Seven Days in Bali with the Family: The Travey Club Route from Sydney
Bali can look compact on a map, but the island rarely moves at map speed. A short distance can become a long drive once scooters, ceremonies and afternoon traffic join the road. Whenever we plan Bali for a family, we resist the temptation to place another landmark into every free hour. The route matters more than the number of pins.
For this seven-day Bali itinerary, we use two bases: Ubud for the island's cultural interior and Sanur for the coast. That gives the family time among rice terraces, temples and village kitchens before moving south for calm beach mornings, Waterbom and Uluwatu. Sydney travel days sit outside the seven days, so the holiday contains seven complete days in Bali rather than counting airport queues as part of the itinerary.
Getting from Sydney to Bali
Fly from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar (DPS). A direct flight generally takes around six and a half hours, with schedules currently offered by Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air depending on the travel date. Qantas lists Sydney-Bali journeys from around six hours and fifteen minutes, while Virgin also operates direct Sydney-Denpasar services. We prefer a daytime flight when the timetable and fare work: landing before evening makes immigration, luggage collection and the drive to Ubud easier for children. Flight schedules and inclusions change, so compare the complete family price with checked bags, meals and seat selection rather than comparing the first fare displayed. Check Qantas Sydney-Bali flights or Virgin Australia Sydney-Bali flights.
After landing, take a pre-booked private MPV directly to Ubud. The drive usually takes about one hour and forty-five minutes to two and a half hours, so we leave the arrival evening free. Check in, eat at the hotel if needed and let everyone settle into Bali time. This transfer day is not counted as Day 1.
Where to Stay for Easy Access
If the trip must use only one base, choose Sanur near Jalan Danau Tamblingan or Pantai Karang. Sanur is calmer than Kuta, close to the airport, convenient for Waterbom and the Bukit Peninsula, and connected to the rest of south Bali without placing the family in the busiest nightlife area. The compromise is Ubud: repeated day trips from Sanur to the rice terraces and temples can mean three or four hours in the car.
Our preferred answer is therefore a two-base stay rather than one supposedly central hotel. Spend four nights at Ubud Wana Resort in a Family Suite, including the arrival night, followed by four nights at Prime Plaza Suites Sanur in a two-bedroom suite. Ubud Wana sits in quieter Nyuh Kuning, within walking distance of the Monkey Forest, while Prime Plaza gives a family separate bedrooms, living space, pools and access to Camp Splash. There is no need to move hotels again for Kuta or Uluwatu; both work better as day trips from Sanur.
Day 1: Ubud's Living Centre
Begin with breakfast at Wana Rasa Restaurant before walking to the Sacred Monkey Forest for its 9:00 am opening. The shaded forest is an easy first introduction to Ubud, bringing temple walls, old trees and macaques into one manageable visit; keep food, sunglasses and loose items zipped away. Continue by car to Ubud Palace, Saraswati Temple and the Art Market, then have lunch at Warung Biah Biah, where small Balinese plates make sharing simple. After a proper hotel rest, stop at Old Friends Coffee in Nyuh Kuning and book an early dinner at Hujan Locale for regional Indonesian dishes with sambal served separately. Finish with a Legong dance at Ubud Palace and return to Ubud Wana Resort. The Monkey Forest's official visitor page is worth checking before the day because hours and admission can change.
Day 2: Rice Terraces and Sacred Water
Leave Ubud early with one private driver for the whole day. Walk the upper paths at Tegallalang Rice Terrace before the heat builds, then sit down at Tis Cafe for coffee, juice and a view across the valley without adding another climb. From there, continue to Tirta Empul, where the spring pools and temple courtyards give the family a respectful look at the role of water in Balinese Hindu life. Lunch at D'Alas Warung keeps the countryside setting going; grilled chicken, crispy duck, vegetables and rice work well for a shared table. Return to Ubud Wana for a swim and quiet afternoon, then book dinner at Nusantara by Locavore for dishes drawn from across the Indonesian archipelago.
Day 3: Ubud Through Food
Start at first light with a short out-and-back walk along Campuhan Ridge, turning around before the day becomes hot. After breakfast at the hotel, join Ketut's Balinese Cooking Class for its market-to-table programme. Grinding spice pastes, preparing satay and cooking lunch gives children something to take part in rather than another attraction to observe, and the class normally includes Ubud-area transfers. Keep the afternoon open for the pool and packing. Later, visit Seniman Coffee Studio for a short coffee, cacao and cake stop, then have dinner in the garden at Laka Leke. Crispy duck, chicken satay, vegetable urab and banana fritters make a satisfying final Ubud meal, and the restaurant is close enough to walk back to Ubud Wana.
