There are so many things to do in Bali that you could easily spend years there without getting bored. But if you’re only there for a couple weeks, you have to prioritize some places and northern Bali definitely is one of them. Find out why in the North Bali travel guide!
In 2019, I did an internship in Bali and worked for a travel agency for two months. I got to visit and stay in the most wonderful places of the indonesian island. The country really has it all if you dig a bit, so I thought it would be a shame to keep those perfect itineraries to myself.
For instance, here are complete guides to the nearby islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan. But in this article, we will focus on Bali’s most amazing area for natural wonders… Yes, we are obviously talking about the north of Bali.
It is a true slice of paradise : waterfalls, jungles, rice terraces, hot springs, cultural events such as the magical Kecak dance… In this piece, we’ll share a 2 to 3 days north Bali itinerary, depending on how much time you have and how long you want to stay in each spot.
Before heading to the exciting part, we’re cover all the information you’ll need for a wonderful road trip as well a map with the main north Bali spots.
Is North Bali worth visiting?
To be completely honest, if you ask me which part of Bali is most beautiful, I couldn’t answer right away because all the waterfalls, volcanoes and thermal baths are worth exploring. One thing is for sure though, the north side of Bali owns a very special place in my heart. All the locations that are displayed in this article have their own kind of magic.
North East Bali is home to one of the most wonderful volcanos, if not the most wonderful one, you’ll get to see in your life. North West Bali has amazing hot springs, while central north Bali is a waterfalls wonderland. Lastly, the north Bali tourism has increased significantly because that’s the only place where you can see dolphins in freedom. So yes, the north of Bali is SO worth visiting and you’ll come back from your north coast Bali tour with sparkles in your eyes and unforgettable memories in your head.
Which part of Bali is best to stay?
For a week end road trip to the north of Bali, the best place to stay is Lovina. We’ll get back to the best hotels in Lovina later in this article. More generally, to enjoy a great city, beaches and nightlife in Bali or for a long stay, I’d recommend Seminyak. That’s where I stayed for two months and it was a good anchor point for road trips and island hopping weekends.
Looking for the best place to stay to surf in Bali? Uluwatu will be your favorite place in the world. The laid-back atmosphere, unreal cliffs and powerful waves, Uluwatu is surfers’ paradise. Lastly, the fourth best place to stay in Bali is Ubud. This city feels like the spiritual center and mother of the island. If you’re looking for inner peace and a relaxing retreat, you’ll love Ubud. It’s also convenient for the road trips as it’s very central.
How to get to North Bali ?
Yes, there is a north Bali airport but I wouldn’t recommend taking a place to north Bali as most international flights arrived at Denpasar airport, in the south of Bali. The island is quite small and it’s more ecological and interesting to do a weekend road trip to go there ! There are so many unreal nature wonders on the road that I promise you won’t regret it.
North Bali Map
Here are all the north Bali must see that we’ll talk about in this itinerary. It’s a two days trip that you can start from Seminyak or Ubud. Keep reading to find out all the tips and tricks about each spot!
North Bali Places to Visit
North Bali Adventure : First Day
Mount Batur Bali
You can’t visit Bali and not do the famous Mount Batur sunrise trek. It honestly is one of the most surreal experience you can have in Bali. After the trek, when the sun is rising, it feels like you’re out of the world and in the middle of the clouds. Its highest point is at 1717m (5,633 ft), which makes it the second tallest volcano of the island, after Mount Agung.
How to get to Mount Batur from Seminyak or Ubud? The cheapest option to go around between all the north Bali hidden gems is to rent a car with a driver for the weekend. Our driver picked us up at 2am in Seminyak.
Depending on where you’re staying at, just keep in mind that you have to be at the Mount Batur parking at around 4am not to miss the sunrise. You’ll find a guide there as soon as you get off the car ; he’ll provide flashlights and be very helpful during the 2 hours trek. Don’t forget to bring warm clothes, a water bottle and… enjoy the sunrise of a lifetime!
🌅 If you can’t go there by yourself, don’t worry, we got you covered… Viator offers daily sunrise trekking tours with a breakfast at the summit for $45 USD per person. Pretty tempting, right?
Sekumpul Waterfall
After the morning adventure at the most known Bali volcano, it’s waterfall chasing time! And you’re lucky, north Bali waterfalls are countless and all more impressive than the others. They all stand out for different reasons : size, location, flow, brightness, water depth…
The first place we want to take you to in this north Bali waterfall tour is the biggest of them all : Sekumpul Waterfall! This jungle includes 7 waterfalls of impressive sizes and the trek offers a bird’s eye view of each of them. The first point of view is accessible in no more than 30 minutes and it puts on quite a show.
