Bali in November — Travel Guide

By Harry Nara · Last updated July 14, 2026

Contents16 sections

1. Weather in Bali in November
2. Bali Tourist Tax (Required)
3. Getting Around
4. What to Do in Bali in November
5. Where to Stay in Bali in November
6. Food & Dining
7. Nightlife
8. Shopping
9. Culture & Etiquette
10. Essential Local Phrases
11. Packing List
12. Backup Plans
13. Budget & Costs
14. Safety & Health
15. What's Changed for 2026/2027 Travellers
16. About This Guide

#Weather in Bali in November

Bali in November averages 24–32°C (75–90°F) with around 15 days of rain, and crowds are low.

Measure	November in Bali
Daytime high	31–32°C / 88–90°F
Overnight low	24°C / 75°F
Rain pattern	Clear bright mornings, showers in the afternoon or early evening, often clearing by night
Early November	Rain can still hold off for days at a time
Late November	Becomes a daily rhythm you plan around rather than fight
Driest areas	The Bukit Peninsula (Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran) and the east and north coasts (Amed, Lovina)
Wettest areas	The humid south and the highland centre around Ubud

What that actually means for your trip:

• Treat the morning as your outdoor window and build the afternoon around something covered. That single habit makes the whole month work.
• This is the wet season's opening, not its depth. The pattern is gentle and predictable at the start and builds gradually toward December.
• The island turns green again. Waterfalls that slowed to a trickle begin to thunder, rice terraces flood and flush the most vivid green of the year.
• The light after a shower is exceptional. It carries a clarity no dry-season afternoon can match.

Should you come in November? What November buys you is the quietest, cheapest and most authentically Balinese version of the island there is, with the December crowds still weeks away. Choose your base by rain shadow rather than by beach-club reputation and it is a genuinely underrated month.

#Bali Tourist Tax (Required)

Every foreign visitor entering Bali pays a one-off IDR 150,000 levy (about USD $10), regardless of how long you stay. Pay it online before you fly through the official LoveBali portal, which emails a QR voucher, or at the counters at Ngurah Rai International Airport on arrival. Enforcement tightened through 2026, and officers now spot-check the voucher at the airport and at major temples and attractions, so keep the QR code saved to your phone.

#Getting Around

All travel begins at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. Skip the unlicensed touts at arrivals; use the official metered taxi counter, or open Grab or Gojek from just outside the terminal. There is no train or metro on Bali, so everything moves by road, and November is the month the returning rains start testing those roads again.

The most practical option for sightseeing is hiring a private driver for the day, IDR 400,000 to 600,000 (roughly USD $25 to $40). A good driver knows which low-lying roads flood first after a downpour, carries you door to door, and waits while you explore. In the wet season, afternoon storms can put shallow water across parts of Kuta, Legian, and Denpasar within minutes, so keep afternoon journeys short, build slack into the schedule, and avoid night driving in heavy rain.

Fast-boat crossings to Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, the Gili Islands, and Lombok run through November but are occasionally cancelled or delayed in storms and heavy swell, so leave a buffer day before any onward flight, and never board a boat that feels overloaded or lacks life jackets.

#What to Do in Bali in November

A November Run of Balinese Holy Days

November 2026 is unusually rich in the quiet, everyday ceremonies that define Balinese Hindu life, and with so few tourists around you can witness them almost as a neighbour would.

The run begins on the eve of the month: Saraswati, Saturday October 31, honours the goddess of knowledge and learning, when books, manuscripts, and shrines receive offerings and no reading or writing is done until the blessings are complete.

The next morning, Banyu Pinaruh, Sunday November 1, sends families to the sea and to holy springs at dawn for ritual bathing (melukat) and a drink of blessed water, a cleansing that completes Saraswati. Beaches like Sanur and springs like Tirta Empul fill with white-clad worshippers in the early light.

