- From the airport
- About 1 h 15 to 1 h 45
Denpasar airport → Ubud
The drive through Denpasar decides everything: leaving outside rush hour counts for more than the choice of vehicle.
Transfers · 12 routes
Transfers in Bali: how long, and how
In Bali, distance tells you nothing about drive time. Each page gives the time as a range, compares the options, flags the pitfalls and says when to leave so you do not miss your flight. No price on these routes is official: we say so when that is the case.
From the airport
From Ngurah Rai airport, allow about 30 to 40 min to Sanur, 45 to 60 min to Uluwatu, 45 to 75 min to Canggu, 1 h 15 to 1 h 45 to Ubud and 2 h 30 to 3 h to Amed. Book the vehicle before landing if you arrive late.
| Route | Time | Recommended mode |
|---|---|---|
| Denpasar airport → Ubud | About 1 h 15 to 1 h 45 | Booked driver or ride-hailing |
| Denpasar airport → Canggu or Seminyak | About 45 to 75 min | Ride-hailing or booked driver |
| Denpasar airport → Uluwatu and the Bukit | About 45 to 60 min | Booked driver or ride-hailing |
| Denpasar airport → Sanur | About 30 to 40 min | Ride-hailing, taxi or driver |
| Denpasar airport → Amed | About 2 h 30 to 3 h | Booked driver |
- From the airport
- About 45 to 75 min
Denpasar airport → Canggu or Seminyak
A short transfer on the map, very variable in practice: traffic in the south decides everything.
- From the airport
- About 45 to 60 min
Denpasar airport → Uluwatu and the Bukit
The most practical base for the end of a stay, provided you avoid the traffic jams at the foot of the Bukit.
- From the airport
- About 30 to 40 min
Denpasar airport → Sanur
The shortest and most predictable transfer on the island: the ideal base for a late arrival or a dawn flight.
- From the airport
- About 2 h 30 to 3 h
Denpasar airport → Amed
The longest transfer from the airport: it is done in daylight, with a driver, and never as a day trip.
Between bases
Between bases, a driver for the day is almost always the right choice: they load the luggage and stop along the way. From Ubud, Sidemen, Amed and Munduk are reached faster than from the airport. In the south, the departure time matters more than the vehicle.
| Route | Time | Recommended mode |
|---|---|---|
| Ubud → Sidemen | Less than airport–Sidemen (about 1 h 45) | Driver for the day |
| Ubud → Amed | Less than airport–Amed (2 h 30 to 3 h) | Driver for the day |
| Ubud → Munduk | Less than airport–Munduk (about 2 h 30) | Driver for the day |
| Ubud → Canggu | Similar to airport–Ubud (1 h 15 to 1 h 45) | Ride-hailing or driver |
| Canggu → Uluwatu | At most 1 h 30 to 2 h 15 | Ride-hailing or driver |
- Between bases
- Less than airport–Sidemen (about 1 h 45)
Ubud → Sidemen
A short change of base, along valley roads: the chance for half a day of sightseeing on the way.
- Between bases
- Less than airport–Amed (2 h 30 to 3 h)
Ubud → Amed
The crossing to the east is done in daylight, with a driver, and gains from a stop at Tirta Gangga or in Sidemen.
- Between bases
- Less than airport–Munduk (about 2 h 30)
Ubud → Munduk
A climb to the lakes on a mountain road: in daylight, with a driver, and a stop at Bratan.
- Between bases
- Similar to airport–Ubud (1 h 15 to 1 h 45)
Ubud → Canggu
Coming down from the hills to the west coast: an easy transfer, but very sensitive to the south’s rush hours.
- Between bases
- At most 1 h 30 to 2 h 15
Canggu → Uluwatu
Two surf bases linked across the whole south of the island: a short transfer in distance, a long one at the wrong times.
To the islands
Nusa Penida is reached by fast boat from Sanur: about 30 to 45 min, some twenty departures a day between 07:30 and 17:00. For the Gilis and Lombok, a fast boat or a short flight. Either way, never come back the day before a flight.
| Route | Time | Recommended mode |
|---|---|---|
| Sanur → Nusa Penida | About 30 to 45 min crossing | Fast boat |
| Bali → Lombok or the Gilis | Varies with the harbor and the sea | Fast boat or flight |
- To the islands
- About 30 to 45 min crossing
Sanur → Nusa Penida
A short and frequent crossing, but one that depends on the swell: never plan it the day before a flight.
- To the islands
- Varies with the harbor and the sea
Bali → Lombok or the Gilis
Fast boat for the Gilis, short flight for Lombok: a choice that depends on the final destination and the swell.
The means of transport are compared in getting around Bali, the regions in destinations, and the sequence of bases in the itineraries.
