How Travellers Actually Get Around Bali
Updated: Sep 12
There is no train in Bali and the buses will not help you, so getting around comes down to three tools: a ride-hailing app for daily moves, a driver for the day when you go far, and a scooter only if you already know how to ride one. Which one you lean on depends entirely on where you sleep. This guide covers each, with real costs.
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Why Getting Around Bali Trips People Up
Everyone arrives thinking Bali is small. It is, on a map. Then a twenty-minute hop from Seminyak to Canggu eats an hour, and the plan for five sights in a day quietly becomes two. The island has no metro, almost nothing in the way of tourist buses, and roads that were never built for this many scooters. Get your transport right and Bali opens up. Get it wrong and you spend the holiday in traffic.
What to Weigh Before You Move
Grab and Gojek are the cheapest way to move around the south and Ubud, and the fare is fixed before you tap book.
Hire a driver for the day whenever your plan crosses regions or reaches temples that sit far apart.
Ride a scooter only if you are already confident and licensed, because Bali is not where you learn.
Keep a metered Bluebird taxi as your backup when no app car shows up, and check the meter is running.
Plan two spread-out sights a day, not five, because drive times are always longer than the distance suggests.
Near some beach clubs and markets, apps cannot pick up at the door, so walk a block to your driver.
The Mix That Actually Works
Let the apps do the everyday work. Grab and Gojek both run cars and cheaper motorbike rides across South Bali, Canggu and Ubud, and because the price shows before you book, there is nothing to haggle over. Coverage does thin out once you head north or east, and a handful of tourist spots block pickups near the official taxi stands, but for the airport run and daily hops nothing beats them on price or hassle.
When the day is spread out, stop tapping and hire a driver. A car with a driver for roughly ten hours is how you do the temple circuits, the rice terraces and the viewpoints that apps serve badly and that would cost a fortune in separate fares. Split between three or four people it usually undercuts booking the same stops as tours, and someone else deals with the parking, the waiting and the route while you look out the window.
Then there is the scooter, which is the local way and the fastest way to lose your holiday to a hospital. It is cheap and nimble for short local hops, and if you already ride, you know the drill: a proper helmet, no unlit night roads, and the licence your insurance actually asks for. If you have never ridden, a busy Bali street is the worst place on earth to start. Take a car.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there public transport in Bali?
Not really, not for visitors. A few local buses and the Kura-Kura tourist shuttle run set routes, but there is no metro or train, so almost everyone relies on apps, drivers or scooters.
Are Grab and Gojek allowed in Bali?
Yes, and they work across the south and Ubud. Some spots near official taxi stands block pickups at the door, so you may need to walk a short way to meet your driver.
How much is a private driver for a day?
It depends on distance and vehicle, but expect a flat rate for around ten hours. Agree the price, the hours and who pays for fuel and entry tickets before you leave.
Should I rent a scooter in Bali?
Only if you already ride confidently and hold the right licence. The roads are chaotic, accidents are common, and riding without the correct licence can void your travel insurance.
Why does everything take so long to reach?
The roads are narrow and the traffic is heavy, worst in the south in the late afternoon. Twenty kilometres can take over an hour, so keep each day to a couple of stops.
Sort the Base and the Rest Follows
Sort where you stay and the bookings first, and getting around mostly takes care of itself. Settle your base, lock in the day trips you actually care about, and arrange transport before you land so day one is not spent arguing over a fare. That is the order we would do it in.
Where To Stay?
Where you sleep decides how far you drive each day. Compare Bali hotels and villas by area and pick a base that keeps every trip short and easy.
Things To Do
Plan the day trips before you fly. Browse tours and activities across Bali so your driver days are set and the best ones never quietly sell out.
Rent A Car
Prefer your own wheels here? Compare car hire across Bali, check what your licence requires, and have a vehicle ready before the airport queues.
