When to go to Bali: dry season, rainy season and the best months (2026–27)
Go between May and September if you want dry days: rainfall drops to 16–93 mm a month, and August is the driest month. November to March is the rainy season, with roughly 150–390 mm a month. This page covers each month group, July crowds, Nyepi on 8 March 2027, what to pack, and four hotels that suit the season you pick.
The year at a glance
Best months: May, June, July, August, SeptemberPick a month to see its numbers.
| Day°C (°C) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea°C (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Rain days (days) | 27 | 22 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 22 |
Air: Ngurah Rai airport normals 1991–2020. Rain days: WMO, Denpasar 1961–1990. Sea: NOAA satellite averages for Kuta (seatemperature.org). Long-term averages.
Rain and crowds decide the month in Bali, not heat: highs stay around 29–33 °C all year. May to September is the dependable dry window, with August the driest month; April and October sit on its edges; November to March is wet, with January the wettest. July had the most foreign arrivals of the 2025 months we checked, so June is our pick for dry weather with a little more room.
From Istanbul, Turkish Airlines flew nonstop to Denpasar 10 times a week on the summer 2026 schedule, at about 12 hours 50 minutes; check the winter timetable that starts on 25 October 2026. Whatever the month, the IDR 150,000 tourist levy and the All Indonesia arrival form apply, and the visa rules are on our Bali visa page.
The four hotels below are matched to the season: The Legian for dry-season evenings in Seminyak, Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay if you cannot choose your month, and two Ubud hotels whose days still work in the rain. The meal plan varies by rate; you see what is included on the booking screen before you pay.
Bali month by month: what the numbers say
Dry season: May to September
Between May and September, monthly rainfall at Denpasar falls to 16–93 mm, with 4–8 rain days in the WMO record. August is the driest month, at 16 mm in the 1991–2020 airport normals. Highs run around 29–33 °C, and the sea is at its coolest, about 26.6 °C, in August. The dry/wet split is our reading of the official rainfall figures, not a BMKG season definition.
July: the busiest month we found
July 2025 was the highest month in the BPS Bali figures we checked: 697,110 foreign arrivals, against about 637,000 in June and 594,853 in October. We could not verify August's figure. Expect strong competition for rooms and flights in July, and book early if it is your only option.
Shoulder months: April and October
April (88–115 mm, 9 rain days) and October (63–68 mm, 12 rain days) sit at the edges of the dry period. Rain is more likely than in August, but far below the wet-season months. October 2025 saw 594,853 foreign arrivals, about 100,000 fewer than July.
Rainy season: November to March
From November to March, monthly rain climbs to roughly 150–390 mm. January is the wettest month: 345 mm over 27 rain days in the WMO record, 388 mm in the 1991–2020 normals. The sea is at its warmest, about 29.4 °C in December. Plan days a downpour cannot spoil, such as a spa, yoga or a covered terrace at your hotel.
Christmas and New Year
Late December to early January is Indonesia's 'Nataru' holiday, one of the country's peak periods for air travel: InJourney forecast about 9 million air passengers for Nataru 2025/26. We found no verified Bali-only crowd figure for those weeks. Book flights and rooms early if you travel then.
Nyepi: Monday 8 March 2027
Nyepi, Bali's day of silence, falls on Monday 8 March 2027 (official holiday decree, published 15 September 2026). Everyone on the island stays indoors with no lights and no noise, and Ngurah Rai airport closes for the whole day; in 2026 it shut from 06:00 on 19 March to 06:00 on 20 March, local time. The 2027 hours come with the airport notice (NOTAM), so keep 8 March free of flights and plan to spend it at your hotel.
Ubud or the coast?
Our climate figures come from Denpasar and the airport, both on the coast; we found no reliable separate figures for Ubud, so do not count on it being drier or cooler. The real difference is how a wet day goes. Ubud has no beach and its hotels are built around spas, yoga and valley views, while on the coast a rainy week takes away the main reason you went.
What to pack
Light, quick-drying clothes for any month, since night-time lows stay around 22–25 °C. Insect repellent, because the CDC's Level 2 Zika notice for Indonesia (7 August 2026) reports cases in travellers returning from Bali, and asks travellers to prevent mosquito bites and sexual transmission during and after the trip. From November to March add a light rain jacket, and pack proper walking shoes if you stay at a hillside Ubud hotel with steps.
The 4 hotels in this guide
Pick your dates on any hotel to see the live price. Hotel payment goes to our hotel booking partner.
- beachfrontdry seasonsunsetscouplesCurator's verdict
The coast at its best from May to September: an ocean-view suite, a quiet lawn on the sand and Seminyak's evenings on foot.
- Who it suits:
- Couples and honeymooners travelling in the dry months.
- Good to know:
- The adult lap pool restricts children under 12 and the mood is built for couples. Some reviews find the decor older than newer Seminyak hotels.
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An all-suite hotel on Seminyak's beachfront: every suite has an ocean view and its own balcony or terrace, and a three-tier infinity pool steps down to a lawned stretch of sand. Seminyak's beach clubs and the Jalan Kayu Aya restaurant strip are a short walk or a free shuttle ride away.
