Free Things to Do in Bali
Part of the Bali travel guide — see every topic in All Bali Guides.
A great deal of what makes Bali worth visiting is free. The famous paid attractions — the terrace platforms, the swings, the ticketed viewpoints — are largely a recent commercial layer on top of a landscape that costs nothing to walk through. The beaches are public by law, the ridge walks have no gates, the markets are free to browse, and the ceremonies that run continuously across the island are open to any respectfully dressed visitor. Here is what a no-budget week looks like.
Walks
The Campuhan Ridge Walk starts in central Ubud, follows a grass spine between two river gorges for about two kilometres, and is free, flat and best at sunrise with mist in both valleys. The Sari Organik path threads through working paddy north-west of Ubud. Penestanan's rice fields are reached by a staircase off the Campuhan road. In Sanur, the five-kilometre beachfront promenade is traffic-free and open. On the Bukit, the cliff paths above Bingin and Padang Padang are free even where the beach access below charges.
Beaches and sunsets
Indonesian law makes beaches public, so no resort can charge you for the sand — parking and access paths are another matter. The whole west coast delivers a free sunset every evening, and the beanbag bars only cost money if you sit on one. Watching the surf at Uluwatu from the cliff path costs nothing; a drink at Single Fin costs the price of a drink and no more. Sunrise on the east coast at Sanur, Amed or Nusa Lembongan is the underused half of the day and is free everywhere.
Markets, ceremonies and culture
Pasar Badung in Denpasar, Pasar Ubud in the early morning before the art stalls take over, and any village market are free to walk. Temple odalan anniversaries happen constantly and visitors in sarong and sash are generally welcome at the back — ask, and accept a no. The Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar every June and July runs a month of gamelan and dance performances, most of them free. The ogoh-ogoh parades the night before Nyepi are free and are among the great spectacles in Asia.
Cheap rather than free
Beyond genuinely free: a warung plate is 25,000–45,000 rupiah, an hour of Balinese massage at a neighbourhood spa is 100,000–200,000, an Ubud dance performance is 100,000–150,000, and most temple entries are 20,000–60,000. A scooter is 70,000–150,000 a day and unlocks the whole island. The single biggest saving available to most visitors is simply eating where Balinese people eat and moving the way they move, which also happens to be the more interesting way to spend the week.
Free Things to Do at a glance
| Best free walk | Campuhan Ridge, Ubud — ~2 km, at sunrise |
|---|---|
| Beaches | Public by law — only parking and access can be charged |
| Free culture | Bali Arts Festival, Denpasar, mid-Jun to mid-Jul |
| Free spectacle | Ogoh-ogoh parades the night before Nyepi |
| Ceremonies | Odalan anniversaries — sarong and sash, ask first |
| Cheapest meal | Warung nasi campur, IDR 25,000–45,000 |