Bali, Lombok & the Gilis: An Island-Hopping Journey

Day 1 and 2: Arrival in Ubud

Arrive at Denpasar, where a private driver meets you for the transfer to Ubud.

The rest of the first day is left free, an easy way to adjust to the humidity and pace of the island after a long flight, whether that means a walk through the local markets or simply settling into your accommodation.

The following day introduces Ubud properly, with visits to Peliatan Palace, a working center of Balinese royal tradition, and the ARMA museum, whose collection of traditional and contemporary Balinese art offers useful context for the temples and carvings you will see throughout the rest of the trip.

The afternoon leaves room to wander Ubud’s streets at your own pace, from art shops to small family-run cafes.

Day 3: Rice Terraces and Mount Batur

The day centers on Bali’s countryside, beginning with the sacred Monkey Forest, home to hundreds of long-tailed macaques living among ancient banyan trees and stone temple ruins.

From there, the drive continues through the folded, layered rice terraces that ring Ubud, farmed using irrigation techniques that have changed little in centuries.

A drive up toward Mount Batur brings sweeping views over Kintamani and the crescent-shaped Batur Lake below, one of the more striking panoramas on the island, especially in the cooler air of the highlands.

Day 4: Temples and Traditional Villages

Gunung Kawi, an eleventh-century temple complex carved directly into a river valley’s rock face, opens the day with a steep but rewarding descent past rice paddies to reach the shrines themselves.

From there, the sacred springs at Tirta Empul offer the chance to take part in a ritual purification bath alongside local worshippers, a practice that has continued at the site for over a thousand years.

The afternoon continues to Penglipuran, a traditional village whose uniform bamboo gates and preserved layout make it one of the clearest windows into pre-modern Balinese village life still standing today.

Day 5: Mount Agung and the Journey to Lombok

The final day in Bali visits Kerta Gosa, a former royal courtroom known for its painted ceiling depicting Balinese mythology, and the Mother Temple of Besakih, the largest and holiest temple complex on the island, set on the slopes of the still-active Mount Agung.

From there, the journey turns toward Lombok, with a transfer that carries you from Bali’s more visited interior into a noticeably quieter part of the archipelago.

Day 6 and 7: Lombok

Settle into Senggigi Beach, Lombok’s answer to Bali’s more built-up coastline, with a noticeably slower pace and far fewer visitors.

A trek through Rinjani National Park toward Tetebatu introduces the island’s traditional farming communities, where rice, coffee, and cacao are still grown using methods passed down through generations.

A stop at Tibu Topat waterfall rounds out a day built around Lombok’s natural side rather than its beaches, with time to swim in the cool pool beneath the falls before the return to Senggigi.

Day 8 and 9: The Gili Islands

A short boat transfer reaches the Gili Islands, where no motorized vehicles are permitted anywhere and the pace slows further still.

Gili Trawangan offers the liveliest of the three islands, with beachfront bars and restaurants alongside some of the best snorkeling in the group, its coral gardens home to turtles and reef fish in clear, shallow water.

Gili Meno and Gili Air, quieter and less developed, suit travelers who want a genuinely restful stretch of beach with little else on the agenda, whether that means an afternoon swim, a slow walk around the island’s perimeter, or simply watching the sunset with nothing scheduled afterward.

Day 10: Departure

The final morning is left free for one last swim or a slow breakfast by the water, before a private transfer connects back to Denpasar in good time for the departure flight.