Rice terraces at Tegallalang and Jatiluwih
Things to do in Bali begin with choosing which part of the island you want to understand. Tegallalang belongs to Gianyar near Ubud, while Jatiluwih is in Tabanan. Both offer rice landscapes, but they are separate destinations with their own access arrangements. At Tegallalang, different areas and managers set different admission prices and visiting hours. Treat each managed area as a separate visit when planning admission and timing.
Subak is more than a pattern of green terraces. It links cooperative irrigation, farming, social organisation and water temples. UNESCO recognises a defined cultural landscape with roots in the ninth century, inscribed in 2012. The designation does not apply to every rice field on the island. Jatiluwih belongs to that wider cultural story; permitted walking access still matters because fields remain agricultural land.
Choose a terrace visit for the landscape and the water-management context rather than a promised colour at a particular time of year. Planting and harvest change the appearance of working fields. Keep to permitted routes and leave private agricultural areas undisturbed. For an inland base that also brings culture and the monkey forest into the picture, read the Ubud guide.
Things to do in Bali
Choose a guided excursion or temple trip for a driver-led day. The bicycle outing includes a guide and lunch.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Bali temple tour with guide
- English-speaking tour guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Water
Entry fees depend on the option selected.
Check availability →
Guided bicycle outing
- Use of bicycle
- Professional guide
- Buffet lunch
Hotel pickup and drop-off depend on the option.
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Bali guided excursion
- Guided tour
- Bottled water
- Parking fee
Entrance tickets depend on the ticket option; lunch requires the ticket-and-lunch option.
Check availability →Waterfalls, cultural visits and Ubud by bicycle
A guided waterfall day, a temple outing and an electric-bike visit give three distinct ways to discover Bali.
Waterfalls as a guided day out
The guided waterfall outing is listed at 8 hours. Hotel pickup and return, guidance, bottled water and parking are included. Admission comes with the ticket option, and lunch belongs to the ticket-and-lunch option. This format suits a day focused on a landscape theme instead of independently joining several transport arrangements. The selected programme determines the stops; the package is not permission to add any waterfall seen on a map.
Water conditions and access deserve attention on the day. A waterfall visit does not by itself establish that a pool is open for swimming or that all approach paths are suitable for every traveller. Follow local instructions and the participation conditions of the chosen activity. Keep a change in the plan possible when rain affects the outing, and use the weather guide to separate climate averages from a daily forecast.
Temple regions and respectful visits
Tanah Lot is a coastal temple in Tabanan. Its rocky base changes with the tide: exposed access at low water is different from permission to enter sacred rooms or approach in heavy surf. Besakih and Lempuyang lie in Karangasem in the east. Ulun Danu Beratan is beside Lake Beratan in Tabanan and is a different temple from Ulun Danu Batur at Lake Batur.
Choose a region before trying to combine temples. A coastal visit, a lakeside landscape and eastern temple grounds make different geographical days. The temple routes page helps with that choice. Wear the required sarong and sash, cover shoulders and knees and respect boundaries around worship. The provincial guidance of 24 March 2025 reserves sacred inner and middle zones for appropriately dressed worshippers and excludes menstruating visitors from those zones.
A guided Tanah Lot cultural outing includes hotel transfer, an English-speaking guide, an air-conditioned vehicle and water. Entry fees depend on the selected option and meals are separate. Use it as a way to visit cultural places with transport and guidance, rather than expecting every temple named in a general Bali guide to be part of one route.
Tirta Empul and ritual water
Tirta Empul is in Manukaya, Tampaksiring, in Gianyar. Its spring water and purification pools belong to religious practice. Non-Hindu visitors can participate in Melukat with local guidance, while ritual and sacred-zone restrictions still apply. Wear a sarong and sash and approach the pools as a place of worship rather than a leisure bath.
The focused Tirta Empul visitor guide provides further context for a visit centred on the temple. Keep that purpose distinct from a general sightseeing day: looking at a courtyard, entering a prayer area and participating in a ritual are different activities with different boundaries.
Ubud, the monkey forest and bicycle visits
Ubud brings rice landscapes and culture together inland. A guided electric-bike experience includes bicycle use, a helmet, water, breakfast, buffet lunch and coffee or tea. Wet-weather gear is provided if needed, while hotel transfer depends on the option. It is a cycling visit rather than a town walking tour, and the activity conditions matter when deciding whether it suits your group.
At the monkey forest, keep respectful distance, secure small objects and supervise children. Do not touch, lift or feed wild monkeys. Site guidance also addresses eye contact and staying calm if an animal jumps onto a visitor. The sanctuary temples are reserved for prayer in Balinese tradition. A park visit therefore combines nature and cultural surroundings without unrestricted temple access.
Coasts, Kuta and the choice of a beach day
Sanur faces east and has a promenade; Seminyak and Canggu offer different coastal settings. Uluwatu/Pecatu is a cliffside area in the south. Pick a coastal day for the location and the kind of visit you want, while treating swimming conditions as a separate daily decision. A calm-looking harbour or a clear sky does not establish safe conditions at another beach.
For a visit focused on the Kuta coast, the Kuta Beach guide offers a narrower starting point. Nusa Penida adds a boat journey and cliff landscapes; use the Penida guide for the crossing and the snorkeling guide when water time is the priority. For the booking comparison across broader routes, return to Bali tours.
Frequently asked questions
Is every rice terrace a UNESCO site?
The inscription covers a defined cultural landscape. It does not turn every terrace or agricultural path on Bali into a World Heritage visitor area.
Can I swim at every waterfall?
Choose the visit for its listed programme and follow local access instructions. Swimming permission and water conditions need separate attention.
Is the Ubud bicycle visit a walking tour?
It is an electric-bike experience with bicycle and helmet use included. Hotel transfer is available through the corresponding option.