Best Time to Visit Bali

Photo by Mahmud Ahsan on Unsplash

August is the driest month in Bali by a wide margin — 46.2mm (1.82in) of rain across 14 days, less than a fifth of what falls in January. July is close behind at 82.8mm (3.26in) over 16 days and is also the coolest month of the year, topping out at 27.6°C (81.7°F) instead of the 30°C-plus you get either side of the dry season. If you want warm days, swimmable water and afternoons that don't get cancelled by weather, July and August are the two months the numbers point at.

All figures below are measured 2025 observations for Denpasar, south Bali — not a long-term average. One year of real data is more useful than a smoothed 30-year mean for planning, but it also means a single wet month can look worse than it usually is. Where 2025 broke from the usual pattern, it's flagged.

The best months: July and August

These are the two months where Bali's weather stops being a variable in your plans.

August ran 28.3°C (82.9°F) by day and 22.9°C (73.2°F) overnight, with 46.2mm (1.82in) of rain spread over 14 days. That works out to about 3.3mm per rainy day — an amount you'd describe as a passing shower, not weather. The nights are the coolest of the year, and the gap between day and night (5.4°C) is the widest of any month, which is why August evenings on a terrace in Ubud feel genuinely pleasant rather than sticky.

July is the coolest month at 27.6°C (81.7°F) daytime and 23.0°C (73.4°F) at night, with 82.8mm (3.26in) over 16 days — roughly 5mm per rainy day. Still light. Practically, July and August mean you can book a sunrise Batur trek, a day boat to Nusa Penida, or a full day of surf lessons and expect it to happen.

The tradeoff is not weather, it's people. July and August are the northern-hemisphere school holidays and the Australian mid-year break at once, so Canggu, Uluwatu and Ubud are at their fullest and their most expensive. You are paying for the 46.2mm, and so is everyone else.

The months to avoid: January, May and November

January is the clear worst. 389.8mm (15.35in) of rain fell across 31 days — it rained, at least at some point, every single day of the month. That's about 12.6mm per day, which is real rain, not drizzle. Temperatures were fine (28.8°C / 83.8°F high, 24.0°C / 75.2°F low), but the humidity that comes with 390mm makes 28.8°C feel considerably heavier than the same reading in August. Boat crossings to the Gili Islands and Nusa Penida are the first thing to go when the swell picks up in January, and they go often.

May is the surprise. Conventional guides file May under "start of the dry season". In 2025 it was the second-wettest month of the year: 293.1mm (11.54in) over 28 days, more than March, more than December, more than November. If you were planning a May trip on the assumption that the rain has stopped by then, that assumption is worth loosening. Treat May as late wet season and build a flexible day or two into the itinerary.

November brought 251.4mm (9.90in) over 22 days at 29.8°C (85.6°F) — the wet season arriving properly, with about 11.4mm falling on each rainy day. December is nearly as committed at 176.8mm (6.96in) over 24 days, and it's the joint-hottest month at 30.4°C (86.7°F). Hot and wet is the least comfortable combination Bali offers.

September deserves a warning of its own. On paper it looks like dry season — 28.6°C (83.5°F), only 18 rainy days. But 250.5mm (9.86in) fell across those 18 days, which is 13.9mm per rainy day: the highest rainfall intensity of any month in the year, January included. September 2025 didn't rain often, it rained hard. That's a very specific kind of day: bright morning, violent one-to-two-hour storm, clear evening.

Shoulder season: April, June and October

April is the best-value month in the table. It had the fewest rainy days of any month — 13 — and just 90.7mm (3.57in), about 7mm per rainy day. It's also the hottest month of the year at 30.9°C (87.6°F), with nights at 24.0°C (75.2°F). So it's drier than July on a rain-days basis, but four degrees warmer at midday, and it sits before the July price surge. If you're heat-tolerant, April is where the value is.

June is the gentler shoulder: 28.4°C (83.1°F), 166.0mm (6.54in) over 20 days. Wetter than July or August, but the temperature has already dropped into the comfortable range and the crowds haven't landed. Early June in particular is the sweet spot — dry-season temperatures at pre-peak prices.

October is dry-ish but frequent: 118.5mm (4.67in) spread thin over 23 days, about 5mm each. That's the same per-day intensity as July, just occurring more often. It's the classic "cloud builds at 2pm, twenty minutes of rain, done" pattern. At 29.7°C (85.5°F) it's warm, and it's the last month before November's 251.4mm arrives. Prices in October are well off peak.

What each season actually means for your trip

Dry season (roughly June through August, plus April). Pack for heat, not for rain: shorts, linen, two swimsuits so one is always dry, reef-safe sunscreen, and one long-sleeve layer for scooter rides after dark and for temple visits. You'll want a sarong and covered shoulders for Besakih, Tirta Empul and Uluwatu — most temples lend or rent one, but bringing your own saves queueing. With August's 22.9°C (73.2°F) nights, a light layer is genuinely useful in Ubud and Munduk at altitude, where it will be several degrees cooler than the Denpasar figures. Days go: early start to beat the heat, water or temple in the morning, shade or a long lunch in the 30°C middle of the day, back out at four.

