3 days in Bali: day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 3 of 13 free; 10 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 3 days, 9:30 to 17:51 each day
- Start and finish
- Campuhan Ridge Walk → Uluwatu Temple
- On foot
- ≈ 44 min in total
- Transport
- 5 rides, ≈ 2 h 30 min
- Lunch
- around 12:01
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- April to October is dry. In the rainy season showers usually come after lunch, so do the key sights in the morning.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Bali09:30–15:38 · 5 places · 6 h 10 min
Campuhan Ridge Walk
· 1 h 15 min · Free
- 13 min on foot
Saraswati Temple
· 30 min · Free; dance ≈ IDR 100,000
- 3 min on foot
Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)
· 30 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 3 min on foot
Ubud Art Market
· 1 h · Free
- 19 min · transport or taxi
Ubud Monkey Forest
· 1 h 15 min · IDR 130,000
Day 2 · Bali09:30–17:51 · 5 places · 8 h 20 min
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
· 1 h · ≈ IDR 50,000
- 45 min · transport or taxi
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
· 1 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 15,000–50,000
- Lunch · 1 h
- 11 min on foot
Luwak coffee plantations
· 45 min · Free; luwak ≈ IDR 50,000–100,000
- 26 min · transport or taxi
Gunung Kawi
· 1 h 15 min · ≈ IDR 50,000
- 14 min on foot
Tirta Empul Temple
· 1 h 15 min · ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000
Day 3 · Bali09:30–17:30 · 3 places · 8 h
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
· 2 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 125,000–150,000
- Lunch · 1 h
- 37 min · transport or taxi
Padang Padang Beach
· 2 h · ≈ IDR 15,000
- 23 min · transport or taxi
Uluwatu Temple
· 1 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 50,000–60,000
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
3 of 13 are free; 10 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 2 | Saraswati Temple | 45 | 30 min | free; dance ≈ IDR 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ubud Monkey Forest | 36 | 1 h 15 min | IDR 130,000 |
| 6 | Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) | 35 | 1 h | ≈ IDR 50,000 |
| 7 | Tegallalang Rice Terraces | 27 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ IDR 15,000–50,000 |
| 8 | Luwak coffee plantations | 34 | 45 min | Free; luwak ≈ IDR 50,000–100,000 |
| 9 | Gunung Kawi | 25 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ IDR 50,000 |
| 10 | Tirta Empul Temple | 24 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000 |
| 11 | Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park | 32 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ IDR 125,000–150,000 |
| 12 | Padang Padang Beach | 21 | 2 h | ≈ IDR 15,000 |
| 13 | Uluwatu Temple | 23 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ IDR 50,000–60,000 |
| Other 3 places | 3 h | Free | ||
| Total | 16 h 20 min | 3 of 13 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Campuhan Ridge Walk. Ridge path through tall grass above the jungle. Free; 1–1.5 hours there and back — best early morning.
- 2
Saraswati Temple. Saraswati Temple with its lotus pond in central Ubud. The pond courtyard is free; half an hour is enough.
- 3
Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung). Puri Saren royal palace with gates carved by Lempad. Free by day; evening dance ≈ IDR 100,000.
- 4
Ubud Art Market. Central market opposite the palace: sarongs, rattan bags, carvings. Start haggling at half the price.
- 5
Ubud Monkey Forest. Sacred forest with temples and about 1,260 macaques. IDR 130,000; put away food, glasses and anything dangling.
Day 2
- 6
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave). Elephant Cave with a demon-mouth entrance and an 11th-century bathing pool. ≈ IDR 50,000 incl. sarong; steep steps.
- 7
Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Bali's most famous rice terraces. Entry ≈ IDR 15,000–50,000 plus trail donations; swings cost extra.
- 8
Luwak coffee plantations. Coffee plantation with a free tea-and-coffee tasting; a cup of luwak ≈ IDR 50,000–100,000.
- 9
Gunung Kawi. Ten 11th-century shrines carved into the cliff by a river. ≈ IDR 50,000; about 300 steps down and back.
- 10
Tirta Empul Temple. Holy spring temple where you can join the purification bath. IDR 50,000–75,000; bring a sarong for the water.
