Best time to travel to Bali: weather, prices and festivals

Updated: November 29, 2023

Are you worried about the rain when you go on a trip to Bali? I'll tell you when is the best time to travel to Bali and how it influences prices.

Beautiful Bali is a paradise island in Indonesia, known as the island of the Gods. It is an island full of interesting beaches, mountains to see the sunrise, waterfalls, beautiful temples and a rich culture like few others.

One of the most worrying things when preparing a trip is the weather and especially the rain because it affects the entire trip completely.

Bali and all of Southeast Asia are characterized by the fact that they live in a tropical climate of eternal summer; However, two well-defined seasons can be distinguished: dry and rainy (monsoon).

In Bali in particular, temperatures are usually around 30 degrees, the water temperature is pleasant and quite constant, perfect for diving or surfing.

The big difference is in the humidity, during the rainy season the humidity rises a lot, the heat is muggy, although once it rains the feeling of "freshness" is noticeable.

But be careful, there are areas of the island with a microclimate such as Kintamini, which is next to Mount Batur, which usually has slightly lower temperatures.

In other mountainous areas the temperature at night can drop quite a bit, up to 15 degrees, if you are going hiking or trekking it is a good idea to bring something warm.

When is the monsoon in Bali?

An advantage of the island of the Gods is that the monsoons are quite mild and They range from October to April, the beginning and ending months are transition months with little rain, sometimes there may even be almost no rain.

However, other months it will be normal for it to rain every day, but keep in mind that torrential rains often last a few hours, it clears up and you can continue with your visits. Although it may rain throughout the day, it is not the most normal.

That doesn't mean that it may rain one day in the dry season.

A great advantage of the wet season or low season is being able to enjoy an authentic Bali without so many tourists, something that is very appreciated.

If you are going to travel during this time, it is highly recommended that you take: umbrella, raincoat, good footwear that can get wet, such as sports sandals How are you from the link for women or these others men's sandals which are very comfortable to walk.

Another essential thing is mosquito repellent, although there are insects all year round during the rainy season there are more.

Something very curious in Bali is that the wet season goes in reverse than the rest of Southeast Asia. Therefore, if you are going to travel to that area of the planet and want to avoid the monsoon of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, you can choose to go to Bali.

Dry season

The Bali's dry season runs from April to September, where July and August are the driest months with good weather and less chance of rain.

Although as it coincides with the holiday season in Europe, it is filled with tourists and prices skyrocket, making this the high season.

This time is the best to enjoy the beaches or scuba diving because during some months of the rainy season the current and wind can bring a lot of garbage.

If you prefer to surf you are in luck because you can surf all year round in Bali, depending on the season it will blow from one side or the other of the island; However, July is the best month.

🏄 In this other article you can read more about Surfing in Bali: everything you need to know, including beaches depending on the season, price of classes and board rental.

Another advantage of the dry season is the possibility of trekking, because some routes can become very dangerous during the monsoon and not recommended.

In addition, the sky is clearer to take advantage of the views when you reach the top if you want to do an excursion such as climbing Mount Batur.

However, the dry season has the disadvantage that the rice fields lose their vibrant greenery as the season progresses. If you want to see them in all their splendor at the end of the wet season and the beginning of the dry season, this is the best time.

What is the cheapest month to go to Bali?

The cheapest months to go to Bali are during the rainy season (October to March) because there are many fewer tourists.

Although the monsoon may sound like something that will completely ruin your vacation, it is not like that, especially in the transition months.

In some tourist destinations the price difference can be subtle, however, in Bali if you travel during the rainy season You will save a lot of money, mainly on accommodation. You can also get tours at a better price.

Another advantage of traveling at this time is when you will find cheap flights to bali, to see the alternatives use this search engine and if you have flexibility of dates, the better, sometimes from one day to the next the prices vary a lot.

⭐ In this other article you can read more about 6 Best Villas in Bali – luxury holidays at a good price, some in the low season (the rainy season) I have found low prices.

Prices depending on the season

If for vacation reasons you travel during the dry season, which in itself is more expensive, the months of July and August are even more expensive due to the number of European tourists.

In case you want to save some money, I recommend looking at other months like June or September.

On the other hand, if you go during the rainy season it is generally a cheaper time, but there are times when tourism increases and, therefore, prices rise and this is when it coincides with the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Best months to go to Bali according to its Balinese Festivals

Another important factor when deciding when to visit Bali are the Balinese festivals, which also attract more tourists, without being mass tourism as it is in July and August, and prices rise a little.

Bali festivals are very interesting times to enjoy its beautiful traditions. These are the most important festivals:

1. Galungan Festival that celebrates the visit of ancestral spirits, they make offerings and traditional dances in the temples. This festival changes dates according to the calendar Pawukon With 210 days, these are the next dates.
   • June 8, 2022
   • January 4, 2023
   • August 2, 2023
   • February 28, 2024
   • September 25, 2024
   • April 23, 2025
   • November 19, 2025
   • June 17, 2026
2. full moon festival, Purnama Kedasa when various rituals are done in the temples including those of purification in the waters. This festival is celebrated every month and coincides with the full moon.
3. Balinese New Year, Also known as Nyepi or day of silence, where you cannot speak or do almost anything, perhaps for foreigners it is not the most interesting day, but the following ones are. This holiday is in March, but it changes days, the following will be:
   • March 22, 2023
   • March 11, 2024
   • March 28, 2025
   • March 19, 2026

When to travel to Bali? – detail by month

Here is a summary of the weather by month that you may encounter:

• January: It is the month with the most rain, exceeding on average 300 mm, with more frequent showers and it is very hot. The best time to do something is at dusk when the temperatures drop a little.
• February: It is still the middle of the rainy season and it is hot.
• March: The proximity to the dry season begins to be noticed, precipitation decreases and temperatures begin to be more pleasant, especially at night.
• April: There is much less rain, the sky remains clearer and the temperature increases.
• May: It is a month similar to April in terms of rain, but the temperatures drop a little.
• June: This month the dry season is usually well noticeable with much less rain.
• July: It is one of the driest months, with many hours of sun, very hot days and cooler nights.
• August: It is the driest month, similar to July, although the breeze is more noticeable at night and a drop in temperature, ideal for resting well.
• September: It is still similar to July and August, even with little rain and cooler nights.
• October: It is a hotter month, temperatures rise during the day and night, and there is also a slight increase in rainfall.
• November: showers are more frequent and the humidity can give a feeling of significant sultry.
• December: The rains last longer and the heat continues to increase.

To give you an idea, below I leave you a couple of tables, one with the average maximum and minimum annual temperature, the other with the annual rainfall:

What is the best time to travel to Bali?

If you want to avoid the wet season or at least have as little rain as possible, The best months to go to Bali are: May, June and September, this way you will avoid the massive tourism of July and August.

In general, April and October are also not usually too rainy, but the weather in Bali is difficult to predict, especially the transition months. Also These two months are cheaper and there are fewer tourists.

As you can see, there are many factors so you can decide when to make your trip.

But if you can't choose your vacation too freely, travel to Bali when you can, you will surely enjoy it a lot.

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