Wet season (November through March, and realistically May). The number that matters is not the millimetres, it's the pattern. 28.8°C (83.8°F) with rain on 31 days out of 31 does not mean 31 washed-out days — it means most days have a heavy tropical burst, often mid-afternoon or overnight, with sun around it. What it does mean: you cannot schedule anything tightly. Bring a genuinely quick-dry wardrobe rather than cotton, sandals you don't mind soaking, a dry bag for phone and passport, and mosquito repellent — standing water after 389.8mm is exactly what mosquitoes want. Roads flood in Kuta and Seminyak, scooters get unpleasant, and the ferry to Nusa Penida is the thing most likely to be cancelled.

What the wet season is good for: the rice terraces at Tegallalang and Jatiluwih are at their greenest, the waterfalls at Sekumpul and Tibumana are at full volume, and prices and crowds are at their lowest. If your trip is about Ubud, food, spas and interiors rather than boats and beaches, January's 389.8mm costs you far less than it would a beach-first trip.

Month-by-month

• January — 28.8°C / 83.8°F, 389.8mm (15.35in) over 31 days. The wettest month, and it rained on every day of it. Avoid unless you're going for the green and the low prices.
• February — 29.6°C / 85.3°F, 257.0mm (10.12in) over 23 days. Still firmly wet, but 8 more dry days than January.
• March — 30.4°C / 86.7°F, 212.9mm (8.38in) over 26 days. Hot and damp; the wet season easing but not over. Nyepi (Bali's day of silence) usually falls here — the whole island shuts down for 24 hours, airport included.
• April — 30.9°C / 87.6°F, 90.7mm (3.57in) over 13 days. Fewest rainy days all year and the hottest month. Best value if you handle heat.
• May — 29.7°C / 85.5°F, 293.1mm (11.54in) over 28 days. Second-wettest month of 2025, despite its dry-season reputation.
• June — 28.4°C / 83.1°F, 166.0mm (6.54in) over 20 days. Comfortable temperatures, pre-peak prices.
• July — 27.6°C / 81.7°F, 82.8mm (3.26in) over 16 days. Coolest month, reliably dry, extremely busy.
• August — 28.3°C / 82.9°F, 46.2mm (1.82in) over 14 days. The driest month by a distance. Peak season.
• September — 28.6°C / 83.5°F, 250.5mm (9.86in) over 18 days. Few rainy days, but the heaviest rain per day of any month.
• October — 29.7°C / 85.5°F, 118.5mm (4.67in) over 23 days. Frequent light showers, warm, quiet, good prices.
• November — 29.8°C / 85.6°F, 251.4mm (9.90in) over 22 days. Wet season resumes properly.
• December — 30.4°C / 86.7°F, 176.8mm (6.96in) over 24 days. Joint-hottest and wet, plus Christmas–New Year peak pricing. The worst value month of the year.

FAQ

When is the rainy season in Bali?

Roughly November through March, with January the peak — 389.8mm (15.35in) across all 31 days. In 2025 the season also extended into May, which brought 293.1mm (11.54in) over 28 days. The driest stretch is June through August, bottoming out at 46.2mm (1.82in) in August.

Does it rain all day during Bali's wet season?

Usually not. Look at the intensity rather than the total. February's 257.0mm over 23 days averages about 11mm per rainy day — that's typically one heavy burst, often in the afternoon or overnight, with usable weather either side. September is the extreme case: 250.5mm across only 18 days, nearly 14mm per rainy day, meaning short violent storms rather than grey days. The practical effect is on scheduling, not on whether you can leave the hotel.

When is the cheapest time to visit Bali?

January and February, which are also the wettest. The best compromise between price and weather is October (118.5mm / 4.67in over 23 days at 29.7°C / 85.5°F) or early June (166.0mm / 6.54in over 20 days at 28.4°C / 83.1°F) — both sit outside the July–August and Christmas peaks while staying well clear of January's rainfall.

Is April too hot for Bali?

April is the hottest month at 30.9°C (87.6°F) by day and 24.0°C (75.2°F) at night — about 3.3°C warmer than July. Whether that's too hot depends on your plans. For beaches, pools and evenings out, it's fine and you're rewarded with the fewest rainy days of the year (13). For volcano hikes, temple days or long stretches on a scooter, July at 27.6°C (81.7°F) is noticeably more comfortable. A workable rule: April for water, July and August for anything that involves walking uphill.

Which month has the best weather overall?

August. It combines the lowest rainfall (46.2mm / 1.82in), a moderate 28.3°C (82.9°F) daytime high, and the coolest nights of the year at 22.9°C (73.2°F). July is a near-equal second and slightly cooler by day at 27.6°C (81.7°F). Neither is cheap.

Decided when to go? Here is the Bali packing list for those exact conditions.