Bali and Lombok in 10 days: Ubud, Sanur, the Gilis and Kuta Lombok

How the route fits together

The two islands sit side by side across the Lombok Strait, but the trip between them is the part that can go wrong. Fast boats run from Bali to the Gili Islands, the sea is calmest in the morning, and, as Wikivoyage puts it, all transport stops running in the late afternoon, well before dark. The UK government's travel advice adds that sea conditions can change rapidly and that safety standards vary between providers. So the route is built so that a lost day at sea costs you a beach day, not a flight.

That is why it runs one way. Arrive at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, spend the quiet inland part of the trip first in Ubud, then move to Sanur, about 45 minutes' drive from Ubud according to the Ministry of Tourism, so that the boat is a short transfer the next morning. Cross to the Gilis on day five and keep day seven free. On day eight, take a short morning boat to the Lombok mainland and drive south to Kuta, which is about 25 minutes from Lombok International Airport. The ministry notes direct flights from Singapore and Malaysia to Lombok and a flight of about 30 minutes to Bali, so you leave from LOP instead of crossing back by sea.

Nine nights break down as three in Ubud, one in Sanur, three on the Gilis and two in Kuta. If the crossing goes smoothly and you would rather have more time on Lombok's beaches, move to Kuta on day seven instead: that gives the south coast three nights.

Days 1–4: Ubud, then the coast at Sanur

Day one is the airport and the road inland. The official taxi counter at Ngurah Rai is outside the arrivals hall (turn right as you exit); the Ministry of Tourism warns that prepaid cabs to Ubud can be expensive, so a hotel pick-up or a pre-booked driver is the usual choice. Foreign visitors also pay Bali's tourist levy, which Bali's provincial Love Bali site listed at IDR 150,000 when we checked on 2026-10-03; you can pay it online on that site before you fly. Do not plan anything else on arrival day.

Day two is Ubud on foot. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the Sacred Monkey Forest's official site listed opening from 9:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00 and an adult ticket of IDR 130,000; go at opening time, then walk up to the palace and the market and take a long lunch. If the afternoon is cool enough, the ministry suggests the Campuhan ridge walk. Day three is a half-day by car: the Tegallalang rice terraces are about a 20-minute drive north of Ubud and take 30 minutes to an hour and a half to explore, and the Tirta Empul holy spring temple at Tampaksiring, about 14 kilometres north-east of Ubud, needs another 30 minutes to an hour. A sarong is required at Tirta Empul and can be rented at the entrance; carry cash for small local payments at Tegallalang.

On day four, drive down to Sanur. Its offshore reefs make warm, shallow lagoons for swimming, and a paved path runs about 5 kilometres along the beach from Jalan Mertasari to Jalan Hang Tuah, best by bicycle or on foot early in the morning; the ministry gives 5:30 to 7:00 WITA as the sunrise window. Use the afternoon to confirm your boat: the check-in point, the departure time and whether a hotel pick-up is included. Our Ubud and Sanur guides cover both places in more detail.

Days 5–7: the fast boat and the Gili Islands

Take the earliest boat you can on day five. When we checked on 2026-10-03, Scoot Fast Cruises' official site listed a Sanur–Lembongan–Gili service leaving Sanur Harbour at 9:30 a.m., with hotel pick-up in Bali. Other operators leave from Serangan, about 30 minutes by car from the main south Bali areas, or from Padang Bai in the east; Wikivoyage puts the Serangan crossing at about 2 hours 30 minutes and notes that boats from Padang Bai and Amed take about half as long but need more road time on Bali. Pack phones and cameras in a waterproof bag, and check the life jackets on board, as the UK travel advice recommends.

Choose your island for how you want the evenings to feel. The Ministry of Tourism describes Gili Air as the closest to the mainland and the most populated, Gili Meno as the smallest with only a few hundred residents, and Gili Trawangan as the liveliest, with party nights rotating between bars. On all three, cars and motorbikes are banned: you walk, cycle or take a cidomo, a small horse-drawn cart. For this route Gili Air is the practical pick, because it is the shortest hop to Lombok on day eight.

