December is when the rain and the holidays arrive together. On the 1991-2020 normals the airport gets 327.4 mm of rain in December, five times October's, and in 2026 BMKG expects the rainy season to begin across most of Bali in December. At the same time the island fills up: Bali's schools break from 21 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, 24 December is a national day off and 25 December a public holiday, and Australian schools close between 11 and 19 December depending on the state. Foreign arrivals jumped 18.48% from November to December last year, to 572,668. Most of what we run still goes ahead, with the inland days at their best and the boats the first thing to be cancelled. Book the Christmas and New Year week early and keep the sea day loose.
By Alex Moskvin, Founder of SB Excursions · Published 23 September 2026 · Updated 16 October 2026
Tour on this route: Mount Batur Sunrise Jeep & Hot Spring — From $55, 6-8 hours.
Is December a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, with two things planned around. The rain: a 1991-2020 normal of 327.4 mm at the airport, usually as afternoon downpours, and in 2026 BMKG expects the rainy season to begin across most of Bali in December. And the holiday week: Bali's schools break from 21 December to 2 January, Australian schools from 11-19 December, and the island fills up from about the 20th.
This guide also answers:
- How much does it rain in Bali in December?
- Is Bali crowded at Christmas and New Year?
- Do boats to Nusa Penida run in December?
Top picks from this guide
#1
Mount Batur and the hot springs
Guides still run most mornings in December and cancel only in genuinely bad weather; cloud swallowing the sunrise is the real risk. That is why the springs are worth more in December than in July. The jeep and hot spring tour is $55 meeting in Kintamani, $70 with hotel pickup.
#2
Rafting the Ayung
The river runs faster from November to March, and you finish soaked either way, so a downpour changes nothing. Rafting is from $25 with gear and hotel pickup, about two hours on the water. On a day of heavy storms the operator decides on the morning whether the river is safe.
#3
Waterfalls at full volume
River-fed falls are heavy and loud from November to March instead of a thin sheet over rock. Go in the morning, before the afternoon storms turn the water brown and the steps slippery. Our waterfalls by season guide says which falls hold up best.
#4
Ubud and the temples
Terraces and temples work under cloud, so they are the bank for bad-weather days; Tirta Empul, the spring temple, is roughly 40 minutes from Ubud. The Ubud route is 10 hours from $65 per car for up to five plus $22 tickets per person.
#5
The east-coast surf
By December the west monsoon is established: swell around 1.6 m at 12.7 s, the west-facing beaches onshore and collecting debris, and Nusa Dua, Serangan and Keramas clean in the mornings. Beginners do best at Sanur. Lessons are from $35.
#6
A car and driver for the holiday week
A private car with driver is from $59 per car for a flexible 10-12 hour day, priced per vehicle rather than per person. In the holiday week the useful thing about it is that the plan can change at breakfast.
Is December a good time to visit Bali?
It is a good time if you plan around two things: the rain and the holiday week. The rain is real but uneven. The airport's 1991-2020 normal is 327.4 mm for December, against 64.4 mm in October, and the usual pattern is a clear or partly cloudy morning and a heavy burst in the afternoon rather than a grey day. The holiday week is the other constraint: from about 20 December the school holidays and days off stack up, and rooms, cars and popular slots go early.
Before the 20th, December is a calm month. After it, book the days that matter in advance, put the sea day early in your stay with a spare behind it, and keep the afternoons for things a shower does not spoil. The first half of the month is the better value of the two, when Australian schools are still in term in several states.
How much does it rain in Bali in December?
On the long-run numbers, a lot more than in November: 327.4 mm at the airport against 131.2 mm, with a mean temperature of 28.0°C. For 2026 BMKG said on 22 September that a very strong El Niño would push the start of the rainy season later than usual, to December for most of Bali, with the peak in January 2027 in central Bali and February 2027 across most of the island. BMKG dates the start precisely, as the first ten-day period with at least 50 mm of rain followed by two more like it.
