Top 10 Things to Do in Bali: Costs, Times and Tips

This guide is part of our Bali Travel Guide — start there for the overview, itineraries and costs.

The top 10 things to do in Bali are the Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple, the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, the Tegallalang rice terraces, a sunrise trek up Mount Batur, sunset at Tanah Lot, a day trip to Nusa Penida, the purification pools of Tirta Empul, the Gate of Heaven at Lempuyang, a beach sunset in Seminyak or Canggu, and the waterfalls at Sekumpul and Tegenungan. Most entry fees sit between IDR 50,000 and IDR 150,000 (about US$3–8), and the list below gives the cost, best time, time needed and how to get there for each one.

Prices are 2026 rates for foreign adults, converted at about IDR 17,900 to US$1 (early October 2026) and rounded. Fees change often, so carry cash for entrances, parking and donations.

Top 10 Things to Do in Bali at a Glance

1. Watch the Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple

Pura Luhur Uluwatu stands on a sheer cliff at the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula, above the Indian Ocean. The amphitheatre beside it stages the Kecak fire dance at sunset: a chanting circle of performers telling a story from the Ramayana as the sky changes colour behind them.

• Cost: IDR 50,000 (about US$3) temple entry for foreign adults and IDR 30,000 for children; the Kecak dance is a separate ticket at IDR 150,000 (about US$8) for adults and IDR 75,000 for children, according to the temple's official management site. A sarong is required inside the grounds.
• Times: the temple is open 7am–7pm daily. The Kecak dance starts at 6pm, with access from 4pm.
• Best time: late afternoon. Arrive around 4pm to walk the clifftop paths before taking a seat.
• Getting there: about 45–60 minutes by car from Seminyak or Kuta, longer in evening traffic.
• Tip: resident macaques grab sunglasses, hats and phones; keep loose items in a closed bag.

For more to do in the area, see what to do in Uluwatu.

2. Walk Through the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Padangtegal, on the southern edge of central Ubud, is a protected forest with three temples, moss-covered statues and a ravine walk. It is home to more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques, which local Balinese regard as sacred.

• Cost: IDR 130,000 (about US$7) per foreign adult, per the sanctuary's official website.
• Times: 9am–6pm daily, last entry 5pm.
• Best time: soon after opening, before tour groups arrive and the midday heat builds.
• How long: 1–2 hours.
• Getting there: walkable from most central Ubud hotels; the entrance is on Jalan Monkey Forest.
• Tip: do not carry food, do not touch or feed the monkeys, and avoid eye contact with them. Bites and scratches happen, and staff are on hand if a monkey takes something.

More ideas nearby: what to do in Ubud.

3. Explore the Tegallalang Rice Terraces

Tegallalang, about 20–30 minutes' drive north of central Ubud, is Bali's best-known stretch of terraced rice fields, cut into a steep valley and irrigated by the traditional subak system.

• Cost: entry is about IDR 25,000–50,000 (about US$1.50–3) depending on which entrance you use. Farmers also collect small donations (often IDR 10,000–20,000) at points along the paths, and swings and photo spots cost extra.
• Best time: early morning, roughly 7am–9am, for softer light and fewer people.
• How long: 1–2 hours for a walk down and back.
• Getting there: by car or scooter from Ubud along Jalan Raya Tegallalang; it combines easily with Tirta Empul (number 7).
• Tip: wear shoes with grip. The paths are steep and slippery after rain.

4. Hike Mount Batur for Sunrise

Mount Batur (1,717 m) is an active volcano in Kintamani, inside a vast caldera with Lake Batur at its foot. The pre-dawn climb to watch the sun rise behind Mount Agung and Mount Abang is one of the most popular adventures in Bali.

• Cost: a registered local guide from the Mount Batur trekking guide association (PPPGB) is required, and trekkers who arrive without one can be turned away at the trailhead. Group tours with transport and breakfast typically cost about IDR 600,000–800,000 (about US$34–45) per person; private treks cost more.
• Times: hotel pick-up is usually around 2am, the climb starts at about 4am and takes 1–2 hours, reaching the top around sunrise.
• How long: about 4–5 hours on the mountain, back at your hotel by late morning.
• Tip: it is cold at the summit before dawn. Bring a warm layer, a head torch and shoes with grip for the loose volcanic gravel.