Day six is for the reefs. Shared snorkelling trips around the three islands usually leave at about 10:00 and return at about 16:00, stopping at three or four spots with a long lunch break, according to Wikivoyage; the ministry names Turtle Point, Coral Garden and the Bounty Wreck among the usual stops and says green turtles are seen at 10 to 20 metres. Leave day seven empty. If your day-five boat was cancelled or delayed, this is when you catch up; if not, cycle your island, swim and stay out for the sunset.

Days 8–10: across to Lombok's south coast

On day eight, take a morning boat to the Lombok mainland. Wikivoyage lists public boats from Bangsal harbour of about 15, 30 and 45 minutes to Gili Air, Meno and Trawangan, with a public boat ticket office on each island for the return; private speedboats use Teluk Nare, just south of Bangsal. From there it is a long road south: Wikivoyage puts the taxi from Lombok International Airport to Bangsal or Teluk Nare at 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, and Kuta lies about 18 kilometres beyond the airport. Book a car to meet you at the harbour, and treat the day as a travel day.

Day nine is the south coast. Tanjung Aan, about 2 kilometres of white sand east of Kuta, is good for swimming and snorkelling, and Bukit Merese is an 11-minute walk from it for the sunset, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Sade, a Sasak village about 15 minutes' drive from the Mandalika circuit, is a lived-in village rather than a museum; when we checked on 2026-10-03, the ministry listed entry at Rp15,000 and visiting hours of 8:00 to 19:00, and a local guide meets visitors at the entrance. There is no public transport to Sade, and Wikivoyage notes that Grab and Gojek do not operate in Kuta, so rent a scooter only if you are an experienced rider, or hire a driver for the day.

On day ten, if your flight is late, spend the morning at Selong Belanak, a wide bay west of Kuta with gentle waves and surf lessons; Wikivoyage warns that sunbeds there can be expensive, so bring a towel. Wikivoyage gives about 25 minutes from Kuta to the airport by taxi. Our Kuta Lombok, Lombok and Gili Islands guides cover the beaches, villages and boats in more detail.

The ten days at a glance

This is an editorial suggestion, not a timetable. Check boat times, flights and the marine forecast before each move.

• Day 1 — Arrive in Bali: Ngurah Rai airport to Ubud by pre-booked car; a quiet evening. Night: Ubud.
• Day 2 — Ubud on foot: the Monkey Forest at opening time, the palace and market, the Campuhan ridge late in the day. Night: Ubud.
• Day 3 — Terraces and temple: Tegallalang early, Tirta Empul late morning, a free afternoon. Night: Ubud.
• Day 4 — To the coast: drive to Sanur, swim in the lagoon, confirm the boat check-in. Night: Sanur.
• Day 5 — Fast boat: a morning crossing to the Gilis, the afternoon on the beach. Night: Gili Air or Gili Trawangan.
• Day 6 — Reefs: a three-island snorkelling trip. Night: Gilis.
• Day 7 — Buffer: catch-up day for a delayed crossing, otherwise cycling and sunset. Night: Gilis.
• Day 8 — To Lombok: morning boat to Bangsal or Teluk Nare, then the road south. Night: Kuta Lombok.
• Day 9 — South coast: Tanjung Aan, Sade village, sunset from Bukit Merese. Night: Kuta Lombok.
• Day 10 — Depart: Selong Belanak in the morning if time allows, then Lombok International Airport.

Weather, crossings and when to change the plan

The dry season, April to October, is the best time for this route, but it does not guarantee a calm sea. Wikivoyage notes that the Gili crossings can be choppy during southerly winds, especially in July and August, and that you are likely to get wet on board. Indonesia's weather agency, BMKG, publishes marine forecasts for the Bali and Lombok Strait crossings; look at them the evening before you sail, and if the operator cancels, move the crossing to the next morning rather than accepting a late-afternoon departure.

Two dates can disrupt the plan. On Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence in March or April, Bali's airport and all transport stop for 24 hours, so do not arrive or leave Bali that day. On Lombok, the ministry's event calendar lists the MotoGP Grand Prix at the Mandalika circuit, next to Kuta, for 9–11 October 2026; if your dates overlap, book Kuta early or swap the order of the last nights.

If your international flight leaves from Bali rather than Lombok, fly from LOP to Bali on day ten instead of taking a boat back: the flight takes about 30 minutes, according to the ministry. The slow public ferry from Lembar to Padang Bai takes five to six hours, according to Wikivoyage, and is not a good last-day plan.