Self-Launched Bali: Temples, Batur & Nusa Penida
6 days · Bali, Indonesia
Putu Bali Driver charges £615
No-markup version: ~£277 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 6-day DIY version of Putu Bali Driver's "Explore Bali & Beyond" loop — north-coast temples and waterfalls, the Ubud art villages and Tirta Empul, a full day on Nusa Penida's west and east coasts, and a southern beaches-plus-Uluwatu sunset day. Instead of a private guided vehicle, you'll use Kura-Kura/Perama shuttles, Gojek/Grab bikes and cars, a fast boat from Sanur, and cheap self-bookable day tours from Klook/GetYourGuide (or a local driver hired by the day for £35–45). Costs are rough backpacker estimates; you can push them lower by staying in hostels and eating at warungs.
Day-by-day
Arrive Denpasar — transfer to Canggu/Legian
Canggu / Legian
Land at Ngurah Rai (DPS), grab cash from an ATM (Bali runs on cash for warungs and scooter rentals) and pick up a local SIM/eSIM (Telkomsel ~£6 for 15GB). Skip the taxi touts and book a Grab or Gojek car to Canggu or Legian for roughly £7–10 (45–75 min depending on traffic); the official airport taxi counter is similar. Check into a guesthouse or hostel, then walk to a beach warung for your first nasi campur (~£2.50) and catch sunset at Batu Bolong. Sort tomorrow's transport tonight — either a Kura-Kura shuttle or a driver booked through your guesthouse.
🚌Grab/Gojek car from DPS airport to Canggu/Legian ~£8
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Canggu or Legian, £10–16 per night (dorm from £6)
- →Airport SIM/eSIM setup
- →Batu Bolong beach sunset
- →Warung dinner in Canggu
North Bali loop: Tanah Lot, Taman Ayun, Ulun Danu Bratan & Banyumala
Canggu / Bedugul / Munduk
This is the itinerary's big temple day, and it's genuinely hard on public transport — the temples are spread across Tabanan and Bedugul. Best value-for-money option is hiring a car with driver for the day (book through your guesthouse or Klook, ~£38–45 for the vehicle split between 2–4 people, or ~£30 for a solo traveller via a GetYourGuide small-group day tour). Route it yourself: Taman Ayun in Mengwi first (early, ~£1.50 entry), then Tanah Lot (~£3), then up to Ulun Danu Bratan on the lake (~£3.50), finishing at Banyumala Twin Waterfall near Wanagiri (~£1.50, steep 20-min walk down — go before 3pm). If you'd rather stay independent, Kura-Kura runs a Bedugul shuttle from Kuta/Canggu (~£9 one way) but you'll need a scooter or Gojek for the last stretches. Eat at a Bedugul strawberry-stall cafe for lunch (~£3).
🚌Private car + driver for the day ~£38–45 per vehicle (split between travellers)
🛏Guesthouse in Canggu/Legian, £10–16 (or overnight in Munduk for ~£12)
- →Taman Ayun Temple
- →Tanah Lot Temple
- →Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- →Banyumala Twin Waterfall
Ubud art villages, Tirta Empul, Batur views & Monkey Forest
Ubud
Move base to Ubud — Kura-Kura or Perama shuttle from Kuta/Canggu costs ~£7–9 and takes about 1.5–2 hours. Check in, then hire a scooter for the day (~£4–5 plus petrol, bring an IDP) or book a half-day driver (~£28–32). Hit the craft villages heading east: Tohpati (batik), Celuk (silver), Batuan and Mas (wood carving) — free to browse, and you can see a traditional Balinese house compound in Batuan. Stop at Desa Batuan Temple (~£1 donation) and Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring (~£3, sarong included; go before 11am to avoid tour buses). Swing past the Mount Batur viewpoint at Kintamani for lunch with caldera views (~£4), then return to Ubud for the Sacred Monkey Forest (~£4.50 — hold your sunglasses tight) and Puri Saren (Ubud Palace, free). Finish at the Ubud art market on Jalan Raya and a warung dinner.
