Best Time to Visit Bali

Short answer: May, June and September. It's dry, the rice is green, and you miss the July to August and Christmas peaks.

Bali sits eight degrees south of the equator, so it's warm all year, typically around 30°C on the coast and a few degrees cooler in Ubud. Higher up, around Bedugul and the volcano villages, evenings are cool enough for a jacket. Temperature barely changes through the year. Rain is what changes.

The dry season runs roughly from April or May to September or October. Humidity drops, mornings are clear, the Mount Batur sunrise is more reliable, and the west-coast and Bukit surf breaks work at their best. It's also when Australian school holidays and the European summer arrive, so July and August are the busiest months of the year.

The wet season covers roughly November to March. A typical day is bright in the morning, then a heavy downpour in the afternoon or evening that clears within a couple of hours. Hotels are cheaper outside the Christmas period and the landscape is at its greenest. The downsides are real, though: sticky humidity, muddy trails, rougher crossings to Nusa Penida, and rubbish washed up on the beaches from Kuta to Seminyak, sometimes heavily, between December and March. The east coast and the Bukit are less affected.

Month by month

• April to June: dry, green, moderate crowds. Our favourite window.
• July and August: dry and sunny, peak crowds and prices. Book early.
• September and October: mostly dry, quieter after early September.
• November to March: hot, humid, afternoon storms, busy again over Christmas and New Year.

Festivals that change your plans

Nyepi, the Day of Silence, usually falls in March. For 24 hours the airport closes and everyone, visitors included, stays indoors. Arrive at least a day before if you want to see the ogoh-ogoh parades on the eve, which are one of the most memorable nights of the Balinese year.

Galungan and Kuningan, ten days apart, mark the victory of dharma over adharma (good over evil). Roads are lined with penjor, tall curved bamboo poles hung with woven palm leaf, and temples are full. Both follow the 210-day pawukon calendar, so they come round roughly every seven months. Some shops close, but it's a lovely time to be in Ubud. For packing by season, see our what to wear guide.