In practice that means December 2026 is when the wet season most likely settles in, not a month of constant rain. The inland highlands are wetter and cooler than the coast; the sea turns rougher, and fast boats and snorkelling trips are the first things to be called off when the swell comes up. Our rainy season guide goes through what runs, what we move and what we cancel.
| Month | Rain, 1991-2020 normal | Mean temperature | Sunrise in Denpasar | Foreign arrivals, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July (reference) | 27.6 mm | 26.5°C | about 06:34 | 697,107 (July 2025, the peak) |
| October | 64.4 mm | 27.6°C | 06:04 on the 1st, 05:51 on the 31st | 594,853 (October 2025) |
| November | 131.2 mm | 28.2°C | about 05:50 all month | 483,364 (November 2025) |
| December | 327.4 mm | 28.0°C | 05:51 early, 06:03 on the 31st | 572,668 (December 2025) |
| January | 350.7 mm | 27.9°C | 06:03 on the 1st, 06:18 on the 31st | 502,205 (January 2026) |
Rain and temperature: 1991-2020 monthly normals for Denpasar/Ngurah Rai airport, published by the Tokyo Climate Center of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Sunrise: our calculation with NOAA's solar position equations for Denpasar; the Batur summit sees it about 6-7 minutes earlier. Arrivals: foreign visitors arriving directly in Bali, BPS Bali figures as reported by ANTARA and detik.
How busy is Bali at Christmas and New Year?
Very, and the dates are fixed well in advance. Bali's schools break for the semester from Monday 21 December 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027, under the provincial education office's calendar. Indonesia's joint decree for 2026 makes Thursday 24 December a collective day off and Friday 25 December the Christmas holiday, so the domestic long weekend runs from the 24th to the 27th, and 1 January 2027 is a Friday holiday as well. Australian schools close for summer from 11 December in the Northern Territory, 12 December in Queensland and South Australia, 18 December in New South Wales and Western Australia, and 19 December in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.
The arrivals data shows the step. BPS counted 572,668 foreign visitors in December 2025, 18.48% more than in November, and domestic travel adds to that over the holidays. What it means for a trip: more people at the same viewpoints and on the same boats, and less slack in rooms and cars in the last ten days of the month. Nothing closes; everything is simply busier.
Do tours run in December?
Most of them, exactly as in August. The inland days are the safe core: Ubud, the UNESCO route and rafting, which is a better ride in the wet season. Mount Batur runs most mornings with cloud as the risk; the jeep with hot springs is the format we suggest from November to March, $55 meeting in Kintamani or $70 with hotel pickup.
The sea is what to keep loose. Our manta guide ranks November to March last on sea conditions, and last still means most days run, but a storm or a big swell cancels crossings at short notice. Put Nusa Penida in the first half of your stay, from $49 per car for up to six with hotel pickup, and keep a spare day behind it. We would not build a December trip around a single snorkelling morning.
Surfing and the beaches in December
The surf does not stop; it changes coasts. By December the west monsoon is established, the swell is the year's smallest at around 1.6 m at 12.7 seconds, and Nusa Dua, Serangan, Sanur and Keramas turn clean while the west-facing beaches go onshore. Beginners should head for Sanur rather than the west-coast sand; the surf season guide has the detail.
The same west winds make the west-facing beaches from Kuta to Canggu collect monsoon debris in the wet months, so the beach you remember from August may look different. The east-facing strips behind the reef, Nusa Dua and Sanur, stay calm and swimmable, which makes them the easier December base for families with small children.