🚌Shuttle Kuta/Canggu to Ubud ~£8; scooter hire ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in central Ubud, £12–18 per night (dorm from £8)
- →Tohpati, Celuk, Batuan & Mas art villages
- →Desa Batuan Temple
- →Tirta Empul water temple
- →Kintamani Mount Batur viewpoint
- →Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- →Puri Saren Ubud Palace & art market
Nusa Penida: Kelingking, Broken Beach, Angel's Billabong + east coast
Nusa Penida / Ubud
Take a fast boat from Sanur to Toya Pakeh or Banjar Nyuh (~£12–15 return with Angel Billabong Express, Semabu Hills or similar; 40–45 min) — book online the night before and arrive for the 7:30–8:00 sailing. On the island, the cheapest reliable option is a small-group west+east day tour booked via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£30–38 including a driver, sometimes lunch), or hire a local driver for the day (~£35 per vehicle) and set your own pace. Cover the west side first — Kelingking Beach viewpoint (~£2 entry, the T-Rex cliff), Broken Beach/Pasih Uug and Angel's Billabong — then cross to the east for Diamond Beach and the Rumah Pohon treehouse at Thousand Island viewpoint (~£2–3 each). Roads are bumpy and distances look short but aren't; skip the beach stair descent at Kelingking if you're on a day trip. Catch the 4pm boat back, then a Gojek back to Ubud (~£8).
🚌Sanur–Nusa Penida fast boat ~£13 return; island driver/day tour ~£32
🛏Guesthouse in central Ubud, £12–18
- →Kelingking Beach viewpoint
- →Broken Beach (Pasih Uug)
- →Angel's Billabong
- →Diamond Beach
- →Rumah Pohon treehouse & Thousand Island viewpoint
South Bali beaches & Uluwatu sunset
Uluwatu / Ubud
Head south early — a Gojek/Grab car from Ubud to Nusa Dua runs ~£12–15 (or take a Kura-Kura shuttle to Kuta and connect). Start with a swim at Nusa Dua Beach (free, calm water), then move to Padang Padang (~£1 parking/entry) for the cave beach and a surf-watch. Late afternoon continue to Uluwatu Temple (~£3, sarong provided) — arrive by 4:30pm to walk the clifftop path before the 6pm Kecak fire dance (~£8, buy tickets at the gate or via Klook; go early as it sells out). Watch the monkeys — they are professionals at stealing phones. Grab dinner at a warung near Padang Padang (~£4) then head back to Ubud (~£13) or stay south for the night if you'd prefer a shorter airport run.
🚌Gojek/Grab cars between Ubud, Nusa Dua, Padang Padang and Uluwatu ~£28 total
🛏Guesthouse in Ubud £12–18, or Uluwatu/Jimbaran guesthouse £14–20
- →Nusa Dua Beach
- →Padang Padang Beach
- →Uluwatu Temple clifftop walk
- →Kecak fire dance at sunset
Ubud morning & departure
Ubud / Denpasar
Slow morning: a walk through the Campuhan Ridge (free, best before 8am), coffee at a local roastery, and a last wander through the Ubud market. If your flight is late, squeeze in a 90-minute Balinese massage (~£9–12) or the Tegalalang rice terraces (~£3 plus a £5 scooter). Grab/Gojek to the airport takes ~1–1.5 hours and costs £9–12 — leave 3.5 hours before an international departure given Ubud traffic. If you're continuing on, this is the natural point to add on Amed, Gili or Lombok.
🚌Grab/Gojek Ubud to DPS airport ~£10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Campuhan Ridge walk
- →Ubud market & coffee
- →Optional massage or Tegalalang rice terraces
Self-launched vs. Putu Bali Driver
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Putu Bali Driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£277 | £615 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £338 per person (55%) | |
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.~£277
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 Self-Launched Bali: Temples, Batur & Nusa Penida cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £277 per person for 6 days in Bali, Indonesia. 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 £615 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £277 — a saving of roughly £338 (55%) per person.
How long is the Bali, Indonesia trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Bali, Indonesia.
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, beaches trip through Bali, Indonesia, 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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