There is no single total drive time for a full lap of Bali. Driving right around Bali is a time-consuming endeavor. The east Bali loop alone can take anything from two days to as long as you like.
Quick answer
So plan a multi-day trip, not a day trip. A full-day driver booking is usually around 8–10 hours. Long journeys to the north, east or west can use up a lot of that time.
Some stretches are slow and some are stressful. The main west coast road is a major inter-island trucking route. The whole circuit can be both dangerous and stressful.
What the route looks like
One way to go around is to start at Sanur and head northeast. Candi Dasa is an easy 90-minute drive from Sanur on the direct route. A slower route with stops is preferable, and it is then another 30 minutes to Candi Dasa town after lunch.
From Candi Dasa the loop climbs the east coast to Amed. Once you leave Amed you veer inland through Culik. Then you work west along the northern coastline to the diving centre of Tulamben.
After Tulamben the road runs on to Lovina, then toward Negara and Medewi. At Medewi you can continue east along the coast to Balian or turn inland on the road to Pupuan. The inland option leads on to Bedugul and its farms.
A side trip to the twin Christian towns of Blimbingsari and Palasari lies inland, roughly 30 kilometres shy of Negara. The signposting is not very good. It describes the trip as a way to take a breather.
Which stretches are quick and which are slow
The Candi Dasa to Amed road is a winding coastal route. By comparison, the road onwards to Lovina is a breeze, with barely a hill along the way. It is a long drive but plain sailing.
The east coast has one of the island’s few fast highways. The main east coast route from Sanur to Padangbai is one of them. Fast does not mean calm, since it is among the roads that make a full lap stressful.
The west is the hard part. The main west coast road doubles as a trucking route between islands. That is a good reason to think about a driver for this leg.
Crossing the island is easier than circling it. The Ubud–Singaraja route is 80km (50 miles) over two days. It runs north past Bedugul and the Gitgit Waterfalls, and you return the next morning.
The east loop: Tirta Gangga, Amed and Amlapura
The east is a leisurely multi-day loop. Detour southwest via the water palace in Tirta Gangga. Then you take the winding mountain road to the fishing villages at Amed.
To close the loop, take the eastbound coastal road. Stops on it include the Taman Ujung water palace and other relics around Amlapura. The east offers some of the island’s most dramatic landscapes and slender beaches.
Where to break the trip
Candi Dasa suits a long stop. It is worth at a minimum an overnight stay, and you could justify three nights. Days there can go to snorkelling around the islands, the Bali Aga village of Tenganan, Pantai Putih (White Sand Beach) or Tirta Gangga.
Amed is another good place to stop. Spend at least one night by the shore in Amed. It also points to diving or snorkelling the USAT Liberty wreck, which holds marine life such as sweetlips, trevally, bumphead parrot fish and sea turtles.
Tulamben sits on the same coast. In 1942 the USAT Liberty was torpedoed by a Japanese sub in the Lombok Strait. It was beached at Tulamben and lay there for 21 years until Agung’s 1963 eruption pushed it back into the sea. Divers can find affordable hotels in Tulamben.
In the hills, Bedugul has Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, which sits at 1,200 metres above sea level. It is worth a quick stop and a serious tourist trap. It would give more time to the Bali Botanic Garden just outside town.
The garden also has neighbours.
Farms and strawberries near Bedugul
The inland road via Pupuan passes many farm signs. Strawberries are especially popular along the way. Much of the fresh produce sold elsewhere in Bali comes from around Bedugul.
Sanur, the usual starting point
Sanur is where the route begins.
The listing names Sanur Beach, Sunrise beach and Taman Kota nearby. Check the Friday close before planning a late-week start.
It has dedicated bicycle paths, which are unique in Bali. That makes it a handy place to leave the car for an hour.
South Bali stops near the start and finish
A lap begins and ends in the south, so a few stops fit the first or last day.
The Bajra Sandhi Monument is in Denpasar on Jl. Raya Puputan. Foreigners pay Rp100,000. Nearby are the Lapangan Puputan Margarana and the Museum Agung Bung Karno.
On the Bukit Peninsula, Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a private cultural park in Ungasan. It opens Mo-Su 08:00-22:00.