Day 4: Ubud to Sanur via Bali Bird Park
Check out after breakfast and travel south in a private vehicle that can keep the luggage secure during a stop at Bali Bird Park. Spend the morning following the feeding and flight-show programme, then eat lunch inside the park so the day stays smooth. Indonesian rice and noodle dishes, grilled chicken and a familiar children's option are easy choices before the onward drive to Sanur. Check in to a two-bedroom suite at Prime Plaza Suites, use the pool or Camp Splash and leave the late afternoon deliberately light. Take the hotel shuttle or a short car ride to Sanur's beachfront promenade, then end the day at Massimo with handmade pasta, pizza and gelato before returning to the suite.
Day 5: Waterbom Without the Rush
Have an early breakfast at Prime Plaza and leave Sanur with enough time to reach Waterbom Bali for opening. Book the family ticket in advance and use the morning for the popular slides, children's areas and Lazy River before queues lengthen. Lunch at Wantilan Food Court keeps everyone inside the park; rice bowls, noodles, burgers and fruit cover different appetites without making the afternoon feel heavy. Spend the final hours revisiting favourite rides rather than trying to complete the entire park, then return to Sanur for showers and a long rest. Dinner at Soul on the Beach brings the pace down with grilled fish, bowls, pasta or pizza beside the water. Current ticket types, age bands and inclusions are published on the official Waterbom ticket page.
Day 6: Melasti and Uluwatu at Dusk
Keep the morning slow at Prime Plaza, then hire a private driver through to the evening. Stop at Warung Local for an early nasi campur lunch before descending the limestone road to Melasti Beach. Swim only where conditions and local guidance allow, and leave enough time to change into dry, modest clothes before Uluwatu. Walk the temple's clifftop path in the softer afternoon light, secure glasses and phones around the macaques, then take seats for the 6:00 pm Kecak performance. The chorus, fire and open-ocean backdrop make this the cultural high point of the south coast. Have dinner nearby at Warung Bejana before the drive back to Sanur; grilled fish, nasi goreng and dadar gulung are good family choices. Check the official Uluwatu Kecak information and reserve ahead during busy periods.
Day 7: Sanur at Family Speed
Reach the beachfront before sunrise and hire bicycles for a gentle ride along Sanur's flat promenade, with child-sized bikes, helmets or a child seat reserved the day before. Return to Prime Plaza for breakfast and an unhurried morning at the lagoon pool and Camp Splash. Take a short ride to Genius Cafe for a beachfront lunch of bowls, wraps, curry and smoothies, then go back to the suite for rest and packing rather than carrying shopping through the midday heat. In the late afternoon, browse a limited stretch of Jalan Danau Tamblingan, stop for gelato and finish at Sindhu Night Market. Chicken satay with lontong, nasi goreng, gado-gado, martabak manis and fresh fruit make a lively final dinner without turning the last evening into a formal occasion. Return to Prime Plaza for the fourth Sanur night.
Returning to Sydney
On the following day, take a pre-booked MPV from Sanur to Denpasar Airport. The drive can be as short as thirty to forty-five minutes, but Bali traffic is not something we ask a family flight to negotiate at the last minute. Leave the hotel around three and a half to four hours before an international departure. Direct services return from Denpasar to Sydney, although flight numbers, times and operating days should be checked for the exact travel dates. This is the departure transfer day and remains outside the seven-day itinerary.
Travey Club Insights
The useful decision in this itinerary is not a particular temple or restaurant. It is the choice to stop treating Bali as one small resort island. Ubud and Sanur do different jobs: Ubud gives the first half of the trip cultural depth, while Sanur makes the second half easier for the beach, Waterbom, Uluwatu and the airport. Four nights in each place means only one hotel change, and placing Bali Bird Park on that transfer turns the move into part of the holiday.
For a family travelling from Sydney, this is the balance we would keep. Protect the transfer days, use one driver on multi-stop routes, hold onto the afternoon rest blocks and book the limited family rooms before filling the calendar with activities. Bali feels much easier when each day follows the island's geography instead of fighting it.
Travey Club is a private travel design studio specializing in bespoke, self-guided journeys tailored to your individual tastes, lifestyle, budget, and schedule. We craft refined, highly personalized travel blueprints that combine curated experiences, seamless routing, insider knowledge, and meticulous day-by-day structure — empowering you to explore independently with confidence and ease. Rather than booking hotels or tours, we design each element of your journey with precision and intention, allowing you to reserve directly while experiencing a thoughtfully orchestrated, self-guided adventure created exclusively around you.
Look at our 7-Day Bali Itinerary:
