• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers

Award-Winning Adventure Travel Blog

CLICK TO OPEN MENUMENU
  • TRAVEL TIPS
    • TRAVEL INSPIRATION
    • HOW TO PLAN A TRIP
    • HOW TO SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL
    • CHEAP PLACES TO TRAVEL
    • FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
    • FIND CHEAP ACCOMMODATION
    • TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
    • TRAVEL ITINERARIES
    • TRAVEL GEAR GUIDE
    • TRAVEL INSURANCE ADVICE
  • USA TRAVEL
    • USA TRAVEL GUIDE
    • USA NATIONAL PARKS
    • WEST COAST USA
      • ALASKA
      • CALIFORNIA
      • HAWAII
    • MOUNTAIN USA
      • COLORADO
      • MONTANA
      • WYOMING
    • MIDWEST USA
      • MINNESOTA
      • NORTH DAKOTA
      • WISCONSIN
    • NORTHEAST USA
      • NEW YORK
    • SOUTHWEST USA
      • ARIZONA
      • NEVADA
      • UTAH
    • SOUTHEAST USA
      • FLORIDA
      • NORTH CAROLINA
      • VIRGINIA
  • DESTINATIONS
    • WORLDWIDE
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • ETHIOPIA
      • KENYA
      • MALAWI
      • NAMIBIA
      • RWANDA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • ZIMBABWE
    • ANTARCTICA
    • ASIA
      • CHINA
      • HONG KONG
      • INDIA
      • KYRGYZSTAN
      • MACAU
      • MALDIVES
      • RUSSIA
      • SOUTH KOREA
      • SRI LANKA
      • TIBET
      • TURKMENISTAN
      • UZBEKISTAN
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • BORNEO
      • CAMBODIA
      • INDONESIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MYANMAR
      • PHILIPPINES
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • VIETNAM
    • CARIBBEAN
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
      • NORDICS
        • DENMARK
        • FINLAND
        • ICELAND
        • NORWAY
        • SWEDEN
      • WESTERN EUROPE
        • BELGIUM
        • ENGLAND
        • FRANCE
        • IRELAND
        • LUXEMBOURG
        • NETHERLANDS
        • SCOTLAND
      • CENTRAL EUROPE
        • CZECH REPUBLIC
        • GERMANY
        • HUNGARY
        • POLAND
      • SOUTHERN EUROPE
        • ITALY
        • SPAIN
      • BALKANS
        • CROATIA
        • GREECE
        • MONTENEGRO
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • EGYPT
      • JORDAN
      • MOROCCO
      • TURKEY
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • CANADA
      • GREENLAND
      • MEXICO
      • UNITED STATES
    • OCEANIA
      • AUSTRALIA
      • EASTER ISLAND
      • FIJI
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
      • CHILE
      • COLOMBIA
      • ECUADOR
      • PERU
      • VENEZUELA
  • TRAVEL STYLES
    • ADVENTURE TRAVEL
    • CRUISING
    • CULTURAL
    • HIKING TRIPS
    • KAYAKING
    • POLAR EXPEDITIONS
    • ROAD TRIPS
    • TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
    • WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • MASTER GOPRO PHOTOGRAPHY
    • BEST GOPRO ACCESSORIES
    • BEST CAMERA ACCESSORIES
    • BEST DRONES FOR TRAVEL
    • BEST TRAVEL TRIPOD
    • OUR PHOTO GEAR
  • ABOUT
    • MEET LINA & DAVID
    • WORK WITH US
    • CONTACT

Best Time to Visit Bali: Month by Month Breakdown

You are here: Home / Southeast Asia Travel / Best Time to Visit Bali: Month by Month Breakdown

By David Stock on April 24, 2020 • Last updated February 1, 2021 • Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our Disclosure here

Bali is one of the most popular islands in Southeast Asia, and deciding the best time to visit Bali is going to affect not only the weather you experience but also how many other tourists are there with you.

Like most of tropical Indonesia, Bali only really has two seasons throughout the year, the dry season and the wet season. 

All year-round, it’s hot, and for many, Bali can be visited any time of the year, but between November and March, you can expect downpours most days during the wet season. 

April to October is the dry season and you can expect larger crowds and higher prices but the weather will be perfect.

Often, the best time to visit Bali is a trade-off between the weather and the number of visitors. 

To help you to plan your trip, here’s our guide on the best time to visit Bali. 

Don’t leave home without: Lonely Planet Indonesia (Country Guide)


Best Time to Visit Bali: Month by Month Breakdown


Bali Dry Season

LIna Stock of Divergent Travelers enjoying a beach in Bali

The dry season is the best time to visit Bali when it comes to the weather because for half of the year you can expect beautiful clear skies and almost no rainfall.

The dry season in Bali runs from May to October, although this can vary each year. The peak months are the height of the Balinese winter, which is June, July, and August.

May in Bali

Mount Batur - Best time to visit Bali

May is the start of the official dry season in Bali, but you can still expect a mixed bag when it comes to the weather.

One year it could be raining all through May but the next it can be dry from as early as April. 

If it does rain in May though it’s guaranteed to just be a few light showers, and this is the best time to visit before you hit the high season from June to August.

Prices will be lower in May and with the better weather, it’s a good time to start diving and snorkeling, as the water visibility clears up.

It’s getting cooler too and less humid, so a hike to the summit of Bali’s mysterious volcano, Mount Batur, can be a great activity in May, as you’ll miss the crowds and enjoy better conditions for hiking. 

June in Bali

Uluwatu Temple Bali

June is the start of the high season in Bali, although it’s not quite as busy a month as July and August. The weather is likely to be perfect with temperatures averaging in the mid-twenties and humidity low. 

You’ll have to be really unlucky to see even a light rain shower, so it’s a great time to hit up the beaches and make the most of the clear skies and sunshine. 

Prices start to climb in June, but you’ll miss the worst of the high season which picks up towards the end of the month when the European summer holidays begin in earnest. 

In June you should visit the more touristy attractions such as the famous temples in the south – Uluwatu for instance – or the increasingly popular Nusa Islands before the summer crowds make their appearance. 

July in Bali

Beach in Bali, Indonesia

July is usually the busiest month to visit Bali, but for good reason, and that’s because you’ll be enjoying the best weather of the year. 

But as well as enjoying sunny, clear skies and zero rain, you’ll be sharing the beaches and resorts with hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers. People flock here from Europe, America and more than anywhere else, from Australia. 

Prices will be higher for flights and hotels, but if you do want to escape the crowds then head north.

This is a great time to experience a side of Bali that most miss, and by exploring the black sand beaches of Amed or the coast and jungle of Bali Barat National Park, you’ll see how the south of Bali was a few decades previously. 

August in Bali

LIna Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel blog enjoying a luxury resort in Bali

Much like July, August is always super busy in Bali. The weather is again beautiful, with clear skies and sunny days, and it’s a great time for lounging on beaches and drinking cold Bintang Beers. 

If you want to escape the holiday crowds though then plan a trip north, and visit the beautiful coastline in more rustic destinations such as Lovina or Amed, where tourism has only recently begun to develop.

There are great snorkeling and diving up north too, including some famous shipwrecks, and as it’s the height of the dry season the water will be beautifully clear.

September in Bali

Sunset with surfers in Kuta Bali

September can be the best time to visit Bali if you want a great mix of good weather and smaller crowds. 

Things will still be busy and flights will be more expensive than the later shoulder season months. But you’ll save money compared to the true high season and have fewer people around when you explore touristy destinations such as Ubud, Kuta or the Nusa Islands. 

October in Bali

Temple in Ubud Bali

October is a great shoulder season month, but the dry weather is coming to a close. There are more and more rainy days, but these can be unpredictable.

If you’re in Bali for two weeks, you’ll most likely have enough dry days to make the most of your visit. 

Enjoy the south and the more traditional beach areas, get cultural in Ubud or escape to the north to see a wilder side of the island. 


Bali Wet Season 


Surfer in Bali

The wet season in Bali runs from November through to April, corresponding with the southern hemisphere summer and fall.

It’s tropical, and that means that while it does rain hard when it rains, showers and storms are brief but fierce.

The rainy season can be a great time to miss the crowds but give December and January a miss because these two months are still incredibly popular despite the wet weather. 

November in Bali

Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel blog at a luxury resort in Bali

November is when the rainy season starts in Bali, but just how much rain there will be, can vary.

You’ll have good odds of having lovely sunny days still, and it’s a great time to visit because you’ll miss the Christmas crowds who are just around the corner. 

You can get wonderful deals on flights and hotels through November, and you’ll still be able to snorkel and dive before the water gets too cloudy from the rains.

It’s getting hotter, but take a trip to the summit of Mount Batur and you’ll be able to cool down after a challenging hike to the top of Bali’s iconic volcano. 

December in Bali

Monkey of Monkey forest in Ubud Bali

December is usually the rainiest month of the year, and weather-wise, this really is not the best time to visit Bali. 

The tourist crowds would beg to differ though because while you might get soaked, it’s also incredibly warm still.

That draws over the Christmas crowds seeking winter sun from Europe and North America, and it still brings over the Aussie crowds looking for a cheap getaway. 

It’s a lively time to be in Bali, and it’s not a bad place at all to spend Christmas and New Year, but be prepared for high prices and lots of other travelers and tourists. 

