Bali — City map
Hindu island of temples, rice terraces, surf beaches and volcanoes
- Toll road
- Main road
- River
- City boundary
On the map
Denpasar (South, capital)
The provincial capital and Bali's biggest city: government offices around Renon and the Bajra Sandhi monument, Pasar Badung market and dense residential banjar. Sanur's calm, reef-sheltered beach on the east coast is also part of the city.
Badung (South)
Bali's tourism engine, stretching from the airport and the beach strip of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu to Jimbaran, Nusa Dua and the Uluwatu cliffs on the Bukit peninsula. Inland it turns into the rice fields of Mengwi and the cool hills of Petang.
Gianyar (South-central)
Bali's arts heartland around Ubud, with craft villages such as Celuk for silver, Mas for woodcarving and Batuan for painting. Rice terraces at Tegallalang and the spring temple of Tirta Empul at Tampaksiring lie to the north.
Tabanan (Southwest)
Bali's rice bowl, running from the black-sand coast at Tanah Lot up to the Jatiluwih terraces and the cool Bedugul highlands around Lake Beratan. Quieter and more agricultural than its neighbours to the east.
Bangli (Central)
The only regency without a coastline, climbing from the old court town of Bangli to Kintamani's caldera rim above Mount Batur and its crater lake. The bamboo-lined traditional village of Penglipuran is here too.
Karangasem (East)
The rugged east under Mount Agung, home to the Besakih mother temple, the Tirta Gangga water palace and the green Sidemen valley. Its coast has the dive spots of Amed and Tulamben, Candidasa and the Padangbai ferry port.
Klungkung (Southeast and Nusa islands)
A small mainland strip around Semarapura, seat of Bali's old senior kingdom and its Kerta Gosa court pavilion. Most of its land lies offshore on Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, reached by fast boat.
Buleleng (North)
The largest regency, covering the whole north coast: the old colonial port and former capital Singaraja, the calm black-sand beaches of Lovina, and Menjangan Island's reefs in the far west. Inland are waterfalls and the hill villages around Munduk.
Jembrana (West)
Bali's least-visited western end, with the town of Negara, plantation hills, the Medewi surf break and the forests of West Bali National Park. Gilimanuk at its tip is the ferry gateway to Java.
Quick guide
Quick facts
- About 4.49 million people (BPS projection for 2026); Buleleng (18.4%) and Kota Denpasar (17.1%) are the most populous areas, Klungkung (4.7%) the least
- 5,582.83 km² of land in eight regencies and one city, with 57 kecamatan and 718 desa and kelurahan; Buleleng is the largest regency (1,322 km²) and Denpasar the smallest (126 km²)
- 86.36% of residents are Hindu, making Bali Indonesia's only Hindu-majority province; Gunung Agung (3,031 m) is its highest peak
- 6.95 million foreign visitors arrived directly in 2025, up from 6.33 million in 2024, and Ngurah Rai airport handled 24.1 million passengers
- Accommodation and food services produce 22.3% of Bali's GRDP, its largest sector; the economy grew 5.82% in 2025
- A province since 14 August 1958 (Law 64/1958), with Denpasar as its capital; time is WITA (UTC+8), an hour ahead of Java
Getting around
- Trans Metro Dewata (TMD) city buses — Rp4,400 flat per ride; Rp2,000 for students, seniors and people with disabilities with a registered e-money card; free transfers within 90 minutes
- Airport access (I Gusti Ngurah Rai, DPS) — Trans Metro Dewata bus Rp4,400; taxis and ride-hailing priced by distance
- Ride-hailing (Gojek, Grab and others) — Motorbike: Rp8,000–10,000 for the first 4 km, then Rp2,000–2,500 per km (Kemenhub Zone I, which includes Bali)
- Fast boats to Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Lombok — Sanur–Nusa Penida Rp80,000–200,000 depending on operator; Kusamba–Nusa Penida (Gangga Express) Rp65,000 for Indonesians, Rp150,000 for foreigners, one way
Best time to visit
- April–October (dry season)
- In 2025 the Ngurah Rai weather station logged 12–15 rainy days a month in April–June and only 5–8 in July–October, with just 7.7 mm of rain in August. Temperatures average 26.7–28.5°C all year. The Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali) fills June and July at the Art Centre in Denpasar: the 48th edition ran from 13 June to 11 July 2026 and drew 1.8 million visitors.
- November–March (wet season)
- December to February is the wettest stretch: Ngurah Rai recorded 527.5 mm over 26 rainy days in January 2025 and 405.3 mm over 24 days in December 2025. Expect heavy showers and high humidity.
- 13–23 January 2027 (Galungan and Kuningan)
- Galungan, one of Bali's main Hindu holy days, comes round every 210 days (one Pawukon cycle); the next falls on 13 January 2027, after 17 June 2026. Kuningan follows ten days later, on 23 January, with prayers finished before noon.
- 8 March 2027 (Nyepi)
- The Day of Silence for Saka New Year 1949, a national holiday on Monday 8 March 2027. The island shuts down from 06:00 to 06:00 the next morning, including the airport and ferry harbours, and visitors stay in their hotels. National leave days for Idul Fitri follow on 9, 12 and 15 March 2027, so expect heavy travel either side.
Travel tips
- Wear a sarong and a sash to enter any temple; large temples rent them out at the entrance, or buy a set on arrival.
- International tourists are charged the Rp150,000 Bali tourist levy (Perda 6/2023, amended by Perda 2/2025): pay online at lovebali.baliprov.go.id by bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS and keep the emailed voucher.
- On Nyepi everything stops: Ngurah Rai closed from 06:00 on 19 March 2026 to 06:00 the next day, cancelling 440 flights. The next Nyepi is Monday 8 March 2027, so do not book arrivals or departures that day.
- Allow extra time in the south: Bali had about 5 million vehicles in 2024 for 4.4 million people (WRI), and jams are common all year in Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu and Sanur.
- Gojek and Grab work in Bali, but some villages and taxi associations bar app pick-ups, with signs in places such as Canggu, Jimbaran and Uluwatu; walk out of the zone or meet your driver around the corner.
- To ride a scooter you need an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement; otherwise the cashless Trans Metro Dewata buses (Rp4,400, QRIS or e-money) link Kuta, Denpasar, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Ubud.