By Michèle · Updated on
Best time to visit Bali, by month
Rain, temperature, crowds and holidays month by month, with Nyepi and Galungan in 2027: when to go to Bali, including the east and the mountains.
In short
- Dry season: April to October. Rainy season: November to March.
- It is busiest in July, August and around Christmas and New Year.
- The nicest months are May, June and September: dry, green and quieter.
- On Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, the whole island shuts down for 24 hours. In 2027 Nyepi falls on Monday 8 March.
Bali lies just south of the equator. All year round it is 27 to 32 °C on the coast, and quite a bit cooler in the mountains. What changes is the rain. In the dry season you get sun almost every day. In the rainy season there is usually a heavy shower late in the afternoon, and then it is dry again. The rice fields are at their greenest and the popular places are quieter. Only in January and February can it stay grey for days on end.
Bali month by month in 2027
| Month | Rain | Coast, night and day | Crowds | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | A lot: about 390 mm, 19 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Quiet after the first week | Galungan 13 January, Kuningan 23 January. Australian summer holidays until late January. |
| February | A lot: about 300 mm, 17 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Quiet | Chinese New Year 6 February. Half-term holidays in parts of Europe. |
| March | Less: about 215 mm, 13 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Quiet, except around Nyepi | Nyepi Monday 8 March: the island shuts down for 24 hours. Eid al-Fitr 10 and 11 March. Easter Sunday 28 March. |
| April | Mixed: about 115 mm, 9 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Average | Easter and autumn school holidays in Europe and Australia, from late March into April. |
| May | Dry: about 75 mm, 6 rainy days | 25 to 30 °C | Quiet | Everything is still green from the rainy season. |
| June | Dry: about 50 mm, 5 rainy days | 25 to 30 °C | Quiet, busier at the end of the month | Australian winter school holidays start in late June. |
| July | Dry: about 30 mm, 3 rainy days | 24 to 29 °C | Busy | European summer holidays begin. Cool nights in the mountains. |
| August | Driest: about 15 mm, 2 rainy days | 24 to 29 °C | Busiest | Galungan 11 August, Kuningan 21 August. Independence Day 17 August. |
| September | Dry: about 40 mm, 3 rainy days | 24 to 30 °C | Quieter | Australian spring school holidays from late September. |
| October | Dry: about 70 mm, 5 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Average | Hot and humid. Autumn half-term in parts of Europe. |
| November | First showers: about 150 mm, 10 rainy days | 25 to 32 °C | Quiet | Everything turns green again. |
| December | A lot: about 300 mm, 16 rainy days | 25 to 31 °C | Quiet until mid-December, then very busy | Christmas and New Year, plus the start of the Australian summer holidays. Book well ahead. |
Rain and temperatures are averages for 1991 to 2020, measured at the airport in the south. Australians are by far the largest group of foreign visitors to Bali, so you notice their school holidays, especially in the south. Australian holiday dates differ a little from state to state.
What is the weather like in the east, north and mountains?
The table is for the south. Elsewhere on the island the weather is different:
- The north (Lovina, Pemuteran) is drier than the south. Singaraja gets about 1,400 mm of rain a year, against more than 1,700 mm at the airport. From June to October it hardly rains at all.
- The east lies in the lee of Mount Agung and is also drier than the south, especially along the coast at Amed. Sidemen lies higher up, in a green valley among the rice fields.
- The mountains (Munduk, Bedugul, Jatiluwih, Kintamani) are cooler and wetter. In Munduk it is around 22 to 25 °C during the day and sometimes 16 °C or lower at night. Mist or cloud often hangs over the hills, and in the rainy season it can rain there for days. Bring a jumper.
So in the rainy season the north and east are a good choice. In the dry season the mountains are at their best.
Nyepi
On the day of silence nobody is allowed out on the street, tourists included. The airport is closed, no lights are on and sometimes the internet is down. You stay at your hotel. The evening before, ogoh-ogoh parades move through the villages: huge papier-mâché giants that chase away evil spirits. It is one of the best evenings of the year to be in Bali. Don't plan a flight on Nyepi.
In 2027 Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, falls two days after Nyepi, on 10 and 11 March. Many Indonesians have that week off and travel to see family. Airports, ferries and roads are busy then.
Ceremonies
In Bali there is almost always a temple festival going on somewhere. Galungan, the biggest festival, comes round every 210 days on the Balinese calendar; the streets are then lined with penjor, decorated bamboo poles. In 2027 Galungan falls on Wednesday 13 January and Wednesday 11 August. Ten days later Kuningan closes the festival, on 23 January and 21 August. Around those days many Balinese are busy with family and the temple. Dek Leonk knows what is happening on your travel dates and whether you can be there.
From the blog
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