November is the quietest month of Bali's second half-year and a good one, as long as you keep one day loose. On the 1991-2020 normals the airport gets 131.2 mm of rain, twice October's and well under half of December's, so it is the hinge between the seasons rather than the rainy season itself. In 2026 BMKG expects the rains to start in November in parts of Bali and in December across most of the island, later than usual because of a very strong El Niño. The island is at its emptiest since the spring: 483,364 foreign visitors arrived in November 2025, about 31% fewer than at the July peak. One thing people search for does not happen: there is no Galungan in November 2026. The last one in November was on 19 November 2025, and the next is on 13 January 2027.
By Alex Moskvin, Founder of SB Excursions · Published 23 September 2026 · Updated 16 October 2026
Tour on this route: Ubud Rice Terrace, Temple & Volcano Tour — From $65 per car, 10 hours.
Is November a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, if you can keep a day flexible. It is the quietest month, with 483,364 foreign arrivals in November 2025 against 697,107 in July, and the weather is the hinge between the seasons: a 1991-2020 normal of 131.2 mm of rain at the airport, against 327.4 mm in December. In 2026 BMKG expects the rainy season late, in November for parts of Bali and December for most of it.
This guide also answers:
- Is November the rainy season in Bali?
- Is there Galungan in November 2026?
- Is Bali busy in November?
Top picks from this guide
#1
Ubud and the central temples
Temples, terraces and craft villages photograph well under cloud and keep working in a shower. Our Ubud rice terrace, temple and volcano tour starts at 08:00, runs 10 hours and is from $65 per car for up to five, with entrance tickets $22 per person.
#2
The Ayung river
From November the Ayung picks up water and is a genuinely better ride than at the end of the dry season. You finish soaked either way, so a downpour changes nothing. Rafting is from $25 with gear and hotel pickup; the put-in is about 20 minutes from central Ubud.
#3
Mount Batur with the hot springs
November sits at the start of the wet season, when guides still run most mornings and cloud is the real risk. The jeep format that ends in the lakeside springs is worth more now: $55 if you meet it in Kintamani, $70 with hotel pickup anywhere in Bali. Keep a spare morning.
#4
Jatiluwih at harvest
Jatiluwih runs on a written subak calendar with a short white variety planted in August, and our rice terrace guide puts that harvest towards November. Expect cut stubble and golden fields in places rather than a uniform green panorama. The UNESCO heritage tour covers it from $65 per car.
#5
The east-coast surf
November is the tail of the west-coast window: around 1.6 m at 13.2 s, the wind still mostly offshore in the west but turning variable while the east coast switches on. Plan to move between coasts rather than commit to one. A private beginner lesson is from $35.
#6
Waterfalls starting to run
Half of what people come to see at a waterfall is water, and from November there is some again. River-fed falls answer to the last storm; spring-fed ones hold their colour. Our waterfalls by season guide separates the two.
Is November a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, if you want the island at its quietest and can keep one day flexible. BPS counted 483,364 foreign arrivals in November 2025, the lowest of the months in the table below and about 31% below the July peak of 697,107. There is no national holiday in Indonesia in November 2026 and Australian schools are in term until mid-December, so neither of the two big crowds that shape the calendar is on the island.
The weather is the transition, not the wet season proper. The airport's 1991-2020 normal is 131.2 mm for the month, against 64.4 mm in October and 327.4 mm in December, and the mean temperature of 28.2°C makes November the warmest month of the year on those normals. Expect humid afternoons and the first real downpours, usually late in the day, with mornings that are still mostly usable.
Is November the rainy season in Bali?
In a normal year the rainy season starts somewhere in November or December depending on the part of the island. BMKG dates it precisely: the first ten-day period with at least 50 mm of rain that is followed by two more like it. On 22 September 2026 the agency said a very strong El Niño would push the start of the 2026/2027 season later than usual, to November for parts of Bali and December for most of the island, with the peak in January 2027 in central Bali and February 2027 across most of it.
