Best Time to Visit Bali: Dry Season, Nyepi and Holidays

When is the best time to visit Bali?

For most travellers, May, June and the first three weeks of September are the best time to visit Bali. They sit in the dry season, Denpasar averages 47–93 mm of rain in each, and they avoid Western Australian school holidays. August is driest, at 25 mm; December to March is the wet season.

Bali has two seasons. The FCDO says the rainy season usually runs from October to March, and the WMO-published averages for Denpasar show the switch clearly: 345 mm of rain over 27 days in January against 25 mm over 4 days in August. Indonesia’s tourism ministry describes the island’s climate as tropical, warm and humid all year, with cooler, wetter conditions around the central volcanoes.

Weather is only part of the choice. Bali shuts down completely for Nyepi, which falls on 8 March in 2027; Indonesia’s Idulfitri holidays follow within days; and Australia, the island’s largest source of visitors, sends families during its school holidays. Each of those moves demand as much as the rain does, so the sections below put the climate, the calendar and the risks side by side.

Once you have a month, choose a base with where to stay in Bali and plan the days with the Bali 3-day itinerary or the Bali 7-day itinerary. The Bali destination guide covers the wider island. We checked every source on 17 October 2026 and describe price pressure in words, because no official source publishes Bali hotel prices by month.

• Best overall: May, June and early to mid September
• Driest month in Denpasar: August (25 mm over 4 rain days)
• Wettest month: January (345 mm over 27 rain days)
• Hottest month: April (34.4°C mean daily maximum)
• Plan around: Nyepi on Monday 8 March 2027, when the island stops and the airport is expected to close

What is Bali’s weather like month by month?

Denpasar is hot all year, with average highs of 29.6–34.4°C and lows of 22.5–24.8°C. Rain is what changes: January averages 345 mm over 27 rain days, while August averages 25 mm over 4. April is the hottest month, and the averages jump from 63 mm in October to 179 mm in November.

The table uses the WMO city page for Denpasar, which publishes averages supplied by BMKG, Indonesia’s meteorological agency, for 1961–1990: mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall and rain days. The yearly totals come to about 1,732 mm over 158 rain days. These are older normals from a single station, so treat them as a guide to the pattern rather than a forecast for your week.

Altitude changes the picture. The tourism ministry notes that peaks in Bali’s central mountains rise above 3,000 metres and are considerably cooler, with much more rain than the coast, which matters for a Mount Batur sunrise trek or a night in the hills. Ubud lies in the island’s centre, according to the ministry’s Ubud page, inland but well below those peaks.

The season column follows the FCDO’s description of an October-to-March rainy season, read against the averages: October is still fairly dry in Denpasar at 63 mm, although it already has 12 rain days, while April is a transition month with 88 mm. BMKG’s outlook for 2026/27, covered below, expects the rains to arrive late this year.

Is the dry season the best time to visit Bali?

Yes, for beaches, temples and treks. From May to September Denpasar averages 25–93 mm of rain a month over 4–8 days, and the air is slightly cooler, with mean highs of 29.6–33.1°C. The trade-off is demand: July brings Australian school holidays and August Indonesia’s Independence Day.

August is the standout for weather. The Denpasar averages give it 25 mm over 4 rain days, the lowest of the year, and the coolest nights, with a 22.5°C mean minimum. June and July are almost as dry, at 53 mm and 55 mm, while May and September sit either side with 93 mm and 47 mm.

Dry weather suits the trips that rain spoils. The Mount Batur sunrise trek starts around 04:00 on loose volcanic sand, and boat days to Nusa Penida depend on the sea, which the FCDO warns can change rapidly. Clear mornings also help at the Jatiluwih rice terraces, inscribed by UNESCO in June 2012 as part of Bali’s subak landscape, according to the tourism ministry.

The catch is company. Australia sent Bali 354,079 visitors in the first quarter of 2026, the most of any country, according to BPS Bali figures reported by Metro TV on 5 May 2026, and Western Australia’s school holidays run from 3 to 18 July in 2027. If your dates are flexible, May, June and the first three weeks of September give you dry-season weather outside those holidays.

