This article includes links to our travel partners at Tripadvisor, where you can read traveller reviews, book tours and plan your visit to Bali.
Say Bali—and you’ll conjure images of beaches, smiling locals, and jasmine-petalled back massages. The small island in south Indonesia is all that—and much more. Its distinct culture & heritage are in everything there, from its daily rituals to its UNESCO sites and taste bud-swooning cuisine.
If you’re wondering what to do on a layover in Bali, this guide will get you prepped for a gem of a mini vacation. The island’s small size means that popular cities are easily within reach—the closest being the famous Nusa Dua, just an 18-minute taxi ride or 30-minute bus ride away.
Airport Overview
If you don’t have the time to get through airport security & make your way to an attraction in Bali—the modern terminals will have you covered. Denpasar International Airport (also known as Gusti Ngurah Rai, code: DPS) is a place to get post-flight pampered in (Kaya Spa & Reflexology), freshen up & lounge in (free showers & various paid lounges), and hop onto WiFi to scroll through your email. Check out our Bali Airport Guide to learn more about everything you can get up to there.
Bali Sightseeing Attractions
Below are a few of the top things to do in Bali:
Seminyak or Double Six Beach
After a long flight, few things are better than digging your toes in a sandy beach with a freshly opened coconut. Seminyak’s beautiful shores are a surfer’s paradise—whether you’re up for surfing off the jet lag or people-watching others braving the waves. Thirsty/hungry? Go for Double Six Beach’s restaurants, bars, and bean-bags-under-umbrellas galore.
- Time Required: 2-3 hours is perfect to surf, relax, and dine.
- Getting There: A taxi from the airport to Seminyak takes 15-25 minutes and costs around $23.
- Plan Your Visit: Check out Tripadvisor for more details & visitor reviews on both Seminyak Beach and Double Six Beach.
Full-Day Temple Tour
Want to make the most of a stopover? This full-day tour of Bali’s three major temples will have you experiencing one of the magical Bali tours from the airport. A local will be your guide & driver, whisking you to the North and west of the island to soak in Taman Ayun, Ulun Danu Beratan, and Tanah Lot Temples. Expect profound beauty, historical insights, pristine rice fields, lunch, and a hot spring stop—all along the way.
- Time Required: 8-10 hours with morning starting times.
- Getting There: Tour pick-ups can take place directly from the airport.
- Plan Your Visit: Check out Tripadvisor for more details, visitor reviews, and booking options for this private tour.
Top Local Restaurants
You’ve endured airplane food—so it is time for some exquisite cuisine. Spices, aromatics, charcoal grilled flavours, and all things coconut are the quintessential flavours of Bali. For a local classic, go for the Nasi Campur at Made’s Warung or order from the seafood market menu at Bawang Merah Beachfront Restaurant. There are large-portioned burgers, pizzas, and shakes at Last Wave for airplane hangover food.
- Time Required: 2-3 hours for a full course dining experience.
- Getting There: Last Wave is a 7-minute walk from the airport, Bawang Merah Beachfront Restaurant is a 12-minute taxi ride, and Made’s Warung is a 25-minute drive away.
- Plan Your Visit: Check out Tripadvisor’s review-voted picks for top restaurants near Bali airport.
Uluwatu Sunset Trip & Dining
Don’t have a full-day stopover but still want an epic Bali layover tour? This Uluwatu tour will give a true indulgence of Bali in under 7 hours. The sunsets on this side of the island, looking out to the Indian Ocean, are breathtaking. You’ll have a local guide take you to an iconic temple before a Kecak dance performance (around a fire!) and a seafood dinner by Jimbaran Beach to wrap up your tour.
- Time Required: 5-7 hours for the whole Uluwatu experience.
- Getting There: Tour pick-ups can take place directly from the airport.
- Plan Your Visit: For more full details, reviews, and booking options for the tour, check out Tripadvisor.
Airport Transportation
Denpasar Airport is just over 6 miles from Seminyak (and its beaches) and 5 miles from Nusa Dua (malls and beaches). For the rice fields of Ubud, expect an 18-27 mile journey.
Your public transit options:
- Bus: You can reach Nusa Dua and Batubulan from the airport with the Trans Sarbagita buses. Note that their times are limited (three times a day), but their one-way fares go for under $1.
Your private transit options:
- Taxi: To pay by meter (usually the cheapest choice), find a Bluebird Taxi—or expect a driver to charge you a flat fee (which you should always negotiate!) Taxi prices are around $13 for Nusa Dua to $23 for Seminyak
- Car Rentals: The two biggest car rental companies in Bali are TRAC and AVIS. Shop for cars and compare prices on Tripadvisor.
Before You Go: Layover Tips
Now that you are motivated and excited about your mini layover vacation, check a few final logistical concerns off your list before you fully commit.
- Do you need to organize a visa to leave the airport? Requirements change frequently and for each nationality, so be sure to seek out current details on the availability, cost, and procedures of obtaining a transit visa.
- When is your next flight’s check-in time? Double-check with your airline exactly when you need to be at the airport – and plan your layover accordingly.
- What are security wait times like at the airport? Some airports are notorious for extended security wait times, so research in advance and factor that into your overall time budget.
- What’s happening with your luggage? When you check in to your first flight, confirm whether your luggage is checked through or needs to be picked up between your connecting flights. Check out our Bali Airport Guide for information on luggage storage.
Other Useful Resources
Want to plan out your layover in detail? Here are a few more resources to help get you sorted fast:
- Bali Visa Requirements
- Tripadvisor – Visit Things to Do in Bali to plan a tour or the Bali Travel Forum to check out past threads to see what other travellers have shared about sightseeing during long layovers at Denpasar Airport and post your questions.