The listing for Pandawa Beach notes parking a bit after the entrance and a paragliding launch site at Bukit Timbis nearby.
Ubud and the road to Singaraja
Start from Ubud for the cross-island route north. Ubud has plenty to fill a morning before you go.
Art fans have two more choices.
Two temples lie east of Ubud.
North of the hills, there are more stops. It names Sekumpul Falls for waterfall fans. If you want to extend the trip, it suggests heading west along the coast road to West Bali National Park or Pemuteran Beach.
Driving yourself or hiring a driver
A small entry-level rental car can cost as little as 300, 000Rp daily, with damage covered at your own expense. A rental from an international company with full insurance costs considerably more. Full cover is advisable.
A car with a driver often works out cheaper than self-hire, at around 700, 000Rp per day. That gives you the road trip without the risk of driving yourself. Hiring a car and driver is a safe and increasingly popular option.
Check the hours included first. Driver hours run from 7:00 am to 11:59 pm. It also charges an extra fee for pickups outside 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Overtime there is 10% of the full-day price per hour. If a 10-hour service starts at 8:00 am, it would normally cover the period through about 6:00 pm. Other operators may differ, so confirm the terms before you book.
A 10 hour booking does not make every Bali route practical as a day trip. Ask the operator to put the start and expected end time in the booking confirmation.
One traveller prefers a rental car, which makes it easier to carry scuba gear. The same writer found that booking a driver for the day suited quick selfie stops less than slow sightseeing. Your own pace may decide the choice.
Scooters: cost, licences and helmets
Scooters cost around 80, 000–100, 000Rp per day. Travel insurance only covers you with a valid motorbike license from your home country. You also need a valid international license or an Indonesian driver’s license.
By law, both drivers and passengers must wear a helmet, though this is widely flouted. Bali is not the place to learn to ride. If you have no license, it suggests a small car instead.
Getting around without your own car
Public transport will not do the lap for you. There is no long-distance bus between the main points of interest. You can book a minibus, and the main one is Perama.
On the Perama website you can only book for at least 2 persons. On 12go.asia you can book a single ticket. These are point-to-point rides, not a loop.
Bemos are the cheapest option. One route runs from Amlapura Market to Tyanar in the north, and it is convenient for Tulamben as the village is on the main road. For Amed you must stop in Culik and find a way to make the last kilometres. The van waits to be full, so you never know when you will leave or arrive.
Ride-hailing apps are limited by area. Grab and Gojek work only in the south of the island and Ubud, and are banned almost everywhere else. Signs in Sidemen or Amed say only drop-offs are allowed. Short scooter rides cost more or less 15-17K IDR (1€).
Long-distance app rides cost much more than hiring a private driver. Taxis are also only available in the south of the island. For a lap of the whole island, a rental car or a car with a driver is the practical choice.
At the airport, there is an official waiting lounge for both apps at the international arrivals exit. For a taxi, head to the official taxi booth, since BlueBird cars are common in Sanur.
Navigation tips
Do not rely on main roads alone. The Periplus Bali Street Atlas is recommended. It runs to 160-odd pages and retails for around 200,000 rupiah at most good bookstores in Bali.
A smartphone helps too. Google or Apple Maps are excellent additions to a real map, because they show where you are. Both still mark roads that don’t exist, or that are really just for goats.
A paper atlas saves you from pulling over every 10 minutes to ask the way. You might ask a startled farmer where Candi Dasa is. Signposting is weak in places, as the Blimbingsari and Palasari note shows.
Crossing to Java
If your trip includes Java, the crossing is short. A 30-minute ferry runs between Gilimanuk and Ketapang. You can drive between the two islands this way.
Without a car, you can board a long-distance bus to East Java, as far as Surabaya, from the Mengwi bus terminal in Denpasar. You can also fly directly from Bali to Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.
Bottom line
There is no single figure for a full lap, so do not promise yourself one. Allow several days. The east loop runs from two days to as long as you like.
Add overnight stops at places like Candi Dasa and Amed. Consider a driver for the busy west coast road. Keep a paper atlas in the car, and check driver hours before you book.
Opening hours, prices and visiting details: Bali Botanic Garden, Bali Museum, Le Mayeur Museum, Ubud Monkey Forest.