Bali in 3 days: a first-timer's walking itinerary (2026)
This is the route we would hand a friend visiting Bali for the first time. Each day is eight stops in walking order, timed so the busy places come before the tour groups and the viewpoints land near sunset. Prices were checked in November 2026; where a price is older or not published, we say so.
Open the interactive 3D route →Day 1 · Ubud on foot: Monkey Forest, the palace, the ridge walk and a palace dance
A walking day in Ubud. Enter the Sacred Monkey Forest when it opens, stroll up Monkey Forest Road to Ubud Palace and the art market, and eat lunch on Jalan Goutama. Rest through the hottest hours, then walk the Campuhan Ridge in the softer late-afternoon light, see the lotus pond of Saraswati Temple at dusk (sunset about 6:15–6:25pm) and finish with the 7:30pm dance in the palace courtyard.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
About 10 hectares of tall forest, ravines and moss-covered temples, home to more than a thousand long-tailed macaques. Early in the day it's cooler and calmer.
Price: Rp130,000 foreign adult · Rp100,000 child 3–12 · Hours: 9am–6pm daily, ticket counter until 5pm
Tip: Put away sunglasses, hats, loose bags and anything that looks like food before you enter, and don't touch or feed the monkeys. If one climbs on you, stay calm and keep walking slowly. The stone paths are slippery after rain.
Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)
The palace of Ubud's royal family, built in its present form in the early 1800s, with carved gates and red-brick courtyards at the crossroads of the town.
Price: Free · Hours: Daytime; part of the palace is a private royal home (check)
Tip: Only the front courtyards are open; the family still lives inside. Dress modestly and keep voices low. You'll come back tonight for the dance, so this visit can be short.
Ubud Art Market
Rows of stalls across from the palace selling sarongs, rattan bags, wood carvings, batik and souvenirs.
Price: Free · bargain for goods · Hours: Daytime; stalls keep their own hours (check)
Tip: Ask the price, offer politely and settle with a smile; the Bali do's and don'ts ask visitors not to bargain aggressively. Buy a sarong here if you need one for the temples.
Jalan Goutama · lunch
A narrow lane between Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Hanoman, lined with small warungs serving nasi campur, babi guling, gado-gado and smoothie bowls.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Lunch and dinner; varies by warung
Tip: Many warungs are cash only: carry small rupiah notes. Afterwards rest at your hotel through the hottest hours; November showers often arrive in the afternoon.
Pura Gunung Lebah · ridge start
An old temple where two rivers meet at Campuhan; the ridge walk begins on the path beside it.
Price: Free · Hours: Path open all day; temple open for worship only (check)
Tip: Look from the path; temple courtyards are for worshippers. If it is raining hard, skip the exposed ridge and visit the Puri Lukisan art museum on Jalan Raya Ubud instead.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
A paved path along a grassy ridge between two jungle valleys, with palms, rice fields and wide views; one of the easiest nature walks from town.
Price: Free · Hours: Open all day; best early morning or late afternoon
Tip: Turn back where the views open at the top and head down before dark. There is little shade: bring water and a hat. The paving is slippery when wet.
Saraswati Temple (Pura Taman Saraswati)
A temple to Saraswati, goddess of learning and the arts, built in 1951–52 to a design by the artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, approached across a lotus pond that glows at dusk.
Price: Rp50,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: Daytime and evening (check)
Tip: Cover shoulders and knees and wear a sarong in the temple grounds. Eat dinner on Jalan Kajeng or Jalan Raya Ubud nearby before the 7:30pm show.
Evening dance at Ubud Palace
Gamelan music and dancers in gold costumes in the palace courtyard, with the carved gate as the stage. Legong is the classic; Barong or Ramayana may play on other nights.
Price: Rp100,000–150,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: Nightly about 7:30pm, about 75–90 min; the programme changes by night (check)
Tip: Buy a ticket from the sellers near the palace during the day or online, and arrive 20–30 minutes early for a good seat. Bring insect repellent. Kecak in Ubud is held at other temples on some nights (check).
Day 2 · Terraces & holy springs: Rice terraces at dawn, a holy spring and shrines cut into rock
Leave Ubud at about 6:30am with a car and driver. Walk Tegallalang's rice terraces before the crowds and the heat, browse the craft road, then visit the quiet water temple of Gunung Kawi Sebatu. Join the purification pools at Tirta Empul, a spring temple founded about 962 AD, eat in the lane outside, and walk down 371 steps to the 11th-century shrines of Gunung Kawi carved into the cliffs of the Pakerisan River. Back in Ubud by mid-afternoon, before the usual rain.