Day 3
- 11
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. Park with the 120.9 m Vishnu-on-Garuda statue and dance shows. ≈ IDR 125,000–150,000, cheaper online.
- 12
Padang Padang Beach. Small white-sand cove below cliffs, 120 steps down. ≈ IDR 15,000; guard your things from monkeys.
- 13
Uluwatu Temple. Clifftop temple 70 m above the ocean. ≈ IDR 50,000–60,000; the sunset Kecak is a separate ≈ IDR 150,000 ticket.
Who this route is for
- A first, short trip
- Staying in Ubud with a last night by the sea
- Hiring a driver for the day
- Nusa Penida and the east — see the one-week itinerary
- Tanah Lot — see the 5-day itinerary
April to October is dry. In the rainy season showers usually come after lunch, so do the key sights in the morning.
How to spend 3 days in Bali
Bali is an island, not a city: you drive between areas and the roads are slow. So with three days, don't try to cover the whole island — pick two areas. Ubud is culture, temples and rice terraces; the Bukit in the south is ocean, cliffs and sunsets. Spend the first two nights in Ubud and the third in the south, closer to the airport.
Day one is all on foot: the Campuhan ridge is 15 minutes from the palace, the palace, market and Saraswati Temple are side by side, and the Monkey Forest is about 1.5 km down Monkey Forest Road. Days two and three work best with a driver, so you're not hunting for a taxi back from temples and the Bukit.
Remove any place with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another nearby — the times recalculate.
Day 2: rice terraces and water temples
Start early: tour buses reach Tegallalang by 9–10 am, and the temples at Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul get hot by midday. Goa Gajah and Gunung Kawi have steep stairs — about 300 steps down to the river and back. At Tirta Empul you can join the purification bath under the spouts; bring dry clothes and a towel.
Have lunch at a café overlooking the terraces. The coffee plantation near Tegallalang is a short stop: the tea and coffee tasting is usually free, a cup of luwak costs extra.
Day 3: the Bukit and an Uluwatu sunset
The Bukit is the limestone peninsula in the south. Morning at Garuda Wisnu Kencana with its 120.9 m statue, a swim at Padang Padang, then Uluwatu Temple on its cliff for sunset. The Kecak dance starts at sunset — buy tickets in advance or arrive an hour early.
Monkeys live at Uluwatu and Padang Padang: take off your glasses and put away your phone. After sunset, a seafood dinner in Jimbaran is on the way to the airport.
More to see
With an extra day, head west to Tanah Lot and Taman Ayun, or up to Ulun Danu Bratan. A sunrise on Mount Batur is a separate night-time trip with a guide. In the evening in Ubud, catch a dance at Saraswati Temple or the palace.
How to do it right
- Two nights in Ubud, the third in the south near the airport.
- Hire a car with driver for days two and three.
- In temples wear a sarong and sash with shoulders covered; sarongs are lent at almost every entrance, usually included in the ticket.
- Pay in Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants, but temple tickets, parking, donations and warungs are cash. Grab and Gojek are the easiest way to call a car.
- In the rainy season, do terraces and temples in the morning — showers usually come after lunch.
Questions
Is 3 days in Bali enough?
For the highlights of Ubud and the south, yes. The east, the highlands and Nusa Penida need 3–4 more days.
What should I do with 3 days in Bali?
Central Ubud and the Monkey Forest, Tegallalang and Tirta Empul, then the Bukit: GWK, Padang Padang and an Uluwatu sunset.
Where should I stay for 3 days in Bali?
Two nights in Ubud and one in the south — Jimbaran, Uluwatu or Nusa Dua.
Can I do this itinerary without a tour?
Yes: day one on foot in Ubud, the other two with a driver or Grab and Gojek.
How much do the entry tickets cost?
Roughly IDR 700,000–900,000 per person over three days, excluding the driver, Kecak and food.
When is the Kecak dance at Uluwatu?
At sunset; it's a separate ticket of about IDR 150,000.
Can tourists bathe at Tirta Empul?
Yes, visitors can join the purification ritual; bring a sarong for the water and dry clothes.
How do I pay in Bali?
Pay in Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants, but temple tickets, parking, donations and warungs are cash. Grab and Gojek are the easiest way to call a car.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- UNESCO: Cultural Landscape of Bali Province, the Subak System (no. 1194)
