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Best time to visit Bali

The best time to visit Bali depends on whether you’re adverse to a spot of tropical rain in the afternoon or if you prefer a dip in the ocean to cool off during a day at the beach. Find out when to visit Bali and when not to by using our month-by-month guide and top tips from our cultural pick from the Bali calendar.

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Best time to visit Bali

Bali basks in balanced year-round temperatures. A humid rainy season from November to March shouldn’t put you off visiting.

The best time to visit Bali is June or September when it's drier, not so humid, and nowhere near as busy as July and August. Australians break up for their winter holidays in the last week of June and first two weeks of July – making this peak season. Although it rains in the months either side of the November to March rainy season, months like April, May and October can still be a great time of year to visit as prices are down, the island is significantly quieter and it's usually sunny in the morning followed by an afternoon downpour, to freshen things up a bit.

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A month by month guide on when to go to Bali

January in Bali

Wettest month

High humidity

Cheap month to visit

If you want to avoid the crowds, then you can’t go wrong with Bali in January. Midway through the rainy season, heavy showers can be expected most afternoons. Walking and cycling long distances are ruled out, but otherwise this isn’t a bad time to visit, being very quiet and with cheap hotel prices. Look for air conditioning, though – the humidity is sticky.

February in Bali

Cultural touring

Rainy, hot & humid

Rough seas

Still deep in the rainy season, Bali in February sees short, sharp showers most days, but these rarely impinge on your activities. With rough seas reducing visibility for diving and snorkelling (and sadly depositing lots of rubbish on the beaches), February is a great month for cultural touring, with landscapes like the Ubud rice terraces lush and green.

March in Bali

Nyepi – Day of Silence

Rains slowing

Quiet and inexpensive

March is a good month to travel to Bali. The rains are slowing, leaving the countryside feeling fresh and new. Afternoon showers persist across Bali in March, but head out early and they won’t get in the way. The highlands can be cool and foggy in the mornings. Nyepi, the day before Balinese New Year, sees the island plunged into silence and calm.

April in Bali

Start of the dry season

Watersports & hiking

Busy around Easter

Most would agree the best time to visit Bali is the dry season, which begins in April. This is also the best time to go snorkelling in Bali, especially around Menjangan Island, with good water clarity. The humidity is lower in Bali in April, and while the highlands can be cool in the mornings and evenings, it’s generally warm. Expect to see lots of families around Easter.

May in Bali

Hottest month

Diving off the Nusa Islands

Humidity falling

May is one of the best times of year to visit Bali. The weather is dry and sunny, with humidity falling. The seas are calm enough for diving and snorkelling in places like the Nusa Islands, you can still find deals on accommodation if you book early, and despite all of this – it’s still relatively quiet. Yes, Bali in May has a great deal going for it.

June in Bali

Excellent weather

Surfing, walking & diving

Getting busy

Bali in June ticks all the boxes: warm, sunny and dry, with low humidity, and enough tourists on the scene that the island has a buzzy atmosphere, yet without it feeling too crowded just yet. Whether you’re looking to surf, to walk, to dive, to meditate or just to chill on the beach with a good book, June is among the best months to visit Bali.

The dry season, from April to October, is the best time to go snorkelling in Bali as the water clarity is much better.

– Jeremy Kwan from our partner Intrepid Travel

July in Bali

Very crowded

Great for surfing

Bali Kite Festival

Bali in July gets crowded, especially in the south, with good weather and perfect conditions for watersports. Prices rise in line with that. The busiest areas include Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud, especially around midday and sunset. Instead, make for places like Sidemen, where you can walk and cycle amid its green rice terraces, or the more relaxed resort vibes of Sanur.

August in Bali

Sunny & hot

Family holidays

Plan well ahead

Hotel and flight prices rise, you’ll queue for tables in restaurants, and sun loungers by the pool, and get stuck in tailbacks behind squads of mopeds. Bali in August is popular with families, and very popular with Australians. Start early in the day to beat the rush, and dress respectfully in rural areas and religious settings.

August is great for our Indonesia wildlife holiday

September in Bali

Great for honeymoons

Quieter later in the month

Some minor showers

Bali in September sits in a sweet spot: dry and sunny, but quieter. As the school holiday crowds retreat, the island seems to breathe out. Accordingly, this is one of the best months for a honeymoon in Bali. The occasional cloud is an indication that rainy season isn’t far off, but this is still a fine month for walking or cycling through rural villages around Ubud.

October in Bali

Clouds, not crowds

Good water visibility

Increased humidity

October is one of the best months for diving in Bali, with good visibility underwater. The island is on the cusp of the rainy season, but the torrential showers are still some way off and you’re still going to get more sunny days than you are overcast. Rice terraces, temples and restaurants are quieter in Bali in October, but the humidity can make exploring harder work.

November in Bali

Rainy season starts

Travel deals

Avoid longer walks

Is Bali in November worth a risk? Absolutely, if you don’t mind a bit of rain. Waterfalls gushing, deep green foliage and quiet beaches – yes, it’s the official start of the wet season. November can be the best month to avoid the crowds in Bali, and you will find the pace of island life much slower. Good travel deals can be found too in the weeks before Christmas.

