Day-by-day programme of this 15-day itinerary across Java and Bali.
Day 1 — Arrival in Jakarta
Most travellers use Jakarta only as a gateway: one night is enough. If you land in the afternoon, a walk through the old town is a good way to settle in before flying inland across Java the next day.
- 📍 Old Town (Kota Tua) — Old Dutch colonial Batavia, with Fatahillah Square and its ivory-coloured buildings: a calm stop to stretch your legs after the long flight. It is just a taste of the city, because tomorrow you set off early towards the temples of Java.
- 🏨 Mercure Jakarta Kota
Day 2 — Flight to Yogyakarta
A short domestic flight takes you from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the city from which you visit the island's two most famous temples. After dropping your bags, the early afternoon is perfect for soaking up the Javanese atmosphere along Malioboro Street.
- ✈️ Jakarta → Yogyakarta — Yogyakarta
- 📍 Kraton and Malioboro Street — The sultan's palace (Kraton) and the long Malioboro Street, the beating heart of the city among batik, becak rickshaws and stalls. A gentle walk to settle in: tomorrow begins at dawn with Borobudur.
- 🏨 éL Hotel Yogyakarta Malioboro
Day 3 — The temples of Yogyakarta
Java's highlight day: the two great UNESCO temples. Borobudur is worth the early start for sunrise and must be booked ahead (tickets to climb the structure are limited). Prambanan, Hindu, is best enjoyed in the warm light of late afternoon.
- 🎯 Borobudur — The largest Buddhist temple in the world, a terraced mountain of stone emerging from the mist as the sun rises over the palms and volcanoes. Book early: access to the structure is capped.
- 📍 Prambanan Temple — After Buddhist Borobudur, the other face of Java: the sharp spires of Indonesia's largest Hindu complex, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. At sunset the dark stone glows gold.
- 🍽️ Dinner: gudeg, Yogya's specialty — The city's signature dish: gudeg, a sweet jackfruit stew slow-cooked in coconut milk, served with rice, chicken and egg. You'll find it in the warungs downtown at the end of the day.
Day 4 — Towards Mount Bromo
Today you cross Java eastwards: train to Surabaya or Probolinggo, then jeep or minivan up to the village of Cemoro Lawang, on the rim of the Tengger caldera. It's a long day, but the first view over the sea of sand pays it back. At 2,200 metres it gets cold in the evening: bring a fleece.
- ✈️ Yogyakarta → Cemoro Lawang — Cemoro Lawang, Giava Orientale
- 🏨 Lava View Lodge
Day 5 — Bromo sunrise, on to Ijen
Wake around 3am: the jeep climbs to the viewpoint for sunrise over Bromo, then you descend to the crater. In the afternoon a long transfer east to Banyuwangi, the base for tomorrow's night climb up Ijen.
- 🎯 Sunrise viewpoint + Bromo crater — The jeep climbs in the dark to the Penanjakan viewpoint: the sun rises over the cones of Bromo and Semeru smoking in the sea of sand. Then you walk down to the rim of the rumbling crater.
- ✈️ Bromo → Banyuwangi — Banyuwangi, Giava Orientale
- 🏨 Aston Banyuwangi Hotel & Conference Center
Day 6 — Ijen's blue fire and the ferry to Bali
Set off after midnight to climb Kawah Ijen and see the blue sulphur flames in the dark, then sunrise over the turquoise acid lake. You return in the morning, cross the strait by ferry to Bali and reach Ubud: an intense day that closes adventurous Java.
- 🎯 Kawah Ijen: night trek and blue fire — A guided climb in the dark with a gas mask: from the rim you descend towards the vents where sulphur burns with electric-blue flames. At dawn the crater reveals itself above the turquoise acid lake, the largest in the world.
- ✈️ Ketapang (Banyuwangi) → Ubud — Ubud, Bali
- 🏨 Ubud Village Hotel
Day 7 — Ubud, Bali's cultural heart
After Java's hard pace, Ubud invites you to slow down. A day among the green of the rice fields and temples set in banyan trees, with time for a massage or a jungle-view coffee.
- 📍 Sacred Monkey Forest — A sacred grove in the heart of Ubud where macaques live among moss-covered temples and giant roots. Keep glasses and food safe: the monkeys are curious and quick.
- 📍 Ubud Royal Palace and market — The royal family's palace and the lively craft market next to it: batik, carvings and baskets. In the evening the palace often hosts Balinese dance performances.
- 📍 Tegallalang Rice Terraces — Bali's most photographed rice terraces, carved in steps along the valley by the ancient subak irrigation system. Late-afternoon light turns them golden.
Day 8 — Water temples and waterfalls
A day around Ubud, among sacred springs, rock-cut shrines and a jungle waterfall. For the temples you need a sarong: they often lend one at the entrance.
- 📍 Tirta Empul Temple — The sacred-spring temple, where Balinese perform the purification ritual (melukat) by stepping under the fountains. You can take part respectfully, following the order of the pools.
