Bali Travel Guide: The Quick & Dirty 8-Day Itinerary

In This Guide

So you're going to Bali! Or maybe just considering it at this point. Either way, this guide breaks down exactly where to go in Bali and for how long. I briefly touch on how to get there, where to stay, best things to do, and what to eat & drink. At the end, you'll find some tips & best practices for a breezy, carefree trip. 

If you'd like to jump to any of the specific pages of the places I visited, here are a few quick links: 

• Kuta & Seminyak
• Ubud
• Mt. Batur & Amed
• Gili T
• Padang Bai
• Uluwatu

You can also find these linked throughout the below post. All of the fun stories and trials/tribulations can be found within the individual pages.

Sunrise on top of Mt. Batur. 

How To Get To Bali

From San Francisco (SFO) to Bali (DPS), Kevin flew Singapore Air, and I flew China Eastern. Let me just tell you, one is not like the other. Kevin was a huge fan of Singapore Air. I would not recommend China Eastern if it can be avoided. To be fair, that's what I get for booking one month in advance.

My roundtrip flights booked one month in advance were about $750, Kevin's booked six months in advance were about $600. 

In both directions, my flight included a 14 hour layover in Shanghai, which I took advantage of to explore the city! Definite silver lining of the China Eastern flight.  

The view from the Uluwatu Temple. 

My 8-Day Bali Itinerary

Day 1: TRAVEL DAY

Both Kevin & I leave LAX, albeit about 17 hours apart. In the air for about 24 hours each. 

Day 2: KUTA

Arrived in Shanghai at 6 am, took the train into the city, explored, returned to the airport, and boarded my flight for Bali by 6 pm. I arrived in Bali at midnight. 

Taxi Tip: There is only one taxi company at the airport: Ngurah Rai Airport Taxis. They charge on a ‘fixed price’ basis. Look out for drivers in their distinctive blue patterned shirts. Ask your hotel beforehand how much a fixed price from the airport should be and walk away from drivers who will not accept that price. 

I crashed at a little hostel in Kuta called H-Ostel. A female-only dorm bed was $11 USD, and the hostel was really cool! I wouldn't recommend staying in Kuta, but if you have to, this is not a bad option. 

Day 3: SEMINYAK

Kevin finally arrives! We meet up at our first real hotel, Amalfi Hotel. It's $32 USD a night, and easily one of the nicer places we stayed in. So pretty and a delicious free breakfast. Highly recommend.

Mr. Potato Head Beach Club for the day, W Hotel for sunset, random little restaurant for dinner, early bedtime.  

Day 4: UBUD

We took a 1.5-hour taxi to Ubud for about 300,000 rupiah. We'd booked a quaint, open-air cottage on Airbnb for our three days in Ubud, but upon arrival, realized we weren't exactly into the minimal travel thing. There was also all-day construction going on next door, so that didn't help. 

But check it out for yourself! Bata Bata Bungalow for $35 USD a night. 

Day 5: UBUD

We switched over to the Greenfield Hotel & Bungalows the next night. It was $85 a night, making it our housing splurge of the trip, but so incredibly worth it. 

This was our favorite place we stayed. It was an actual palace overlooking beautiful rice fields. Cannot recommend enough. Check out my Ubud post for photos! 

Prior to moving hotels, we did an 8:15 am – 1:30 pm Peon Cooking Class / Market Tour / Rice Terrace Viewing. It was only $26 USD per person and another high quality experience. The instructor is a hoot, and we made some nice tourist friends. 

In the afternoon, we explored the Sacred Monkey Forest. 

Day 6: UBUD

We woke up early, rented a motorbike from the hotel, and rode out to the famous rice field of Tegalalang. After, we rode over to a neighboring coffee plantation, Bali Pulina. We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and getting foot massages. 

Panoramic of the rice fields we toured prior to our cooking class. 

