Photo by Mahmud Ahsan on Unsplash
A slow week in Bali with two bases. Three days around Ubud for temples, rice terraces and galleries, then four days on the south coast for the Bukit cliffs, Sanur's calm shore, the Canggu coast and a soft last day near the airport. Two or three things a day, one part of the island at a time, with room to do nothing.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: warm, sunny days with little rain score highest (the air stands in for the sea, which is not included). Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A gentle first day in the centre of Ubud. A royal palace, a lotus pond temple and a forest of macaques, all within a short walk or a short ride. Nothing here needs a time.
Bubur injin, a pudding of black glutinous rice slow-cooked in coconut milk and palm sugar. A sweet, warm start to a slow day, found at small warungs around the market.
Local tip Eat it with a cup of Balinese coffee. If you have a nut allergy, ask the cook in plain words, and do not rely on a label.
The old royal residence in the middle of town, with carved gates, courtyards and pavilions. Walk in, look at the stonework and the woodwork and go slowly. Dance performances are held in the courtyard, so check ahead for the evenings.
Go when Morning, when the courtyards are calm and the light is soft.
Local tip The palace is still lived in by the royal family, so keep to the open areas. Check ahead for the dance performances held in the courtyard in the evenings.
A temple for the goddess of learning and the arts, set behind a pond of pink lotus flowers. A quiet place to sit, a few steps from the main street.
Go when Late morning, when the lotus flowers are open.
Local tip Walk the stone path beside the pond to see the temple at the far end. Keep to the paths, and wear a sarong and sash if they are asked for.
A plate of rice with small portions of vegetables, egg, tempeh and meat, each with its own sauce. The easy, everyday lunch of the island, found in a simple family warung.
Local tip Point at what you like on the counter. Sauces vary in heat, so taste a little first.
A shady forest sanctuary of old trees, moss-covered statues and three temples, home to a large troop of macaques. Walk the paths slowly. The monkeys snatch food, glasses and phones, so keep them zipped away.
Go when Afternoon, when the heat is easier under the trees.
Local tip Do not carry food in view, and do not look the monkeys in the eye or touch them. If one grabs something, let it go and tell a keeper.
Minced fish or chicken mixed with coconut and spices, pressed onto a lemongrass stick and grilled over coals. A Balinese version of satay, found on the grills of the small streets.
Local tip Order a small plate to start. Peanut sauces are common in Indonesian cooking, so ask if that matters to you, and do not rely on a menu line.
A long day out of Ubud by car, to the north. Rice terraces in the morning, a valley of carved shrines at midday and a temple around a holy spring in the afternoon. Hire a driver, start early and keep the pace slow.
Green terraces stepped down a steep river valley, watered by the old subak system that Balinese farmers share. Walk the paths between the paddies and stop at a cafe. Early is quieter, and the footing is uneven and slippery after rain.
Go when Early morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Stay on the marked paths, because the terraces are working fields. Wear shoes with grip, as the steps are steep and slippery in the wet.
Ten shrines carved into the rock face of a river valley, reached down a long flight of stone steps. A cool, mossy, quiet place. The climb back up is the work, so go slowly.
Go when Midday, as a cool stop out of the sun.
Local tip The steps down are long, and the way back up is harder, so carry water and take it in stages. Wear a sarong and sash, and be quiet at the shrines.
A bright yellow chicken soup with turmeric, rice or noodles, boiled egg and a squeeze of lime. Light and warming, and found in simple roadside warungs near the terraces.
Local tip Add a little sambal on the side rather than in the bowl. The chilies are hot.
A temple built around a holy spring, where Balinese worshippers wash in the pools in a purification ritual. Visitors can watch, and may join with a sarong and respect. Follow the rules on the signs and go gently.
Go when Afternoon, when the day tours have thinned out.
Local tip Watch for a while before you decide to join the ritual bathing. Ask a guide or a temple helper to show you the order, and keep valuables out of the water.
A slow day around Ubud. A morning walk on a green ridge, a museum of Balinese painting at midday and an old cave sanctuary in the afternoon. A light day, so you can do less and rest before the move south.
A paved path along a grassy ridge between two rivers, just west of Ubud. Flat and easy, with open views of palms and fields. Go early, before the heat, and take water.
