What are the best activities to do in Bali?
Bali is a lot more than beaches and temples: between two sightseeing days, the island is packed with things to do, from white water rafting and cooking classes to yoga, Balinese massage and making your own temple offerings. Most take a few hours, can be booked the day before and cost a fraction of what you'd pay at home.
They're also the best way to see Balinese life from the inside: you cook in a family compound, learn to fold coconut leaves in the back of a Balinese home with the women who do it every morning, and get a massage using techniques handed down through generations.
The easiest approach is to pick your activities based on where you're staying, because getting around Bali always takes longer than you think:
- Around Ubud: white water rafting on the Ayung River, cooking classes (with a morning market visit), yoga and offering-making workshops (Nirvana, on Jalan Goutama, is a good one).
- In the south: water sports at Tanjung Benoa, next to Nusa Dua.
- Everywhere: a Balinese massage, from the little neighbourhood salon to the five-star hotel spa.
A rough idea of prices, per person:
- Rafting: about US$33 to US$45 (600,000 to 800,000 IDR), usually with transfers and lunch.
- Cooking class: US$22 to US$45 (400,000 to 800,000 IDR).
- Water sports: around US$11 (about 200,000 IDR) per 15-minute activity, less in a combo package.
- One-hour massage: a few dollars in a local salon, a lot more in a luxury hotel spa.
Looking for something else? Bali is also great for learning to surf, snorkelling and diving with manta rays, or a sunrise volcano hike on Mount Batur.
Tip: check the pick-up zone before you book. Many Ubud activities only include transfers from Ubud itself: from Kuta, Seminyak or Canggu, expect to pay around US$25 (about 450,000 IDR) extra per car, which can cost almost as much as the class.
Information checked in October 2026; check again before you travel.
More landmarks in this section
- Where to go white water rafting in Bali: Ayung or Telaga Waja?
- Where to take a cooking class in Bali?
- Where to do yoga, Pilates or a retreat in Bali?
- Balinese massage: where to go and how much does it cost?
- Where to do water sports in Bali (Tanjung Benoa)?
- Where to learn to make canang sari offerings in Bali?