Day 7: AMED

Up at 2:30 am for our Bali Sunrise Tour of Mt. Batur! For $60 per person, we were picked up in Ubud, driven to Mt. Batur, lead on a two hour hike, then driven four hours to Amed. Again, crazy value. 

Hike Tip: If you’re going to do this, I highly recommend bringing hiking boots. Its short but strenuous, with lots of loose rocks on the way down. Also consider that it will be very chilly at the top before the sun rises, so you need a little more than shorts and a light jacket. Bring a backpack with snacks, water, toilet paper (!), extra socks, and a sweater. And dont forget your camera! 

After the hike, we stayed in the Anugerah Villas in Amed for $26/night. Definitely get the ocean view room and rent a motorbike here. 

Hotel Tip: I'd recommend booking on Agoda.com when traveling to Asia. I definitely saw the most options and best prices here vs. Expedia or Airbnb. 

Tickets Tip: We got an amazing deal on our Gili T speed ferry tickets through the hotel. We paid just 500K rupiah for two people roundtrip. Never book this online beforehand, as you're able to get way better prices in person from the hotel staff or locals. 

Day 8: GILI T

On Gili T, we stayed at a hostel called Gili Nyepi. This cost $35 a night and was definitely one of our more humble spots. It's really hot on the island and the AC was not great. We had a lovely little breakfast on our patio in the morning, though, which was nice. 

Spent the day drinking rum punch on the beach and the night trying to party but really just wanting bed. 

Day 9: PADANG BAI

In the morning, we got on a fast boat back to Bali, this time porting in Padang Bai. 

We stayed at Dewivilla Hotel for $38/night. Our main advice: maybe don’t stay in Padang Bai. Most people just travel straight through.

I think the main draw of the town is scuba-diving and the less trafficked, white sand beaches. But since we're less into that, we preferred Amed as our more "off the beaten track" town. 

Day 10: ULUWATU

From Dewivilla, we took a 2.5 hour taxi ride to Uluwatu. We negotiated this rate with a driver on the street, rather than through the hotel. 

Our stay in Uluwatu was incredible. We had our own private villa at Bali Blue Homestay for just $28/night. Great value and location. Rent a motorbike at the hotel and haggle for the price! 

Day 11: KUTA

On our final day, Kevin booked a hotel near the airport for us to hang out at before my flight at midnight that night. 

Day 12: TRAVEL DAY

Back to Shanghai for me for another 13 hours. I was thoroughly exhausted this time. Kevin left about 10 hours after me on his luxury flight -__-

Blue Lagoon Beach in Padang Bai. 

Quick City Guides

Kuta & Seminyak City Guide

Where to explore

• Poppies Lane (central)
• Turtle Conservation
• Tanah Lot

How to beach

• La Plancha beanbags
• La Laguna Canggu
• Potato Head Beach Club
• Beach Club Tip: Reserve a daybed in the morning, worth it if you stay all day and order food/drinks – they add up quick here to meet the 500k minimum

What to eat

Kuta //

• Warung Bali: cheap seafood & chinese
• Bamboo Corner: Nasi goreng

Seminyak //

• Franks Pizza: Seminyak
• La Lucciola: Seminyak
• Cafe Organic: great but I found a worm in my Earth Bowl so

Where to go out

Kuta // 

• Legian Street (bars/clubs)
• Shots on every floor of the Skygarden Lounge

Seminyak // 

• Potato Head
• La Plancha: watch the sunset
• La Favela: Friday night for partying

The ritzy W Hotel in Seminyak, Bali. 