December in Bali

Freshness in landscapes

Christmas crowds

Prices rise

Christmas and New Year celebrations dominate Bali in December, with holidaying Antipodeans unwilling to let a few patches of rain spoil the party. December can be the busiest month in Bali, and you’ll have to contend with heavy traffic, as well as the mosquitoes that love wet weather. Rural areas, however, have a lovely earthy smell to them.

Bali Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

328

FEB

261

MAR

225

APR

117

MAY

107

JUN

JUL

119

AUG

SEP

116

OCT

173

NOV

187

DEC

258

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Best times to visit Bali for festivals & events

Nyepi – the Day of Silence (March)

This Hindu celebration and public holiday is held the day before Balinese New Year. Nyepi consists of fasting, meditation and being as quiet as possible with airports closing and TV stations switching off as the whole island observes 24 hours of peace and self-reflection. The day before Nyepi is quite the opposite as unmarried men, especially in the villages, parade demonic effigies, known as Ogoh-Ogoh, as well as undertaking mock fights and generally making as much noise as possible to scare away the evil spirits.

Galungan & Kuningan (varies)

With varying dates following the Balinese Pawukon calendar, Galungan and Kuningan are two sacred and linked festivals, and a very interesting time to be on the island. Galungan marks the triumph of good (dharma) over evil, with families and communities engaged in several days of ritual as they welcome the spirits of their ancestors with prayers and offerings. Kuningan, meanwhile, which takes place 10 days later, celebrates the spirits’ departure. Over both periods you can expect roads to be busier with local traffic, and many temples to be closed.

Bali Spirit Festival (April)

Bringing together an international cohort of yoga, dance, meditation and music practitioners, the Bali Spirit Festival in Ubud focuses on the Hindu philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, or, the three causes of well-being: harmony with God, other people nature. You can also engage in a host of practical workshops that cover everything from sound healing to self expression, coping with grief and healing your quantum timeline. Then, timeline healed, you can return home rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

Bali Arts Festival (June – July)

The island’s longest running and most prestigious arts festival, this month-long event showcases the work of Balinese artists as well as those from elsewhere in Indonesia and beyond. One of the main highlights is the parade that kicks off the festival, when you will see traditional dance performers from different districts coming together in bright costumes. This is a great time to be in the capital, Denpasar, as you can experience an authentic cultural event that is specifically organised for a Balinese audience, rather than one designed for tourists.

Bali Kite Festival (July)

Huge, vividly colourful kites sweep and flutter through the skies above rural Denpasar during this seasonal religious festival, intended as a gesture of appreciation to the Hindu gods for a healthy harvest. The kites, up to four metres wide and 10m long, are so big that even in the windy season they need teams of 10 to fly them, backed up by bands, flag wavers and other supporters and helpers. Today the kite festival is an international event, with prizes awarded for the most distinctive kite, so you can expect some amazing creations.

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (October)

This four-day literary extravaganza is among the most renowned in Southeast Asia, with dozens of writers and artists from around the world in attendance to share ideas, and take part in book launches, live readings, workshops and performances. Bearing out the idea that art can be healing, the festival has its roots in an effort to revive tourism on Bali after the 2002 bombings.

Kuta Cultural Weekends (monthly)

Kuta, in the far south of the island, is one of Bali’s main tourist hubs as well as a surfing mecca. The party scene in Kuta is legendary, but for those interested in exploring Balinese culture while here, there is an event held on the last Sunday of every month at the Segara Temple, in the Kuta Traditional Village. As well as gamelan (Balinese percussive music) performances, visitors can explore Balinese fine arts and literature, and handicrafts such as mask-making.

Our travellers also ask…

What are the best months to visit Bali?

Bali is a year-round destination, but the best months to visit tend to be June and September, either side of the peak months of July and August. Travel then, and you can expect beautiful weather, but fewer crowds. It’s easier to find some space on the beach, you don’t have to wait so long for tables in restaurants, and the traffic that plagues southern Bali in places like Seminyak and Canggu is not as bad.

What is the rainy season in Bali?

Bali’s rainy season is from November to March, and it is characterised by short, often torrential downpours that typically occur in the afternoon. While these can inconvenience travel, and certainly you don’t want to be hiking in remote areas during Bali’s wet season, it shouldn’t necessarily put you off visiting. Much of the time, it is still sunny in the rainy season, and still perfectly warm.

What is the coldest month in Bali?

The coldest months in Bali are July and August when temperatures dip to around 27°C due to the southeast monsoon. The island has very stable temperatures year-round, so it’s more the rain and humidity that you need to keep in mind if you are planning when to visit Bali.

What time of year not to go to Bali?

There is no bad time of year to Bali, but most traveller prefer to avoid the wet season (November-March). This is a year-round destination, so when to go depends just as much as what you want to do as the weather. If your interests lean more towards the cultural or spiritual, for instance, you may find the rainy season ideal, with fewer crowds to deal with.

What is the cheapest time to visit Bali?

The cheapest time to visit Bali tends to be during the rainy season from November to March, with the exception of December which can be very expensive due to Bali’s popularity as a Christmas / New Year destination. Good deals can be had on accommodation and flights if you’re prepared to put up with daily showers, and the rain is rarely strong enough to get in the way of your plans.

More relevant guides

Written by Rob Perkins

Best time to visit Bali

Best time to visit Bali