Dates in December 2026 worth knowing
- 9 December — Tilem Kenam, the dark moon
- 11-19 December — Australian summer school holidays begin, state by state
- 19 December — Tumpek Uduh, offerings to trees and plantations, 25 days before Galungan
- 21 December 2026 - 2 January 2027 — Bali school semester holiday
- 23 December — Purnama Kepitu, the full moon; temple ceremonies
- 24 December collective day off, 25 December Christmas holiday; 1 January 2027 New Year holiday
- Next: Galungan on 13 January 2027 and Kuningan on 23 January 2027; penjor poles go up along the roads in the days before
- Either side: Bali in November and Bali in January
Where these numbers come from
- Tokyo Climate Center, JMA: monthly normals for Denpasar/Ngurah Rai — rain and temperature, base period 1991-2020, retrieved 23 September 2026
- BMKG press release of 22 September 2026 — very strong El Niño, onset and peak of the 2026/2027 rainy season by region, retrieved 23 September 2026
- BMKG Denpasar regional office: glossary of season terms — how the start of the rainy season is defined, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Foreign arrivals from BPS Bali: December 2025 (572,668, up 18.48% on November) as reported by ANTARA on 2 February 2026, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Sekretariat Negara: joint decree on 2026 holidays — 24 December collective day off, 25 December Christmas, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Sekretariat Negara: joint decree on 2027 holidays, signed 15 September 2026 — 1 January 2027 New Year, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Bali school calendar 2026/2027, decree of the provincial education office B.10.400.3/5892/UPTD.BPTP/DIKPORA, as reproduced by Komunitas Belajar — semester holiday 21 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Tourism Australia: Australian school holidays — 2026-2027 summer dates by state, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Kalender Bali Digital — Balinese holy days, full and dark moons for October 2026 to January 2027, retrieved 23 September 2026
- NOAA solar calculator — the equations behind our sunrise times for Denpasar, calculated 23 September 2026
- Surf and sea rankings: our own guides linked above; tour prices from SB Excursions tour pages, September 2026
FAQ
Is December a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, with two things planned around. The rain: a 1991-2020 normal of 327.4 mm at the airport, usually as afternoon downpours, and in 2026 BMKG expects the rainy season to begin across most of Bali in December. And the holiday week: Bali's schools break from 21 December to 2 January, Australian schools from 11-19 December, and the island fills up from about the 20th.
How much does it rain in Bali in December?
About 327.4 mm on the 1991-2020 normal for Ngurah Rai airport, against 131.2 mm in November and 350.7 mm in January. The usual pattern is a usable morning and a heavy afternoon burst. BMKG's 22 September 2026 outlook puts the start of the 2026/2027 rainy season in December for most of Bali.
Is Bali crowded at Christmas and New Year?
Yes. Bali's school holiday runs 21 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, 24 December is a national collective day off and 25 December a holiday, and 1 January 2027 is a Friday holiday. Australian schools close between 11 and 19 December. BPS counted 572,668 foreign arrivals in December 2025, 18.48% more than in November.
Do boats to Nusa Penida run in December?
Most days, yes, but the sea is the first thing weather cancels in the wet season, sometimes at short notice. Put the island early in your stay and keep a spare day behind it. Our west route is from $49 per car for up to six with hotel pickup, and the fast boat is from $15.
Can you surf in Bali in December?
Yes, on the east coast. The west monsoon turns Kuta, Canggu and the Bukit's west reefs onshore, while Nusa Dua, Serangan, Sanur and Keramas are clean most mornings. The swell is the smallest of the year at around 1.6 m and 12.7 seconds, and beginners do best at Sanur.
What should I book in advance for Christmas in Bali?
Anything on a fixed date between 20 December and 2 January: rooms, the airport transfer, a car with driver for the holiday days, and the Nusa Penida boat. Tours booked with us need no prepayment, so there is no cost to holding a date and moving it if the weather turns.
Recommended Bali tours for this guide
Mount Batur Sunrise Jeep & Hot Spring
This combo adds the one thing most volcano mornings skip: a warm-water finish before the drive back. It suits couples and small groups who want the complete Batur sequence — sunrise viewpoint, lava fields, and hot spring — in a single pre-dawn outing with no summit hike.
- Duration
- 6-8 hours
- Area
- Kintamani and Mount Batur
- Format
- Private or small group jeep trip
- Best for
- Sunrise seekers who want to end with a soak
From $55 No prepayment
View tour
Bali White Water Rafting, Ayung River
White water rafting is one of Bali's easiest adventure products to fit into a trip because it feels active without being overly technical. It is especially strong for guests who want something memorable that still works for mixed groups.
- Duration
- 4-6 hours
- Area
- Bali river routes
- Format
- Adventure activity
- Best for
- Families, couples, and active groups
From $25 No prepayment
View tour
Private Car with Driver in Bali
This is one of the most useful products in Bali because so many plans become easier once transport is flexible. It is perfect for custom sightseeing, shopping days, family pacing, and travelers who already know roughly where they want to go.
- Duration
- Flexible daily use
- Area
- All major Bali regions
- Format
- Private transport service
- Best for
- Travelers who want total route flexibility
From $59 per car No prepayment
View tour