Tegallalang rice terraces · viewpoint
Steep green terraces watered by subak, Bali's traditional shared irrigation, seen from the road edge before the valley fills with visitors.
Price: Rp25,000–50,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: From early morning (check)
Tip: Ubud to Tegallalang is about 20 minutes by car. Book a car with driver for the whole day the night before; return rides by app can be hard to find out here.
Down through the terraces
Narrow paths drop to the stream and climb the other side, past palms, irrigation channels and farmers at work.
Price: Included in entry · farmers may ask a small donation on some paths · swings extra · Hours: Morning is cooler and quieter (check)
Tip: Wear shoes with grip: the mud steps are slippery in rainy-season November. Small donation points on private paths are normal; carry Rp5,000–10,000 notes. Swings and photo nests are separate paid businesses.
Tegallalang craft road
The road south of the terraces is lined with workshops and shops selling carved wood, rattan, bowls and lamps, many made in the villages around.
Price: Free · bargain for goods · Hours: Shops open from about 9am (check)
Tip: Prices are often lower than in central Ubud. Ask your driver to wait while you browse; for large items, ask the shop about shipping.
Gunung Kawi Sebatu
A quiet water temple in Sebatu village, with spring-fed pools, carp and shrines reflected in still water; usually calmer than Tirta Empul.
Price: Rp50,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: Sarongs are lent at the entrance. Stay on the paths; the bathing pools are for worshippers.
Tirta Empul
A spring temple founded around 962 AD. Water rises in a clear pool and flows through about 30 spouts where Balinese come for melukat, ritual purification.
Price: Rp75,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: About 8am–6pm (check)
Tip: Wear the sarong provided and go into the pool only if you want to join respectfully: pray or pause quietly at each spout, moving from left to right. Some spouts are for specific rites (for the dead); ask the temple staff which to skip. Lockers and changing rooms are on site.
Tirta Empul market lane · lunch
The exit path from Tirta Empul runs through a lane of souvenir stalls, with simple warungs around the car park for nasi campur, mie goreng and fresh coconuts.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Daytime; varies by stall
Tip: Change into dry clothes first. Count your change carefully and decline politely if you don't want to buy.
Gunung Kawi
Ten shrines carved into the cliffs on both banks of the Pakerisan River in the 11th century, reached by a stone stairway through rice terraces.
Price: Rp75,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: About 8am–7pm (check)
Tip: About 371 steps down and back up: take water and go slowly in the heat. Steps are slippery in rain. A sarong is lent at the entrance.
Pakerisan River path
Below the shrines a path follows the river past rice paddies and smaller niches, a peaceful end before the drive back.
Price: Included in Gunung Kawi entry · Hours: Same as Gunung Kawi (check)
Tip: Don't wade in the river after heavy rain. Then drive back to Ubud (about 30–40 minutes) before the usual mid-afternoon showers.
Day 3 · Uluwatu cliffs & Kecak: Cliff beaches, a sea temple and Kecak at sunset
Head south to the Bukit peninsula (about 1.5–2 hours from Ubud, less from Seminyak or Jimbaran). Climb down to Bingin and Padang Padang, two coves below the limestone cliffs, eat in Labuansait and rest through midday. In the late afternoon peek into Suluban's surf cave, then walk the cliff path at Uluwatu Temple, about 70 m above the sea, and watch the 6pm Kecak fire dance as the sun sets (about 6:15–6:25pm).
Bingin Beach
A strip of sand below cliff-hugging guesthouses, reached by steep steps; at low tide reef pools appear and surfers paddle out to the break.
Price: Free · parking fee · Hours: Open all day; best at low tide (check)
Tip: The reef is sharp and shallow at low tide: wear reef shoes and swim only where it's calm. Expect a long climb back up in the heat.
Padang Padang Beach
About 110 m of white sand in a cliff cove, reached by steps and a narrow passage through the rock; a famous surf break and a filming spot for Eat Pray Love.
