Day Trips: a convenient way to see Bali!

Bali is a large island. Depending on where you stay, you can find beaches, cliffs, rice fields, volcanoes, temples, lakes, hot springs or waterfalls in your proximity. The many options can be overwhelming. By booking guided tours in Bali, you will be able to see different regions across the island without switching accommodation all the time.

Starting point: your hotel!

Most tourists stay in the South of Bali, relatively close to the airport. The Bali tours below can pick you up in your hotel in Canggu, Seminyak, Nusa Dua or Ubud and drop you back home at the end of the day. Some of the options listed below can start from Uluwatu as well, but Uluwatu is further south, resulting in a longer drive to most nature sights in North and Central Bali.

Private Tour or Group Tour: We’ve listed both group tours and private day trips below. On your honeymoon, you might prefer a private experience with your partner. However sometimes it might as well be fun to meet other travels. Group tours are more economical, as you share your guide and ride with fellow travelers. Private tours can often be customized a little bit if you ask nicely, allowing you to have a personalized experience.

  • 1. Ayung River Rafting Tour

    Hotel Pickup from Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud and more.

    Explore Bali from a river! A raft takes you down Ayung River, through rice fields and jungle in some of the greenest parts of Bali. You'll pass waterfalls and have the opportunity to swim in crystal clear waters. These are places that are not reachable any other way than by raft!

    While there are definitely a few rougher parts, this is a beginner-friendly raft experience. A guide will join you on your boat and life vests are provided. Hotel pickup can be arranged, and a buffet lunch on the river banks is included in the price.

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    Private Rafting tour with hotel pickup
    ✓ Rated ★4.7 with 900+ reviews at GetYourGuide. →

  • 2. Day Trip to Nusa Penida Island

    Hotel pickup from Canggu/Seminyak/Ubud.

    Visit Nusa Penida in a day! Nusa Penida is a tranquil island with spectacular cliffs and beaches, located in the Lombok Strait off the West coast of Bali. Reaching the island takes one hour by fast ferry from Sanur Harbour.

    This convenient organized tour will pick you up and drop you off at your Bali hotel. Two-way ferry tickets are included, as well as a tour visiting the most spectacular sights on the island.

    Highlights include the famous cliff overlooking Kelingking Beach (see picture), the clear perfect swimming waters at Angel's Billabong and the picturesque Crystal Bay, where white cliffs meet the rough Indian Ocean.

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    Book your Nusa Penida Island Tour
    ✓ Hotel pickup and ferry included. ★4.5 with 450+ reviews. →

  • 3. Mount Batur Sunrise Hike + Hot Springs

    Pickup from Amed/Canggu/Lovina/Seminyak/Ubud/Uluwatu

    Hike up to Mount Batur for a spectacular sunrise with breakfast, and enjoy a well-deserved hot spring swim after your climb. An early wake-up, but well worth it!

    To make it to sunrise at Mount Batur, you will be picked up at your hotel a few hours after midnight (depending on your start location). After a one-hour relatively easy climb, helped by an experienced guide and a flashlight on the helmet provided to you, you will reach the top of the volcano. On the top, a spectacular sunrise awaits you: slowly the sun will rise and reveal a spectacular landscape overlooking the Batur crater, Mount Agung, the Lombok Sea, and (on clear days) even Lombok Island and Mount Rinjani. After the climb, enjoy a well-deserved relaxation at the natural hotsprings bordering Batur Lake.

    The region Kintamani, where Mount Batur is located, is famous for it's coffee plantations. On the way back, the tour will make a stop at a coffee plantation before dropping you back to your hotel.

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    Book Your Mount Batur Sunrise Tour
    ✓ Hotel Pickup + Guided Climb + Hotsprings ★4.8 with 3K+ reviews. →

  • 4. Explore Ubud in a Day!

    Pickup from Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and more.

    It is possible to see the best of Ubud and its surroundings in single day! This highly rated PRIVATE tour (4.9 with 1100+ reviews) will pick you up in your South Bali hotel and drive you and your partner past all the highlights. This is a convenient way to see Ubud if you decide not to stay there overnight, but also a convenient option if you are actually staying in Ubud!

    The list of included activities is really impressive. You will visit a spectacular waterfall and a traditional Balinese village near Ubud where traditional crafts are still practised. The famous Sacred Monkey Forest is part of the itinerary too, as well as the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Finally, some spots in central Ubud are visited: the art market and Ubud Palace.

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    Book your private Ubud Day Tour!
    ✓ Highly rated tourguide at GetYourGuide. →

  • 5. Instagram Highlights Tour

    From Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Sidemen.

    The Instagram Highlights tour is an amazing choice for (aspiring) influencers, but don't worry if you and your partner prefer to live a more private life: it is a great opportunity to see the most scenic parts of Bali and get some memorable pictures of your honeymoon regardless. You can choose between a small group tour and a private tour.

    Highlights include the Lempuyang Temple (also known as Gate of Heaven) in East Bali, as well as the Tirta Gangga water palace. In Central Bali, the tour will pass the Tukad Cepung Waterfall and Tegallalang rice fields, where it is possible to take pictures on while riding a spectacular "Jungle Swing". This is one of the most popular tours in Bali, and is highly rated with 4.9 stars based on 3500+ reviews.

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    Book this experience!
    ✓ Operator has ★4.9 on GetYourGuide (3500+ reviews). →

  • 6. Munduk & Bedugul Day Trip

    Pickup from Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak and Nusa Dua.

