Bali Adventure Self-Launched: Temples, Mount Batur & Water Sports
6 days · Bali
Putu Bali Driver charges £670
No-markup version: ~£395 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 6-day Bali route covering the same headline experiences as the guided group tour — Tanah Lot, Taman Ayun, Banyumala Waterfalls, Ulun Danu Bratan, the Mount Batur sunrise trek, Tirta Gangga, Lempuyang's Heaven Gate, Nusa Dua water sports, Padang Padang Beach and Uluwatu at sunset — but booked piece by piece using local drivers, self-booked GetYourGuide/Klook day trips and budget guesthouses. Base yourself in Ubud and Canggu/Kuta rather than paying for private tour transport and included hotels. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP at backpacker/mid-budget rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Denpasar — transfer to Ubud
Denpasar / Ubud
Land at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) and clear immigration (Visa on Arrival is IDR 500,000 / ~£25 if you need it — check your nationality first). Skip the private tour transfer and either pre-book an airport-to-Ubud shared shuttle on Klook (~£8-10) or grab a Grab/Gojek car (~£12-15). Base yourself in central Ubud for nights 1-2: homestays and guesthouses around Jalan Hanoman or Jalan Sugriwa run £10-15/night for a basic double with breakfast. Spend the late afternoon walking the Campuhan Ridge Walk (free) and eating at a warung — nasi campur or babi guling for £2-3. Rest early: tomorrow is a big temple and waterfall day.
🚌Airport to Ubud by pre-booked shared shuttle (Klook, ~£9) or Grab car (~£14)
🛏Ubud homestay/guesthouse (Jalan Hanoman area), £12/night
- →Campuhan Ridge Walk
- →Ubud evening market wander
Tanah Lot, Taman Ayun, Banyumala Waterfalls & Ulun Danu Bratan
Tabanan / Bedugul
This is a long west-and-north Bali loop, so the simplest self-launched option is a shared small-group day tour booked on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£32-40 covering transport, driver-guide and entrance fees) — it hits Tanah Lot, Taman Ayun, Banyumala Waterfalls and Ulun Danu Bratan in one day, exactly as the operator does. If you prefer full independence, hire a private driver for the day (~£45-55 for the car, splittable between 2-4 people) and pay entrances yourself: Tanah Lot IDR 60,000 (~£3), Taman Ayun IDR 30,000 (~£1.50), Ulun Danu Bratan IDR 75,000 (~£3.75), Banyumala Waterfalls IDR 30,000 (~£1.50). Wear reef-safe sandals — the waterfall steps are slippery. Dinner back in Ubud.
🚌Shared day-tour minivan or private driver hire (whole-day loop)
🛏Ubud homestay/guesthouse, £12/night
- →Tanah Lot Temple
- →Taman Ayun Temple
- →Banyumala Waterfalls
- →Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
Mount Batur sunrise trek, hot springs & coffee farm
Kintamani / Toya Bungkah
Book a Mount Batur sunrise trek on GetYourGuide or direct with a local operator (~£28-35) — most include pre-dawn hotel pickup from Ubud around 02:00-03:00, a guide, torch, summit breakfast (banana sandwich and hot tea, as on the original tour) and a crater rim walk with Volcanic steam vents. You'll summit around 05:30 for sunrise over Lake Batur and Mount Agung. After descending, add the Batur Natural Hot Spring entry (~£8) to soak sore legs, then stop at a coffee plantation on the way back where a tasting of luwak and Balinese coffees is free or by donation. Back in Ubud by mid-afternoon — nap, then dinner.
🚌Trek operator pickup/drop-off from Ubud included; local transfer to hot springs
🛏Ubud homestay/guesthouse, £12/night
- →Mount Batur sunrise trek
- →Summit breakfast
- →Crater rim hike
- →Batur hot springs
- →Balinese coffee plantation tour
Lempuyang Heaven Gate, Tirta Gangga & Taman Ujung
East Bali (Karangasem)
The east Bali temple circuit is the day that most rewards a small-group day tour — book it on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£30-38 with transport and entries). Lempuyang's Gates of Heaven is the famous shot: expect a long queue for the mirror-photo trick, so arrive as early as the tour allows. Continue to Tirta Gangga water palace (IDR 50,000 / ~£2.50) with its stepping stones over koi ponds, then Taman Ujung (IDR 75,000 / ~£3.75). If doing it independently instead, hiring a driver for the day (~£45) is more efficient than public bemo given the distances. Tonight, move base to Canggu or Kuta for the beach/final days — a Grab car Ubud to Canggu is ~£10-12.
🚌Shared day-tour minivan; evening Grab car Ubud to Canggu/Kuta (~£11)
🛏Canggu or Kuta budget guesthouse, £14/night
- →Lempuyang Temple (Gates of Heaven)
- →Tirta Gangga water palace
- →Taman Ujung
Nusa Dua water sports, Padang Padang Beach & Uluwatu sunset
Nusa Dua / Uluwatu
Pre-book a Nusa Dua water-sports package on Klook or GetYourGuide — a single jet-ski or parasailing ride runs ~£15-22, or bundle two activities for ~£28-35, mirroring the one activity included on the original tour. After the water, take a Grab to Padang Padang Beach (entry IDR 15,000 / ~£1) for a swim in the cove made famous by 'Eat Pray Love', then continue to Uluwatu Temple for sunset (entry IDR 50,000 / ~£2.50). Stay for the Kecak fire dance at 18:00 — tickets ~£8-10 sold on-site at the temple (the operator lists this as optional; it's worth it). Watch your sunglasses — the monkeys at Uluwatu are notorious thieves.
🚌Grab/Gojek between Nusa Dua, Padang Padang and Uluwatu (~£8-12 total)
🛏Canggu or Kuta budget guesthouse, £14/night
- →Nusa Dua jet-ski or parasailing
- →Padang Padang Beach
- →Uluwatu Temple sunset
- →Optional Kecak fire dance
Beach morning & airport drop-off
Kuta / Denpasar
Last morning free for a Canggu beach breakfast, a surf lesson (~£20 for two hours with board hire — an optional add-on the group tour doesn't include), or a final wander around the Kuta art market for souvenirs. Leave buffer time for the notorious Bali traffic: allow a full 60-90 minutes to reach DPS from Canggu or Kuta. Grab car to the airport runs ~£5-8, or a pre-booked shared shuttle ~£4. International departures need check-in 2-3 hours before the flight.
🚌Grab car or shared shuttle to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), ~£6
🛏None (departure day)
- →Canggu beach morning
- →Optional surf lesson
- →Kuta art market
Self-launched vs. Putu Bali Driver
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Putu Bali Driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£395 | £670 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £275 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Putu Bali Driver-style trips? Check them out here.~£395
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Bali Adventure Self-Launched: Temples, Mount Batur & Water Sports cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £395 per person for 6 days in Bali. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Putu Bali Driver?+
Yes — Putu Bali Driver charges around £670 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £395 — a saving of roughly £275 (41%) per person.
How long is the Bali trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Bali.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Bali, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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