Price: Rp15,000 · Hours: Daytime (check)
Tip: Monkeys on the stairs grab sunglasses, phones and food: keep them in a closed bag. Swim inside the cove only when the waves are small; the surf break is for experts.
Labuansait · lunch
The road above Padang Padang has warungs and surf cafés serving nasi goreng, grilled fish, juices and smoothie bowls.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Lunch; varies by place
Tip: Rest somewhere cool from about 2pm; the Bukit has little shade and showers may roll in. Buy water for the temple visit.
Suluban Beach (Blue Point)
Stairs wind down past cliff cafés to a cave and a hidden beach where surfers paddle out to the Uluwatu waves.
Price: Rp5,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) · Hours: Daytime; the cave beach is reachable only at low tide (check)
Tip: Check the tide before you go down: at high tide the cave floods and the beach disappears. Watch your footing on wet rock.
Uluwatu Temple gate · tickets
The entrance through the forest where you pay, receive a sarong and sash, and buy Kecak seats for the evening.
Price: Rp60,000 foreign adult · Rp40,000 child 4–12 · Hours: 7am–7pm daily
Tip: Buy Kecak tickets online a few days ahead or at the counter early: the 6pm show is popular and seats are first come. Secure glasses, hats and phones before the forest path; the macaques here steal them.
Uluwatu Temple on the cliff
Pura Luhur Uluwatu stands at the edge of a cliff about 70 m above the Indian Ocean, one of Bali's guardian sea temples; the path along the wall gives the classic view.
Price: Included in entry · Hours: 7am–7pm (inner temple for worshippers only)
Tip: The inner courtyard is open only to people praying. Stay behind the low walls on the cliff edge, and hold your phone firmly for photos.
South cliff viewpoint
From the southern path you see the temple on its rock point with the ocean below, glowing in the late light.
Price: Included in entry · Hours: Until the temple closes (7pm)
Tip: Sunset in November is about 6:15–6:25pm, during the Kecak, so take your photos now and head to the stage by about 5:40pm.
Kecak fire dance
Dozens of men chant 'cak-cak-cak' in circles while dancers act out the Ramayana, ending with fire, on a stage above the sea as the sun goes down.
Price: Rp150,000 adult · Hours: Daily 6pm (a second 7pm show is listed by some guides; check)
Tip: Seats are unreserved; arrive early and sit in the middle or upper rows. After dark, traffic out of Uluwatu is slow: book your driver to wait, or note that app pickups can be hard here at night.
Top 10 places for a first visit
| # | Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary About 10 hectares of tall forest, ravines and mossy temples with more than a thousand long-tailed macaques. | Ubud | Rp130,000 foreign adult |
| 2 | Uluwatu Temple A sea temple on a cliff about 70 m above the Indian Ocean, one of Bali's guardian temples. | Uluwatu | Rp60,000 foreign adult |
| 3 | Uluwatu Kecak fire dance A chanting circle of men and Ramayana dancers on a cliff stage, timed with the sunset and ending in fire. | Uluwatu | Rp150,000 adult |
| 4 | Tegallalang rice terraces Steep green terraces watered by Bali's subak irrigation, about 20 minutes north of Ubud. | Tegallalang | Rp25,000–50,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) |
| 5 | Tirta Empul A spring temple founded about 962 AD, with purification pools fed by about 30 spouts. | Tampaksiring | Rp75,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) |
| 6 | Ubud Palace The royal palace at Ubud's crossroads, built in its present form in the early 1800s. | Ubud | Free |
| 7 | Evening dance at Ubud Palace Legong and other Balinese dances with a gamelan orchestra in the palace courtyard. | Ubud | Rp100,000–150,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) |
| 8 | Campuhan Ridge Walk A paved path along a grassy ridge between two jungle valleys on the edge of town. | Ubud | Free |
| 9 | Saraswati Temple A 1950s temple to the goddess of learning and the arts, approached over a lotus pond. | Ubud | Rp50,000 (2026 guide price · check on site) |
| 10 | Ubud Art Market Stalls of sarongs, rattan bags, carvings and batik opposite the palace. | Ubud | Free · bargain for goods |
Before you go
Entry
- Korean passports: visa on arrival or e-VOA: Korea is on Indonesia's visa-on-arrival list. In 2026 the fee was Rp500,000 for 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. Pay at the counter at Bali airport or buy an e-VOA in advance on the official portal, evisa.imigrasi.go.id. In August 2026 immigration announced a plan to raise the fee (Rp750,000 for e-VOA, Rp1 million on arrival) without a start date. Confirm the current fee with the official site before travel.