Three days later comes Pagerwesi, Wednesday November 4, the "iron fence," a day of spiritual self-fortification against negative forces. In the north around Singaraja it is celebrated with an intensity rivalling Galungan, penjor poles and all.

The standout for a visitor, though, is Tumpek Landep, Saturday November 14. Originally the blessing of forged metal (the keris dagger, farm tools), it now extends to anything with a sharp or mechanical essence, which in modern Bali means vehicles. On this day cars and motorbikes across the island are decorated with small palm-leaf offerings and parked while families pray over them for safety and function. You will see it everywhere without seeking it out, and it is one of November's most photogenic and genuinely local sights.

The Surf Season Swings East

November flips Bali's surf map. The dry-season winds that groom the famous west-coast reefs (Uluwatu, Bingin, Padang Padang, Canggu) swing around to the northwest with the monsoon, blowing those breaks out by mid-morning, and the east coast comes alive instead.

Keramas is the crown jewel: a World Surf League competition wave that catches the offshore monsoon wind plus a cold morning breeze draining off Mount Agung, giving it clean, glassy conditions from first light almost every day.

Nusa Dua, on the sheltered leeward side of the Bukit and the driest corner of the island, offers reef waves for every level, and Sanur has fast right-handers over its reef with a beginner-friendly inside section. Surf the dawn patrol before the wind and the rain build.

Waterfalls at Full Power

November's rain restores Bali's waterfalls to their most dramatic.

Sekumpul in the north, a cluster of falls in a steep jungle gorge, is the island's most spectacular and reaches maximum volume now; the approach involves a steep, slippery descent and river crossings, so hire a local guide (around IDR 150,000) and wear grippy shoes.

Nungnung south of Ubud, 500 steps down through jungle, refills into a powerful single drop, while Tibumana and Tukad Cepung near Ubud are gentler and closer for a half-day.

Rice Terraces at Peak Green and Ubud Wellness

The UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih terraces in the Tabanan highlands and the Tegallalang terraces north of Ubud are both freshly flooded and planted in November, a uniform, intense green quite different from the mixed stages of October or the golden harvest of the dry months. Walk Jatiluwih early, mist still rising off the water and Batukaru volcano behind, before the day's rain. Back in Ubud, November is when the town's world-class wellness scene has genuine availability and its best rates: the Yoga Barn on Hanoman Street runs full daily programmes with drop-in classes around USD $12 to $15, and multi-day retreat packages at places like COMO Shambhala Estate and Fivelements cost a fraction of their July prices. A rainy afternoon is the perfect excuse.

Cooking Classes, Crafts, and the Ubud Cultural Calendar

November's low numbers transform the standard experiences. Ubud cooking classes (a market visit, then four to six dishes cooked and eaten in a family compound) run with three to five people rather than a peak-season dozen, so you get real hands-on time; book a day or two ahead. Silver-jewellery workshops in Celuk, batik dyeing at family studios around Gianyar, and mask carving are all similarly intimate now. The evening dance performances at Ubud Palace (Puri Saren) rotate through legong, the barong and kris dance, and the kecak fire chorus, and in November you sit close enough to hear the gamelan clearly rather than over a packed crowd; tickets run IDR 100,000 to 150,000.

Mount Batur Sunrise and the Nusa Islands

For clear-morning adventure, the pre-dawn Mount Batur trek runs year-round: a 2am start puts you on the 1,717-metre summit for sunrise over the caldera lake, though a good guide checks the forecast the evening before, since November summit cloud is possible. When the south is grey, the offshore Nusa islands sit partly in Bali's rain shadow and often escape the worst of the weather. Off Nusa Penida, manta rays cruise Manta Point year-round, so a November manta dive is very much on, though wet-season currents can run strong, so dive within your limits and with a reputable operator.

#Where to Stay in Bali in November

November flips the island's geography. After six dry months the rains return, the waterfalls come back to full power, the rice terraces flush their most vivid green, and the surf swings off the west coast and over to the east. That last part is the one that catches people out: booking Uluwatu in November for the waves is booking the wrong coast. The upside is that the Bukit becomes calm and comparatively cheap in the same weeks, and the highlands look better than they have all year.