Is the rainy season (November to March) worth it in Bali?

It can be, if you build in indoor fallbacks and flexible boat days. Denpasar averages 179–345 mm of rain a month from November to March, over 16–27 days, and the FCDO warns of localised flooding. February and March fall outside Western Australian school holidays, but Nyepi closes the island on 8 March 2027.

The FCDO says Bali can suffer severe localised flooding in the rainy season, causing traffic congestion and power outages. The Denpasar averages peak in January at 345 mm over 27 rain days, with December (276 mm) and February (274 mm) close behind, so a wet-season trip needs slack in the schedule and a base where you are happy to spend an afternoon.

This year’s rains may be late. BMKG’s 2026/27 rainy-season outlook, published on 2 October 2026, expects most of Indonesia to enter the wet season in November or December 2026, later than normal across much of the country, with the peak between December 2026 and February 2027 and a very strong El Niño under way. It gives no Bali-specific dates, so treat it as a national pattern.

Some things improve in the wet months. The tourism ministry’s Sanur page says reasonable surf breaks form about 1 km offshore during the northwest wind season, roughly October to March. If rain does set in, our Bali in the rain guide lists indoor plans, and our Bali belly guide covers food safety in the heat.

Are April and October good months for Bali?

Both are workable transition months. April is the hottest, with a 34.4°C mean high in Denpasar, but rain drops to 88 mm over 9 days. October averages 63 mm over 12 days. Each has Western Australian school holidays: 10 to 25 April 2027, and 26 September to 11 October 2026.

April is when the rains break. The Denpasar averages fall from 234 mm in March to 88 mm in April, while the mean daily maximum peaks at 34.4°C and nights stay at 24.8°C, the warmest of the year. In 2027 Easter falls on 28 March, with Good Friday on 26 March a national holiday, according to Indonesia’s 2027 holiday decree.

October is the mirror image. Rainfall is still low at 63 mm, but rain days rise to 12 as the season turns, and the FCDO counts October as the start of the rainy season. Western Australia’s spring school holidays run from 26 September to 11 October in 2026 and from 25 September to 10 October in 2027.

October is also a festival month. Bali’s provincial tourism office lists the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, the Nusa Dua Festival and the Klungkung Heritage Festival under October in its 2026 calendar of events, which gives months but not dates. Check the organisers’ own pages for 2027 dates before you book around them.

How do Nyepi and Galungan affect a Bali trip?

Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence, falls on Monday 8 March 2027: the island stops for 24 hours, nobody may go out and the airport closes. Galungan is a 10-day festival ending on Kuningan, when families put decorated bamboo poles outside homes and temples. Both are memorable, but they reshape opening hours, transport and demand.

Indonesia’s 2027 holiday decree lists Nyepi, the Saka New Year 1949, on Monday 8 March. The FCDO says everyone in Bali observes the day of silence by staying indoors, turning off lights and making no noise, and that Ngurah Rai International Airport closes for the day. Our Nyepi guide explains the rules for hotel guests, the ogoh-ogoh parades on the evening before and the 06:00-to-06:00 closure.

Nyepi 2027 lands just before Idulfitri. The same decree puts Idulfitri on 10 and 11 March 2027, with collective leave on 9, 12 and 15 March, the start of Indonesia’s busiest domestic travel period. If you fly in or out that week, avoid 8 March completely and book domestic flights and fast boats early.

Galungan follows the Balinese calendar rather than the Gregorian one. Bali’s provincial site says the celebration lasts ten days, from Sugihan to Kuningan, with penjor (bamboo poles decorated with coconut leaves, flowers, fruit and rice) in front of homes and temples, and that many tourists time their trips to see it. We could not find an official 2027 date from the provincial government, so confirm it with your hotel before planning around it.

Which holidays push up Bali prices and crowds?

Four calendars matter: Christmas and New Year, Indonesia’s national holidays (Idulfitri on 10–11 March 2027 and Independence Day on 17 August), Western Australian school holidays, and Balinese ceremonies such as Nyepi and Galungan. Australia sends Bali more visitors than any other country, so its holidays matter more than most.

