25 Best Things to Do and See in Bali

Summit Mount Batur in the early morning for a spectacular sunrise
Summit Mount Batur in the early morning for a spectacular sunrise | © Konstantin Trubavin / Getty Images
Culture Trip Travel Team

Impetuous waves, enchanting rainforests, sacred volcanoes, sprawling rice terraces and timeless tradition. Sound like your kind of thing? These can all be experienced on the magical island of Bali, along with much more. Check out our guide to the top things to do here and get ready to be spoiled for choice on this dreamy Indonesian island.

Feeling inspired? Consider joining Culture Trip’s exclusive 12-day Bali tour, which includes visits to Ubud, Mount Batur and Canggu among many other fantastic destinations.

1. Nusa Penida by Private Boat

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Upgrade to a Premium Shared Boat option for a luxurious adventure to Nusa Penida. Enjoy a premium boat, professional photographer, welcome drinks, and two bottles of prosecco. Swim with Manta Rays, snorkel in coral havens, have a scenic lunch, and tour Kelingking Cliff. The package includes lagoon cruising, underwater photos, and videos. Extras like Jet Ski, drone, and fishing rods are available for private tours. Join us for an unforgettable day!
Adrenaline junkies will love this adventure combo: white-water rafting the Ayung River and ATV riding through Bali’s lush countryside. Discover hidden waterfalls and cool off with your rafting guide. After a buffet lunch, ride around rice paddies with a guide. Choose solo or tandem rides and upgrade to include hotel transfers for a seamless experience.

2. ATV Quad Bike Bali with Waterfall Gorilla Cave

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Explore Ubud’s countryside on a private ATV tour. After a safety briefing, follow your guide through rice paddies, plantations, jungles, and villages. This tour includes lunch and offers pickup and drop-off from many areas in Bali for a seamless adventure.
Adrenaline junkies will love this adventure combo: white-water rafting the Ayung River and ATV riding through Bali’s lush countryside. Discover hidden waterfalls and cool off with your rafting guide. After a buffet lunch, ride around rice paddies with a guide. Choose solo or tandem rides and upgrade to include hotel transfers for a seamless experience.

3. Ubud Private Tour

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Explore Ubud’s top attractions on this day tour. Visit Tegalalang Rice Terrace, Tegenungan Waterfall, Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, an art market for souvenirs, Puri Saren Palace, and Tirta Empul Temple with its natural springs. Experience Bali’s rich culture and scenic beauty in one comprehensive trip.Adrenaline junkies will love this adventure combo: white-water rafting the Ayung River and ATV riding through Bali’s lush countryside. Discover hidden waterfalls and cool off with your rafting guide. After a buffet lunch, ride around rice paddies with a guide. Choose solo or tandem rides and upgrade to include hotel transfers for a seamless experience.

4. Bali ATV Ride and White Water Rafting

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Adrenaline junkies will love this adventure combo: white-water rafting the Ayung River and ATV riding through Bali’s lush countryside. Discover hidden waterfalls and cool off with your rafting guide. After a buffet lunch, ride around rice paddies with a guide. Choose solo or tandem rides and upgrade to include hotel transfers for a seamless experience.

5. Uluwatu Sunset, Kecak Dance

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Experience Bali’s best Kecak dance performance on the Uluwatu cliffs, featuring a lively male choir, a demon king, and a flirtatious deer. This private tour includes a temple visit and a candlelight seafood feast. Your chauffeur will handle hotel pick-up and drop-off, ensuring a seamless, enchanting evening.

Snorkelling in Indonesia

6. Blue Lagoon Snorkeling

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Northern Bali Tour is a full-day excursion that highlights the natural and cultural beauty of northern Bali. The tour includes visits to key sites such as Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Gitgit Waterfall, and the scenic Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. It offers private transportation, a knowledgeable guide, and the flexibility to explore these landmarks at your own pace. The tour is designed to provide an immersive experience of Bali’s northern region.

7. Private Full-day Tour from Your Hotel

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The Bali Best Sights tour includes visits to the iconic Ubud, the breathtaking Gate of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple, and several other attractions. The all-inclusive tour covers entrance tickets and offers a comprehensive experience of Bali’s cultural and natural highlights. Enjoy stunning views, explore sacred temples, and immerse yourself in the beauty of Bali with the convenience of a private guide and transportation.

8. Hike a volcano at sunrise

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Bali is home to outstanding volcanic peaks, reaching around 3,000m (9,800ft) above sea level. What’s more exciting than hiking at night to reach the summit and have the sun rising on your tired muscles? It will set the tone of your holiday, energizing and reinvigorating both body and spirit. You can enjoy an unforgettable hike up Mount Batur at sunrise with Culture Trip on our specially curated 12-day Bali adventure – don’t forget to pack your hiking boots

9. Chill out at the Potato Head Beach Club

Bar, Indonesian, Tapas

Imagine entering a modern Colosseum through an elliptical corridor. Right in front of you, there’s an amphitheatre overlooking an infinity pool, merging with the blue ocean. That’s Potato Head Beach Club, opened in 2010 in Seminyak and designed by architect Andra Matin – another perfect sunset spot, best enjoyed with cocktails and tapas. Some pretty epic DJs have played here too, so if you’re keen for a dance, do come here.

10. Chase waterfalls

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Who doesn’t like to chase waterfalls and jump into jungle pools? The tropical forests of Bali hold many magical spots waiting to be discovered. Head to Gitgit, Sekumpul and Tukad Cepung waterfalls for a taste of what Balinese nature can offer.

