A crescent of sand and turquoise surf below green cliffs, Bali

Itinerary

Ten Days in Bali

Inspiration for your next adventure

Rice terraces and water temples in Ubud, a quiet valley under Mount Agung, and cliff-top sunsets in Uluwatu. Bali at a slower pace, with a private pool at every stop.

Who this is for

Two people who want lush, warm and unhurried, with a private pool, a massage most days and enough culture to make it feel like somewhere. You would rather watch a temple ceremony than a beach club DJ, though one long sunset with a cocktail is definitely on the list.

The shape of the trip

Where you sleep, and the rhythm of the days

Ubud, 4 nights · Sidemen, 2 · Uluwatu, 3

Gentle mornings, temples and rice fields before the heat, and slow afternoons by the pool. Drives are short in distance but long in traffic, so we keep you to three bases. The splurge is a villa with its own pool in the jungle around Ubud.

Where to go and what to eat

The places

01 · 4 nights
Ubud
Bali's cultural heart, surrounded by jungle and rice fields. Walk the Campuhan Ridge at sunrise, and visit Tirta Empul, a water temple where Balinese come to bathe in the sacred springs; wear a sarong, lent at the gate, and if you bathe, rent a separate one for the pools. See the rice terraces at Tegallalang early, or go further to Jatiluwih, larger, quieter and part of a UNESCO site. Take a Balinese cooking class, and watch a traditional dance performance one evening.
02 · 2 nights
Sidemen
A green valley in the east, with Mount Agung, Bali's highest and most sacred volcano, rising above it. Walk through rice fields and weaving villages, visit the royal water gardens at Tirta Gangga, and spend two nights somewhere very quiet. It is the Bali many people hope to find and rarely do.
03 · 3 nights
Uluwatu
The dramatic south, where limestone cliffs drop to turquoise water and surf breaks. Watch the sunset Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu Temple, high on the cliffs (book the 6pm show), then swim at Melasti or watch the surfers at Padang Padang. Spend the last days by the pool, with one long sunset dinner over the ocean.
04
Before you go
Bali charges international visitors a tourist levy, paid once per trip through the official Love Bali site or app. US travelers need a visa: the e-Visa on Arrival, applied for online a few days before you fly, is faster than buying one at the airport, and everyone fills in the online All Indonesia arrival card before landing. Dress modestly at temples, and stay out of the inner courtyards unless you are there to worship. The dry season runs from about April to October. Each year, usually in March (March 8 in 2027), the island stops completely for Nyepi, the Day of Silence, when even the airport closes for 24 hours.

My take on Bali

Bali is THE dream tropical escape - blending jungle rice terraces, mist-shrouded water temples, and dramatic cliff-top sunsets at an unhurried pace. Designed for travelers who want lush serenity over busy beach clubs, this three-base journey pairs four nights in Ubud with two in quiet Sidemen and three in Uluwatu.

Embrace gentle mornings with sunrise walks along the Campuhan Ridge, sacred spring baths at Tirta Empul, and traditional cooking classes, before heading east to Mount Agung's peaceful shadow and south to Uluwatu for cliffside ocean views and the sunset Kecak fire dance.

Make your trip effortless by hiring a private driver to breeze through traffic, splurging on a jungle villa with your own private pool, and skipping the hours-long photo queue at the "Gates of Heaven" in Lempuyang. Be sure to handle your tourist levy and e-Visa online ahead of time, and visit during the dry season between April and October.

The tiered pagoda of Ulun Danu Beratan temple on Lake Bratan, framed by red canna flowers, Bali

My take

Worth it, and what to skip

Worth it

A private driver. It is the easiest way to see the island, and it turns long traffic-filled transfers into stops at temples and coffee farms.
A villa with its own pool. In Bali, it is the difference between a nice trip and a honeymoon.
Sunrise in the rice fields. It is cooler, the light is soft and you will have the paths almost to yourselves.

Skip it

The Gates of Heaven photo queue. The famous shot at Lempuyang can mean hours in line, and the mirror reflection in it is a trick.
Kuta and Seminyak for a honeymoon. They are busy and built up. Ubud, Sidemen and Uluwatu are the Bali you came for.