- Singapore passports: visa-free: Singapore citizens, as ASEAN nationals, can visit Indonesia without a visa for up to 30 days (not extendable). Confirm with the official immigration site before travel.
- All Indonesia arrival card (required): Since 1 September 2025 all international arrivals at Bali airport fill in the free All Indonesia declaration (immigration, customs and health in one) within 72 hours before arrival, at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or in the All Indonesia app. Show the QR code on arrival. Look-alike sites charge fees; the official one is free.
- Bali tourist levy: Rp150,000: Foreign visitors to Bali pay a one-time levy of Rp150,000 per person per trip, children included. Pay before you fly on the official Love Bali site (lovebali.baliprov.go.id) or app and keep the QR voucher on your phone; there is also a counter at the airport. Only the .go.id site is official. Holders of some resident and official visas are exempt; check the portal.
- Passport and tickets: Have at least 6 months left on your passport and a return or onward ticket.
SIM & eSIM
- eSIM before you fly: An eSIM installed at home works as soon as you land, for maps, Grab, Gojek and translation. Compare days and data, not just price.
- Local SIM: Phone shops and airport counters sell tourist SIMs; you register them with your passport. Airport prices are usually higher than in town.
- Offline maps: Download Ubud and the Bukit area in your map app: signal drops in the terraces, river valleys and on cliff stairs.
Getting around
- No metro: Bali has no metro or train. Most visitors use a car with a driver for day trips (a 2026 guide quotes about US$60 for a 10-hour day, per car), plus Grab or Gojek for short hops.
- Airport: From Ngurah Rai (DPS) it is about 1.5–2.5 hours to Ubud and usually under an hour to Uluwatu, depending on traffic. App pickups go through the Grab and Gojek counters outside arrivals, or book a hotel transfer.
- App pickup limits: Some local taxi groups don't allow Grab or Gojek pickups in their area: drivers may ask you to walk a short way to meet them, and some spots (such as Pandawa Beach and Echo Beach) are drop-off only. Pickups can also be scarce in rural areas and late at night, so keep your driver for the return.
- Scooters: Riding needs a valid licence for motorcycles (an international permit with the motorcycle class) and a helmet. Bali's tourist rules ban riding without a licence or against traffic rules.
- Traffic: Roads are narrow and slow. Allow extra time, especially around Ubud in the morning and on the road out of Uluwatu after sunset.
Money
- Rupiah, cash and cards: Hotels, cafés and malls take cards; warungs, temple donations, parking, beach fees and small stalls often want cash. Carry Rp2,000–50,000 notes.
- Licensed money changers only: Bali's rules ask visitors to change money only at licensed (authorised) money changers. Count your notes at the counter and avoid 'no commission' street booths.
- Count the zeros: Prices run into the hundreds of thousands. Check the total twice before you pay or tap your card.
Temples & local rules
- Temple dress code: Cover shoulders and knees and wear a sarong and sash at every temple; most big temples lend or rent them at the entrance. Inner courtyards are often open only to worshippers.
- Respect ceremonies: Don't step on canang sari (the small offerings on pavements), don't stand higher than priests or offerings, and give way to processions. Traditionally, people who are menstruating are asked not to enter temples; follow the signs at each site.
- Bali tourist do's and don'ts: Governor Circular No. 7 of 2025 asks visitors to dress modestly at holy sites, behave politely, not post disrespectful photos of places of worship, not litter, not work on a tourist visa and not use drugs. Confirm current rules on official sites.
- Monkeys and animals: At Ubud Monkey Forest, Uluwatu and Padang Padang, macaques grab glasses, hats, phones and food. Don't feed or touch them. Get medical help quickly after any monkey or dog bite or scratch.
- Water and sea safety: Drink bottled or filtered water. Swim only where it's calm: the Bukit's reefs are shallow and currents can be strong.
Weather in November
- Rainy season begins: November usually marks the start of the wet season: hot, humid days with short heavy showers, often in the afternoon. Mornings are the best time for terraces and temples.
- Heat: Expect around 27°C with high humidity in Ubud, hotter on the Bukit. Carry water, a hat and sunscreen, and rest at midday.
