In a nutshell
- Bali isn’t an island where you just lounge by the pool. You really should experience the rich culture and explore the stunning nature — here’s exactly how.
- We’ve rounded up the 11 best Bali activities — from snorkeling with manta rays to sunrise hikes up a volcano — that you genuinely shouldn’t miss.
- Most of these experiences work no matter where you’re staying on the island, and most won’t break the bank either.
Snorkeling in Bali
- Locations: East Coast, Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan
- Duration: as long as you like
- Cost: free without a tour, from about €15 with a tour
Off Bali’s east coast and around the Nusa Islands, there are massive reefs that are largely still intact and home to countless colorful fish — and sometimes even sea turtles. Honestly, snorkeling is one of the best things to do in Bali, full stop.
Especially along the east coast near Amed, you can head straight into the water right from the beach. The reefs aren’t far from shore at all.
Or you can join a guided snorkeling tour. A boat takes you to the best spots and lends you a snorkel set. That way you even get the chance to snorkel with manta rays near Nusa Penida — just please don’t chase after them.
Book a snorkeling tour on Bali’s east coast
Book a full-day snorkeling tour with manta rays
Balinese Massage
- Locations: all over Bali
- Duration: typically 15–60 minutes
- Cost: full-body massages from €10
- Great activity for rainy days
Balinese people are renowned for their incredible massages. At least one of these famous treatments should be part of your Bali itinerary — it’s the perfect way to truly unwind on your trip. And the best part: they’re super affordable.
Full-body massages are the way to go. But you can also ask the therapist to focus on specific areas if you need it.
Massage parlors are found on every corner in Bali. The one we’ve linked even comes to your hotel in Bali.
Balinese Ceremony
- Locations: all over Bali
- Duration: about two to three hours
- Cost: free
Bali is a deeply spiritual island. There are countless Hindu temples scattered across it, and festivals are celebrated in them regularly. Every temple holds a ceremony at least once every 210 days to mark its founding anniversary.
At a ceremony, people wear traditional clothing, dances are performed, music is played, and rituals are carried out. It’s simply a one-of-a-kind experience.
Most of the time, you’ll be explicitly invited by your hosts, who will also dress you appropriately for the occasion. If you want to know how to behave during the rituals, check out our travel tips for Bali.
We were among just two others as the only tourists at the ceremony we attended. The ceremonies offered on GetYourGuide are unfortunately often very touristy, so we’d skip those.
Surfing in Bali
- Locations: Uluwatu, Kuta, Canggu
- Duration: as long as you like; lessons usually last one to two hours
- Cost: surf lessons from €15, surfboard rentals from €3 per hour
Surfing is one of the most popular things to do in Bali — and for good reason. The island offers waves for every skill level.
Intermediate and advanced surfers will feel right at home in Uluwatu. The reef break waves can reach up to 10–20 feet high.
Kuta and Canggu are perfect for beginners. We took a surf lesson in Kuta ourselves, and the waves were ideal for it. At Bali’s beaches in the surf zones you’ll always find boards to rent and lessons available.
We took this course and can genuinely recommend it:
Book a surf lesson at Up2U Surf School
Balinese Cooking Class
- Locations: all over Bali
- Duration: about four to five hours
- Cost: from €20
- Great activity for rainy days
If you can’t get enough of Balinese food — just like us — you should definitely book a cooking class. Maybe you’ll manage to recreate one or two dishes back home.
During the class, you head to the market with a local, buy fresh ingredients, and learn how to cook several dishes from scratch. You’ll typically make four to six dishes — things like Balinese chicken curry, a traditional dessert, or a spice paste.
The cooking class we’ve linked is in Ubud, but there are great options in all kinds of places across Bali.
Book a Balinese cooking class in Ubud
Hiking Through Rice Fields
- Best starting points: Ubud, Munduk, Sidemen, and Lovina
- Duration: as long as you like
- Cost: free; only the most well-known rice terraces charge about €1–3
You’ll find rice fields all over central Bali. They’re lush green and absolutely stunning for photos. You can simply walk through them and soak in the views.
