go out to some of Kuta’s world renowned clubs!

Day 9 - Kuta

Morning: Take a surf lesson (Kuta is known for their great surfing!), Balinese cooking class or get a massage
Evening: Check out Uluwatu (watch out for the naughty monkeys!), then have a drink at Rock Bar before heading to dinner in Jimbaran