Bali 14-Day Itinerary: The Ultimate Two-Week Trip

Fly into Ngurah Rai Airport and transfer 25 minutes north to Seminyak, your base for the first three nights. Day one is for recovering from your flight and easing into the Bali pace. Walk to Seminyak Beach by mid-afternoon, grab a beanbag at one of the beach bars, and watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean with a cold Bintang in hand. For dinner, Seminyak's restaurant strip along Jalan Petitenget offers everything from refined Indonesian at Sarong to wood-fired pizza at Da Maria. Day two is a Canggu day. Drive or scooter 20 minutes northwest to this laid-back creative hub. Start with brunch at Crate Cafe or Milk and Madu, then try a surf lesson at Batu Bolong Beach where the gentle break is perfect for beginners. A two-hour lesson with board rental costs IDR 350,000 to 500,000. Spend the afternoon exploring Canggu's boutiques, yoga studios, and rice-paddy-flanked lanes. In the late afternoon, drive 30 minutes west to Tanah Lot, Bali's iconic sea temple, for the sunset. Arrive by 4:30 PM and stay until the temple is silhouetted against the orange sky. Day three offers flexibility. Options include a morning yoga class at The Practice or Desa Seni, a spa day at one of Seminyak's excellent wellness centers (budget IDR 300,000 to 600,000 for a two-hour Balinese massage), shopping for local designers along Jalan Kayu Aya, or a beach club day at Potato Head or Finns. Use the evening to explore the lively bar scene on Jalan Petitenget and Jalan Batu Belig.

Check out of Seminyak on the morning of day four and drive 60 to 90 minutes south to the Bukit Peninsula, the limestone plateau that forms Bali's southernmost tip. The Bukit is a completely different world from the flat, developed coastal strip. Here, sheer cliffs drop 70 meters to turquoise coves, hidden beaches are accessed via steep staircases carved into rock, and the surf breaks are among the best in Indonesia. Spend day four exploring the beaches. Padang Padang Beach is the most famous, a tiny cove reached by squeezing through a gap in the cliff, but it gets very crowded after 10:00 AM. For more space, try Thomas Beach or the stunning Melasti Beach, which opened relatively recently with a dramatic cliffside access road. Each beach has warung stalls for drinks and basic food. In the late afternoon, head to the Uluwatu temple complex perched on the cliff edge. Admission is IDR 50,000. Secure all belongings against the resident monkeys, who are more aggressive than those in Ubud. The evening highlight is the Kecak fire dance at 6:00 PM, performed by a chorus of 50 or more men in the open-air amphitheater overlooking the ocean. As the sun sets behind the performers, the rhythmic chanting and dramatic fire sequences create an experience you will never forget. Tickets are IDR 150,000. After the performance, drive to Single Fin bar on the cliffs for a post-show drink and late dinner. Day five is a leisure day on the Bukit. Choose between surfing the famous Uluwatu left-hander (advanced surfers only), snorkeling at Blue Point, or simply beach-hopping between the peninsula's hidden coves. In the afternoon, visit the Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural park, a 60-hectare complex dominated by the massive 121-meter Garuda Wisnu statue, the tallest in Indonesia. Admission is IDR 125,000.

Transfer 30 minutes east from the Bukit to Nusa Dua on the morning of day six. This is Bali's most manicured resort zone: pristine white sand beaches, calm lagoon swimming protected by an offshore reef, and a cluster of international five-star hotels set in tropical gardens. Nusa Dua is the antidote to the frenetic energy of Seminyak and the raw drama of the Bukit. Spend day six doing very little. The Nusa Dua beach walk stretches several kilometers along the coast, connecting resorts and passing through landscaped gardens with ocean views. The water here is the calmest in Bali, making it perfect for families and swimmers who prefer flat water. Water sports are available directly on the beach: parasailing costs IDR 250,000 to 350,000, jet skis IDR 400,000 for 15 minutes, and glass-bottom boat rides IDR 150,000. In the evening, treat yourself to the Devdan Show at Bali Nusa Dua Theatre, a 90-minute performance blending traditional Indonesian dance with modern acrobatics. Tickets range from IDR 350,000 to 800,000. Day seven, drive 20 minutes north to Sanur, Bali's original tourist town and still one of its most charming. The paved beachfront path runs four kilometers along a calm bay, perfect for a morning cycle ride (rent a bike for IDR 50,000 per day). Sanur's beach is the departure point for fast boats to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, so use this day to research or book your island day trip if interested. The town has a relaxed village feel with local art galleries, traditional markets, and excellent seafood warungs along the beach. Massimo is an Italian restaurant run by an actual Italian that has become a Sanur institution, while Three Monkeys serves upscale Balinese cuisine in a rice-paddy garden setting. Sanur's harbor area is also worth exploring: watch the traditional jukung outrigger boats come and go, and browse the morning fish market if you are up early enough.

Transfer 90 minutes north from Sanur to Ubud on day eight. The cultural capital of Bali sits in the central highlands surrounded by rice terraces, river gorges, and dense tropical forest. This is where you will experience the spiritual and artistic side of the island that the beach towns barely hint at. Day eight afternoon, explore Ubud town on foot. Walk through the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (IDR 80,000, open 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM), home to 1,200 macaques and three ancient temples in a towering banyan forest. Continue north along Jalan Raya Ubud past art galleries and the Ubud Royal Palace. In the evening, attend a traditional dance performance at the palace starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets are IDR 100,000 at the door. Day nine is your big sightseeing day. Start at Tegallalang Rice Terraces, 20 minutes north of Ubud, arriving before 9:00 AM to beat the crowds. Walk the cascading paddies for an hour, then continue 15 minutes east to Tirta Empul water temple for the sacred purification ritual. Bring dry clothes and a waterproof phone pouch. After lunch, visit Gunung Kawi, the atmospheric 11th-century rock-carved royal tombs reached by descending 300 steps through rice paddies. Return to Ubud for dinner at Locavore or the more casual Hujan Locale. Day ten offers flexible options. Take a morning cooking class (IDR 300,000 to 500,000 for a half-day including market visit), cycle through the rice paddies on a guided tour, try white-water rafting on the Ayung River (IDR 350,000 to 500,000 for two hours), or simply relax at your hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Ubud Art Market for handmade souvenirs -- bargain to about 30 to 40 percent of the opening price. End the day with a Balinese massage at Karsa Spa, set among rice paddies on the edge of town.