• Splurge: Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa (Uluwatu). Four pools, four restaurants and a spa on the cliffs, roughly 10 km from Uluwatu Temple. Book it in November precisely because the swell has moved east: this is the Bukit's shoulder, so you get the clifftop resort at something closer to a sensible price, with sunsets that do not care what the surf is doing.
• Sweet spot: Prama Sanur Beach Bali (Sanur). Three pools and six hectares of garden directly on the east-coast sand, which in November is the side of the island the waves have moved to. It is also the sheltered coast when a squall comes through, and 25 minutes from the airport if a wet afternoon turns into an early night.
• Budget: Natya Resort Ubud (Ubud). Pool, sun terrace, spa and bike hire a couple of miles from Ubud Market. November is the month the terraces around Ubud are at their greenest and the waterfalls are running hardest, and rates here have not yet climbed towards the Christmas peak.

November is one of Bali's genuine bargains, sitting between the dry-season peak and the December surge, with rates well below both. The rain is a real trade, but early in the month it still holds off for days at a time and mostly arrives as an afternoon event you plan around. Each link opens Booking.com with November dates already filled in and that property at the top of the results. Nothing is locked in from there: change the dates, switch neighbourhood, or search an entirely different destination in the same visit.

Hotel links are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

#Food & Dining

The quiet season is the best time of year to eat well in Bali. Nasi campur, mixed rice, is the foundation: a mound of steamed rice ringed by small rotating portions of whatever the warung cooked that morning, lawar (minced meat and coconut), sate lilit (minced fish on lemongrass), jukut urab (spiced vegetable salad), and a scoop of raw sambal matah. The best is at a warung that cooks once each morning and sells out by noon; look for the places with motorbikes parked outside and Balinese customers inside. In November the family warungs around Gianyar and Bangli prepare to Balinese taste rather than tourist expectation: spicier, more bitter from the base genep spice paste, and leaning on that sambal matah. Babi guling, the ceremonial roast suckling pig, is easy to catch now too; Ibu Oka in Ubud, which sells out by 1pm in peak season, will still have a full plate at noon for around IDR 60,000 to 85,000.

The single best-value feast is the Gianyar night market (Pasar Malam Gianyar), a 20-minute drive east of Ubud and almost unknown to tourists in November. Dozens of stalls grill sate and sell klepon (pandan rice balls with palm sugar) and other traditional snacks for around IDR 30,000 to 50,000 a full meal, from about 5pm to midnight; the bebek betutu (slow-cooked smoked duck) vendor near the eastern entrance is consistently the island's best. November's rains also bring back the fruit: mangosteen and rambutan arrive in earnest, salak (snake fruit) from Sibetan in the east is in full supply, and the first wet-season durian appears from Java by late month. For a special night, Locavore NXT, the acclaimed successor to the original Locavore, sits in Lodtunduh just outside central Ubud with an inventive Indonesian tasting menu (book four to six weeks ahead at locavorenxt.com).

#Nightlife

November nightlife is genuinely quiet, and that is the charm. The beach clubs run reduced schedules and some close for their annual maintenance break, the Seminyak and Canggu strips are far emptier than their peak selves, and the evening shifts to the restaurant circuit and small bars. What remains is unusually authentic: drinks with locals and long-term expats at unpretentious spots like Old Man's in Canggu, live music at the Jazz Café in Ubud (often local Indonesian musicians alongside jazz standards), and the barong dance performances in Ubud playing to near-empty houses, a strange intimacy with one of Bali's most important art forms. As everywhere in Indonesia, treat drugs as an absolute red line: penalties are severe, and plainclothes officers work the club districts.