Ubud City Guide

What to do in Ubud

• Visit coffee plantation: Bali Pulina Plantation was nice
• Visit Tegallalang rice fields
• Tip: Drive yourself via motorbike there, go early
• Gunung Kawi (water temple/waterfall)
• Bike down or do sunrise hike to Mount Batur
• Visit Goa Gajah “Elephant Cave”
• Take a cooking class (Paon Bali Cooking class: $26)
• Sacred Monkey Forest: $3/person
• YogaBarn & meditation classes
• Try to see a traditional healer!
• Endless massages

Where to go out in Ubud

• Cacao Ceremony
• Sound Medicine
• Kirtan
• No Mas (bar)

What to eat in Ubud

• Seeds of Life (raw food)
• Seniman (best coffee)
• Warung 9 (vegetarian buffet)
• Kafe Ubud
• Clear Cafe (microbiotic/raw)
• Alchemy Cafe
• Bali Buddha
• Clear
• Mama Mia
• Sopa
• Down to Earth (cool nighttime theater)
• Elephant (evening dinner, good for sunsets)
• Sari Organic (lunch out in rice fields)
• Dont eat sushi here..you will not be impressed

Tegalalang rice fields in Ubud. 

Amed City Guide

• Sunrise hike to Mount Batur or Agung (Bali Sunrise Tours)
• Visit Besakih Mother Temple
• Jemeluk Beach
• Life in Amed Yoga Shala
• Swasti Dewi Salon & Spa
• They had cats and a PUPPY when we were there! Highly recommend the full body massage here
• Sunset cliff-side dinner

Gili T City Guide

• H2O Yoga & Meditation
• 10:45 am Aqua Yoga: $7
• Go snorkeling
• Nighlight
• Live music
• Fire dancing

What To Eat On Gili T

• Local market
• Brown Bean’s! Try the rum punch
• Scallywags: Salad bar, BBQ seafood. We thought this was maybe not worth the money
• Check out the west side for peace and quiet and best place for sunset

Padang Bai City Guide

• Blue Lagoon Beach
• Topi Inn: Has a bunch of cool activities year round
• Snorkeling
• Padang Bai Yoga Bale
• Central Market
• Silayuki Temple
• Pura Desa Temple
• Babylon Bar
• Sunshine Bar: Live music every night!
• Green Spa at OK Divers Resort: Expensive 
• Tip: Just dont get the aloe vera massage in the back of a gift shop….not pleasant

Uluwatu City Guide

• Hang at Padang Padang Beach
• Visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park: Really cool sculptures with some nice views of the island
• Visit Uluwatu Temple: Historic and monkeys!
• Watch the Kecak Dance during sunset (6 pm): Highly recommend
• Go to Single Fin: Sunday live music and sunset. Check if they’re open before you go! Dont touch the monkey in the cage on your way there!

Happy Travel Tips

Bali Packing List! 

Find mine here.

Food in Bali

• Eat at the roadside cafes, known as Warungs
• Nasi & mie goreng! Fried rice or noodles. It's very good.
• Nasi Jinggo: serving of rice with a side option of chicken, beef or egg
• Bubur Ayam: porridge usually served with shredded chicken, coriander, shallots and an oily but utterly delicious dressing sauce. Then topped off with crispy prawn crackers and salted peanuts.

Drinks in Bali

• Buy a bottle or two of liquor Duty Free in the US. Alcohol in Bali is super expensive and really weak.
• Buy alcoholic drinks from the local Circle K or directly from a bottle shop
• Avoid drinking locally made spirits (like Arak) and premixed drinks
• Never drink water from the tap – it’s not clean! We got away with brushing our teeth at the nicer hotels though.

Bali Budget

• Total: $50 per day (not including alcohol)
• Food: $15-18 per day

What Next? 

I'm so excited for you. If you've made it this far down the page, you're headed to Bali -- I feel it in my bones! You are not going to regret it. It's impossible not to find your blue sky mind there; they've already made positive psychology a lifestyle on that little island.

I so hope this post was helpful to you! Either way, I'd love to know your thoughts via the simple survey below. If you feel so inclined to say more, don't hesitate to drop a comment below or on my Connect page. 

Help me improve! 