✔️ If you want to do a full day visit of the area with the Sekumpul waterfalls, a volcano hike, rice terraces and a famous temple, we suggest you choose a tour. This full day trekking tour offers all this as well as transportation and breakfast!
Bali Hidden Gem : Sambangan Secret Garden
The Secret Garden Of Sambangan really is the best kept secret location you could find in north Bali. This place comes straight out of a movie. It’s a literal natural amusement park. You are a thrill lover but not your fellow travelers? No worries, this spot has it all.
You will run into waterfalls of all kinds in the middle of the nature, which reinforce the magic of this place. You can enjoy a relaxing bath but also jump from 5, 10 and 15 meters high… It is even possible to slide on the first waterfall, if you follow the guides instructions carefully. Definitely a place you don’t want to skip!
North Bali Lovina
At the end of the day, we drove all the way to Lovina and arrived just in time to witness a sunset at Lovina Beach. There are lots of tourist stalls near the beach so you can easily have a drink with a view with your fellow travelers. During the day, it might be a good spot to do north Bali snorkeling.
North Bali accommodation
If you’d like to stay on the coast in Lovina and you’re on a budget, the absolute perfect place is Apollo Hostel. It’s very well located, near the city center, you can walk everywhere and have a great lunch or massage in the evening.
One night in a shared dorm costs like 2€ and the breakfast is included. It was very clean and there’s even a small swimming pool. The staff was incredibly nice and we spent a really great evening. They offered us a few shots and a guitar concert.
If you want to treat yourself with one of the best north Bali luxury hotels, Munduk is the place to be. This lost paradise among the mountains, lakes and other nature wonders truly has some of the best north Bali resorts.
✔️ The one that offers the most unreal views on the mountains is Munduk Moding Plantation. The highlight of the resort definitely is its infinity pool, where the water and the sky become one.
North Bali Adventure : second day
After a nice stay in one of the north Bali hotels, I hope you’re ready another day of crazy adventures because there are tons of other north Bali activities you don’t want to miss out. Spoiler alert : if like me you were a dolphin lover as a child, you might be about to realise your biggest childhood dream…
Dolphins in Bali
So, what is there to do in Lovina Beach? If you stay there for more than one hour, you will hear about the dolphins experience for sure. Actually, it’s what Lovina is known for and attracts loads of people. We experienced it and had the incredible chance of seeing a lot of dolphins.
Sadly, it’s not done is the best conditions… Of course, it’s better to see them in nature than in a park (how does it even exist?). But there are no rules regarding the number of boats and how close they can get to the dolphins. This results in way too many boats chasing them at the same time and getting way too close with no penalties. I wouldn’t do it again.
Banjar Hot Springs
Air Panas Banjar Hot Springs are without a doubt the best hot springs in Bali. Only 5 kilometers from the Lovina coast, this is a sacred centuries-old place where you can chill in the sulphurous waters. It’s perfect for those seeking relaxation after the sporty trek to Mount Batur. To learn more about the hot springs, you can consult their official website.
Banyumala Twin Waterfalls
Alright, it’s time for the waterfall of the day ! Banyumala Twin Waterfalls actually was one of our top 3 favourite spots of the weekend. This huge waterfalls rolling down the rocks in the middle of a jungle are really worth checking. You can even swim in it and go under the falls if you’re the bold type! The trek to go down to the waterfall is about 30 minutes and it’s really stunning too.
Bali Twin Lake
If you stayed at Munduk Moding Plantation, the twin lakes of northern Bali are only a few minutes away by car. If you are coming from the waterfall, it’s a 11 minutes drive. In both cases, this is a viewpoint you truly don’t want to pass by without noticing because it’s absolutely mystic and stunning. The twin crater wonders actually are the lake Tamblingan and lake Buyan. They are separated and surrounded by a huge well-preserved forest, which is home to loads of wild animals.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
There are many temples in Bali, but Ulun Danu Beratan temple is the most known and the most special. This amazing Balinese temple is located in lake Beratan, pretty much in the middle of the island. It’s a 30 minutes drive from the previous waterfall and its mystical shape will amaze you.
Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
On your way back to Ubud and Seminyak, you can make a stop at Jatiluwih Rice terraces. Those are 600 hectares of rice fields along the mount Batukaru. In other words, it’s an underrated green paradise where you can scroll in communion with the wonderful nature.
And that’s a wrap! This north Bali itinerary really show right away what Bali has in its stomach. It covers emblematic nature spots, but also hidden gems that have not been touched by mass tourism. This Bali road trip definitely reunite some of my absolute favourite things to do in Bali on a budget. And you, what were your favourite spots in the North of Bali?
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