#Shopping

November's low traffic makes Bali's markets their most relaxed and negotiable of the year, with opening prices lower and final settlements more generous than at any other time. It is an especially good month for antiques and vintage textiles: the dealers along Jalan Gajah Mada in Denpasar and the roadside shops between Ubud and Sukawati are keen to sell in low season, so old woodcarvings, vintage ikat from Flores and East Bali, ceremonial masks, and silverware all come at negotiable prices. For handwoven cloth, the endek (Balinese woven silk) factories around Klungkung and Gianyar run for export orders rather than tourist traffic in November; several welcome visitors, the ikat-resist dyeing and hand-loom weaving is fascinating to watch, and factory-outlet prices run 30 to 50 percent below the Ubud tourist market for the same quality. The Sukawati Art Market carries the widest range of sarongs and textiles; arrive before 9am to browse in the cool.

#Culture & Etiquette

• November's low tourist presence makes daily spiritual life visible in a way peak season obscures: the morning canang sari placement, the temple offerings, and the frequent ceremonies all unfold without an audience. Being present without intruding is the most meaningful exchange the month offers.
• Canang sari, the small palm-leaf offering baskets set out at every doorstep, are sacred: never step on, kick, or lean over them for a photo, and wait at a respectful distance when someone is placing one.
• A sarong and sash are required to enter temples and are usually available at the gate; cover shoulders and knees, never point your feet at a shrine, and do not stand higher than a priest.
• The 2025 sacred-site code of conduct (SE 7/2025) is enforced year-round, with fines of USD 50 to 300 for disrespectful behaviour at temples and holy sites; when in doubt, follow what local worshippers do.
• Understand the rain rather than resent it. To the Balinese it is part of the agricultural and spiritual cycle that sustains the island, not a problem. Tipping is not obligatory but appreciated, so round up at warungs and leave IDR 50,000 to 100,000 a day for drivers and guides.

#Essential Local Phrases

English	Bahasa Indonesia / Balinese	Sounds like
Good morning	Selamat pagi	Seh-lah-mat pah-gee
Thank you	Terima kasih	Teh-ree-mah kah-see
How much?	Berapa harganya?	Beh-rah-pah har-gah-nyah?
Too expensive	Terlalu mahal	Ter-lah-loo mah-hal
Delicious	Enak	Eh-nak
Is there a ceremony today?	Apakah ada upacara hari ini?	Ah-pah-kah ah-dah oo-pah-chah-rah hah-ree ee-nee?
Where is the night market?	Di mana pasar malam?	Dee mah-nah pah-sar mah-lam?
No thank you	Tidak, terima kasih	Tee-dak, teh-ree-mah kah-see

#Packing List

• A packable rain jacket, more useful than an umbrella when the wind picks up mid-downpour, plus a compact umbrella for shorter showers
• Quick-dry clothing; cotton stays clammy for hours in the humidity, while lightweight synthetics or merino dry fast
• Sandals with grip for wet paths, plus one pair of closed, rubber-soled shoes for muddy terrace and waterfall walks
• A dry bag for phone and camera around waterfalls and on boat crossings
• Strong insect repellent, because mosquito activity, and dengue risk, climbs as the rains return
• Reef-safe, high-SPF sunscreen for the bright mornings, when UV stays high despite the building cloud
• A refillable water bottle: the 2026 ban on small single-use plastic bottles (SE 9/2025) means hotels and cafés now offer refills
• A sarong for temples (buy one at any market for IDR 30,000 to 50,000), some cash for warungs and markets, and a downloaded book for the rainy afternoons, when embracing the slower pace is part of November in Bali

#Backup Plans

When the rain settles in for a whole morning, Bali has good covered answers. The ARMA Museum complex in Ubud has covered walkways linking four collections of Balinese painting, from the 1930s Bonnet and Spies era to contemporary artists, and a café overlooking a rice terrace that is beautiful in the rain. If waterfalls are running too high to approach safely, the spring-fed Tirta Gangga water palace in the east (ornamental pools, not rain-dependent) is a reliable alternative, at its most lush in November for an entry fee of around IDR 50,000. And if the quiet ever feels too quiet, Nusa Lembongan, 45 minutes by fast boat from Sanur and sitting in Bali's rain shadow, has a small year-round community of beach bars and long-stay visitors, with snorkelling in the channel still good on calm days.