5. See Sunset at Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot, on the Tabanan coast about 20 km north-west of Denpasar, is a sea temple built on a rock outcrop in the surf. At high tide it is surrounded by water; at low tide it is possible to walk closer to the base when staff allow it. Only worshippers may climb to the temple itself.

• Cost: IDR 75,000 (about US$4) for foreign adults and IDR 40,000 for children, plus small parking fees.
• Times: generally 6am–7pm daily.
• Best time: sunset, arriving by about 4pm to find a spot on the clifftop; early morning is much quieter.
• How long: 1.5–2.5 hours.
• Getting there: about 30–60 minutes by car from Canggu or Seminyak, depending on traffic.
• Tip: check the tide table before you go if you want the "temple in the sea" view at high tide.

6. Take a Day Trip to Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is a large, rugged island off Bali's south-east coast, known for the T-Rex-shaped headland above Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach, Angel's Billabong and Diamond Beach, plus snorkelling with manta rays on organised boat trips.

• Cost: fast boats from Sanur cost about IDR 170,000–215,000 (about US$9.50–12) each way when booked online, and every visitor pays a local retribution fee of IDR 25,000 on arrival. Drivers or tours on the island are extra.
• Getting there: fast boats from Sanur Beach take about 30–45 minutes; a slower car ferry runs from Padang Bai.
• How long: a full day covers one side of the island.
• Best time: the dry season, when seas are calmer. Take an early boat to beat the crowds at the viewpoints.
• Tip: the island's roads are narrow and steep. A local driver is safer than renting a scooter, and the path down to Kelingking Beach is a steep scramble only for the sure-footed.

See also snorkelling in Bali.

7. Join the Purification Ritual at Tirta Empul

Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring, about 30–40 minutes north of Ubud, is a water temple built around a holy spring. Balinese Hindus come here to bathe under a row of carved spouts in the main pool as a purification ritual (melukat), and visitors may take part if they follow the temple's rules.

• Cost: about IDR 75,000 (about US$4) for foreign adults, with a sarong included. Visitors who join the ritual usually rent a separate sarong for the water and a locker.
• Times: 7am–5pm for visitors.
• Best time: early morning, before tour buses arrive.
• How long: 1–2 hours.
• Tip: watch how local worshippers move through the spouts before joining, and ask temple staff which spouts visitors should use.

8. Visit the Gate of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple

Pura Lempuyang in Karangasem, East Bali, is one of the island's oldest and most sacred temple complexes. Its split gate (candi bentar) frames Mount Agung, and a photo taken here, with a mirror held under the phone lens to create a "reflection", is one of the most shared images of Bali.

• Cost: IDR 100,000 (about US$5.50) for foreign visitors, plus IDR 50,000 for the return shuttle from the main parking terminal. Cars can no longer drive to the temple gate. Sarongs are required.
• Times: generally 7am–5pm.
• Best time: arrive at opening or before. Visitors who come mid-morning can wait two hours or more for their turn at the gate.
• How long: a half day at the temple, plus about 2 hours' drive each way from Denpasar; a full day if you add Besakih, Bali's "Mother Temple", on the slopes of Mount Agung, where foreign adults pay IDR 150,000 with a guide and shuttle included.
• Tip: the temple closes to tourists during major ceremonies. Bring cash, and expect to tip the photographer who takes the mirror shot.

9. Watch a Beach Sunset in Seminyak or Canggu

Bali's west-facing beaches, from Kuta north through Seminyak to Canggu, are where most visitors end the day. Seminyak has resort bars and beach clubs; Canggu (Batu Bolong, Echo Beach, Berawa) is known for surf and cafés.

• Cost: the beaches are free. Sunbeds, drinks, beach-club minimum spends and surf lessons cost extra and vary by venue.
• Best time: the last two hours before sunset in the dry season.
• How long: 2–3 hours.
• Tip: currents on this coast are strong. Swim only between the red-and-yellow flags where lifeguards are on duty.

Compare the options in Best Beaches in Bali: Six Worth the Trip, what to do in Seminyak and what to do in Canggu.