The most famous rice terraces are the Jatiluwih and Tegallalang rice terraces. These are naturally busier than the lesser-known ones. On the plus side, Jatiluwih has marked walking trails so you can plan exactly how far you want to go.
At lesser-known rice fields, you usually won’t pay any entrance fee. Just ask a rice farmer beforehand whether you’re allowed to walk through their fields — it’s a nice gesture.
To reach the rice terraces, you’ll need either a private driver or you can rent a scooter in Bali.
Our most beautiful rice terraces can be found here:
Discovering Waterfalls
- Best starting points: Ubud, Lovina, and Munduk
- Duration: about 30–60 minutes per waterfall
- Cost: most charge about €1–3
In Bali we came across some of the most impressive waterfalls we’ve ever seen. Every single one is completely different from the last.
Our personal favorites are the Gembleng Waterfall, the Nung Nung Waterfall, and the Goa Rang Reng Waterfall.
To reach most of them, you’ll first hike many steps down through the jungle — and back up again, of course. That usually takes about 20 minutes each way. But it’s almost always worth it.
To get to the starting points, you’ll need either a scooter, a private driver, or you can join a tour that combines waterfalls and rice terraces in one outing.
Book a tour to the most beautiful waterfalls and rice terraces
If you can't get enough of Bali's waterfalls and jungle, check this out:
Visiting Temples
- Locations: all over Bali
- Duration: about 30–60 minutes per temple
- Cost: most charge about €1–3
Visiting a temple is a wonderful experience even without a ceremony.
Balinese temples feature many small structures that are usually open and remind us more of pavilions than anything else. There are family temples on private property, village temples, and temples that serve the whole island.
The most famous of the large temples are Pura Tanah Lot (a sea temple perched on a rock in the ocean), Pura Tirta Empul (a water temple where you can purify yourself), and Goa Gajah (the Elephant Cave temple).
For any temple visit, you’ll need a sarong — a cloth you wrap around your hips. You can bring your own or borrow one at the entrance. You’ll also need to cover your shoulders. To get there, a scooter, private driver, or tour all work great:
Book a tour to the most beautiful temples in Bali
Tour to Mount Batur
- Best starting point: Ubud
- Duration: seven to ten hours
- Cost: from €38
The Mount Batur sunrise hike is one of our all-time favorite things to do in Bali, even though it’s no longer an under-the-radar pick. Mount Batur is a volcano you hike up before dawn to watch the sunrise from the summit — and the views up there are absolutely breathtaking.
A guide is required — you’re no longer allowed to do it solo. Usually the guide hikes up with just you or your group. Only during peak season are different groups sometimes combined.
The ascent covers about 1,600–2,000 feet of elevation gain, which you’ll complete in roughly one and a half hours. Your guide adjusts to your pace the whole way. At the summit, there’s usually breakfast waiting for you to enjoy while watching the sunrise.
Tours are available with or without hotel pickup:
Book a sunrise tour to Mount Batur
Here is our guide to the Mount Batur tour:
Watching the Sunset
- Locations: west coast
- Duration: as long as you like
- Cost: free
We just talked about stunning sunrises — now here’s the flip side: spectacular sunsets. Bali is home to some of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever witnessed. The colors simply explode. Our photo is Exhibit A.
At the beaches along the west coast, you can sit back and relax while watching the sun sink below the horizon. And the best part: it’s completely free — as long as the beach itself doesn’t charge an entrance fee.
Swimming with Dolphins
- Best starting point: Lovina
- Duration: three to four hours
- Cost: from €18
Near Lovina you can swim with dolphins — it’s the highlight of Bali’s north coast.
Unfortunately, dolphin tourism here is taken way too far. Most tours chase after the dolphins relentlessly, and there can easily be 50 boats all crowding around them at once. That’s why we strongly advise against just booking any random tour online or on-site.
After a long search, we found a tour that doesn’t set out until all the other boats have already come back. Out on the water, there might be five other boats at most. And most importantly: the boat gives the dolphins their space and never chases after them.
The tour is run by Edi from Popeye Lovina. You can book via WhatsApp or Instagram — just search the name on Google to find his contact details.
