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How to spend 2 weeks in Bali?

Two weeks lets you see Bali's three faces: culture and rice fields in the centre, a slower east, and the south coast with the Nusa islands. This plan uses four bases, Ubud for 4 nights, Sidemen for 3, Nusa Penida for 2 and the south coast for 4, linked by short or logical hops. It avoids north Bali (Munduk, Lovina), which adds long drives of 2 hours or more each way.

  1. Day 1: arrive and move to Ubud. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport.
  2. Day 2: Ubud town. Monkey Forest, market and palace (see "What is there to do in Ubud?").
  3. Day 3: around Ubud. Rice terraces and Tirta Empul (see "Can you join the Tirta Empul purification ritual (melukat)?").
  4. Day 4: Mount Batur sunrise. A very early start, then rest. See "Is the Mount Batur sunrise trek worth it, and how does it work?"
  5. Day 5: move to Sidemen. About 1 to 1.5 hours, through rural country. Walk the rice valley (see "Why stay in Sidemen instead of Ubud?").
  6. Day 6: Lempuyang and Tirta Gangga. Leave very early for the temple gates, then the water palace (see "Are Lempuyang's Gates of Heaven worth it, and when to go?"). Allow 1 to 1.5 hours each way.
  7. Day 7: slow day in Sidemen. Weaving workshops or a walk (see "Batik, endek, songket, geringsing: what's the difference?").
  8. Day 8: boat to Nusa Penida from Kusamba. Kusamba is about 30 to 45 minutes from Sidemen, and the crossing is 20 to 25 minutes (see "How do I get to Nusa Penida, and how many days do I need?"). Afternoon on the west coast.
  9. Day 9: Penida. Start early at Kelingking, then Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach (see "Can you walk down to Kelingking Beach, and swim there?").
  10. Day 10: Lembongan, then Sanur. A short local boat to Lembongan, the mangroves and the yellow bridge (see "What is there to do on Nusa Lembongan?"). Take a fast boat to Sanur (30 minutes) in the afternoon, then drive to the south coast (about 1 hour).
  11. Day 11: south beaches and temple. Uluwatu or Canggu, depending on your base (see "What is there to do in Uluwatu (temple, Kecak, surf)?").
  12. Day 12: surf or a cooking class. A lesson, or a warung tour (see "Where can you go out at night in Kuta?" if you want nightlife).
  13. Day 13: spare day. Buffer for a cancelled boat, a rainy day or a slow beach day.
  14. Day 14: fly home. Allow at least 3 hours before an international flight.

Variants:

Common mistakes: moving every second night, underestimating the east and north roads, and forgetting that the boat to the Nusa islands depends on the sea.

Verdict: four bases is the maximum for 14 days. If you must cut something, cut Nusa Penida, not the spare day.

Tip: book your first and last nights first, then add the moves in between: a tight schedule at either end is how people end up rushing to the airport.

Checked in October 2026. Drive times are approximate and vary with traffic and weather.

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