Bali Highlights

Arrive in Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. Meet your guide and driver after clearing immigration and custom and transfer to the town of Ubud- located in the heart of Bali Island (1 hour 15 minutes). Ubud is the island’s artistic and cultural capital. 

Check in to the hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, head out for an enjoyable day of Ubud city sightseeing with your tour guide and driver. The tour begins with a visit to the Peliatan Palace known for its traditional Balinese architecture. 

Next is a stop at the ARMA Museum. This museum is a perfect place to get a decent perception of Balinese art and culture. Next, we will visit Ubud’s sacred Monkey Forest, which is a lush tropical jungle and meet its cheeky inhabitants. Later, we will enjoy some free time at Ubud Market and watch as local vendors sell everything from food and clothes to souvenirs and art. It indeed is a great place to get a feel for local life in the area. 

Enjoy your lunch served at Indus Restaurant, along with beautiful views over Tjampuhan Valley. 

Drive back to Ubud In the afternoon, by a different road towards the area of Pekedui near Tegalalang for some of the most stunning rice terrace landscapes vistas in Bali.

We will enjoy one hours’ easy trekking from Café Dewi at Pekedui. You can have panoramic views from this cafe! As you walk down the amazing rice terraces with the guide, learn about the unique subak irrigation system that is common in Bali. You will relish those signature rice fields of Bali and the lush paths lined by palm trees. You can enjoy great photography. 

Return to Café Dewi for a coffee break (pay on your own) and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the area along before heading on.  

The last stop of the day is Petulu, which is on the way back to Ubud. This is a popular area amongst nature-fanatic who comes to witness the roosting of thousands of herons who gather here in the late afternoon every day.  

Return to the hotel in Ubud and balance of the day is at leisure. 

Set off in the evening to witness a fantastic traditional dance performance followed by a dinner of local specialties.

After breakfast, we head out for an excursion to Mt Batur. As we drive along small and scenic roads, we will enjoy amazing views of the rice fields and the daily life of the Balinese farmers. 

Gunung Kawi Temple will be our first stop. It is a unique temple set amid lush rice terraces. This is the 11th-century temple and features ten rock-cut shrines standing 7m tall and carved into the cliff face. The main characteristic of this temple is the blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. Since several stairs are leading down to the temple, you are recommended to bring good walking shoes. 

We will continue to close by village of Tampaksiring and explore Tirta Empul, which is a temple famous for its holy spring water dedicated to Lord Vishnu. At least once a year, all Balinese will bathe in these sacred waters for ritual cleansing. 

We will continue to drive further to the North until we reach Kintamani. It is a volcanic region that has magnificent views of Mt Batur and the large crescent-shaped Batur Lake nearby. The high walls of the crater rim enclose the whole area. We will halt at the eatery called Sari Organik Pulu Mujung for lunch; it is an excellent restaurant looking out at the caldera of the Batur volcano. 

In the afternoon, we drive back to Ubud by a different road towards the area of Bangli. Along the way, we will halt at Penglipuran - a traditional countryside village identified for its distinctive building style and architecture and Kehen Temple, often called ‘Mini Besakih.’

After breakfast, we will begin with a visit to the royal Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi. We will take a decent stroll and enjoy its beautiful ponds, multi-tiered roof structures, and traditional Balinese architecture. 

Our next visit will be to Ulun Danu Temple, so drive north to Lake Bratan. Since Ulun Danu Temple . is set in the lake’s calm waters on several small islands, it gives the impression of ‘floating.’ The temple is also considered one of the very photogenic temples in Bali. Make sure to capture some beautiful shots. Later, we have a look at the local market, which is famous for its extensive collection of exotic tropical fruits, vegetables, and species. 

Enjoy lunch at Bamboo Forest restaurant. 

We will visit Bali’s UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih for sweeping views of its remarkable rice terraces situated on a slope near the holy mountain of Batukaru. This area is known as the ‘Rice Granary of Bali’ and is one of the best examples of subak-style rice farming. Here, we go for an hours’ laid-back walk through the rice fields and up-close look at the verdant scenery. 

In the late afternoon, we arrive at one of Bali’s most famous temples - the incredible sea temple of Tanah Lot. This temple is set dramatically on a small island just off from the beach. Watch as the sun sets behind the horizon in one of Bali’s most ideal places to watch the sunset. 

Check out after breakfast and head out for an excursion in east Bali. 

Our first stop is in Klungkung to visit Kertagosa, which is an ancient justice court. It maintains the most detailed ceiling paintings in Bali that displays punishments given to criminals in the old days. 

We continue our visit to Besakih, which is known as the ‘Mother Temple’ of Bali and is the largest and most valued temple on the island. It is situated on the western slopes of Mt Agung - Bali’s highest volcano (2,567m). 

Lunch will be at Mahagiri Restaurant that overlooks beautiful rice fields as far the eye can see. 

Late in the afternoon, transfer to the airport, or if you are visiting South Bali, transfer to South Bali.