10. Chase the Waterfalls at Sekumpul and Tegenungan

Bali's interior has dozens of waterfalls. Two cover the range: Tegenungan, a wide, easy-to-reach fall about 30 minutes south of Ubud, and Sekumpul in Buleleng, North Bali, a cluster of tall falls in a jungle valley that many visitors rate as the island's most impressive.

• Tegenungan cost and times: about IDR 30,000 (about US$1.70), open 6:30am–6:30pm. Swimming is allowed in calm conditions but not after heavy rain.
• Sekumpul cost: fees are set by route. A viewpoint-only visit is about IDR 20,000; guided treks to the base cost about IDR 125,000–150,000 (2–3 hours) or IDR 200,000–250,000 for a longer route that adds the Fiji falls (4–5 hours). A local guide is included. Pay only at the official entrance.
• Getting there: Sekumpul is roughly 2–2.5 hours' drive from Ubud, so most visitors make it a full day.
• Best time: morning, in the dry season, when trails are safest.
• Tip: Sekumpul involves hundreds of steps and some river crossings. Wear shoes you can get wet.

Planning Tips

Getting Around

Most visitors use ride-hailing apps, a private driver or a scooter.

• Grab and Gojek: cheap and widely used, but some villages and transport cooperatives block app pick-ups, including at the airport and in parts of Ubud and Uluwatu. Walk to a nearby main road or use a local taxi or driver in those areas.
• Private driver: the easiest way to combine distant sights, such as Lempuyang and Besakih, or Tegallalang and Tirta Empul, in one day.
• Scooters: Indonesian law requires foreign riders to carry an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles, together with a home licence with a motorcycle endorsement. A car licence alone does not cover a scooter. Police run regular checks in Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Uluwatu and Ubud, and travel insurance is likely to refuse claims from unlicensed riders.

Temple Dress Code and Etiquette

Bali's tourist rules (Governor's Circular No. 4 of 2023) require visitors to dress modestly at temples and behave respectfully in sacred places. Wear a sarong and sash and cover your shoulders; most major temples include or rent sarongs at the entrance. Do not climb shrines or sacred trees, and do not enter the inner areas of a temple unless you are there to pray. Women who are menstruating are asked not to enter temple grounds.

Bali Tourist Levy

Every foreign visitor to Bali must pay a one-off tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about US$8) per person, in force since 14 February 2024. It is separate from your visa and from attraction entry fees, and is paid online through the provincial Love Bali system before or on arrival.

Best Time to Visit

The dry season, roughly April to October, is best for the Mount Batur trek, Nusa Penida boat crossings and waterfall hikes. The wet season, roughly November to March, brings short, heavy downpours, greener landscapes and fewer crowds. For a month-by-month breakdown, see the Bali weather guide.

How to Fit the Top 10 into One Trip

Use two bases: Ubud for numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and Tegenungan, and the south coast for Uluwatu, Tanah Lot and the beaches. Nusa Penida is easiest from Sanur. See where to stay in Bali.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the number one thing to do in Bali?

There is no official ranking, but the most popular experiences are the sunset Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple, the Monkey Forest and rice terraces around Ubud, and the Mount Batur sunrise trek.

How much does it cost to visit Bali's main attractions?

Most temple and attraction fees for foreign adults are IDR 50,000–150,000 (about US$3–8): for example IDR 50,000 at Uluwatu Temple, IDR 75,000 at Tanah Lot and Tirta Empul, IDR 130,000 at the Monkey Forest and IDR 150,000 at Besakih. Guided activities cost more, such as about IDR 600,000–800,000 for a group Mount Batur trek. All visitors also pay the IDR 150,000 tourist levy once per trip.

Is a guide required to climb Mount Batur?

Yes. A registered local guide from the Mount Batur trekking guide association is required, and hikers without one can be refused at the trailhead. Most visitors book a tour that includes transport, the guide and breakfast.

How many days do you need in Bali?

About a week is enough to see most of this top 10 at a comfortable pace, using two bases. With 10–14 days, you can add a night on Nusa Penida, a full day at Sekumpul and slower beach days.

Where should first-time visitors go in Bali?

Most first-time visitors split their stay between Ubud, for temples, rice terraces and the Monkey Forest, and the south coast, for beaches and sunsets at Seminyak, Canggu or Uluwatu, with a day trip to Nusa Penida from Sanur.