It is our dry-season pick on the coast, for months when evenings are spent walking to sunset and dinner. Our review's tip for the busy months: book dinner on Jalan Kayu Aya ahead in high season, directly with the restaurant.
- private poolcovered terracekids' clubcalm beachCurator's verdict
The safe choice if you cannot pick your month: your own pool and a covered terrace for wet days, a calm swimming beach for dry ones.
- Who it suits:
- Families with young children, and honeymooners who want a villa of their own.
- Good to know:
- Guests note the open-air breakfast restaurant can feel warm, so book an early slot or eat on your terrace. Everything outside the gate is a taxi ride.
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A villa-only resort at the southern tip of Jimbaran Bay. Every villa has a gated entrance, its own plunge pool and a covered terrace, and the private beach at Coconut Grove is calm sand for a swim or a paddleboard.
It works in either season. In the dry months the bay does the job; in the wet months you still have your own pool, and a roof over the terrace when a downpour comes through. The Umah Rare kids' club runs daily from 9am to 7pm.
- wellnessyogarainy seasonpool villasCurator's verdict
Ubud for November to March: a hotel whose days are set by the spa and yoga timetable, not the forecast.
- Who it suits:
- Couples coming for yoga and spa programmes, especially in the rainy season.
- Good to know:
- The hillside site has steps and no lift, and loungers around the shared pool fill up; a Garden Pool Villa gives you your own pool.
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A hillside hotel above the Tjampuhan Valley in Kedewatan, with minimalist thatched design and a private pool in every villa from the Garden Pool Villa up. A free shuttle reaches downtown Ubud in about five minutes.
It is on this page for the rainy months. Days here revolve around the COMO Shambhala spa, a jungle-view yoga pavilion and multi-day Active, Sleep, Cleanse or Beauty programmes, so a wet afternoon costs you little. There is no beach to miss.
- walkablesoaking tubin-room spacouplesCurator's verdict
A good Ubud base in any season if you want to walk to dinner and still have a reason to stay in when it pours.
- Who it suits:
- Design-minded couples who want Ubud on foot.
- Good to know:
- There is no separate spa building and the pool is small. Reviews describe a couples' atmosphere, with children under two discouraged.
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A 38-suite design hotel on Ubud's Bisma stretch, about ten minutes' walk from central Ubud. Every suite has a handcrafted wooden soaking tub, and the infinity pool faces straight into the jungle.
It suits Ubud in any month. You walk into town, and the hotel shuttle brings you back up if the afternoon heat wins. Treatments come to your room and yoga runs daily, which fills a rainy afternoon without leaving the hotel.
Prices and availability are checked live before booking.
Questions before you book
When is the best time to go to Bali?
May to September, for the driest weather. June gives you dry days with fewer foreign arrivals than July, the busiest of the 2025 months we checked, and August is the driest month (16–25 mm of rain). Avoid flying on Nyepi, 8 March 2027, when the airport is closed.
When is the rainy season in Bali?
November to March, on our reading of Denpasar's rainfall: roughly 150–390 mm a month. January is the wettest month, with 345 mm over 27 rain days in the WMO record. We found no official BMKG season-start bulletin for Bali, so treat these as typical months, not fixed dates.
Is December a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, if you accept rain: December averages 276–299 mm over 22 rain days, and the sea is at its warmest, about 29.4 °C. Christmas to New Year is also one of Indonesia's peak periods for air travel, so book early. Pick a hotel with a covered terrace or a spa programme for the wet days.
Is August a good time to go to Bali?
Yes, for weather: August is the driest month, with 16 mm in the 1991–2020 airport normals and 4 rain days in the WMO record. Highs sit around 29–30 °C and the sea is at its coolest, about 26.6 °C. Book early: July, the month before, had the most foreign arrivals of the 2025 months we checked, and we could not verify August's own figure.
When is Nyepi in 2027, and is the airport closed?
Nyepi falls on Monday 8 March 2027. Everyone stays indoors with no lights or noise, and Ngurah Rai airport closes for the whole day; in 2026 it closed from 06:00 on 19 March to 06:00 on 20 March, local time. Do not plan an arrival or departure that day.
What is the weather like in Bali in October?
October sits at the end of the drier half of the year: 63–68 mm of rain over about 12 rain days, with highs around 31–34 °C. Foreign arrivals were 594,853 in October 2025, about 100,000 fewer than in July. Expect the odd shower.
Is the sea in Bali warm enough to swim all year?
Water temperature is not the issue: the sea off Kuta averages about 26.6 °C in August and 29.4 °C in December, per NOAA satellite data. Rain decides the month, not the water. Whether a beach is good for swimming varies by hotel, so read the beach notes on each hotel page.
What should I pack for Bali?
Light, quick-drying clothes all year, since night-time lows stay around 22–25 °C. Add insect repellent: the CDC has a Level 2 Zika notice for Indonesia dated 7 August 2026, with cases in travellers returning from Bali, and asks travellers to prevent mosquito bites and sexual transmission during and after the trip. From November to March bring a light rain jacket, and pack walking shoes for hillside Ubud hotels.
Picked your month?
Match the hotel to the season: the coast for the dry months, your own pool or a spa programme for the wet ones.
Check dates