    Ulan Danu Temple is the first picture that shows up if you Google Bali. It might be the most iconic sight on the island, situated against Lake Beratan in the Bedugul region of Bali. But this region has more to offer than just the temple, and this PRIVATE TOUR is a great way to explore it!

    The Bedugul region can easily be spotted on any map: it's where you see the 3 lakes towards the north of the island. These lakes are part of a massive volcanic crater region at high altitudes. This results in very distinct vegetation and a much cooler climate than you will find in most of Bali. A great place to escape the heath!

    One stop during this tour is the Handara Gate, which is a great spot for memorable Bali Honeymoon pictures. The pretty Banyumala Twin Waterfalls are next, there is opportunity to swim at these.

    Finally this tour will stop at a very romantic spot: an amazing viewpoint on the ridge of the crater from where you can see two lakes at once. We love this area a lot, and would even recommend you staying here for a few days (see our Munduk Honeymoon Guide), but this tour is also a great way to get to know the area!

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    Book your trip to Bedugul and Munduk
    ✓ Rated ★4.8 with 400+ reviews at GetYourGuide. →

  • 7. Private Uluwatu Sunset Tour

    Hotel Pickup from Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu

    Convenient option with hotel pickup. A private driver will pick you up at your hotel with his air-conditioned car, and show you around Uluwatu Temple overlooking the Indian Ocean and the traditional Balinese Kecak fire dance show (performance tickets not included). The stage and temple are located on a beautiful cliff from where you will experience one of Bali's best sunsets.

    After sunset, the guide will drive you to Jimbaran Beach, a beautiful beach next to the fishing village of Jimbaran. This place is known for the freshest and tastiest grilled fish on the island. You will have time for a romantic dinner on the beach, before the driver will return you back to your hotel.

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    Book your Uluwatu tour with hotel pickup
    ✓ Operator has ★4.7 and raving reviews at GetYourGuide. →

  • 8. East Bali Waterfall, Beach and Canyoning tour.

    Pickup from Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and more.

    A lot of water fun in a single day in the off-the-beaten path East Bali region. That is what this small group tour offers. You will be visiting a beautiful waterfall which is great for swimming (Tegenungan Waterfall), the scenic Blue Lagoon beach famous for snorkling (but also known for the monkeys roaming around), and a hidden canyon through which a river flows.

    At the canyon, you will participate in canyoning activities, and at the Blue Lagoon Beach you will have the opportunity to snorkel with gear provided. Blue Lagoon Beach, near Padang Bai where the ferries to Lombok depart, is a fairly small beach, but we love it as it's surrounded by greenery and not very crowded.

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    Book your East Bali Tour
    ✓ Tour rated ★4.9 at GetYourGuide. →

  • 9. Iljen Crater in Java (24-hour tour!)

    Pickup from Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and more.

    The Iljen Crater is one of the most magical places we have ever visited, and a great trip for couples that love nature and hiking and are keen to explore a different island beyond Bali. The volcano is located on the east tip of Java Island (Indonesia's capital Jakarta is on that island too). Java can be reached by a 4 hour drive and 1 hour ferry from most tourist destinations in South Bali. It is the most populous island in the world with roughly 150 million inhabitants - but still it manages to offer amazing nature like this volcano!

    The Iljen vocanic crater is famous for a blue fire that lights for a few hours in the middle of the night, followed by a spectacular sunrise overlooking the Java Sea and Bali a bit later. This tour will pick you up from your Bali hotel in the afternoon. You will arrive in the early evening and will be offered a room to sleep for a couple of hours (you will need that rest!). In the midst of the night you will start your ascent up to the crater's edge (this took us around 1.5 hours). If you want, you can then ascent into the crater (30 mins down and 30 mins up again) to get closer to the blue fire. This requires you wearing a gas mask that is provided by your tourguide. Later the sun will rise, revealing a spectacular landscape that was not visible during your initial ascent. After walking down again (way faster than the way up) you will enjoy a healthy Javanese breakfast before returning to Bali.

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    Book your trip to Java!
    ✓ Rated ★4.6 at GetYourGuide. →

  • 10. Plan your own tour with a private driver

    Start from anywhere in Bali.

    Do you know exactly what you want to explore in Bali? Just hire a car with a private driver for a day and plan your own private tour. This is very easily arranged! Let a trusted driver with many 5-star reviews on GetYourGuide take you around the island.

    You can choose a custom trip duration between 6, 8 and 10 hours. This will cost you between 48 to 80 USD for the entire group. This is an affordable option to explore the island. However, do note that while most guided tours are more expensive, these usually include amenities like entrance fees and lunch. When you plan your own tour, you will need to buy entrance tickets and lunch yourself!

    TIP: This "tour" can start and end in any Bali location. You could even choose to start your day in one hotel, explore the island, and get dropped off at a new location, saving you additional taxi fees!

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    Book your private driver for 6, 8 or 10 hours
    ✓ Operator rated ★4.8 at GetYourGuide. →

Written by Olivia & Dirk

Hi! We have put together this guide with a lot of care, based on our own experiences. As a couple, we have lived in Bali for the past 5 years, and we fell in love with the island. We have visited every corner of Bali, especially the romantic places ;-). While our articles do contain affiliate links, you can trust us to recommend only the experiences that we love.

Read more about us or let us help you organize your honeymoon for you!