The Perfect Uluwatu Itinerary For 2 Days

I spent two days in this gorgeous coastal town in Bali which means one thing: Uluwatu itinerary coming your way!

You’ll find Uluwatu on the south-west tip of the ‘Bukit Peninsula’ AKA that foot that juts out from the base of Bali, Indonesia. It’s a little out of the way but well worth including in your Southeast Asia itinerary.

Uluwatu is not a place where you’ll feel a moment’s stress: it’s a hub for surfing, brunch and sunset chasing. If a busy Bali itinerary has left you feeling weary, get to Uluwatu and unwind in paradise.

ULUWATU ESSENTIALS

Bali SIM card (30 days, 6GB)

Copy of Lonely Planet Bali

Pre-book your airport to hotel transfer

Bali scooter hire

Accommodation: hotels on Booking.com // hostels on Hostelworld

Tours: GetYourGuide

Travel insurance: True Traveller (European travellers) / Hey Mundo (other nationalities) / Safety Wing (digital nomads)

There are loads of places to stay in Uluwatu but our place was a real find. Tempekan Heritage has clean, comfy rooms and a lovely pool and fitness centre. There’s a restaurant on-site as well as free parking, a garden and a terrace.

Check availability from $20. They also have luxurious villas available. You can add on breakfast from $3!

More Uluwatu accomodation options you might like include:

• Budget hotel – Batu Kandik Homestay is close to Uluwatu Temple and rooms start from $14 including a pool! This is the best option for solo female travel in Bali.
• Luxurious hotel – Ulu Cliffhouse is what dreams are made of! At this 5-star hotel you can expect stylish rooms equipped with iPads, a swimming pool and dreamy coastal views from the terrace. Rooms start from $150.
• Hostel – Surfers House is the best hostel in Uluwatu with a pool, kitchen, tennis table and more. Dorms start from $15.

Browse all Uluwatu hotels on Booking.com // hostels on Hostelworld

If you’re yet to try the Balinese cuisine, or you just want to eat more of it (don’t blame you!), there’s a really amazing warung across the road from Delali Guest House on Uluwatu Pecatu.

For very affordable prices, you can sample all the best Balinese dishes at Ayu’s Food From the Heart. They also serve Indonesia/Western fusion dishes like yummy veggie tempeh burgers, fresh juices and smoothie bowls, plus there’s a cute clothes and souvenir shop on site.

The best dish was definitely the gado gado which was served in an enormous messy pile of veggies, egg and satay sauce.

The most famous thing to do in Uluwatu is visit Uluwatu Temple, an 11th-century cliffside monument. You can do this any time of day but it’s particularly bucket-list-worthy at sunset.

I’d recommend arriving about 5pm, parking up and wandering the cliff edge for daylight views, followed by the dreamy golden hour. The temple on the edge looks stunning with the orange sun sinking behind it. This is Uluwatu’s most iconic view, and one of Bali’s best sunset spots.

One thing you should be super vigilant of at Uluwatu Temple is the mischievous monkeys. I was engrossed taking photos when, all of a sudden, I felt my sunglasses be snatched from my head. Who the…?

I whipped around to see a monkey proudly scampering away clutching my (thankfully very fake) Ray-Bans. He preceded to rip them to pieces with his teeth and chuck the lenses over the cliff while a crowd gathered and laughed. The next day I checked the Uluwatu Temple Instagram tag to find multiple photos of the event.

The monkeys here are so clever – they’ll snatch food, open bottles and show absolutely no mercy. I’m sure cameras and smartphones have ended up in similar states to my glasses!

Uluwatu Temple entrance fee: 30,000 IDR.

Kekak Fire Dance Show

The other reason people visit Uluwatu Temple is to see the Kekak Fire Dance Show at 6pm. Kekak is a style of traditional Balinese dance and it draws a large crowd every evening. Book your ticket here.

One of the best restaurants in Uluwatu is the Cashew Tree. It’s a chilled garden brunch spot in the day and a cosy, candlelit (but not cheesy romantic!) restaurant in the evenings.

Burgers in Bali may not sound very interesting but these freshly-made patties with avocado, veggies and sticky chutney relish were fantastic. You can choose between sweet potato or courgette fries.

We had brunch in Uluwatu elsewhere (more on that next) so while I can’t vouch for it at the Cashew Tree, it looks colourful and delicious…

Day 2 in Uluwatu

Start the second day of your Uluwatu itinerary with the most important meal of the day…

One of the best brunch restaurants in Uluwatu is Drifter Cafe. It’s also a surf shop which sets the tone for the laidback, hippie cafe out back. They serve fresh, healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners such as smoothie bowls, salads, poke bowls and tacos.

It’s a pescetarian joint so expect no meat but plenty of zesty prawns and fresh mahi-mahi.

You can’t come to Uluwatu without stopping in at the beach! Some of the best beaches in Uluwatu include Green Bowl Beach which is a Bali hidden gem, while Bingin Beach and Karma Beach are fun and busy. Thomas Beach is known as the best one for chilling and sunbathing.

Uluwatu is one of Bali’s top surfing spots with consistently amazing surf and multiple windows each day. However it’s not known as a beginners spot so you might want to save it for Canggu or Seminyak if you’ve not tried before. Padang Padang Beach on the right side is the best bet for beginners, while pros can try Dreamland and Bingin.

They say no Uluwatu itinerary is complete without sinking a Bintang at a cliff bar (I’ll admit I just made that up but I’m sure someone’s said it!). Your two best options are Single Fin or Rock Bar.

Rock is slightly more upmarket while Single Fin (pictured) is a cheerful traveller option. It’s busy every night and if you want a table you’ll have to book on the website. This is a good idea as it took us ages to find a tiny, outwards-facing corner to squeeze into. It can’t hurt to book a couple of spots in advance in case you visit.

I loved watching surfers ride the waves from my lofty position at Single Fin Bar. I just can’t believe how talented they are – after my few unsuccessful attempts surfing, I know how hard it is! You could watch them for hours.

Other things to do in Uluwatu

Two days is enough for Uluwatu’s top attractions. If you have longer or fancy exploring a little further afield, check out…

Jimbaran

Jimbaran is a fishing village just 30 minutes north of Uluwatu. It’s famous for its fresh seafood which you can tuck into while sat on the busy, atmospheric beach. So if you run out of Uluwatu evening activities, take your scooter up the coast for a tasty, locally-sourced dinner.

Sundays Beach Club

I’ve never been a beach club type of person – you’ll more likely find me in the sea than paying to sit by a pool. But Sundays Beach Club is an Uluwatu institution so you might wanna check it out.

Entry is 450,000 IDR ($30) per day which includes 250,000 IDR food and drink vouchers, kayaks, snorkelling equipment, sunbeds and access to a gorgeous private beach. Pricey for Southeast Asia but probably an idyllic chill day (I didn’t visit myself but I heard good things).