#Budget & Costs

Travel style	Per day	Also in USD
Budget	IDR 400,000–600,000	~$25–40
Mid-range	IDR 1,000,000–2,000,000	~$65–130
Luxury villa, from	IDR 3,500,000	~$230

November is one of Bali's best-value months, with tourist numbers near their annual floor and prices to match, right up until the final week when rates start climbing for the Christmas and New Year surge.

Ubud guesthouses drop to IDR 100,000 to 250,000 a night, boutique hotels sit at off-peak rates, and luxury pool villas often throw in upgrades to fill empty capacity.

What things cost:

What	Price
Ubud guesthouse, per night	IDR 100,000–250,000
Bali Tourist Tax, one-off	IDR 150,000
Legal scooter rental	IDR 70,000–100,000
Warung meal	IDR 25,000–50,000

Where the money actually goes:

• Spa treatments, classes and workshops hit their annual low. These drop further in November than accommodation does, which makes it the month to do the things you would otherwise skip.
• Ubud guesthouses are at their cheapest. IDR 100,000–250,000 a night is close to the annual floor.
• Negotiation works here. Walk-in rates and multi-night discounts are genuinely available while occupancy is low.
• The value window shuts abruptly. Rates for the final week of November and all of December climb sharply as properties fill for the holidays.

November is the month to book the things you would normally consider extravagant, because the extras discount harder than the rooms do. A spa day, a cooking class and a workshop all reach their annual low, while accommodation merely returns to off-peak. That inverts the usual advice: instead of economising on activities to afford a better room, November is the month to take a modest room and fill the days with everything you would otherwise talk yourself out of. The island is quiet enough that you will have most of it to yourself.

#Safety & Health

November's returning rains drive its main hazards. Flash flooding on low-lying roads becomes possible again as the season's first heavy storms arrive, so avoid scooter riding in heavy rain entirely, given the real hydroplaning risk on roads slick after months of dry weather. Motorbike crashes remain the top cause of tourist injury, and insurance is void for unlicensed or helmet-less riders. Bali belly risk rises with the heat and humidity, so drink only sealed or filtered water, skip ice at small stalls, and be wary of raw salads at unfamiliar places. Dengue mosquitoes become more active as the rains return, so use repellent morning and dusk and consider a coil in budget rooms. Ocean currents strengthen through November, and rip tides become more common at west-facing beaches, so swim only at patrolled beaches and obey the red flags, and treat swollen rivers and waterfalls with real caution. Waterfall trails turn slippery, so wear proper footwear and hire local guides at less-maintained sites. Pharmacies stock the basics, but bring any prescription medicines from home. Emergency numbers are 112 (general) and 118 (ambulance), and comprehensive travel insurance that explicitly covers scooters and medical evacuation is essential. One upside: November's quieter tourist environment actually lowers the petty-theft risk compared with peak months.

