5 Day Bali Itinerary in Indonesia – Your Trip Planning Guide

Out of my adventures through South East Asia, Bali was probably one of the most special and magical places I went to.  Prior to heading there, the truth is I was worried that it'd be too touristy but I was surprised to find that it wasn't overcrowded and there was a really nice balance between heading into town and being connected to nature.  Getting a private driver was also probably one of the best decisions we made as it gave us an opportunity to go off-the-beaten-path a little as well and see Bali at our own pace with the comfort of a guide and vehicle.

With this simple 5 day Bali itinerary I hope you'll be able to have as much of a blast as I did that shows you exactly what to do on this paradise island of Indonesia.

Read more about Bali

• 5 must see's in Bali
• 5 reasons why I love Bali so much
• Best things to do in Ubud
• Seeing Indonesia Beyond Bali
• What to pack to Indonesia – 3 most-missed packing list tips

Where to stay in Bali?

• We stayed at the luxurious Conrad Bali on Hilton Honors points which I'd highly recommend.  It was AMAZE-ing.  My full review of the property is here.

Bali 5 day itinerary overview

I totally wished we spent more time in Bali but for 5 days I thought this itinerary was a great introduction to island that surely gave me a lasting impression.  The way I structured was I first hired a local driver to take around the island for 2 days.  This was probably the best way to explore a lot of key sights of the island without being too rushed or stressed.

Our driver, Putu, was fantastic in create a custom itinerary based on my research and talking to an Indonesian friend.  We were able to go at our own pace with Putu and got to make a lot of unexpected stops along the way.  I'm not sure if we would've seen as much as we did without him.  Learn about my experiences with Putu and how he was able to tailor an awesome 2 days.

After two days of sightseeing, I slotted a rest day at the resort which we fully took advantage of.  On day 4 we didn't have anything concrete planned but thought a day exploring the main city area of Kuta would be nice.  We got a super awesome and cheap massage with Cozy which topped it all off.

For the last day, we mixed a little snorkelling with Jimbaran to see the local fish market which was a fun experience.

This trip ended up being an excellent balance of exploring, adventure, activities, cheap eats, luxury, and beaching.

5 days in Bali itinerary breakdown

Scroll left and right to see more columns on this 5 day Bali itinerary. 

If you're looking to get something you can work with, I encourage you to grab the itinerary when you scroll below the table.

What we missed

There were a few things that I couldn't fit into the itinerary and would love to do next time around.  If you're planning a Bali trip, definitely consider these places:

• Uluwatu for sunset – There are so many stunning places to watch the sunset but Uluwatu was one that we just didn't have time to fit in.
• Surfing – Not all places are beginner friendly but if there's a place to try, take a lesson a try it!
• Diving – My trip wasn't really a surfing/diving type of trip but there are a ton of amazing places for this.  Definitely check out the North West part of Bali for good dive sites.
• Hiking – Mount Batur would've been incredible to do.  They offer many early morning hikes up so you can watch the sunrise from the top!
• North Bali – Spending more time in the north of the island which is less trafficked by tourists.  Would totally love to rent a place out there and just kick back.
• Hidden temples – There were some other smaller temples that would've been cool to check out…but you know you can only do so many temples on a trip.

Things to know before you go to Bali

These are tips and tricks I learned during our 5 days in Bali.  There are plenty of things that other guides and bloggers don't talk about so here are all the things I wish I knew before going.

1. Currency Exchange in Indonesia
   • When changing money make sure you double check all the bills even after they count it in front of you.  Bring USD.  The rates for CAD are always bad.
   • Another quick note about currency exchange.  Currency changers are VERY specific about what series bills $50′s and $100′s are.  They only accept bills that are 2006 and higher.  Chantelle had a few $100′s that she just couldn’t exchange because they were before that time.  The reason for this is that there are a lot of counterfeit bills from the older era so to be safe these places don’t take it at all.
2. Coming in May seems to be an awesome time to come because it is low-season and the local kids are still in school and it’s no longer wet season.  It was great not having to deal with hoards of tourists everywhere we went.
3. Stamps are ACTUALLY called “perango” and not “meterai”.  International postcards cost 10,000 IDR.
4. Airport fees in Indonesia
   • Make sure you have IDR stashed away for the departure fees.  35,000 for domestic and 150,000 for international departures.  They will not take anything but IDR.
5. When going through customs in Indonesia make sure you pay for your Visa on Arrival FIRST (make sure you have the exact amount in USD) and then go to the customs guy.
6. Get a private driver to take you around Bali.
   • I highly recommend Putu Arnawa.  He was one of the reasons why our trip was so awesome.
7. Despite the Conrad being a pretty awesome hotel, the Nusa Dua/Tengoban Benoa area is just too far from the main attractions on the island.  Ubud is a good base for all the country side/temple sights and sad to say Kuta/Legian/Seminyak are good bases for the southern part of Bali.  Travelling from our area always added about 1.5 hours each way because of insane chaotic traffic and this one main round-about clog right by the airport.
8. Highly recommended to check out some off-the-beaten path local activities like the semi-annual celebrations or cock fights – talk to your driver
9. Never pay for asking price at local markets.  Negotiate by starting at 40% and going up from there.
10. Tanah Lot and Uluwatu are great for sunsets
11. Most local restaurants have free shuttles that will take you from your hotel to the restaurant so check first before grabbing a cab.
12. Bumbu Bali is great if you’re in the Nusa Dua area.  The set menus are good for first timers but I will have to say that the satay is their best item.
13. Cozy 1 or 2 is definitely recommended.  I couldn’t believe that their prices were actually cheaper than in China.  Very professional and nicely furnished facilities.
14. Kuta looks like it’d be great for surfing as anyone wanting to go to Bali probably already knows.  The surf isn’t too intimidating and is close to the beach.  However it is very crowded and when we went during sunset filled with hawkers, tourists and local kids.
15. Jimbaran is a cool area if you have the time.  You can combine this with Uluwatu for sunset if you’d like.  Lia Café was recommended to us but we ended up at JBS instead so don’t get conned by “free shuttles”.

Where to stay in Bali

There are a lot of great places to stay in Bali but to get you started, here are two properties that I'd recommend depending on what type of trip you're looking to do when you're in Bali.

Photo highlights from our 5 days in Bali