No official source publishes Bali hotel prices by month, so we describe the effect rather than quote numbers. Our reading of the calendar is that choice is tightest when an Australian school holiday overlaps an Indonesian long weekend or the Christmas break, and widest in February, early March outside Nyepi week, May, June and early September. Compare the final total, including taxes, rather than the nightly rate.

The table lists the dates we could confirm for late 2026 and 2027 from Indonesia’s holiday decree and Western Australia’s Department of Education. Other Australian states set their own term dates, and the decree adds collective-leave days that lengthen several weekends, such as 9, 12 and 15 March around Idulfitri and 18 and 19 May around Idul Adha and Vesak.

Visitors also pay Bali’s tourist levy. The Love Bali FAQ sets it at Rp150,000 per international tourist, paid once per trip and cashless, through the official system before you arrive or at payment counters on arrival. It is separate from the Rp500,000 visa on arrival that the FCDO describes; see our visa on arrival guide and money in Indonesia.

Which festivals are worth timing a Bali trip around?

Bali’s provincial calendar spreads festivals across the year: the Bali Arts Festival in June, the Jatiluwih Festival in July, the Ubud Village Jazz Festival in August, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in October and the Sanur Village Festival in November. Exact dates for 2027 had not been published when we checked.

Bali’s provincial tourism site published its 2026 calendar of events in January 2026 with months but not dates, and it is the best official guide to when each festival usually falls. June is the busiest month for culture, with the Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali), the Bali International Film Festival and Ubud Open Studios all listed.

Smaller regional festivals can be a highlight if you are already nearby: the Lovina Festival in July, the Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival in August, the Taman Ayun Barong Festival and the Lembongan Surf and Music Festival in September, and the Pemuteran Bay Festival in November, all in the same calendar.

Whatever the festival, follow the governor’s Circular Letter 7 of 2025. It asks visitors to respect sacred sites and symbols, especially during ceremonies, to dress modestly, and bars them from the inner and middle temple courtyards unless they are worshipping in Balinese dress.

• June: Bali Arts Festival, Bali International Film Festival, Ubud Open Studios
• July: Jatiluwih Festival, Lovina Festival, Bali International Choir Festival
• August: Ubud Village Jazz Festival, Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival, Denpasar Kite Festival
• September: Taman Ayun Barong Festival, Lembongan Surf and Music Festival
• October: Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Nusa Dua Festival
• November: Sanur Village Festival, Pemuteran Bay Festival
• December: Pandawa Beach Festival, Denpasar Festival

What weather and safety risks should you plan around in Bali?

Plan for wet-season flooding, volcanic alerts, rough seas on boat days and risks that do not change with the season, such as rabies and methanol in drinks. The FCDO no longer advises against travel to Indonesia’s volcanoes, but says eruptions can happen without warning and ash can disrupt flights.

The FCDO’s Indonesia page, updated on 18 September 2026, says it no longer advises against all travel to volcanoes in Indonesia and asks travellers to follow local advice on exclusion zones and air quality. Its safety page adds that volcanic ash can disrupt flights and regional airports. Check the alert level for Agung and Batur on MAGMA Indonesia before a trek or a flight.

Earthquakes are regular across Indonesia, and the FCDO says that after a major quake near the shore a tsunami could arrive within minutes, so follow local instructions and BMKG’s warnings. At sea, it warns that conditions can change rapidly and that children’s life jackets are not always available, which matters most in the wet months.

Some risks are year-round. The FCDO’s health page says there are many street dogs in Bali and rabies is present, so seek medical help immediately after any bite or scratch, and it lists dengue as a risk. Its safety page reports methanol poisoning from drinks bought in licensed venues in tourist areas and a large increase in moped accidents in Bali.

When should trekkers, families, surfers and culture lovers visit Bali?

Trekkers and island-hoppers should aim for June to August, families tied to Australian school holidays should book early for July or December, and Sanur’s reef surfers can wait for October to March. Flexible travellers do best in May, June or early September, which is our overall verdict for a first trip.

Whatever the month, avoid arriving or leaving on Nyepi, and leave a buffer before an international flight if your last day includes a boat. The fast-boat guide and getting around Bali explain the transport choices.

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