How we know: Sources are listed at the end. Season and holiday facts come from the cited reference and government pages. This post contains no fare figures: Wildly has no historical fare data, and live prices are on the linked route pages.
Bali sits eight degrees south of the equator, so temperatures barely move through the year; what changes is rain, humidity and crowds. The dry season, roughly May to October, is the comfortable, reliable window and also the busiest, especially July–August and around Christmas. The wet season, roughly November to April, brings afternoon downpours and the greenest landscapes, with far fewer visitors outside the holidays. The best value trips usually land in the edges: April–June and September–October.
Wet season, dry season
Bali's climate page on Wikipedia summarises it: "The west monsoon is in place from approximately October to April, and this can bring significant rain, particularly from December to March." Outside the monsoon, humidity is lower and rain is unlikely in the lowlands. Daytime highs in Denpasar stay around 29–32°C (mid-80s to high-80s °F) all year, with the coolest, driest months in July and August and the wettest in December and January.
Rain in the wet season is usually a heavy afternoon or overnight burst rather than an all-day soak, and the south and east coasts (Sanur, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu) tend to be drier than the Ubud highlands and the west. Dive and snorkel visibility, and surf conditions on the west-coast breaks, are best in the dry season; the east coast (Nusa Dua, Keramas) surfs better in the wet.
Month by month
- January–February: Peak wet season: humid, frequent heavy showers, high rivers, lush rice terraces. Quiet after the first week of January apart from Lunar New Year visitors from the region.
- March: Rain easing. Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, falls in March: everyone, tourists included, stays indoors for 24 hours and Bali's airport closes for the whole day, per Wikipedia. Nyepi is March 19 in 2026 and March 9 in 2027. Plan around it or plan to experience it, but do not schedule a flight for that date.
- April–May: Transition to dry. Green landscapes, warm seas, crowds still moderate. One of the two best windows.
- June–August: Dry-season peak: sunniest and least humid, and the busiest months, with Australian and European school holidays layered on top of US summer travel. Book accommodation early.
- September–October: Still dry through September, gradually more humid in October, with crowds thinning after the northern summer. The other best window.
- November–December: Wet season returns; November is often the quietest month of the year, then Christmas and New Year bring a sharp holiday peak in visitors and prices for lodging.
Getting there from the US
There are no nonstop flights from the mainland US to Denpasar; every itinerary connects, most commonly through Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Doha. West Coast departures have the shortest total journeys (typically 20-plus hours door to door); East Coast itineraries add several hours and sometimes a second stop. Because the connecting hub is part of the price, comparing a few routings pays off.
For current prices see LAX to Bali, San Francisco to Bali, Seattle to Bali and JFK to Bali, or browse the Bali destination hub.
When flight demand is lowest
Demand for US–Bali itineraries follows the dry season and the holidays: June–August and the second half of December are the busiest, and the late-wet-season months (February–March, outside Lunar New Year) and November are the quietest. The shoulder months of April–May and September–October sit in between and offer the best weather-to-crowd balance. Wildly has no fare history to say which month is cheapest on average, so use the route pages for today's prices and set a price alert with a target; Wildly checks prices daily on the routes you track and emails you when the fare drops.
Entry requirements and fees for US citizens
- Visa on arrival. US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival (or the electronic e-VoA in advance) for Rp500,000, good for 30 days and extendable once for a further 30 days; your passport needs at least six months' validity and a blank page, per Wikivoyage's Indonesia entry. Rules change; confirm with Indonesian immigration before travel.
- Bali tourist levy. The Bali provincial government charges foreign visitors a levy of IDR 150,000, payable online through the Love Bali portal (bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS), which issues a QR-code voucher to show on entry. Pay it before you land to skip the queue.
- Customs. Indonesia's customs declaration is completed electronically before arrival; have your accommodation address ready.
Where to base yourself, by season
- Dry season (May–October): Anywhere works. Canggu, Seminyak and Uluwatu for beaches and surf; Ubud for culture and rice terraces; Amed and the north coast for diving away from the crowds.
- Wet season (November–April): Favour the drier south and east coasts (Sanur, Nusa Dua, the Bukit) and keep Ubud to a few nights. Waterfalls and rice terraces are at their fullest; pack a light rain jacket and expect scooter travel to be slower.
- Shoulder months: Split the trip, three nights in Ubud plus four or five on the coast, and you get both sides of the island at their best.
FAQ
What is the best month to visit Bali? May, June and September are the most reliable combination of dry weather and manageable crowds. July and August are drier still but the busiest.
Is the wet season a bad time to visit Bali? Not necessarily. Expect daily heavy showers, mostly in the afternoon, with plenty of sun between them, and far fewer visitors than in the dry season. December–February is the wettest stretch.
What is Nyepi and does it affect flights? Nyepi is the Balinese New Year, a 24-hour island-wide day of silence in March when the airport closes and everyone stays indoors. No flights arrive or depart that day; it is March 19 in 2026 and March 9 in 2027.
Do US citizens need a visa for Bali? Yes: a visa on arrival or e-VoA (Rp500,000, 30 days, extendable once), plus the separate IDR 150,000 Bali tourist levy paid through the provincial government's Love Bali portal.