Field guide
Sample Bali itineraries that respect the traffic
Four tested routes, from a five-day first trip to a full fortnight, all built around the early-morning windows so you spend your time on the island, not in a car.
Every one of these is built on the same rule: every base change happens before 8:00am, and the hard regions (Uluwatu, Ubud day trips) get tackled in the morning, not at 3pm. Ignore that and any of these falls apart on the traffic.
5 days: first trip, Seminyak plus Uluwatu
Best for couples and first-timers who want a beach-and-culture mix without much driving.
Days 1 to 2, base in Seminyak. Arrive, check in, recover. Day 2: Eat Street on foot in the morning, Potato Head or Ku De Ta in the afternoon, Merah Putih for dinner (book ahead). Day 3: leave by 7:00am for Uluwatu, stop at Padang Padang on the way, afternoon at Single Fin, Uluwatu Temple Kecak dance at sunset (book ahead), dinner at Teja on the peninsula (book ahead). Days 4 to 5, back to Seminyak: a beach-club day at Palmilla on Melasti (head back before the traffic), then a final market-and-spa morning before you fly.
The key rule: drive to Uluwatu in the morning, not at 3pm. The afternoon traffic on Jalan Uluwatu is the worst on the island.
7 days: Canggu plus Ubud (the classic pairing)
Best for couples, solo travellers, surfers and shooters.
Days 1 to 3, base Canggu. Day 1: arrive, settle into Batu Bolong, La Brisa for sunset. Day 2: a surf lesson at Old Man’s, afternoon at Finns, evening at Old Man’s bar. Day 3: Echo Beach for sunrise, Tanah Lot before the heat (leave by 9am, back by noon). Day 4: move to Ubud, leave Canggu by 7:30am, check in, walk Jalan Raya, afternoon at the Monkey Forest. Days 5 to 7, Ubud base. Day 5: Tegallalang at 7am, Tirta Empul at 8:30am, Warung Ibu Oka for lunch, a cooking class in the afternoon. Day 6: Campuhan Ridge at sunrise, Naughty Nuri’s for dinner. Day 7: Kecak in Ubud, and dinner at Locavore NXT if you booked it weeks ago.
10 days: Sanur plus Ubud plus East Bali
Best for couples and slow travellers who want the real island beyond the tourist strip.
Days 1 to 2, base Sanur. Sunrise promenade walk on day 1. Day 2: a Nusa Lembongan fast-boat day from Sanur harbour, back by 5pm. Days 3 to 5, move to Ubud (leave 8am): Tegallalang, Tirta Empul, Campuhan, Monkey Forest. Days 6 to 8, move to East Bali (leave Ubud 7:30am, in Candidasa by 9:30am). Day 6: snorkelling at Padangbai, Tenganan village. Day 7: drive north to Amed, snorkel the Japanese wreck, a lazy beach afternoon. Day 8: the Tulamben Liberty wreck dive (book a local divemaster the night before). Days 9 to 10, back to Sanur (leave Amed 7am, in Sanur by 10:30am): Warung Mak Beng for lunch, Sindhu Night Market for dinner, then a last beach sunset before you fly.
14 days: the full island, done properly
For those with the time and the sense to use it correctly.
Days 1 to 3 Seminyak (eat your way down Jalan Petitenget). Days 4 to 5 south to Uluwatu (temple, surf, Single Fin Sunday, dinner at Teja). Days 6 to 8 Ubud (the highlands, the culture, the full programme). Days 9 to 10 Sanur. Days 11 to 12 East Bali (Sidemen, Candidasa, Amed, the Liberty wreck). Days 13 to 14 Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan (Suku, Thai Pantry, Dawn by Lago, the Blue Lagoon, Mahana Point).
Every base change before 8:00am. Follow that and the fortnight flows. Ignore it and you lose days to the road.