January in Bali

Boat on a beach in Bali

January can be just as busy as December and unfortunately, just as rainy. This is the height of the wet season, but again, it doesn’t put off the crowds. 

If you do visit, then the southern beaches and classic resort areas are best avoided. Head north instead, and find a bit more peace and quiet in the lesser-visited parts of Bali.

February in Bali

Waterfall Bali

In February, the weather starts to cool down slightly and the rainy days begin to disappear, but it’s still very much the wet season. 

It’s a great shoulder season month, right after the Christmas crowds go home, and you can enjoy many of Bali’s best sights with fewer people around. 

Head to the waterfalls, as they will be in their element, and the jungle will be lush and green from all the rainfall over the last few months. 

March in Bali

Shoulder season in Bali - Street with no travelers

March can be a wet month or it can be a dry month, the weather gods in Bali are unpredictable this time of the year. 

It will be a quiet month on the tourism front though and that makes it the best time to visit Bali if you’re a fan of shoulder season travel. 

The Christmas and New Year crowds are long gone, and the dry season tourists are a few months away.

You can get great deals on flights and resorts if you book in advance, and you’ll find that lots of beach areas in the south such as Kuta, Seminyak or Canggu are quieter.

This is Bali though, so if you’re here for the social aspects then there are always other travelers around to hang out with. 

April in Bali

Ubud rice terraces in April

April is a great shoulder month, but be careful of the Easter Holidays in Australia or Europe, as Bali becomes a popular holiday break destination during this time of the year. 

You could enjoy almost all sunny days or conversely it could also rain a lot, but that’s the gamble in April as the rainy season draws to a close. 

It’s the tail end of the wet season though and Bali will be blooming, making this a great month to visit the waterfalls and the rice paddies before they start to dry out again.

Visit Ubud for cultural festivals and then hike through the rice terraces nearby.

Top Recommended Tours:

  • Wellness Bali with G Adventures – 9 days
  • Classic Bali with G Adventures – 8 days
  • Active Bali & Java with G Adventures – 12 days
  • Bali: Beaches & Boat Rides with G Adventures – 9 days
  • Classic Bali & Sailing Adventure with G Adventures – 14 days

More on Indonesia:

  • 17 Epic Things to do in Lombok, Indonesia
  • Paradise Found in the Raja Ampat Islands, Papua Indonesia
  • 11 UNREAL Places to Visit in Indonesia
  • Top Things To Do in Indonesia
  • 15 Unmissable Things to Do in Ubud, Bali
  • 21 EPIC Things to Do in Bali
  • 5 Reasons Why Bali Is Not the Paradise You Think It Is
  • Photographing the Kuta Sunset in Bali
  • What to wear in Bali: The Ultimate Packing List
  • 15 Photos and Facts About Visiting Gili Trawangan

Did you like this story? Share it!

To help you to plan your trip, here’s our guide on the best time to visit Bali.

Article by David Stock

I have always been an outdoorsman so becoming an adventure traveler was just the next natural step. I love nature, I love to get off the beaten path and I like to explore. I enjoy scuba diving and cars. And yes, Lina and I have a naked dog.
141shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Trip Planning Resources

TRAVEL GEAR & PACKING
Check out our packing lists and  travel gear guide to ensure you’re bringing the right items on your trip.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
Ready to fly? We use Skyscanner to compare prices and book flights. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap flights.

CAR RENTAL
We use Discover Cars to compare car prices, find deals and book rentals.

FIND ACCOMMODATION
Compare prices and book with our custom-built hotel search engine. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap accommodation.

TRY OUT AIRBNB
Get a discount with AirBNB and learn how to maximize your savings with up to $100 in discounts.

PROTECT YOUR TRIP
Don’t forget your travel insurance! Protect your investment and yourself. Read Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

Disclosure: In accordance with FTC guidelines, we disclose that we may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Some posts might be sponsored to support this blog.
Divergent Travelers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome to Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

We are David & Lina Stock, a married couple from NW Wisconsin who have been traveling together since 2001. We’ve visited nearly 100 countries on all 7 continents. You can learn more about us here.

Looking for something?

AirBNB coupon

Latest Posts

  • What To Do in Chiang Mai, Thailand (18 Amazing Attractions, Festivals & Food)
  • How to Plan the Ultimate Alaska Bear Camp Adventure in Lake Clark National Park
  • 24 Amazing Malaysia Attractions You Cannot Miss
  • Tips for Hiking the Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon
  • Tips for Hiking the Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park

Divergent Travelers

About · Blog · Press · Contact
Privacy Policy · Disclosure · Terms

CONNECT WITH US!

© 2021 Copyright · All Rights Reserved · Divergent Travel Media, LLC