#What's Changed for 2026/2027 Travellers

• November 2026 falls in a busy stretch of the Balinese calendar: Saraswati (Saturday October 31), Banyu Pinaruh holy bathing (Sunday November 1), Pagerwesi (Wednesday November 4), and Tumpek Landep (Saturday November 14), when vehicles across the island are blessed and decorated. Galungan and Kuningan do not fall in November; the next Galungan is January 13, 2027 (see the Bali in January guide).
• The surf season has swung to the east coast: the west-coast reefs blow out under the monsoon's northwest winds, while Keramas, Nusa Dua, and Sanur come into their own at dawn.
• Bali Tourist Tax IDR 150,000 enforcement tightened in 2026. Officers now spot-check the QR voucher at the airport and major sites; pay only at the official lovebali.baliprov.go.id portal, and note that licensed hotels and agents can now collect it on your behalf.
• Digital Arrival Card and eVOA: most nationalities complete a digital customs and arrival declaration and can buy the visa on arrival (IDR 500,000) online in advance, with autogate lanes speeding e-passport holders through Ngurah Rai.
• The sub-1L plastic bottle ban (SE 9/2025) is fully enforced in 2026 at hotels and shops; carry a refillable bottle.
• The 2025 to 2026 scooter crackdown continues in the Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, and Uluwatu corridors: International Driving Permit and helmet mandatory, fines from IDR 250,000, and insurance void for unlicensed riders.
• The sacred-site code of conduct (SE 7/2025) applies year-round, with USD 50 to 300 fines and a violation hotline (+62 81-287-590-999).
• Prices climb in the final week of November as properties fill for Christmas and New Year; book any December nights separately and well ahead.

#About This Guide

WhenToWander's Bali November guide is refreshed with primary-source data: BMKG for Indonesian rainfall and monsoon-onset patterns; the 2026 Balinese calendars published by IDN Times Bali and Viceroy Bali for the Saraswati, Banyu Pinaruh, Pagerwesi, and Tumpek Landep dates; lovebali.baliprov.go.id for the official tourist-levy portal; The Bali Sun for 2026 enforcement, scooter, and plastic-ban coverage; Bali surf-camp reporting for the wet-season east-coast wind shift; and Locavore NXT for the current restaurant location. Sources verified July 2026.

Related Guides

Bali in Wet SeasonSeasonal overviewBali in OctoberMonthly guideBali in DecemberMonthly guideBest Time to Visit BaliCompare all months

You might also like

Destinations picked for travellers with similar taste or climate.

Dubai

May

Budget Travellers & Indoor Lovers

Dubai

Dubai

October

Diwali Visitors, Cool-Season Outdoor & Desert Lovers

Dubai travel guide

Kyoto

July

Festival Pilgrims

Kyoto — July guide

Singapore

February

Chinese New Year, Festivals & Clear Skies

Best time to visit Singapore

Bangkok

February

Lunar New Year, Festival Goers & Foodies

Bangkok

Maldives

July

Manta Vortex, Surfers & School-Holiday Families

Maldives travel guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is November a good time to visit Bali?

Yes, if you don't mind afternoon rain. November opens the green season: it is one of Bali's quietest and cheapest months, the rice terraces and waterfalls are at their most vivid, and the calendar is rich with everyday ceremonies like Tumpek Landep (Saturday November 14, 2026), when vehicles across the island are blessed and decorated. Just book before the final week, when Christmas and New Year prices begin to climb.

How rainy is Bali in November?

November is the wet season's onset, not its peak, averaging around 15 rainy days that build through the month. The pattern is usually clear, bright mornings, then a heavy afternoon or evening storm that often clears by night. The Bukit Peninsula (Nusa Dua, Uluwatu) and the east and north coasts around Amed and Lovina stay noticeably drier than humid Ubud and the south.

What ceremonies happen in Bali in November 2026?

A busy run of Balinese holy days: Saraswati (Saturday October 31), Banyu Pinaruh holy bathing (Sunday November 1), Pagerwesi (Wednesday November 4), and Tumpek Landep (Saturday November 14), when cars and motorbikes are decorated with offerings and blessed. Galungan and Kuningan do not fall in November; the next Galungan is January 13, 2027.

Where is the surf in Bali in November?

On the east coast. The monsoon's northwest winds blow out the famous west-coast reefs like Uluwatu and Canggu, while Keramas, Nusa Dua, and Sanur come alive, cleanest at dawn before the wind and rain build. Keramas, a World Surf League venue, keeps reliable early-morning offshore conditions thanks to a cold breeze draining off Mount Agung.

How much does it cost to visit Bali in November?

Budget-conscious travellers can expect daily costs of $25–230+, covering accommodation, food, and local transport. Quieter periods usually push prices toward the lower end of this range.