“The Paradise Island”, “The Island of Gods”, “The Island of a Thousand Temples”, “The Last Paradise on Earth” – these are some of the names that have been used to describe the lush and magical island of Indonesia, by people who have truly experienced this paradise on earth. While Bali is filled with untouched forests, volcanoes, beaches, temples and rice fields, it also offers diverse nightlife, lip smacking Balinese cuisine and unimaginable spas for your relaxation.
While any number of days on this island isn’t enough, exploring Bali in 7 days is certainly adequate to enjoy the luxuries of the island, while exploring its sheer raw beauty. Read on to get an idea on how to discover Bali in 7 days!
Exploring Bali in 7 Days – How We Structured The Trip
Bali has just one international airport, the Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport (airport code DPS), so you will fly into this airport, which is around a 30 minute drive from Denpasar, the capital of Bali. From the airport, you will first head north to Ubud, followed by a drive down to Candidasa on the west, and finally down south to Seminyak, which is your final location for the trip and is closest to the airport. Scroll down for a view of the Google map that highlights the entire trip. We spent 8 nights in Bali, but since we arrived at Ubud late in the night, this itinerary will cover how to visit Bali in 7 days.
Now, Bali is on the other side of the globe from USA, so the travel duration is well over 20 hours, whether you fly in from the West Coast, just like us, or from the East Coast. We like to travel comfortably and luxuriously, so we traveled in business class, which meant we arrived feeling fresh and energetic!. We highly recommend you travel in business class, else you are going to be extremely tired from the long flights, and the first few days will be lost recovering from exhaustion.
Remember that you can afford to splurge since the US dollar is VERY strong compared to the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). So, everything else for your vacation including hotels, sightseeing and food are going to be economical, so you can afford to splurge on hotels too! Check out our take on how much does it cost to go to Bali for 7 days to get more details. Just don’t forget to tip generously to the cab drivers, hotel staff, valet etc. Their main source of income is the tip that they receive from the tourists so tip generously!
Exploring Bali in 7 Days – Where To Stay
Since Bali is a known tourist location, it is filled with hotels and resorts that can suit anyone’s budget and taste. Again, since the USD goes a long way compared to IDR, you will be quite surprised that even the top luxury resorts are quite economical here.
In Ubud, pick a hotel that is surrounded by rainforests or overlooking one, as you will get to enjoy the tranquility of nature around you.
We stayed at the Ulun Ubud Resort & Spa, and the experience was breathtaking. Our suite was conveniently located near the infinity pool that overlooks the rainforest, and we honestly couldn’t have asked for more.
Candidasa is a very small seaside town, so you can pick any one of the sea-facing resorts to continue your luxurious vacation.
Seminyak is closest to the airport and is the largest beach resort area, hence is filled with tourists from all over the world. You have a ton of options to choose from for your stay, beach-front or not. Since we had already enjoyed the beach-front at Candidasa, we chose to stay a bit away from the noisy part of the town.
Read this article if you want to know how much does it cost to go to Bali for a couple.
Exploring Bali in 7 Days – How To Get Around
It’s very easy to get around, you just need to book a cab with the hotel that you will be staying in. The cab service is extremely economical since the USD is a very powerful currency, so you don’t rent a car at all. Just be sure to make your arrangements in advance with the hotel and you will be all set.
The Best 7 Day Bali Itinerary
Day 1: Explore Ubud.
Ubud is located inland in Bali, and is surrounded by rainforests and rice fields. After having a sumptuous breakfast at your hotel, head to the Ubud Palace that is located in the center of Ubud. The palace used to be the home of Ubud’s royal family and is a historical landmark for the Balinese people, but some sections of it are now open to the public.
It’s quite a small palace so expect to spend an hour here. They also conduct traditional Balinese dance performances in the evenings, which we will get to on day 2. But do book the tickets for the dance in advance when you are here.
Next, walk down to the Ubud Art Market which is essentially a long street of vendors selling local Balinese arts and crafts. This is one of the best places for you to pick up souvenirs and gifts for your family, friends or for yourself!
The center of Ubud is lined with Hindu temples, so visit as many of them as you wish.
After spending a couple of hours here, head back to your hotel.
We certainly went back to our resort as we wanted to spend quality time enjoying the scenic beauty of the rainforest at the infinity pool, while sipping cocktails from their poolside bar.
Day 2: Visit Tegalalang Rice Terraces and Ubud Monkey Forest in Ubud.
Today, you will visit the Tegalalang Rice Terraces that are considered the most famous rice fields in all of Bali, and one of the highlights of this Bali in 7 days trip. The location feels as if you have been transported to an unbelievable picturesque spot!