- Sunset: About 6:14pm on 1 November to 6:24pm on 30 November, which is why Day 3 ends with the 6pm Kecak at Uluwatu.
Sources
- Bali Live — Monkey Forest Ubud fees from 1 Apr 2026: foreign adult Rp130,000, open 9am–6pm, tickets until 5pm
- Wikipedia — Ubud Monkey Forest: about 10 ha, three temples, about 1,260 macaques (2023)
- Wikipedia — Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung): built 1800–1823, evening dance shows
- Abisena Ubud — Ubud Palace dance: nightly 7:30pm, about 75–90 min, Rp100,000–150,000 (2026, updated Oct 2026)
- Headout — Legong dance show at Ubud Palace: starts 7:30pm, about 90 min
- Bali Holiday Secrets — Bali entrance fees 2026 (updated 26 Sep 2026): Ubud, Tegallalang, Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi, Bukit beaches
- Wikipedia — Pura Taman Saraswati (1951–52, designed by I Gusti Nyoman Lempad), lotus pond
- Bali Holiday Secrets — Ubud transport guide 2026: driver about US$60 per 10-hour day, app no-go zones in central areas
- Bali Untold — Grab and Gojek in Bali: airport lounges, no-pickup zones (Echo Beach, Pandawa)
- Indonesia Travel (official) — Tegallalang rice terrace: subak irrigation, about 20 min north of Ubud
- Direktori Pariwisata (Ministry of Tourism) — Gunung Kawi Sebatu, Tegallalang district
- Wikipedia — Tirta Empul: spring temple founded around 962 AD, two pools with 30 spouts
- Bali Cheapest Tours — Tirta Empul guide (Jan 2026): 8am–6pm, sarong, purification order, lockers
- Wikipedia — Gunung Kawi: 11th-century rock-cut shrines on the Pakerisan River
- Bali Holiday Secrets — Gunung Kawi: about 1 km walk, 371 steps, sarong at the entrance
- Wikipedia — Padang Padang Beach: about 110 m of sand, steps and a rock passage, monkeys
- Jonny Melon — Padang Padang guide (Jan 2026): Rp15,000 entry, cave staircase, monkeys
- Jonny Melon — Melasti Beach guide (Jan 2026): Rp20,000 entry, facilities
- Wikipedia — Uluwatu Temple: on a cliff about 70 m above the sea, Kecak daily at 6pm, macaques
- Water Sports Bali — Uluwatu Temple fees checked 7 Jun 2026: foreign adult Rp60,000, open 7am–7pm, sarong included
- Hey Bali — Uluwatu 2026: entry from 3 Jan 2026, Kecak about Rp150,000 on site, two Kecak groups alternate days
- Bali Holiday Secrets — Uluwatu Kecak (Jan 2026): shows 6pm and 7pm, Rp150,000, seats first come
- sunrisesunset.io — Ubud sunset 6:14pm (1 Nov) to 6:24pm (30 Nov) 2026
- Wego — Bali tourist levy 2026: Rp150,000 once per trip, pay at lovebali.baliprov.go.id (updated 4 Jul 2026)
- Love Bali — official Bali tourist levy portal (Bali Provincial Government)
- Wego — Indonesia visa on arrival 2026: Rp500,000, Korea eligible, ASEAN visa-free 30 days (4 May 2026)
- The Star — Indonesia plans to raise VOA to Rp750,000 (e-VOA) / Rp1 million (on arrival), no start date (12 Aug 2026)
- Indonesia e-Visa / e-VOA — official portal (Directorate General of Immigration)
- All Indonesia arrival card — official portal (free, within 72 hours before arrival)
- Wego — All Indonesia arrival card: mandatory at Bali airport since 1 Sep 2025, free (8 Jun 2026)
- Badung Regency (official) — Bali Governor Circular No. 07 of 2025: do's and don'ts for foreign tourists
- Hey Bali — Tanah Lot Rp100,000 from 1 Apr 2026, Ulun Danu Beratan Rp100,000 from 1 Jul 2026
- Illustrated draft map by 3DAYS · positions approximate · real-data 3D map in preparation
Prices are for adults and can change; always check the official site on the day. Some ticket, hotel and eSIM links on 3DAYS are affiliate links: your price is the same and we may earn a commission. Rankings and routes are not paid placements.