24 Hours In Shanghai: Taking Advantage of China's Visa-Free Transit

Shanghai is an awesome place to have a long layover. On my way to and from Bali, I had about 13 hours on the ground both ways. So, I left the airport and made my way into the city.

China is part of this amazing program called 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit (info here & here). It basically allows people who are laying over in China to venture outside the airport and spend their tourism dollars, all without the hassle and expense of getting a visa. You technically have up to 144 hours on this program, so you could even plan your trip with a few-day stop in Shanghai.

Since I was carrying on a large backpack, I had to get rid of that before leaving the airport. I left it at a locker near the check-in counters, which was cheap and easy to find. There's plenty of English in the airport to find your way. Before handing over my bag, I took a few key items out to take with me:

• Passport
• Money
• Phone charger & adapter
• Map
• Sunglasses & regular glasses
• Camera
• Snack

From there, I bought a ticket into the city on the Maglev high speed rail. Pudong is on the outskirts of town, so the rail gets you into the heart of it very quickly and inexpensively.

REALLY good photo of me next to the Maglev. This is what I get for not brining my selfie stick. 

The Maglev lets off at a station that, again, isn't quite to the heart of the city. So I transferred over to the metro. English is everywhere here as well, so it's really easy to use.

I made my way to People's Square, where I walked around in the early morning. I didn't see any other tourists, but I felt very safe. Which is important to note, since this was my first solo trip as a female traveler.

The Urban Planning Exhibition in People's Square, Shanghai.

The Shanghai Museum, also located in the People's Square.

Everywhere in downtown Shanghai is perfectly manicured.

From there, I started making my way toward Nanjing Road, which is a strip of commercialized stores and shops.

Pit stop for a little dumpling on Nanjing Road. 

Walking down Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China.

Having done some exploring, I was ready to taste the local cuisine. I'd found a place called Grandmother Shanghai Restaurant via my Lonely Planet guide, so I headed that direction. The staff was not super friendly to me here, but I came to find out that was general Chinese hospitality, at least to tourists.

I ordered myself three plates of food for probably $15 USD, which was more than enough for two people. As you can imagine, the food was insanely good. I regret to inform that I did not take a photo.

After food, I walked to The Bund, the beautiful waterfront parkway. There, I was stopped for my first selfie with a Chinese man! Always nice to make someone's day, but you gotta wonder where those photos end up. Anyway.

The bustle of the Bund against a backdrop of Shanghai's financial district. 

My favorite photo from the trip of Shanghai's Financial District. 

It was time to make my way back to the airport. I definitely gave myself more time than necessary to get back, since I wasn't sure how long it would take me to go through customs and security again. I got through both in under an hour, so had a good amount of time to charge my phone and get a snack before the flight.

Off to Bali I went!

On my second trek into the city, I checked the following off my list:

• Yang's Fry Dumplings
• Shanghai Museum
• Spicy Joint
• Shanghai Old Street
• Yu Garden

The breakfast of champions is dumplings. I got a plate of six at the renowned Yang's Fry Dumplings, also recommended by Lonely Planet. What they don't tell you is that no one speaks English, and it's a very quick-moving place. The cashier gives you a ticket, which you are then supposed to bring to the dumpling window, where they will give you your dumplings. I naively took my receipt and sat at a table until finally getting up to ask the cashier where I was supposed to get my dang dumplings. Very uncomfortable, but so worth it for these crispy chewy juicy bad boys.

Yang's [incredible] Fry Dumplings. Get a ticket at the cash register & give it to the fry guy through the little window. 

I spent the better part of my morning at the Shanghai Museum, resting my feet and exploring the galleries a bit. This was just about the only place in the city I found other tourists. It's a really beautiful and modern museum.

Inside the Shanghai Museum.

Walking through one of the many beautiful parks in Shanghai. 

At this point, I had already spent the last ten days on my feet backpacking around Bali, so all I really wanted to do was relax. So, after the museum, I headed to another Lonely Planet food local called Spicy Joint. It was a Sichuan place, so everything on the 100-page menu had a very rich, distinct flavor.

