Classic Bali — Self-Launched
8 days · Bali, Indonesia
G Adventures charges £1,050
No-markup version: ~£414 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independently run version of G Adventures' 'Classic Bali — Plus': eight days tracing Bali from Sanur across the island to the highlands of Munduk, the volcano rim at Kintamani, the cultural heart of Ubud and the quiet east-coast beaches of Candidasa. Rather than a private van and a group CEO, you'll move on share taxis, bemos, Grab/Gojek rides and a public ferry-free route through the mountains, staying in family-run guesthouses and hostels. All the headline experiences — Ulun Danu Bratan temple, the Jatiluwih rice terraces, Kintamani hot springs, the Mt Batur sunrise hike, Kerta Gosa and the Bali Community Training lunch programme — are bookable direct or self-organised, and all optional add-ons are included as suggestions. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP per person and exclude international flights and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Sanur
Sanur
Land at Denpasar (DPS) at any time and make your own way to Sanur. Skip the airport taxi desk (fixed rates around IDR 250,000-350,000 / £13-18) and instead order a Grab or Gojek car from outside arrivals for roughly IDR 150,000-200,000 (£8-11), or take the Trans Metro Dewata bus if you're travelling light and it's daylight. Check into a guesthouse or hostel a few minutes' walk from Sanur beach, change some cash at an authorised money changer in town (better rates than the airport), and pick up a local SIM (Telkomsel 20-30GB data ~£8-12). Spend the evening walking the beach promenade and eating at a warung — babi guling or nasi campur with a fresh juice is about £3-5. Evening: sort your onward transport for tomorrow via 12Go Asia or your guesthouse.
🚌Airport to Sanur by Grab/Gojek or metered Blue Bird taxi, £8-14; walking locally
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Sanur (£10-15/night, dorm £6-8)
- →Sanur beach promenade walk
- →Warung dinner and local SIM set-up
Sanur → Bedugul: Ulun Danu Bratan and Jatiluwih
Munduk
Set off early for the highlands. The cheapest DIY route is a Kura-Kura shuttle bus or public Perama bus from Sanur to Bedugul (roughly £8-10, 2.5-3 hours), or join a shared day-trip van with other travellers (about £18-25 including stops) — ask your guesthouse the night before. First stop: Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, the lake temple on Lake Bratan (entry ~IDR 75,000 / £4). Then continue to the UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih rice terraces (entry ~IDR 50,000 / £2.50) — walk the lower loop for 1-2 hours through the subak irrigation channels. Grab/Gojek are patchy up here, so pre-arrange a driver for the Bedugul-Jatiluwih-Munduk leg (about £20-25 split between two or three travellers, or £12-15 if you use a fixed-rate local driver direct). Arrive in Munduk in the late afternoon and eat at a homestay kitchen — Balinese nasi campur or grilled fish, £3-5.
🚌Shared shuttle bus Sanur-Bedugul ~£8-10; pre-arranged local driver for the highland loop £12-25 per person split
🛏Mountain homestay or simple guesthouse in Munduk (£10-16/night)
- →Pura Ulun Danu Bratan lake temple
- →Jatiluwih rice terraces walk
- →Munduk homestay dinner
Munduk → Kintamani hot springs
Kintamani
Walk to Munduk waterfall (Melanting) in the morning before it gets busy — free to enter with a small parking/donation fee, about 15-20 minutes downhill from the village. Then take the winding mountain road east to Kintamani. There's no direct public route, so the realistic options are: hire a local driver for the day (IDR 600,000-800,000 / £30-40 per vehicle, worth splitting with 1-2 other travellers), or take a bemo to Singaraja and a second bemo/bus down to Kintamani if you want the slow, very cheap version (~£5 total but takes most of the day). Spend the afternoon soaking in the Toya Devasya or Batur Natural Hot Springs on the lake shore (entry ~IDR 300,000 / £15 including pools; cheaper public hot springs exist for ~£3). Dinner at a simple guesthouse restaurant with volcano views, £4-6.
🚌Local driver/private car share £15-25 per person; bemo alternative ~£5
🛏Simple guesthouse in Kintamani with caldera views (£12-18/night)
- →Munduk waterfall walk
- →Kintamani hot springs soak
- →Lake Batur caldera views
Mt Batur sunrise hike → Ubud
Ubud
Book the Mt Batur sunrise hike direct with a local guide the night before through your guesthouse (IDR 500,000-700,000 / £25-35 per person including headtorch, breakfast of eggs cooked in steam vents and guide — the operator on the original itinerary charges IDR 650,000). Pickup around 3:30-4am, summit by 5:30am for sunrise over Lombok's Rinjani. Back down by 9-10am for breakfast and a nap. Mid-morning, head to Ubud — a Grab/Gojek car is roughly IDR 250,000-350,000 (£13-18) for the 1.5-hour drive, or take a Kura-Kura shuttle for about £6. For lunch, eat at the Bali Community Training Lunch Program (a Planeterra-supported hospitality training kitchen for local women — walk-ins welcome, set lunch around £4-6), which is the G for Good moment on the original tour. Arrive Ubud late afternoon, do your own orientation walk around Jalan Hanoman and Jalan Dewi Sita, and book a Kecak dance ticket for tomorrow evening (from £10-15 via GetYourGuide or direct at the Ubud Palace).
