Uluwatu, Bali, also known as Pecatu, is the southernmost tip of Bali that is known for having the most beautiful beaches, cliffs, and incredible surfing spots. I’ve put together a 3-day Uluwatu Itinerary of all the things you can’t miss and what to do in Uluwatu each day that you’re there!
I even took my in-laws on this exact trip and it is family approved! lol So here are all my best Uluwatu tips.
Day 1 of Uluwatu Itinerary
Uluwatu Temple
My favorite temple in Bali! Since it’s placed right on the cliff, you can see incredible views the whole walk around the temple grounds.
The Uluwatu temple entrance fee is 50k rupiah per person to enter. You are required to wear a sarong to cover your knees. If you don’t bring one yourself, they will provide one for you (comes with the ticket).
This is another cool area inhabited by monkeys, so beware!
Suka Espresso & La Baracca
These two restaurants are conveniently located RIGHT NEXT to each other and only a few minutes drive away from Padang Padang Beach.
I included La Baracca in my post about the best pizza places in Bali and Suka Espresso is my favorite cheap restaurant in Bali (that’s not a pizza place lol).
Both of them are AMAZING. I recommend going to Suka Espresso for lunch (if you go before three then they still serve breakfast) and La Baracca for lunch.
Check out the blog posts linked above for more information on the two restaurants and the best Uluwatu food and cafes recommendations!
Padang Padang
Famously known as the beach where they filmed part of “Eat, Pray, Love” (Yes, I’m a major fan, and so is Jake lol). The first time we came here was on my birthday and it literally BLEW ME AWAY with the most gorgeous white sand and blue water.
I’m not a fan of a ton of people, so instead of staying on the first beach, I recommend beach hopping until you find a secluded area like the ones pictured below.
Most people stay on the first beach because of the rocks and crossing through the water to get to the other areas, but my father-in-law has stage 4 cancer and he was able to do it! Just wear shoes and keep your valuables HIGH, then run. It’s super fun and as you can see, very worth it.
As always in Bali, make sure you have small bills to pay for parking (about 2-5k) and entrance fees (10k).
Day 2 in Uluwatu
Dreamland Beach & Dreamland Viewpoints
Dreamland, although it can be a little busy at times, is still incredibly beautiful. If you get there around 9 am, there’s hardly anyone on the beach and there’s no cost to be there.
However, if there are people on the beach, you might witness some of the most brutal wave wipeouts on the island because of the giant shore-breaking sets that come in.
The tide also comes in at about 11:30 am and it was pretty entertaining to see people flirt with losing all their stuff just because they didn’t want to move.
As always on Bali though, if there are too many people, walk 10 minutes and beach hop a bit and you’ll be practically alone.
As of right now, you can get to Dreamland Beach for free by driving behind the Sterling Hotel. It isn’t open yet but looks like it might be opening soon. When it does, I imagine that they will charge to get to this beach.
Once you’re inside the hotel gates, you drive behind the giant letters spelling “The Sterling” and then drive for a while until you come across a dirt road and a paved road.
The paved road takes you directly to the beach while the bumpy dirt road takes you up to the viewpoint over the beach, and you can walk down (only about a 3-minute walk) to Dreamland Beach.
Bingin Beach
This beach has some of the most adorable little houses and signs that line the pathway that leads down to the beach. It reminded me a lot of the Gili Islands, which is definitely a place you shouldn’t miss! Here’s how to visit them from Bali.
If you’re looking for a bit more seclusion, this would be a great beach to go to. It’s in the middle of Padang Padang and Dreamland beach. In fact, you could walk to Dreamland in about 15 minutes from here.
Dinner at Bingin Bagus Seafood BBQ at Bingin Beach
At sunset, the restaurants on Bingin Beach start to set up the chairs and grills for a seafood BBQ. They sell the fish whole here and all the prices are by 100 grams.
For example, if you want to try the tuna, it would cost 15k rupiah per 100 grams. So if the tuna weighs 400 grams then you would owe 60k.
