In this post, I´ll tell you how I´d spend five days in Bali. Bali is arguably one of the hottest vacation spots in the world, and a dream vacation for most people. I am very lucky to have lived in Asia for three years, where Bali was only a three hour plane ride from home. Thanks to this, I´ve had the chance to visit this idyllic island several times. I have stayed in Canggu, Seminyak, and Ubud and visited many other places on the island. I´ve also done trips to Gili Trawangan and Gili Air, which are a short ferry from Bali, but technically located on Lombok.
In writing this itinerary, I´m assuming that you´ve never been to Bali. Therefore, I´ll focus on the main spots and try to give you as many insights for five days in Bali as I can. If you have the opportunity, I would stay longer. I think Bali is a great place to travel slowly, and many people end up staying for weeks or months. However, if you only have five days in Bali, this is what I would do. I basically did this trip with my husband on our honeymoon, so it´s fresh in my mind!
I want to stress that this is one way to do five days in Bali. You could plan this trip so many ways. This itinerary can be done in any order as well.
Jump To:
- Day 1 in Bali – Explore Canggu
- Day 2 in Bali – Sightseeing on Bali Island
- Day 3 in Bali – Day Trip to Ubud & Spa
- Day 4 in Bali – A Trip to Uluwatu
- Day 5 in Bali – Rest & Relax
- More Bali Tours
Day 1 Bali Itinerary – Explore Canggu
There are many areas to stay in Bali, and picking one is an important part of your planning process. Each one has a bit of a different vibe, sp location is important. For more on which area to choose, check out my post, Everything You Need to Know Before a Trip to Bali. I personally like Canggu and Ubud as bases, and for five days, I would recommend staying in only one, max two, places. For this post, I´m going to assume your base is Canggu.
Exploring Canggu
Canggu is a great little town. I like it because it has a lot of the restaurants, cafes, and amenities of Seminyak, but it´s also easier to get away from the crowds and still have that Bali feel. It´s a bit spread out, and there is a beach, but it´s not likely you´ll see it unless you go to a beach club or stay directly on the beach. The main local and public beach is Batu Bolong Beach, and the main road is Pt. Pantai Batu Bolong. Around this road and around Jl. Tanah Barak and Jl. Munduk Catu you will find the majority of the shops and restaurants. A few good places to eat include Milk and Madu and Avocado Factory. There are many options.
For evening activities, La Brisa Beach Club, Old Man´s and The Lawn are the classic Canggu sunset spots. La Brisa is a bit fancier and you may need to wait for a table. I like it because you can have a chill evening there and if you want, stay for when it turns into more of a club vibe later. In the afternoon and early evening, it´s pretty friendly for everyone. Old Man´s and The Lawn are classic Canggu sunset spots that are very casual. More like beach bars, which is also a fun vibe! No doubt you´ll meet a ton of travelers there.
For shopping, check out Love Anchor Canggu, Indigo Luna Store (my absolute favorite), and Bungalow Living Bali. Also make sure to walk along the main roads and check out the boutiques. There are so many with beautiful things. I have many clothes and home goods that have made it back in my suitcase over the years.
Day 2 Bali Itinerary – Sightseeing on Bali Island
On day two in Bali I recommend hiring a car for the day and getting out to see some of the main sites in Bali. There are a few popular spots that are worth visiting. You can hire a car through your hotel, or ask any Grab driver if they offer daily rates (this is what we normally do). Since some of these sites are near Ubud, you could also spend two days and one night in Ubud and combine the sightseeing with an Ubud spa/yoga/art market day. We tried to do sightseeing and Ubud spa in one day and it was too much.
Sightseeing Around Bali Island
A few of the most famous sightseeing spots in Bali include Tegallalang Rice Paddies, Camphuan Ridge Walk, the Monkey Forest, a Luwak Coffee Farm & Experience, Tanah Lot Temple, Tirta Empul Temple, and Uluwatu Temple. I´ve been to most of these. I am not a fan of monkeys, so I steer clear of that spot, but the rest art worth it. Tegallalang, Champhuan Ridge Walk, Tirta Empul Temple, and Monkey Forest are all in the Ubud area, so that´s something to keep in mind. You can visit Uluwatu Temple easily on your day trip to Uluwatu which is day four of this itinerary.
How Many Sites Are Reasonable to Visit in A Day?
