Bali guides · 7 min read
Bali Itinerary 10 Days: From Uluwatu to Lovina
Ten days, three bases, one direction: south to north. A day by day route from the cliffs of Uluwatu to the calm sea of Lovina, with Ubud or Munduk on the way.
The best Bali itinerary for 10 days does not try to see everything. It picks three bases, moves in one direction and keeps the drives short. This route starts on the cliffs of Uluwatu, moves to the rice fields and surf of Pererenan, and ends in the quiet green north around Lovina, with Ubud or Munduk on the way. Each leg is two to three hours at most.
A note on timings: drive times below are approximate and depend heavily on traffic. Leave early, travel with a private driver, and you will spend your afternoons by the pool rather than on the road.
Days 1 to 3: Uluwatu and the Bukit
Day 1. Land in Denpasar and drive about 45 minutes south to the Bukit peninsula. Do nothing else. Swim, eat early, sleep. Baliwood Nyang Nyang is a good first base, with a pool in a lush garden and Nyang Nyang beach close by.
Day 2. Morning at Nyang Nyang, one of the wildest beaches on the Bukit: a long walk down the cliff path and almost nobody on the sand (see our Nyang Nyang beach guide). In the late afternoon, head to Uluwatu Temple for sunset and the Kecak fire dance. As of early 2026, temple entry for international adults is around IDR 60,000 and Kecak tickets around IDR 150,000 on site. Arrive by 5pm, and keep sunglasses and phones in your bag: the temple monkeys are quick.
Day 3. Beach hop along the west coast: Bingin, Padang Padang, Suluban. Surfers can paddle out at the famous reef breaks, everyone else can swim at low tide and watch from a clifftop café. Our Uluwatu beaches guide lists the ones worth the stairs.
Days 4 to 6: Pererenan, Canggu and a day in Ubud
Day 4. Drive to Pererenan, roughly an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic. Settle in, then go to Tanah Lot for sunset, about 30 minutes away. Our Tanah Lot guide explains how to time the tide.
Day 5. Early surf lesson or swim at Pererenan or Echo Beach, then coffee and a long brunch. In the afternoon, walk the rice field paths behind the village, and finish with drinks at one of the beach clubs near Canggu. Baliwood Pererenan is a few minutes from the beach, with a sunken lounge for lazy evenings.
Day 6. Day trip to Ubud, around one to one and a half hours inland. Leave by 7am to see the Tegallalang rice terraces in soft light, then walk the Campuhan Ridge, visit the Sacred Monkey Forest (IDR 130,000 for foreign adults since April 2026) and wander the art market. Back in Pererenan for dinner. If you prefer to sleep in Ubud for a night, this is the place to add it.
Day 7: Through the mountains to Munduk and Lovina
Day 7 is the most beautiful drive of the trip. Head north into the highlands, stop at Ulun Danu Beratan Temple on Lake Beratan (entry for foreign adults went up to IDR 100,000 in July 2026), then continue to Munduk for lunch with a view and a short walk to one of the waterfalls. Bring a light jacket: it is noticeably cooler up here. From Munduk, it is about an hour down to the coast. Count on a full day, with Pererenan to Munduk alone taking around two and a half hours.
If you would rather skip Ubud and slow down, you can also spend a night in Munduk itself. The Munduk lakes trip also works as a day out from Lovina later.
Days 8 to 10: Slow days in Lovina
Day 8. Wake before 6am for the sunrise dolphin boats from Lovina beach (book the evening before through your villa or at the beach). Back for breakfast, then a nap. In the afternoon, soak in the warm pools of the Banjar hot springs, about 20 minutes away.
Day 9. Choose between a full day snorkelling at Menjangan Island in the West Bali National Park, with some of the clearest water on the island, or a morning at the waterfalls near Lovina. Either way, be back for sunset. At Baliwood Lovina, the view from the pergola and the infinity pool over the Bali Sea is the reason to end the trip here.
Day 10. Slow morning, last swim, then the drive back to the airport, around three hours. For an evening flight, leave by early afternoon and give yourself a buffer: traffic around Denpasar is hard to predict.
Tips to make this Bali itinerary for 10 days work
- Hire a private driver for the transfer days. It costs little more than taxis and you can stop wherever you like.
- Do the long drive north on day 7, not on your last day.
- Carry a sarong for temples. Most lend or rent one at the entrance, but your own is easier.
- Keep cash in small notes for parking, entry fees and warungs.
- If you only have a week, cut Ubud and one Uluwatu day.