Go when Early morning, in the cool before the sun is high.
Local tip The path is flat and open with little shade. Take water and a hat, and walk at an easy pace so you can stop and look.
An art museum of traditional and modern Balinese painting and wood carving, set in a quiet garden with ponds. A good place to be out of the midday heat. Check ahead on its days.
Go when Midday, as a cool break from the heat.
Local tip Read the story of how Ubud became a home for painters. Choose one building and one garden, and do not try to see everything.
Spit-roasted suckling pig with crackling, rice, long beans and a spicy relish. A festival dish of the island, and an everyday lunch in Ubud. Ask in advance if you do not eat pork.
Local tip Look for a place with a busy lunch crowd, and a duck or a fish plate on the side for anyone who does not eat pork.
An old cave sanctuary known as the Elephant Cave, with a carved face over the entrance and ancient bathing pools in a garden below. Wear a sarong and sash, and be ready for steps.
Go when Afternoon, when the light is soft on the carved entrance.
Local tip There are steps down to the garden and the pools. Take them slowly, and wear a sarong and sash, which can be lent at the gate.
Duck slow-cooked in banana leaf with a rich spice paste until it falls from the bone. A Balinese celebration dish that a few warungs prepare around Ubud.
Local tip It often needs to be ordered a day ahead, so ask when you arrive in town.
Move to the south coast in the morning, then spend the day on the Bukit peninsula, a dry limestone plateau with cliffs and white-sand coves. A long drive, so keep the day to three stops and leave the afternoon open.
A wide sand beach below limestone cliffs, popular with surfers, with a stepped path down. Sit and watch, or paddle. Currents and waves can be strong, so check with the lifeguards or the signs before swimming.
Go when Morning, when the waves and the crowds are smaller.
Local tip Watch the sea for a few minutes before you step in. Currents can be strong, so swim only where the lifeguards or the signs say it is fine.
Fried rice with egg, shallots and sweet soy, topped with a fried egg and prawn crackers. The dish every kitchen on the island can make, found in the warungs above the beaches.
Local tip Ask for it pedas if you want chili, and tidak pedas if you do not.
A small cove reached through a narrow gap in the rock and down some steps, with pale sand and a surf break just offshore. The beach shrinks at high tide, and the waves can be strong, so check ahead.
Go when Midday, though it fills up as the day goes on.
Local tip The steps are narrow and uneven, so wear sandals with grip. Check ahead on the tide, because the beach is small and the sea comes in close.
A sea temple on the edge of a high cliff at the far end of the peninsula. Wear a sarong and sash. The resident macaques steal sunglasses and phones, so keep them zipped away and keep to the paths.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 6:08 PM), though cloud can hide the sky.
Local tip Take off sunglasses, caps and anything loose before you walk the cliff path, and keep a firm hold of your bag. The macaques are quick.
A salad of boiled vegetables, tofu, tempeh and egg under a warm peanut sauce. Filling and gentle after a long day on the road.
Local tip Peanut is the main ingredient of the sauce, so skip it if you have a nut allergy, and say why in plain words to the cook.
A calm day in Bali's oldest beach town and its capital. A museum in the capital, a painter's house on the shore and a long, easy beach path. The sea here sits behind a reef, so the water is gentle.
A museum of Balinese art, history and craft in traditional courtyards, on the edge of the main square in Denpasar. A good first stop before the heat, and a way to understand what you saw in Ubud. Check ahead on its days.
Go when Morning, before the day warms up.
Local tip The buildings are laid out around courtyards like a traditional compound. Choose two halls and let the rest go. Check ahead on its days.
Traditional Balinese sweets of rice flour, coconut and palm sugar, wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaf. Small and sticky, and found in the morning markets of Denpasar.
Local tip Buy two or three small pieces. They are made fresh, and eaten the same day.
The former home of a Belgian painter who settled in Bali, on the seafront at Sanur. Carved doors and his paintings of Balinese life, in a small garden by the sea. Short and quiet.
Go when Midday, as a break from the sun.
Local tip Look at the carved doors and windows of the house as well as the paintings, then walk out to the beach beside it.
A chopped mixture of green beans, coconut and spices, often with minced meat. A ceremonial dish that small warungs make as an everyday plate in Sanur.
