good to know before you plan
October is underrated in the same way April is, and for opposite reasons. April is green and improving, October is dry and fading, but both give you good weather, low prices and space.
What I would not do is book the very end of October expecting September conditions. By the last week the afternoon showers are back with some regularity, and the change can be abrupt. If your dates are in the first fortnight you are effectively getting September at a lower price. If they are in the last week, plan like it is November.
Bali in October: A 7-Day Ubud Itinerary in the Quiet Shoulder
October is the closing of the dry season and one of the quietest months in Ubud. The first two or three weeks are usually still dry and clear, then short afternoon showers begin to return towards the end of the month, brief at first and welcome after five months without rain.
What makes October worth booking is the emptiness. High season is well behind, the September value-hunters have gone, and the wet-season bargain hunters have not arrived. You get warm settled days, low prices and a valley that has largely gone back to itself. The landscape is at its driest until the rains rebuild it, which is the one thing October does not offer.
The last dry weeks, and hardly anyone is here
October
Week 1
day by day
One base in Ubud. October is settled enough to plan ahead but changeable enough late in the month that a spare afternoon is worth keeping.
Day 1: Arrive, settle, eat well. October evenings are warm and still.
Day 2: Temples in the morning, unhurried. The tour groups have gone.
Day 3: Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise, market and palace after.
Day 4: Tegalalang, then the craft villages at Mas and Celuk.
Day 5: Waterfall day. The rivers are at their lowest now, so pick the bigger falls.
Day 6: Free day. In October you can decide this one over breakfast.
Day 7: Slow morning, then the airport.
Where to Eat
Central Ubud for the broadest dining selection
Penestanan for cafés and relaxed healthy dining
Tegallalang for restaurants overlooking rice fields
Local villages for traditional Balinese warungs
Ubud markets for casual local food and snacks
Where to Stay
Central Ubud: best for walkable sights.
Monkey Forest Road: best for shops and cafés.
Penestanan: best for a quieter base.
Sayan: best for valley views.
Nyuh Kuning: best for a village setting.
Tegallalang: best for rice terrace stays.
best Things to Do
Explore Ubud’s cultural centre
Walk through rice fields and terraces
Visit Tegallalang Rice Terrace
See Tirta Empul and nearby temples
Walk the Campuhan Ridge
Attend a traditional Balinese dance performance
Join a cooking, craft or wellness class
Explore waterfalls and river valleys
Take a day trip into Bali’s central highlands.
The quietest month with dry weather
Compare hotel prices while they are still at post-season levels, because October is one of the cheapest months with reliable sunshine and the gap against July for the same room is substantial. Activities are easy to arrange a day or two out. A car with a driver is the right call for an Ubud week: the sites are spread wide, and if a late-October shower arrives you want the option to change plan without getting soaked on a scooter. Three links below.
frequently asked questions
What is the weather like in Bali in October?
Mostly dry, with the rains returning late in the month. The first two to three weeks are usually clear and warm at around 27 to 31 degrees, then short afternoon showers begin to appear and humidity rises. It is a transition month, so early October behaves like September and late October behaves like November.
Is October a good time to visit Bali?
The first half is very good: dry weather, low prices and the fewest people of any month with reliable sunshine. The second half is a gamble as the rains return. If your dates are flexible, weight them towards the first two weeks. If they are fixed late in the month, plan like it is the wet season and you will not be disappointed.
When does the rainy season start in Bali?
Usually late October or early November, though the exact timing varies year to year. The first rains arrive as short afternoon showers rather than all-day downpours, and build through November into the December to February peak. October is the transition, which is why the first and last weeks of it can feel like different seasons.