When we went, we ordered one of each thing on the menu, except for the squid, and it came out to be about $40. Plus this place has some of the best “chips” (french fries) I’ve ever had.
Eating cheap seafood in Bali (still high quality!) is definitely something you should experience at least once, especially because I can’t even imagine how much something like this would cost in the USA!
If you’re looking for more great restaurants to try in Bali check out this post about the best cheap eats in Bali.
Day 3 in Uluwatu
Secret GWK Statue Viewpoint
Maybe if you’ve already been to Kuta Beach, you noticed a GIANT black, mushroom-cloud-lookin’ thing out in the distance (past the airport landing strip).
Well, it turns out that it is a MASSIVE Balinese statue. It’s placed inside the Bali Cultural Center, which we’ve never been to, but you can still get close to it without having to pay anything.
This statue is 98 feet TALLER than the Statue of Liberty, took 28 years and $100 million dollars to build, and is the tallest statue in all of Indonesia. It depicts the Hindu God Vishnu (or Wisnu) riding on Garuda.
In order to get there, download the maps.me (a new app my brother-in-law introduced me to that might be better than Google maps!) then scroll over on the map to Bali and zoom in until you see a notification that prompts you to download the map of Bali.
After it is downloaded, you can search “View Point Garuda Statue” and even get directions there without any wifi connection.
Nunggalan Beach
When we took Jake’s family here, they told us that this was the most beautiful beach they had ever been to.
Unfortunately, the waves were so big that day that there was a ton of moisture in the air and it got in my camera. I still got photos (SO. MANY. PHOTOS.) but they are altered a bit by the moisture:
This beach is about a 20-30 minute hike down which gives you the most incredible views the whole hike. Since it’s more difficult to get to, there was NO ONE else on the beach when we got there at 10 am.
By noon there were about 20 people but the coastline is so long that you could spread out and not have to see anyone lol.
Honestly, some of these places are so beautiful I bet you’re thinking to yourself, should I move to Bali? Here’s a pros and cons list to help you decide!
There’s also a small shipwreck on the beach that has been painted and graffitied and makes for a cool picture.
Optional day trip to uluwatu
If you don’t want to stay overnight in Uluwatu, it is definitely possible to do day trips from Seminyak, Nusa Dua or Kuta. Just take one of the days listed above instead of doing them all in a row.
That’s how we first did Uluwatu, by going every weekend from our base apartment in Kuta.
Even if you can only make it for a day, it is definitely worth the trip! If I were to choose, I would do Day 1 or Day 3 since I’m tied between Padang Padang and Nunggalan as my favorite beaches on Bali.
You can’t go wrong with either as long as you follow the tips I mentioned above! There are plenty of things to do in Uluwatu though, so don’t be surprised that if after one day you find that it’s not enough time!
Uluwatu Travel: How to Get Around Uluwatu
Make sure to read the Ultimate Guide to Bali Scooter Rental before renting a scooter. I highly recommend renting scooters from your hotel/ Airbnb or asking them for a reference.
Uluwatu is much easier to navigate from a motorbike and it is a lot safer than driving around Kuta which has a lot of traffic. Following these rules when riding a motorbike in Bali will also help you to stay safe!
Where to Stay in Uluwatu
If you are traveling with family or in a big group and don’t mind splurging a little, I highly recommend this 3 bedroom villa that is only a few minutes’ walk from Dreamland Beach in Uluwatu.
It has bathtubs AND showers in every room as well as a pool right outside and access to another pool at the hotel next door.
Read More About Bali to Prepare for Your Trip!
- Where to Find the Best Pizza in Bali
- How to Find the Cheapest Flights for Traveling Around Southeast Asia
- How to Visit Komodo Island from Bali
- The PERFECT Instagram Bali Swing Pic for Cheap
- 6 Months Rent in Bali for $2000
Dayna Brockbank is a travel and language-learning blogger who has lived around the world but has now settled in Nice, France. She speaks 3 languages at varying levels of fluency: Spanish, Italian, and French, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Spanish Education. She and her husband focus on making travel part of life by living cheaply and traveling on a budget.