This is a very touristy spot, so expect a lot of tourists out here. The famous Bali Swing is located here, where you can swing over the Balinese jungle if you are feeling adventurous. My profile picture is from this rice field if you haven’t noticed it yet!
Next, head to the one of the most exciting parts of your vacation, the Ubud Monkey Forest! As the name suggests, the forest is filled with monkeys! Easily spend an hour watching the playful monkeys doing their antics; just be careful when you get close to them so that they don’t bite or scratch you.
Head back to the hotel, have some rest in your suite or take a dip in the infinity pool once again and enjoy the serenity of the space around you.
In the evening, you will go back to the Ubud Palace to watch their traditional Balinese dance. The performance lasts an hour and a half, so you can choose to have dinner nearby before heading back to the hotel.
Day 3: Head to Candidasa and visit Lotus Lagoon.
Today, you will head east to a small seaside town known as Candidasa.
Other than the Lotus Lagoon for which it is widely known, Candidasa has many white-sand beaches and temples as its main tourist attractions. The drive from Ubud to Candidasa is roughly over an hour, so make arrangements with your Candidasa hotel to pick you up from Ubud. After arriving at your hotel, and checking in, make a quick trip to the Lotus Lagoon. It is essentially a pond on a main road that’s filled with lotuses during full bloom. This is a quick stop spot, so you won’t need to spend more than 10-15 minutes here.
Return to the hotel and spend the rest of the day lounging in the pool of your hotel or at the beach. This trip is meant to be a relaxing one for you, so take it easy and relax!
Day 4: Walk to the Gates Of Heaven.
Today, you will visit one of the two famous and historical temples in the area. After breakfast, head to the Pura Lempuyang, where the iconic “gates of heaven” are located. This temple is about an hour drive away from the hotel. Since this is an extremely well-known destination for tourists, expect a long queue to get to the “gates of heaven”.
After capturing your favorite memories, if you are up for the challenge, you can climb 1,700 steps if you want to get to the top of the steepest temple that is atop a mountain! You will end up spending at least half a day for this visit. You will be exhausted from the visit, so return to the hotel and relax at one of the pools for the rest of the day.
Day 5: Visit Goa Lawah Temple and head to Seminyak.
After checking out from the Candidasa hotel, drive down south to Seminyak, which is roughly under 2 hours. On the way, around 30 minutes from Candidasa, lies the Goa Lawah temple, which is your only stop during the drive. Goa Lawah means “Bat Cave”, so the temple is actually a complex that’s built around a cave which is filled with bats.
Plan to spend around 30 minutes in this temple before you resume your journey to Seminyak. Now, the temple is on the same route that you took when you drove to Candidasa from Ubud. You can visit this temple on day 3 enroute to Candidasa if that works better for you.
After you have checked in to your suite, rest of the day is for you to explore nearby, or, if you have booked the suite with the private pool like we did, spend the rest of the time enjoying in the suite with your family!
Day 6: Visit Uluwatu Temple and Tanah Lot Temple.
As I mentioned before, Seminyak is a popular beach resort area, so it is loaded with tourists. The most common things to do here are spending time at the beach, shopping, food, nightclubs and spa treatments. We have saved day 7 for you to do this, so, today, you will visit two of the important temples in the area. You will start with a visit to Uluwatu Temple, which is located on a cliff in the southern-most tip of Bali.
The drive from Seminyak is under an hour to the temple. Soak yourself with the impressive views of the water from the temple grounds. Plan to spend 1-2 hours at the temple before you head to your next destination, Tanah Lot Temple. The drive is over an hour.
Spend an hour here before you decide where to spend the rest of your day. I would suggest you check out the local markets for souvenirs and gifts, all of which are at a walking distance from the hotel. Or, book a spa treatment or a massage at your hotel or jump back into your private pool!
Day 7: Spend the day at a beach in Seminyak.
This is the last day as you finish exploring Bali in 7 days. You have traveled this far to an island known for its beaches, so you will spend the day (or half-day) at any of Seminyak’s popular beaches – Double Six Beach, Batu Belig Beach, Petitenget Beach or Seminyak Beach. All of these beaches are incredibly popular so expect to see a lot of crowd on the beach. You can rent daybeds here and enjoy the white-sand and the views of the ocean. These aren’t the only beaches in Seminyak, there are many more, but these are amongst the popular ones.
It’s up to you if you want to spend the entire day at the beach or spend half a day here and spend the rest of the time in the hotel. But, today is the last day of your trip, so depending on when you are ready to bid goodbye to Bali, plan your day accordingly.
Bali in 7 Days – The Itinerary Map
Need Help Planning Your Vacation?
Through our article, we hope you now have a great idea on how to see the sights of Bali in 7 days. If you are looking for help in planning your trip, email us and we can create an itinerary that will be a perfect fit for you and your family to discover Bali in 7 days!