Bali: Ceremony, Rice Terraces & the Bukit Cliffs
Nine days between Ubud's temples and the cliffs of Uluwatu
Four nights in the hills around Ubud for temples, rice terraces and a morning spent preparing offerings with a Balinese family, then four nights on the Bukit peninsula, where the island ends in limestone cliffs above the Indian Ocean. One day goes to Nusa Penida to swim with manta rays. A driver stays with you throughout, and the pace leaves the afternoons free.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from $450 per person per day
For 2 travelers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on October 10, 2026. How we calculate it
Request this itineraryIncluded
- 8 nights' accommodation in one of the hotels named for each stage
- Private driver with car every day, including airport transfers
- Balinese offering ritual with a cultural interpreter
- Nusa Penida manta snorkel day with a private guide
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Ubud4 nights
Luxury
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Kedewatan, on the Ayung River
Villas and suites in a bend of the Ayung River, with rice paddies inside the grounds.
Luxury
Capella Ubud
Keliki, north of Ubud
A tented camp in the rainforest, designed by Bill Bensley.
Boutique
Sanggingan, edge of Ubud
On a ridge above the Wos River valley, with a yoga pavilion.
Uluwatu4 nights
Luxury
Bulgari Resort Bali
Uluwatu clifftop
Villas on a clifftop with an inclined lift down to a private beach.
Luxury
Alila Villas Uluwatu
Uluwatu clifftop
Pool villas on the clifftop at Uluwatu.
Ubud
Arrive in Ubud
Private transfer from Denpasar airport (about 90 minutes)
Late afternoon walk along the Campuhan ridge
Sleep: Ubud (4 nights)
Ubud
Offerings and water temple
Morning with a Balinese family preparing canang sari offerings, then a temple ceremony (Excurze experience, included)
Tirta Empul, the spring-fed water temple, with your driver
Afternoon free
Sleep: Ubud
Sidemen
Rice terraces of Sidemen
Drive east to the Sidemen valley, with Mount Agung behind the terraces
Walk through the paddies and visit a songket weaving workshop
Lunch overlooking the valley, back to Ubud by late afternoon
Sleep: Ubud
Ubud
A slow day in Ubud
Optional sunrise trek on Mount Batur (starts around 3:30am)
Or a spa morning and the Ubud art market
Evening Legong dance at Ubud Palace
Sleep: Ubud
Uluwatu
South to the Bukit
Transfer to Uluwatu (about 90 minutes)
Uluwatu temple at sunset, followed by the kecak fire dance
Sleep: Uluwatu (4 nights)
Nusa Penida
Manta rays at Nusa Penida
Fast boat from Sanur with a private snorkelling guide (Excurze experience, included)
Manta Point, where reef mantas gather at cleaning stations
Packed lunch and back on the mainland by late afternoon
Sleep: Uluwatu
Uluwatu
Beaches below the cliffs
Morning at Padang Padang or Bingin beach
Afternoon at the resort spa
Sleep: Uluwatu
Jimbaran
Jimbaran and the last sunset
Free day
Grilled seafood on the sand at Jimbaran Bay at sunset
Sleep: Uluwatu
Uluwatu
Departure
Transfer to Denpasar airport (about 40 minutes)
Two nights on the Gili Islands or Lombok
Add a short island stay by fast boat at the end of the trip.
Mount Batur sunrise trek
A pre-dawn climb with a local guide and breakfast at the crater rim.
Swap Uluwatu for East Bali
Quieter coast around Candidasa and Amed, with snorkelling off the black-sand beaches.
A flight to Labuan Bajo for Komodo National Park.
Best time to go
May to September
The dry season. July and August are the busiest months; May, June and September are quieter. Manta rays are seen at Nusa Penida year-round.
Less suited: December to February, when rain is heaviest and sea crossings are rougher
from $450 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travelersand 9 days, and rounds up to the next $50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In US dollars |
|---|---|---|
Ubud, 4 nights at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (lowest rate we could verify of the three; COMO Uma Ubud has no reliable rate) HotelsCombined, Mandapa | 967 USD × 4 | $3,868 |
Uluwatu, 4 nights at Alila Villas Uluwatu Travelocity, Uluwatu hotels | 687 USD × 4 | $2,748 |
Private driver with Toyota Alphard, 9 days Bali Touristic, private drivers in Ubud | 1,100,000 IDR × 9 | $554 |
Balinese offering ritual (Excurze experience), 2 people Excurze | 195 USD × 2 | $390 |
Nusa Penida manta snorkel (Excurze experience), 2 people Excurze | 195 USD × 2 | $390 |
| Total for 2 travelers | $7,950 | |
| Per person per day ($7,950 ÷ 2 ÷ 9), rounded up to $50 | $450 | |
The figure covers
- 8 nights in the lead hotel at each stage, entry-level room or villa
- A private driver with car every day, including airport transfers
- The offering ritual and the Nusa Penida manta day
Not included
- International flights
- Meals not included in the hotel rate
- Temple entrance fees and the optional modules
- Tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of October 9, 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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