11. Bathe in holy water at Tirta Empul Temple

Hindu Temple

Local Hindus believe the sacred water flowing at the Tirta Empul Temple, in the village of Manukaya, has the power to heal and cleanse the body and soul. Whether or not you believe this, soaking in the spring water at a serene, beautiful temple is an experience not to be missed. The temple takes 30 minutes to an hour to explore and you’ll have to wear a sarong, which you can borrow at the entrance for a small donation.

12. Get lost in the jungle – metaphorically

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The plateau and highlands around the town of Ubud offer plenty of jungle treks and adventure. Head north and explore the area of Munduk. Here the twin lakes of Tamblingan and Buyan will mesmerise you, with paths cutting through ancient rainforest, home to exotic birds and giant trees. And don’t worry, you won’t actually get lost – a local guide will show you around.

Get lost in the jungles of Ubud, Bali

13. Spend Sunday at Single Fin

Bar, Australian, Tapas

Sundays at Single Fin are known around the world. Imagine sipping on an ice-cold beer, looking at the waves and the surfers, listening to the cheering of happy people on holidays, all with a chilled out vibe. Check their events schedule too, because some pretty good bands sometimes play here.

14. Explore the Tegalalang Rice Terrace

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The postcard-worthy scenery of delicate rice terraces surrounded by lush palm trees and tropical greeneries makes Tegalalang a visually appealing sight. But the rice terraces of Ubud are not just pretty – they’re also purposefully built to facilitate effective use of water and organise local social units. You can also explore the villages nearby to hear fascinating stories and observe the custom and lifestyle of people who built and maintain the rice terraces.

15. The best surf lessons in Kuta

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The best surf lessons in Kuta offer a private, two-hour experience designed for beginners. The lesson includes an introduction to surfing theory and safety tips, followed by practice on the beach. Participants then spend around 45 minutes in the ocean, learning to paddle, catch waves, and stand up on the board. By the end, you’ll have the skills to continue practicing on your own.

16. Watch a traditional Balinese dance in Ubud

Music Venue

Balinese dance is a centuries-old tradition and core element of culture, religious belief and day-to-day life on the island. According to the traditions, there are several types of dance, with some including aspects of trance and possession. If you want to see one of the most well-known, head to the town of Ubud and go to the Ubud palace to watch the Ramayana ballet.

17. Stretch and breathe at the Yoga Barn

Yoga Studio

An oasis of peace in the heart of the island, the Yoga Barn is more than a simple studio: it’s a well-rounded experience of healing, wellness and community. Located in central Ubud, hidden off a little alley, the barn has seven yoga studios and 100 yoga, meditation and dance classes a week, together with healing and Ayurvedic treatments. And that’s not all — it also offers astrology sessions, acro yoga jams, ecstatic dance, kirtan concerts and movies, all topped off with the delicious vegan, raw and Ayurvedic food of the Garden Kafe. Paradise on earth.

18. Go surfing on one of Bali's beautiful beaches

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Even if you’re not a surfer, you can’t leave Bali without trying to ride a wave. Head to Seminyak or Canggu beach and hire a board from one of the many rental places. If you’re inexperienced, ask the owner to give you a lesson. You’ll feel so alive in so many ways. If you’re already a pro, Uluwatu is the place to be – the best swell and surfers’ bars are found here.

19. Explore Seminyak

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This integral neighbourhood is where you can find virtually anything – from humble traditional shops to high-end designer boutiques. This neighbourhood also has its share of idyllic beaches, lined with vibrant bars and restaurants that stay open until late. It’s easy to stay at the beach, but be sure to visit the rest of the lively neighbourhood.

20. Get Cultural at Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Park, Theater

A substantial cultural park in Bali, Garuda Wisnu Kencana has many different attractions to enjoy – exhibition halls, gigantic folklore-inspired statues, street theatre, festival park and much more. Revolving around the Garuda character of the Mahabharata epic, you can also learn the legend that shapes many aspects of the Balinese culture in a fun and entertaining way.

21. Climb up to Munduk Village

Hiking Trail

This mountain village has a clean, green environment, fresh, cool air and charming natural attractions. The waterfalls and hills make Munduk a popular trekking destination, and during the colonial era, it was the favourite mountain retreat of the Dutch, hence the European architecture, historic buildings and flourishing commodities.

22. Padang Padang Beach

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Probably best known for its association with the movie Eat, Pray, Love, this previously hidden gem lives up to its hype and reputation. A perfect nook to chill by the sand, swim near magnificent rocky structures, or surf the waves, surrounded by magnificent cliffs.

23. Hike Mount Batur

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A two-hour hike up the mountain will bring you to the best spot on the island for basking in the sunshine’s first rays. Watch the sunrise with Mount Abang and Batur Lake in the background – an unforgettable experience you can have on Culture Trip’s epic 12-day Bali tour. Highly Instagrammable.

24. Ubud Royal Palace

Buddhist Temple

Ubud used to be a royal town, so it’s not surprising that the area is packed with stunning palaces that still stand as cultural and historical landmarks. The Ubud Royal Palace, or Puri Saren Ubud, is among the biggest and can be found in the heart of the neighbourhood.

25. Elephant Cave Bali, Indonesia

Buddhist Temple

This huge cave, also a Buddhist temple, is covered in carved stories and sacred figures. The temple features a large bathing pool, built to cleanse the soul and ward off evil spirits, so legend has it.

Additional reporting by Edira Putri

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