03
Bali excursions, from the cliff temples to the rapids
Judged on one question: does the day fit a cruise call once Bali’s traffic is counted? The sights are easy to love. Getting back on time is harder.
Prices come from Shore Excursions Group and an undated Royal Caribbean excursion list published by a travel agency, in the currency each prints. Treat them as a guide — your line’s own page has the current figures.
Berth, levy, visa and taxi notes are on our Bali (Benoa) cruise port guide. If your ship carries on to Malaysia, our Port Klang excursion guide picks up from there.
Ubud is the picture in most people’s heads when they hear “Bali” — green terraces, temple gates, monkeys on the paths.
Shore Excursions Group lists a Private Ubud Exploration at 6 hours from $34.99 per person, covering rice fields, the Monkey Forest, a spice garden and an arts village. Royal Caribbean’s Ubud On Your Own runs 6 hours too, from 53.18 EUR, with free time and a set transfer back.
The art market sits about 35 km from the port, per Indonesia’s tourism ministry. Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks says to allow 8 hours or more for an Ubud day.
Six-hour tours exist, though they leave no slack — you start promptly and keep moving.
- Time commitment
- About 6 hours on the listings — more if you add stops.
- Getting there
- Car or coach from the Benoa terminal, roughly 35 km inland.
- Suits
- First-timers, couples, anyone who came to Bali for the countryside, not the beach.
- Ship or independent
- Either. A private car gives you control; the ship’s version owns the return.
Why it's worth considering
It covers the countryside most people come for. SEG prices it per person, so ask what a family of four pays.
The ship’s free-time version lets you wander Ubud without a guide setting the pace — useful if you’d rather browse than be led.
The catch
Most of the day is road. Kura2bus says most sights are about 1 to 1.5 hours from Benoa, and traffic can stretch that.
Royal Caribbean’s listing warns of uneven pedestrian paths. Wear real shoes.
Verify before you book
- Whether entry fees are included
- The return time against your all-aboard
- If the price is per person or per car
Uluwatu is a clifftop temple in the island’s far south, about 24 km from the port — close by Bali standards.
Royal Caribbean’s Uluwatu Temple Tour runs 4 hours from 70.98 EUR and adds the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue and a Jimbaran stop. SEG’s Private Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Evening Fire Dance runs 5 hours at $118.99. It marks food as not included, though its description mentions Jimbaran Beach dining — ask before you book.
Kura2bus, a local tour operator, puts temple entry at IDR 50,000 for adults, sarong and sash included, on a blog page last updated February 2026 — not an official price list. It lists Kecak shows at 6 to 7 pm and 7 to 8 pm.
That show time is the problem. It suits an overnight or a late sailing, not a normal afternoon all-aboard.
- Time commitment
- About 4 hours for the temple; about 5 with the dance.
- Getting there
- Car or coach south from Benoa, about 24 km.
- Suits
- Short calls, couples, anyone who wants a big view without the Ubud drive.
- Ship or independent
- Ship for a daytime visit; independent for the Kecak on a late call.
Why it's worth considering
It’s the headline sight within a short drive of the ship — a cliff, a temple and the ocean, without the inland traffic.
The ship’s listing runs about 4 hours, which leaves more slack than an Ubud day.
The catch
Kura2bus warns monkeys roam the grounds. Keep sunglasses and phones put away.
The Kecak ticket price varies on the same page we read, so check it on the day rather than trusting a figure.
Verify before you book
- Your all-aboard time if you want the Kecak
- Whether temple entry is in the price
- The current Kecak ticket price
Bali rewards a car with a driver more than a coach, because the sights are spread out and the order matters.
SEG lists a Private Driver Guide – Full Day at 8 hours from $60.99 per person. The listing as we noted it doesn’t spell out the route, so ask what you can choose. If the order is yours, pair a rice terrace with a temple, or a temple with a beach lunch.
You set the pace, and you also own the timing — on Bali’s roads, that’s a responsibility, not a perk.
- Time commitment
- About 8 hours.
- Getting there
- Pickup at the Benoa terminal, to be confirmed.
- Suits
- Families, small groups, repeat visitors with a list.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. Set the return time with at least two hours of slack.
Why it's worth considering
A driver-guide bends around nap times, heat and a long lunch in a way a coach schedule won’t.
With a full car, ask whether the per-person rate drops — it can decide whether this beats the ship’s tour.
The catch
Eight hours is a long day on a short call, so trim the list instead of rushing it — two good stops beat four hurried ones.
If traffic holds you up, the ship sails on schedule. Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks suggests allowing about 120 minutes for the return.
Verify before you book
- Per-person or per-car pricing at your group size
- Which entry fees are included
- A phone contact if the driver is late
For Bali’s religious and village life, rather than its viewpoints, this is the day to book.
SEG’s Private UNESCO Temple and Balinese Traditional Houses tour runs 6 hours from $26.99 per person. Royal Caribbean’s Balinese Way of Life runs 9 hours 30 minutes from 88.78 EUR, with Kehen Temple, Penglipuran village and lunch looking toward Mount Batur.
The ship’s version is long — a full-call commitment, not a morning out.
- Time commitment
- About 6 hours privately; about 9½ on the ship’s tour.
- Getting there
- Car or coach from Benoa into central and east Bali.
- Suits
- Repeat visitors, culture-minded couples, anyone who did Ubud last time.
- Ship or independent
- Either. The ship’s long day is safer on a tight schedule; the private one is far cheaper.
Why it's worth considering
At $26.99, this is the lowest SEG price we found for Bali.
