7 Days in Bali: Interior, Islands and the Surf Coast
A week runs inland to island to coast. Three nights in Ubud: terraces and temples, the Batur sunrise, and an early run east to the Lempuyang gate, Tirta Gangga and Sidemen. One night on Nusa Penida so Kelingking is at dawn and the mantas are by boat. Then Uluwatu for the coves and Kecak, and Canggu for a surf lesson at Batu Bolong and a beach-club sunset before flying out.
7 days in Indonesia at a glance
| Day | Based in | What you do | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ubud | Arrive, settle, and the Monkey Forest before dark | Airport to Ubud about 1 |
| 2 | Ubud | Terraces at dawn, the Pakerisan temples, waterfalls in the afternoon | All within 30 to 45 minutes of Ubud |
| 3 | Ubud | Batur sunrise, hot springs, rest | Ubud to Toya Bungkah 1 |
| 4 | Ubud | East Bali: Sidemen, Tirta Gangga and the Lempuyang gate | Ubud to Lempuyang 1 |
| 5 | Nusa Penida | Cross to Penida and see the west in the golden hour | Ubud to Sanur about 1 hour |
| 6 | Uluwatu | Kelingking at dawn, mantas by boat, back to the mainland | Boat to Sanur 45 minutes |
| 7 | Canggu | Uluwatu's coves in the morning, Canggu's surf and sunset to finish | Uluwatu to Canggu 1 to 1 |
A week is where Bali starts to make sense as one island rather than a list of places. Three nights in Ubud allow a day for the volcano, a day for the temples and waterfalls, and a day for the east, where Sidemen's terraces and Tirta Gangga's water palace are the calm version of the postcard. A night on Nusa Penida turns the island from an exhausting day trip into two good ones, with Kelingking at dawn before the boats arrive and the manta cleaning stations by boat. The last two nights split the south coast between Uluwatu's cliffs and Canggu's surf.
The route runs inland to island to coast so that the earliest starts, Batur and the Penida crossing, come while you are still fresh, and the surf and beach clubs come at the end when you are not.
First visits with a full week, couples, and anyone who wants the islands done properly rather than in a rush.
Arrive, settle, and the Monkey Forest before dark
Most flights land in the afternoon, and the ninety-minute drive to Ubud through the traffic is the first lesson in island distances. Walk the centre, see the lotus pond at Saraswati temple, and if there is an hour of light left, the Monkey Forest with the bag zipped. Early dinner; the terraces are at dawn tomorrow.
Book the airport transfer at a fixed price; the app at the arrivals hall is where first-day overcharging happens.
Terraces at dawn, the Pakerisan temples, waterfalls in the afternoon
Tegallalang before 8:30, walking down through the paddies while they are still mirrors. Tirta Empul for the purification, done properly or watched from the side, then Gunung Kawi's cliff shrines if the steps appeal. Lunch in Ubud. The waterfalls east of town in the afternoon: Tibumana for the setting, Kanto Lampo for the photograph, Tukad Cepung skipped because its light beams are a nine-to-eleven event.
Wear shoes that grip and can get wet; every waterfall injury is a slip on rock, not the water.
Batur sunrise, hot springs, rest
Two in the morning pickup, torchlight to the rim, a cold forty minutes waiting for the sun to come up behind Agung, eggs from the steam vents, hot springs on the lake. Jeep to the flank viewpoint for anyone not walking. Back in Ubud by late morning and the rest of the day is a pool and a massage; tomorrow is another early one.
Bring a real jacket and a headtorch. The summit is often under 12°C and the guides' spare jackets run out.
East Bali: Sidemen, Tirta Gangga and the Lempuyang gate
An early start east, because the famous gate at Lempuyang, Mount Agung framed between two stone halves, has a queue for the photo that is commonly an hour by mid-morning. Know before you go that the reflection in the picture is a piece of glass held under the lens; there is no lake. Then Tirta Gangga's water palace with its stepping stones across the carp pools, calm and beautiful, and lunch in the Sidemen valley, whose terraces are as fine as Tegallalang's with nobody in them. Back to Ubud by evening.
Leave by six. The difference between six and eight at Lempuyang is the difference between a five-minute wait and an hour.
Cross to Penida and see the west in the golden hour
A midday boat from Sanur, calmer than the dawn rush and emptier, and check in on the island. The west side in the late afternoon, when the day-trip vans are heading for the harbour: Broken Beach's arch and Angel's Billabong at low tide if the sea is calm, then Crystal Bay for a swim and the sunset. Kelingking is tomorrow, at dawn, on purpose.
Penida's roads are rough and slow; a driver arranged through the tour or guesthouse beats a rented scooter here.
Kelingking at dawn, mantas by boat, back to the mainland
At the Kelingking viewpoint before eight with the cliff to yourself, which is the whole reason for the overnight; the climb down to the sand only if fit and shod for it, and no swimming at the bottom whatever the day looks like. Then a boat along the south-west coast to the manta cleaning stations at Manta Point or Manta Bay, floating still while the rays circle below, with Crystal Bay's coral on the way back. An afternoon boat to Sanur and the drive to Uluwatu for the Kecak at sunset if the timing holds; if it does not, the dance is tomorrow.
Manta Point takes open-ocean swell and operators divert or cancel on big days. Trust that call.
Uluwatu's coves in the morning, Canggu's surf and sunset to finish
A cove at the right tide first thing, Padang Padang or Balangan, before the stairs are in full sun. Then north along the coast to Canggu, an hour and a half, for a surf lesson at Batu Bolong where the wave is slow and forgiving on a longboard, and the evening at a beach club on the black sand facing west. Fly out from here the next morning; forty-five minutes to the airport at dawn, two hours by afternoon.
Reserve a beach-club day bed for three o'clock onwards if sunset is the goal; they run on minimum spends redeemed on food and drink.
Planning this trip
Getting around
A private driver by the day on the mainland, at a flat rate with fuel, and a driver arranged on Penida for the island's roads. Scooters are for licensed, experienced riders only; the surfaces on Penida and the lanes in Canggu catch out the rest. Apps work in the south and are restricted for pickups in central Ubud.
Boats
Sanur to Penida is 45 minutes by fast boat. Take a midday crossing out and an afternoon crossing back to avoid the day-trip rush both ways, and book both when you book the first. Dry bag for phones and passports; boarding can mean wading.
Nyepi and ceremonies
Nyepi, in March on a moving date, closes the airport and the island for a day. Galungan and Kuningan, on a 210-day cycle, fill the roads with bamboo penjor and the temples with ceremonies; nothing closes but drivers run late. A driver who is local will know which temple has a ceremony that morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is one night on Nusa Penida enough?
Yes, and it transforms the island. Arriving midday and leaving the next afternoon gives the west side in the golden hour, Kelingking at dawn before the boats, and the mantas by boat, with calmer crossings than the day-trip schedule.
Should I do Ubud or the coast first?
Ubud first. The earliest starts, the Batur trek and the Lempuyang gate, are best done while fresh, and the surf and beach clubs at the end need no alarm.
Is Lempuyang worth the drive?
With a six o'clock departure, yes: the gate with Agung behind it is extraordinary in early light. By mid-morning the queue for the photo is an hour and the reflection everyone posts is glass held under a phone. Tirta Gangga and Sidemen on the same day are the calm half of the trip.
Can beginners surf in Canggu?
Yes, at Batu Bolong, where the wave breaks slowly over sand a long way out and every school on the beach teaches. Two-hour lessons with an instructor in the water are the standard.
Book the guided parts of this trip
Every tour above runs with a verified local operator.
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