I would say keep it to about three sites a day. You could do Tegallalang Rice Paddies and Tirta Empul in one day, and maybe also the Luwak Coffee Farm or Camphuan Ridge Walk. You could also do Tanah Lot, Luwak Coffee Farm and Tegallalang Rice Paddies. I wouldn´t do more than three of these in one day because it´s often very hot, it takes time to get places with traffic, and you will need some down time.
Personally, my favorite experiences have been Tegallalang Rice Paddies, Camphuan Ridge Walk, and Tanah Lot Temple. We did the Luwak Coffee Farm on our most recent trip and it was very fun because my husband is a big coffee nerd. I would research them all a bit and see what interests you the most!
Day 3 Bali Itinerary – Ubud Spa & Yoga Day
After your first two days in Bali, it´s time for some downtime, and no one does rest and relaxation like Bali. Bali is hot and there is a lot of traffic, so getting out of the hustle and bustle is one of the best things to do. My perfect day in Ubud would be a morning yoga class or sound bath at The Yoga Barn, depending on what´s on the schedule. Then a healthy lunch somewhere in Ubud followed by an afternoon at the spa.
My absolute favorite spa in Ubud is Bali Botanica Day Spa. I´ve been several times, and this most recent time, I did a couples spa day with my husband which included a body scrub, a massage, a couple´s bath, a pedicure and dinner for two for less than $100. It was absolutely perfect and the location is very serene.
Once you´re done with the spa, or maybe before you go, don´t miss the Art Market in Ubud. It has gotten very developed, but it´s still one of my favorite places to buy art and souvenirs in Bali. When I went there in 2024, I realized that the little side street that was the art market has developed into a two story complex of vendors. It´s still great though.
If you don´t have dinner at the spa, there are plenty of amazing restaurants in Ubud. One I love to go to is Locavore. They have a set herbivore menu and the ambiance and experience is great. Another place I love in Ubud, which also happens to be a great coworking space, is Seniman Coffee Company. Don´t miss it!
Day 4 Bali Itinerary – A Trip to Uluwatu
My most recent trip to Bali in February 2024 was actually my first time visiting the famous Uluwatu. Uluwatu is located at the Southern tip of Bali Island and is well known for it´s beaches and surfing. If you want a great beach day, this is the spot for you.
Visiting Uluwatu Temple
The main thing to do in Uluwatu is visit the beaches. If you do a little research, you will see that beaches are the main attraction on this part of the island. For this itinerary, I´m going to tell you how we spent the day. Since we only had a single day, I didn´t want to risk going to one beach and not being sure if there were amenities, restaurants, etc. so we decided to do a beach club.
We left our hotel around 10 AM and headed to Uluwatu Temple. This is a beautiful temple with stunning views, and it wasn´t very crowded, which was so nice. I highly recommend visiting this gorgeous temple, but bring sunscreen, a hat, water, etc. It is very hot. You will also need to cover your arms and legs. A short sleeve shirt and a sarong is fine. If you are wearing shorts, they will rent you sarongs at the entrance. This applies to both men and women.
A Day At Sunday´s Beach Club
After visiting the temple, I´m sure you will be plenty hot and ready to relax. So the next stop is Sunday´s Beach Club. This was my first time at Sunday´s, and it was a great experience. I´ve always gone to Finn´s Beach Club in Canggu before, and I also recommend Finn´s. A few differences are that Sunday´s is smaller and has no pool, but an incredible ocean view and a private beach. Finn´s has several pools and is on the ocean, but at a public beach. So your choice may depend on if you want ocean or beach. Finn´s is more of a party spot, whereas Sunday´s is more chill and family-friendly. Finn´s during the day is relaxing though.
When I go to beach clubs in Bali I always book a VIP sunbed. At Sunday´s, it´s about $175 for two people, and $125 of that goes to food and beverage credit for the entire day, which you can easily spend. They also provide you with a welcome drink, sunscreen, after sun, bug spray, and more amenities. It´s an amazing way to spend the day at the beach! Finn´s is a little less expensive, and just as amazing.
Day 5 Bali Itinerary – Rest Day
I think one of the best things about Bali is that lodging is relatively affordable. My husband and I paid about $100 per night for a private pool villa near Canggu the last time we were there and you can find many gems like this. See more in this post. So one thing you might want to do is enjoy your amazing hotel or villa! Most places have a pool, and Bali is such a serene place that it´s nice to just enjoy it. So my recommendation for day five is to spend the day relaxing by the pool! Most hotels also have spas, so if you´re up for another spa treatment, that´s also a great option!
More Bali Tours
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