Penglipuran and the temples give a sense of daily Bali that a beach day doesn’t.
The catch
The listings we have don’t describe the walking, so ask about steps and distances.
Temples expect modest dress. Pack a sarong or check that the tour provides one.
Verify before you book
- Which temples are on the route
- Lunch included or not
- The return time on a 9-hour tour
Rafting the Ayung River is the most active day on the ship’s Bali list, by some distance.
Royal Caribbean’s Ayung White Water Rafting runs 6 hours 30 minutes from 165.32 EUR, with lunch and showers. The rapids are class II and III, and the minimum age is 7.
The listing also mentions about 600 steps down to the river and 250 back up — the climb is the part to plan for.
- Time commitment
- About 6½ hours.
- Getting there
- Coach from the pier.
- Suits
- Active couples, families with kids 7 and up.
- Ship or independent
- Ship, on a normal call; the return is the line’s job.
Why it's worth considering
It’s a change of pace on a cruise full of temple and beach days — wet, loud and nothing like a temple tour.
Showers and lunch are part of the package, so you’re not boarding soaked.
The catch
The listing advises care for guests with back, neck, knee or shoulder injuries, or heart or respiratory conditions.
It’s the priciest per head of the ship’s Bali tours we read.
Verify before you book
- The step count for your outfitter
- The minimum age and health rules
- What to bring for the changing area
On the water · reef day
Snorkeling at Blue Lagoon and Tanjung Jepun
If you’d rather be in the water than in a car, SEG’s Private Balinese Blue Lagoon Snorkel spends its day on the reefs.
It runs 6 hours from $46.99 per person, with a meal, at the coral of Tanjung Jepun and Blue Lagoon.
For a shorter taste, its Bali Aqua Trek is 3 hours at $78.99 — a helmeted walk on the seabed among the fish.
- Time commitment
- About 6 hours; the Aqua Trek about 3.
- Getting there
- Private transfer from the Benoa terminal.
- Suits
- Couples, active travelers, confident swimmers.
- Ship or independent
- Independent, through SEG; check your line for a version.
Why it's worth considering
It swaps the inland traffic for a day on the water, which on Bali is a fair trade.
The private format lets you set the pace — confirm the return time in writing.
The catch
Sea conditions can cancel boat days. Ask what happens to your money if they do.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard — the sun on the water is harder work than it looks from the boat.
Verify before you book
- Refund terms if the sea is rough
- Whether gear and fins are included
- The return time against all-aboard
A wildlife park is the obvious answer when the kids have had enough temples.
SEG lists Beautiful Bali Safari Marine Park at 8 hours, $131.99 with a sale price of $111.99 when we checked. Meals aren’t included.
MSC names the park among its Benoa excursions too, so ask your line before you book a third-party version.
- Time commitment
- About 8 hours.
- Getting there
- Transfer from the Benoa terminal.
- Suits
- Families with younger kids.
- Ship or independent
- Either. Compare the ship’s price against SEG’s.
Why it's worth considering
It’s a straightforward day out for children who’ll get little from a temple tour — and it’s easy to explain to them in advance.
Animal encounters do the entertaining, so parents get a break, not a lecture on temple history.
The catch
Eight hours is long for small kids — have a plan for the tired hour before it arrives.
Budget for lunch on top of the ticket, since SEG lists food as not included.
Verify before you book
- What the ticket covers inside the park
- Lunch options and prices
- Return time
Not every Bali day needs a plan. The south coast’s beaches are short drives from the ship.
Royal Caribbean’s Kuta Town On Your Own runs 5 hours from 53.18 EUR, in an “on your own” format.
Nusa Dua is about 13 km from the port, and The Cruise Web places Tanjung Benoa’s jet-ski and parasailing strip very close to the port. A taxi there and back is the simple version — agree the fare first.
- Time commitment
- About 5 hours on the ship’s transfer; flexible by taxi.
- Getting there
- Transfer coach or a taxi from the terminal.
- Suits
- Short calls, minimal-stress days, repeat visitors who’ve done Ubud.
- Ship or independent
- Either. The ship’s transfer sets the return; a taxi saves money.
Why it's worth considering
It’s the least time on the road of the options here — useful when the call is short or the heat is heavy.
With a transfer, you get the beach without managing a driver, a fare or a pickup point.
The catch
Kuta is busy and commercial — come for the sand and the shops, not for quiet.
Surf and currents on Bali’s south coast can be strong. Swim where there are lifeguards.
Verify before you book
- The meeting point and return time
- Taxi fare before you get in
- Flag conditions at the beach
06
Bali logistics: the berth, money, levy and visa
From the ship
Most ships dock at Benoa’s cruise terminal on the south coast; some itineraries use Celukan Bawang in the north instead.
Indonesia’s tourism ministry puts Nusa Dua about 13 km away and Uluwatu about 24 km. Full detail is on our Bali (Benoa) cruise port guide.
- Tour pickups at the terminal
- Taxis available, fares by agreement
- Airport about 10 km away
Money
Indonesia uses the rupiah. Drivers, markets and temple entries want cash; larger businesses take cards.
The levy is cashless — card, transfer or QRIS.
Timing
Kura2bus puts most sights about 1 to 1.5 hours from Benoa — traffic permitting.
Work back from the all-aboard: allow the drive, then about two hours of slack, then choose your last stop.
Paperwork and safety
Visa, the online arrival card within 72 hours and the levy voucher are three separate things — and your line may handle the arrival card for the ship, so ask.
The State Department rates Indonesia Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, as of July 2026. Carry your passport ashore if your line asks you to.
