The Bali rainy season 2026-27

When is the rainy season in Bali in 2026-27?

November 2026 to March 2027, with the heaviest rain from December to February. January is the wettest month.

The table uses the 1991 to 2020 averages for the Denpasar airport station from Climates to Travel. These are averages; a single year can run wetter or drier, and the same source notes the rains sometimes start in October or last into April. Ubud and the mountains get more rain than the airport on the coast.

The sea stays warm the whole time, around 29 °C, and sunshine drops to about six hours a day in January and February. Daylight hardly changes: sunset stays around 6 pm.

What does rain in Bali actually look like?

Mostly short, heavy bursts in the afternoon or evening after a clear or hazy morning. January and February can bring longer wet spells.

A typical wet-season day starts bright. Cloud builds over the mountains by late morning, and a downpour arrives in the afternoon or evening, loud on the roof and often over within an hour (Wego). Some days it rains on and off from noon. A few days in the core months stay grey from start to finish.

The practical problem is the ground, not the sky. Smartraveller warns that floods, landslides and mudslides occur in the wet season and that floodwater can hide open drains. Streets in Kuta and Seminyak flood quickly in a heavy burst, and traffic slows to a crawl. Pack sandals that grip, a light rain jacket and a dry bag for phones.

Which honeymoon tours still work in the wet season?

Anything under a roof or timed for the morning: a couples spa, the koi boat, an early Ubud day, the Taro fireflies at dusk.

The riverside spa near Bali Zoo is the obvious rain plan. The treatments happen in a private couple's room by the river, the listing includes hotel transfer, and it opens from 9:00 to 21:00, so you can move the slot to the afternoon storm. One guest wrote: "The sound of the waterfall. Overall amazing experience." With the river up after rain, it is louder still.

The koi boat at Kamandalu lasts an hour, one couple per boat, and offers day or illuminated evening sessions. Book the morning slot in the core months. Transport to the resort is not included, so arrange a ride.

For sights, start early. The private Ubud day picks you up at the hotel, and an 8 am start gets Tegallalang and Tirta Empul done before the clouds build. The Taro fireflies evening runs at dusk; fireflies show best on dark nights, so check the moon as well as the forecast.

Which tours suffer in the rainy season?

The boat day to Nusa Penida, the waterfalls and the Batur sunrise. All three still run; all three depend on the weather.

The Nusa Penida manta day starts with a fast boat from Sanur. The listing says it runs rain or shine but may be cancelled for sea or weather conditions, with an alternative date or a refund. Book it early in your stay so a cancelled day can move. Penida's roads are bumpy at the best of times, and rain does not help.

Waterfalls change colour. The Ubud listing warns that the falls can run brown after rain, and the steps down to Tukad Cepung get slippery. They are still worth the trip for the sound and the volume of water. Do not expect the turquoise pools of dry-season photos.

The Batur sunrise jeep means a pickup around 3 am. In the wet months cloud can sit on the crater rim and hide the sun. Pick a morning after a clear evening, and keep it for the end of your trip only if you have a spare day to retry.

One couple, one boat and one hour on the koi pond at Kamandalu, with sparkling wine and a small spread. Book the morning slot.

★ 4.6 · 1 hour

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How busy is Bali at Christmas and New Year?

Very. The weeks around Christmas and New Year are among the busiest of the year, rain or not. Book tours and dinners early.

The holidays fill the island with families from Australia, Asia and Indonesia itself. Hotels raise their rates, traffic in the south slows further, and popular sunset spots fill up. For tours, book the dates you care about weeks ahead, and lean on the free cancellation (24 hours before on every listing here) if the weather turns.

A quieter strategy: spend the holiday nights in Ubud or the north and keep the coast for January. Mid-January to February is the quietest stretch of the wet season. Our where to stay guide compares the bases. Heading out in March? Check the Nyepi 2027 post first: the airport closes on 9 March.

What about dengue and mosquitoes in the rainy season?

Use insect repellent, cover up at dusk and choose rooms with air conditioning or screens. Mosquitoes that carry dengue bite by day as well as by night.

Standing water after the rains means more mosquitoes. Smartraveller notes that insect-borne illnesses are common in Indonesia year-round, and that Australian health authorities have reported dengue in travellers returning from Bali. It advises seeing a travel doctor about vaccines before you go.

The CDC's dengue prevention advice is simple: use a registered insect repellent, wear loose long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and stay where there is air conditioning or window and door screens, with a bed net if not. It stresses that mosquitoes bite during the day and night. For a honeymoon that means repellent before the spa garden, the rice-field walk and the firefly evening, not only at night.

A fever within two weeks of a trip deserves a doctor's visit; mention that you have been to Bali.

Frequently asked questions