How to Get to Bali

By air

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), near Denpasar, handles nearly all arrivals, with direct flights from major Asian, Australian, and increasingly European hubs. On arrival, most nationalities complete a Visa on Arrival (30 days, extendable once to 60), plus the mandatory All Indonesia e-Arrival Card and the Bali Tourist Levy — both worth completing online in advance to avoid delays at immigration.

Getting from the airport

Taxis and pre-arranged transfers cover the trip to Ubud, Seminyak, or Canggu — travel time varies enormously with traffic, so build in buffer time rather than expecting a fixed duration.

Getting around the island

Hiring a driver for the day is the most common way for visitors to get between regions, generally affordable and far less stressful than navigating unfamiliar roads and traffic patterns yourself.

Renting a scooter

Common among visitors but genuinely risky given local traffic conditions — an international driving permit is technically required, and travel insurance often excludes scooter accidents without one.

Domestic flight connections

Ngurah Rai Airport also serves as a hub for onward flights to Lombok, Java, and other Indonesian islands, useful if Bali is one stop on a wider Indonesia trip.

Arriving by ferry from Java

A car ferry connects Java to Bali across the narrow Bali Strait, an option for overland travelers arriving from elsewhere in Indonesia rather than flying directly.

Airport facilities

Ngurah Rai's international terminal has been substantially upgraded in recent years, with reasonable dining and shopping options for travelers with a longer layover.

Getting a driver for multiple days

Many visitors hire the same driver for several days rather than booking separately each time, which often works out cheaper and builds a more comfortable working relationship for navigating the island.

Comparing scooter rental to hiring a driver

A scooter offers genuine independence for short local trips but carries real accident risk given local traffic patterns; a hired driver costs more but removes that risk entirely for inter-region travel.

Whichever transport method you choose, confirming the plan with your accommodation the night before smooths out most of the logistics that otherwise cause stress on arrival day.

Ojek (motorbike taxis)

App-based motorbike taxis, similar to a ride-hailing service, offer quick, cheap transport for short hops within a single town, though they're less suited to longer inter-region trips.

Whichever method you choose, allow more time than Google Maps suggests — Bali's traffic rarely matches estimated durations, especially near Denpasar and the southern beach towns.

However you arrive, patience with the process pays off more than trying to optimize every minute of the journey.