- 📍 Gunung Kawi — Ten monumental shrines carved into the rock face of a river valley, reached by descending a long staircase through the rice fields. One of Bali's most scenic and least crowded sites.
- 📍 Tegenungan Waterfall — One of Bali's few lowland waterfalls, easy to reach from Ubud: a wide drop in the jungle with a pool to cool off in. Best in the afternoon, when the tour buses have already left.
Day 9 — Mount Batur and northern Bali
For those who love hiking, sunrise on Mount Batur is a gentler classic than Bromo and Ijen. Anyone who prefers to sleep in can start at the temple on Lake Beratan. The day closes with the famous sea temple of Tanah Lot at sunset.
- 🎯 Mount Batur sunrise — A guided climb of about two hours in the dark to the summit of the active volcano, for breakfast as the sun rises over the caldera and lake. More accessible than Java's volcanoes, but still one to tackle in proper shoes.
- 📍 Ulun Danu Beratan Temple — The temple that seems to float on Lake Beratan, among the cool mountains of Bedugul: one of Bali's best-known images, dedicated to the goddess of the waters. The climate is cool, so bring a light jacket.
- 📍 Tanah Lot Temple at sunset — The shrine built on a rock in the sea, reachable on foot at low tide: at sunset its silhouette stands black against the blazing sky. It gets very busy, but remains a spectacle.
Day 10 — To the Gili Islands
Transfer to the port and a fast boat to the Gilis, three small white-sand islands east of Bali. No motor vehicles run here: you get around on foot, by bike or by cidomo, the horse-drawn cart. Gili Air is the middle ground between Trawangan's party and Meno's silence.
- ✈️ Padangbai → Gili Air — Gili Air, Lombok
- 🎯 Sunset bike loop of the island — You can cycle around the island in under an hour along the sand: stop wherever you like for a swim and reach the west side in time for sunset, with the silhouette of Bali's Mount Agung on the horizon.
- 🏨 Turtle Beach Hotel
Day 11 — Snorkelling with turtles
The Gilis are famous for green turtles, easy to meet just metres from shore. A boat tour hits the best spots of the three islands, including the underwater statues off Gili Meno.
- 🎯 Three-Gili snorkelling tour — Half a day by boat between the three islets: green turtles, shoals of colourful fish and the underwater statues off Gili Meno. The current is sometimes strong, so always follow the guide.
- 🍽️ Beachside seafood lunch — After snorkelling, grilled fish and tropical fruit at one of the warungs on the sand, with your feet almost in the water. Many places offer the day's catch at a fixed price.
Day 12 — A slow day on the Gilis
A day with no schedule: the quietest of the three islands, Gili Meno, is a few minutes away by boat. You return to Gili Air for the last ocean sunset before heading back to Bali.
- 🎯 Day trip to Gili Meno — The smallest and quietest of the Gilis, with an inland salt lake and almost deserted beaches: the right place to do absolutely nothing. You reach it on the shuttle boat between the islands.
- 📍 Sunset on the west side of Gili Air — The bars on the west shore put cushions and hammocks on the sand for sunset, with the profile of Mount Agung turning pink. Your last evening before heading back to the mainland.
Day 13 — Back to Bali: Uluwatu
Fast boat back and transfer to southern Bali, the Bukit peninsula with its cliffs and surf beaches. In the late afternoon the temple of Uluwatu perched over the sea, where the Kecak dance is staged at sunset.
- ✈️ Gili Air → Uluwatu — Pecatu, Bali
- 🎯 Uluwatu Temple and Kecak dance — The temple sits on a cliff 70 metres above the ocean. At sunset, in an amphitheatre on the edge, dozens of men chant the hypnotic Kecak chorus around the fire. Watch out for the monkeys, notorious glasses thieves.
- 🏨 Uluwatu Cottages
Day 14 — Nusa Penida and the last evening
The last full day: a boat trip to Nusa Penida, the island of spectacular cliffs and manta-ray snorkelling. You return for a seafood dinner on Jimbaran beach, the classic farewell to Bali.
- 🎯 Nusa Penida day trip (Kelingking Beach) — Fast boat to the island and a loop of the iconic spots: the T-Rex-shaped cliff of Kelingking Beach, Broken Beach, Angel's Billabong and manta-ray snorkelling at Manta Point. The inland roads are rough, so be prepared.
- 🍽️ Seafood dinner in Jimbaran — Jimbaran's seafood restaurants set their tables right on the sand: grilled fish and shellfish with your feet in the sunset as the fishing boats come in. The best way to say goodbye to Bali.
- 🏨 Casa Artista By Kresna Hospitality
Day 15 — Departure
Denpasar airport is close to the southern beaches, so there's time for a last swim or coffee before the transfer. Still allow a generous margin: Bali traffic can catch you out.
- 📍 Morning in Seminyak — The final hours between Seminyak beach and its beach clubs, or a wander through the shops for last-minute buys. Then back towards the airport, about twenty minutes away without traffic.
- ✈️ Seminyak → Denpasar Airport (Ngurah Rai) — Tuban, Kuta, Bali