I ordered five things for about $11 USD, and probably finished a quarter. I had no idea I was ordering so much food! I felt so bad about tossing it that I had them pack it up for me, and I carried it around the rest of the day and ate it for dinner. Stay sustainable, friends.

I love how this photo juxtaposes the chaos of street traffic with the elegant buildings shrouded in fog. 

My feast for one at Spicy Joint. Absolutely unbelievable Sichuan for very little money. 

To end my second day in Shanghai, I walked through the older, more traditional part of town to get to the Yu Garden.

Walking through Old Town in Shanghai, China.

As I bought my ticket and walked into the garden, fat warm heavy raindrops started to all from the sky. It was nearing dusk, but dark grey clouds rolled in so quickly that it felt like night had fallen.

Then, it began to pour. Fortunately, I'd bought an umbrella earlier in the day for some light showers, which I used to hop from room to room in the garden. Eventually, it started to thunder and lightening, which lasted for about an hour. At one point, I just sat in awe of the beauty around me and the absurdity of a storm hitting in that moment.

I was a little scared, because I was on my own and needed to get back to the airport soon and get on a flight home. But sitting in a beautiful, ancient pagoda while rain pounds down all around you is a pretty cool experience, so I tried hard to just be in the moment.

Inside the Yu Gardens. 

You can kind of see the rain drops falling in the koi pond. Doesn't even compare to the lighting & thunderstorm that came next.

I really wish I had more time in the gardens. I also never made it to the Shanghai Tower or Oriental Tower for some city views, which many people recommended. That, along with a river boat tour, are the first thing I would do given the chance to go back.

I really hope I have another layover in Shanghai. I was really nervous about taking advantage of this 72-Hour Visa Free Transit program, but it was SO simple and painless. I would recommend anyone with a long layover to take advantage of it.

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Up Next: Read 10 Questions With A Badass Female Solo Traveler: A First Timer's Guide 

Bali Travel Guide: Packing List

Exactly What To Pack For Bali

I never travel anywhere without a pre-made packing list, and Bali was no exception. Save yourself some time & worry by referencing the below.

And don't forget to check out my 12-day Bali travel guide while you're at it!

A traveling pharmacy

• Antibiotics
• Tums
• Pepto
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Hand sanitizer
• Mini first aid kit
• Tissues

A couple things to keep you clean

• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Deodorant
• Hairbrush
• Hair ties
• Razor
• Face wash/moisturizer
• Minimal makeup
• Tampons - just in case, they’re expensive in Bali!

Loose, light clothes

• Hat
• Casual/beach dresses
• Nicer night dress
• T-shirts/sleeved tops
• Tank tops
• Shorts
• Scarf/sarong
• Swimsuits
• Yoga outfit (shorts, not pants)
• Light fleece or jacket
• Light PJs
• Flip flops
• Sandals
• Tennis shoes
• Socks/underwear

Minimal technology

• Camera
• Chargers
• Adapter
• Headphones
• Kindle

Lifehacker odds & ends

• Sunglasses
• Zip lock/plastic bags
• Travel book/pen
• Day bag (crossbody)
• Eye mask
• Ear plugs
• Insurance card
• Glasses
• Copy of passport/ID
• Credit & debit card
•  

Seminyak

Ubud

Mt. Batur

Uluwatu

Read up for more resources

• Another great packing list: Last Minute Bali Travel Checklist
• Again, my Bali trip in one post: Bali Travel Guide: The Quick & Dirty 12-Day Itinerary

Alright, go get your OCD packing game on. You know you're the type if you're reading this list. Just me? Ok, that's fine. You'll thank me later when you get a fantastic 'gram.

Consider subscribing to the blog before you go! That way, you'll never miss a travel tip goodness post that comes out of my many adventures.