🚌Shared Mt Batur hike transfer to trailhead; Grab/Gojek or Kura-Kura shuttle Kintamani-Ubud £6-18
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Ubud (£8-14/night, dorm £5-7)
- →Mt Batur sunrise hike with local guide
- →Bali Community Training Lunch Program
- →Ubud orientation walk
Ubud free day: Monkey Forest, markets and Kecak
Ubud
A full day to yourself in Ubud. Morning: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (entry ~IDR 80,000 / £4 — book on the gate, keep valuables zipped). Then wander the Ubud Art Market and Ubud Palace, and walk the Campuhan Ridge Trail for free rice-field views. Afternoon options — pick one or two: an organic Balinese cooking class (book via GetYourGuide or direct with Paon Bali or Casa Luna, £20-30), a yoga class at a studio like The Yoga Barn (£8-12 drop-in), the Bali Bird Park (£12-15), or whitewater rafting on the Ayung River (£25-35 including transfer). Evening: Kecak dance at Ubud Palace or Pura Dalem Taman Kaja, around £10-15 — arrive 30 minutes early for decent seats.
🚌Walking and short Grab/Gojek rides, £2-4
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Ubud (£8-14/night)
- →Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- →Ubud Art Market and Palace
- →Campuhan Ridge Walk
- →Optional cooking class, yoga or rafting
- →Kecak dance performance
Ubud → Candidasa via Kerta Gosa
Candidasa
Check out and head east. First stop at Kerta Gosa in Klungkung, the 18th-century court of justice with its painted ceiling panels (entry ~IDR 50,000 / £2.50) — it's on the main Ubud-Amlapura road so most drivers will stop. Transport options: a Grab/Gojek car Ubud-Candidasa is roughly IDR 300,000-400,000 (£16-22); a Perama shuttle is about £6-8; or take a public bemo to Klungkung then another towards Amlapura and get off at Candidasa for under £4. Arrive by early afternoon and settle into a beachfront guesthouse. Candidasa has a small rocky beach and swimming pontoons out front — great for a lazy afternoon swim and a seafood dinner (£5-8).
🚌Grab/Gojek £16-22 or Perama shuttle £6-8 or public bemo ~£4
🛏Beachfront guesthouse or bungalow in Candidasa (£12-18/night)
- →Kerta Gosa Hall of Justice
- →Candidasa beach afternoon
Candidasa: Tirta Gangga, diving or cooking class
Candidasa
Choose your own pace. Popular DIY options: hire a scooter for the day (IDR 100,000-150,000 / £5-8, plus petrol) or a driver (~£25-30 for a half day) and head to Tirta Gangga water palace (entry ~IDR 50,000 / £2.50) and the neighbouring Lempuyang temple gates. Alternatively dive or snorkel at Blue Lagoon or Tulamben's USAT Liberty wreck — a two-dive trip with a PADI centre in Candidasa is about £60-75 including gear. Or stay put: a Balinese cooking class runs £20-30, and a one-hour beach massage is £6-10. Finish with sunset drinks on a seafront terrace, £4-6.
🚌Scooter rental £5-8 or shared driver £12-15 per person
🛏Beachfront guesthouse or bungalow in Candidasa (£12-18/night)
- →Tirta Gangga water palace
- →Optional diving at Blue Lagoon or Tulamben
- →Optional cooking class or massage
Depart from Candidasa (or Denpasar)
Candidasa / Denpasar
Check out at your leisure. If you're flying out of Denpasar today, allow 2.5-3.5 hours for the drive back — a Grab/Gojek car or pre-booked airport transfer is roughly IDR 400,000-500,000 (£20-27), or take a Perama shuttle to the airport for around £8-10 and budget extra time. If you've got a late flight, squeeze in one last swim or a final warung breakfast before heading west.
🚌Candidasa to Denpasar airport by Grab/Gojek or pre-booked car £20-27, or Perama shuttle £8-10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Final beach morning
- →Transfer to Denpasar airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£414 | £1,050 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £636 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£414
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Classic Bali — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £414 per person for 8 days in Bali, Indonesia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £414 — a saving of roughly £636 (61%) per person.
How long is the Bali, Indonesia trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Bali, Indonesia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Bali, Indonesia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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