Local tip Ask what meat it has, and say if you do not eat pork. Some versions use raw ingredients, so ask for a cooked one if you prefer.
A long strip of sand with a paved path along it, with fishing boats and a reef that keeps the water calm and shallow. Walk, swim or just sit. The tide goes far out, so check the water level before you swim.
Go when Early morning, when the paved path is cool and quiet.
Local tip The reef keeps the water calm but the tide goes far out, so choose your swim time by the water level and check ahead.
Fish seasoned with a spice paste, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed or grilled. A mild, fragrant plate found near the fishing boats along the beach.
Local tip Ask what fish it is that day, and let the cook tell you how it is done.
A day on the west coast. Two black-sand surf beaches in the morning, then a sea temple on a rock in the late afternoon. A long drive for a short list, so leave early or accept a slow road home.
A grey-sand beach with a small temple on the rocks at one end, and the surfers' end of Canggu. A coffee and a walk are enough. Currents are strong here, so check ahead before swimming.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip The sea here is for surfers, not for casual swimmers. Watch from the sand, and ask a local lifeguard before you step in.
A surf beach a short walk up the coast, with a long open shore and cafes along the back. A good place for a long, lazy lunch. Check ahead on the sea before swimming.
Go when Midday, with a long lunch and no plans.
Local tip Walk the shore to the far end, where it is quieter. The surf is strong, so check ahead and ask before you swim.
A thick blended fruit base topped with more fruit, seeds and granola, the signature lunch of the cafes around Canggu. Light for a warm day, and easy to share.
Local tip Check the toppings if you have a nut allergy, and say why in plain words, as many are made with nut butter.
A temple on a rock just off the shore, one of the island's best-known sea temples. Only worshippers enter the inner temple, but the shoreline and the paths along the cliff are open. Busy by late afternoon, and the tide changes how close you can go.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 6:08 PM), though the sky may not clear.
Local tip The path to the rock is busy, and the tide decides how close you can get. Check ahead on the tide, and do not climb the rocks or enter the inner temple.
Whole grilled fish with sambal matah, a raw relish of shallots, lemongrass, chili and lime. A bright, light dinner, found at simple grills along the coast road.
Local tip Sambal matah is fresh and very hot. Taste a little first, and keep the rest on the side.
An easy last day on the southern tip, close to the airport. A calm bay for a morning swim, a cultural park in the afternoon and a long beach at the end of the day. Nothing is far, so you can drop one and not mind.
A wide, sheltered beach on the south-east tip, with calm water behind a reef. The easiest swim of the week. Shallow and gentle, good for a last slow morning.
Go when Morning, when the water is flat and the sand is empty.
Local tip This is the calmest water of the trip, so it is a good swim for a last day. Watch the tide on the reef, and wear shoes if you walk out.
Springy egg noodles with minced chicken, greens and a clear broth on the side. A simple street-cart lunch, quick and filling.
Local tip Order the broth separately if you like it light, and add sambal and sweet soy yourself.
A hilltop park on a limestone ridge, built around a huge statue of the god Vishnu riding the bird Garuda, with open lawns and cultural performances. Wide and mostly outdoors, so go slowly in the heat.
Go when Afternoon, once the day has cooled a little.
Local tip The park is wide and exposed, so carry water and a hat. Check ahead on the performances, and leave when you have had enough.
A long, curved bay of pale sand, with fishing boats at one end and a row of open-air grills along the shore. A calm place for a last dinner. The sea is gentle, but check ahead before swimming.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 6:08 PM), for the last light on the water.
Local tip Choose a grill on the sand and let the day wind down. Tell the cook about any allergy in plain words, and do not rely on a menu line.
A table set on the beach, with fish, prawns and squid grilled over coconut husk coals and served with rice, greens and chili sauce. The classic last dinner of the south coast.
Local tip Choose from the day's catch and ask how it is prepared. Say clearly if you have a shellfish allergy, and do not rely on a menu line.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, March to October are the best months for a beach trip to Bali. This plan is built for mid June, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 7 days in Bali, planned for mid June. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.6 to 10.6 kilometers between its stops, and 38.5 kilometers in all across 7 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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