Leave Ubud on day eleven for the 90-minute drive east to Sidemen, a serene valley beneath Mount Agung. Sidemen is old Bali at its purest: terraced rice paddies stretching to the volcano, traditional weaving workshops, and almost no tourist infrastructure beyond a handful of guesthouses and warungs. Check in, drop your bags, and spend the afternoon walking through the terraces with Mount Agung looming overhead. If the sky is clear, the view from the terraces is one of the finest landscapes in all of Indonesia. Visit a local weaving workshop where women create intricate ikat and songket textiles using techniques passed down for generations. A lesson costs IDR 150,000 to 250,000. On the morning of day twelve, drive 90 minutes northeast to Amed on the far east coast. The route passes through the village of Besakih, where you can stop at Bali's mother temple if you have not already visited. The road from Besakih to Amed winds through dramatic volcanic landscapes with views of Mount Agung's flank and the deep blue sea ahead. Amed is a string of quiet fishing villages along a black-sand coastline, famous for world-class diving and snorkeling. The USAT Liberty shipwreck at nearby Tulamben is one of the most accessible wreck dives anywhere, lying in just 5 to 30 meters of water only 30 meters from shore. Non-divers can snorkel directly over the wreck for free or rent gear for IDR 50,000. A two-dive trip with a certified operator costs IDR 800,000 to 1,200,000 including equipment. Spend the afternoon at the Japanese shipwreck snorkeling spot in Amed bay, where colorful coral and tropical fish thrive on the remains of a small vessel in shallow water. Watch the sunset from a beachfront warung with fresh-grilled fish and a Bintang. Amed is also known for its traditional salt farming: if you visit in dry season, you can see farmers evaporating seawater in hollowed-out palm trunks along the beach.

Day thirteen takes you on a three-hour scenic drive from Amed across the top of Bali to Lovina on the north coast. The route follows the narrow coastal road through fishing villages and past volcanic black-sand beaches before climbing over the central highlands and descending to the Buleleng coast. This is one of Bali's most spectacular drives, passing through landscapes that most tourists never see. Lovina is the main town on the north coast, known for its calm black-sand beaches, dolphin watching, and a fraction of the tourist development found in the south. In the predawn darkness of day fourteen morning, board a traditional outrigger boat at 5:30 AM for a dolphin watching excursion. Pods of spinner dolphins are spotted on roughly 80 percent of trips, leaping and spinning in the first light of day. The trip costs IDR 100,000 to 150,000 per person and lasts about two hours. After returning, have breakfast at your hotel and check out. Drive 45 minutes south into the highlands to Munduk, a village perched at 800 meters elevation surrounded by clove plantations, coffee farms, and jungle waterfalls. The air here is noticeably cooler and fresher than the coastal lowlands. Spend the afternoon chasing waterfalls: Munduk Waterfall is a 15-meter cascade reached by a 20-minute jungle walk, Melanting Waterfall is a powerful 30-meter drop, and the twin Banyumala waterfalls are perhaps the most beautiful in all of Bali, reached by a steep 15-minute descent. Entrance fees are IDR 20,000 to 30,000 each. Visit a coffee plantation in Munduk to see how Balinese coffee and the controversial luwak (civet cat) coffee are produced. Most plantations offer free tastings of 10 or more varieties including coffee, cacao, vanilla, and ginger tea. Stay overnight in Munduk for the cool mountain air and star-filled sky, then transfer three hours south to the airport on day fifteen for your departure flight.

A 14-day Bali trip at mid-range comfort costs approximately USD 1,200 to 2,200 per person excluding international flights. Accommodation averages USD 30 to 80 per night depending on the area and standard, with Nusa Dua resorts at the top end and Amed guesthouses at the bottom. Food costs USD 15 to 30 per day eating a mix of local warungs and tourist restaurants. Activities, entrance fees, and tours total roughly USD 150 to 300 for the entire trip. Transport between areas is the logistical backbone of this itinerary. Here is a realistic breakdown of each transfer with approximate costs when hiring a private driver: Seminyak to Uluwatu (IDR 400,000, 60-90 minutes), Uluwatu to Nusa Dua (IDR 250,000, 30 minutes), Nusa Dua to Ubud (IDR 500,000, 90 minutes), Ubud to Sidemen (IDR 400,000, 90 minutes), Sidemen to Amed (IDR 500,000, 90 minutes), Amed to Lovina (IDR 600,000, 3 hours), Lovina to Munduk (IDR 300,000, 45 minutes), and Munduk to the airport (IDR 700,000, 3 hours). Total driver costs for all transfers: approximately IDR 3,650,000 (USD 230). For daily transport within each area, options vary. In Seminyak and Canggu, Grab ride-hailing is widely available and cheap. On the Bukit, a scooter rental at IDR 70,000 to 100,000 per day is most practical. In Ubud, walking and cycling cover most needs. In Sidemen, Amed, Lovina, and Munduk, arrange transport through your guesthouse as ride-hailing apps have limited coverage. The most cost-effective approach is to find a reliable driver on your first transfer and exchange WhatsApp numbers for future bookings.