What that means on the ground: a November 2026 trip is more likely than usual to feel like a damp October, but a forecast is a probability. Plan sea days early in the trip and inland days late, keep one spare morning for the volcano or the boat, and check the next day's forecast rather than the month's. The table sets November against its neighbours.
| 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.
Is there Galungan in November 2026?
No, and it is worth saying because people search for it. Galungan runs on the 210-day Pawukon calendar, so it moves through the Gregorian year. It fell on 19 November 2025; 2026 has only one, which was on 17 June 2026; and the next is Wednesday 13 January 2027, with Kuningan on 23 January 2027. Our Galungan and Kuningan guide has the full chain of dates and what changes for visitors.
November 2026 does have its own ceremony days. Pagerwesi falls on 4 November, four days after Saraswati on 31 October and Banyu Pinaruh on 1 November. The dark moon, Tilem Kelima, is on 9 November and the full moon, Purnama Kenam, on 24 November, when village temples hold ceremonies and roads can slow for processions. None of these stop tours.
What works well in November, and what to keep loose
The inland days are the safe core. The Ubud route from $65 per car and the UNESCO heritage tour from $65 per car plus $20 tickets per person work in a shower, and the Ayung starts to run faster: rafting from $25 is a better ride now than in September. At Jatiluwih the crop planted in August is usually cut towards November, so the terraces look harvested rather than uniformly green; our rice terrace season guide explains the calendar.
Keep the sea and the volcano flexible. On sea conditions our manta guide ranks November to March last, and last still means most days run, but a big swell or a storm can cancel a crossing at short notice. For Batur, guides run most mornings and cloud is the risk; the jeep with hot springs at $55, or $70 with hotel pickup, is the format a grey dawn cannot spoil entirely. Sunrise in Denpasar is at its earliest of the year in November, about 05:50.
Surfing in November
November is when the surf changes address. The west coast and the Bukit reefs are at the tail of their reliable window, around 1.6 m at 13.2 seconds, with the wind still mostly offshore early in the month but turning variable, while the east side from Nusa Dua to Keramas starts to clean up. The practical plan is to move between coasts rather than commit to one.
Beginners should let the instructor choose the beach and the tide. A private lesson is from $35 for 2-4 hours with board and coach. The surf season guide goes month by month through which coast is offshore.
Dates in November 2026 worth knowing
- 1 November — Banyu Pinaruh, ritual bathing at springs and on beaches at dawn, the day after Saraswati
- 4 November — Pagerwesi
- 9 November — Tilem Kelima, the dark moon
- 24 November — Purnama Kenam, the full moon; temple ceremonies across the island
- No Indonesian national holiday falls in November 2026, and there is no Galungan until 13 January 2027
- Australian summer school holidays start from 11-19 December depending on the state, so November sits before them
- Either side: Bali in October and Bali in December
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: November 2025 (483,364, down 18.74% on October) as reported by ANTARA on 2 February 2026 alongside December; July 2025 by ANTARA Bali, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Kalender Bali Digital — Balinese holy days, full and dark moons for October 2026 to January 2027, retrieved 23 September 2026
- Tourism Australia: Australian school holidays — 2026-2027 summer dates by state, retrieved 23 September 2026
- NOAA solar calculator — the equations behind our sunrise times for Denpasar, calculated 23 September 2026
- Galungan dates, rice calendar, surf and sea rankings: our own guides linked above; tour prices from SB Excursions tour pages, September 2026
FAQ
Is November a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, if you can keep a day flexible. It is the quietest month, with 483,364 foreign arrivals in November 2025 against 697,107 in July, and the weather is the hinge between the seasons: a 1991-2020 normal of 131.2 mm of rain at the airport, against 327.4 mm in December. In 2026 BMKG expects the rainy season late, in November for parts of Bali and December for most of it.
Is November the rainy season in Bali?
It is the start of it in a normal year, somewhere in November or December depending on the area. On 22 September 2026 BMKG forecast a late start for 2026/2027 because of a very strong El Niño: November in parts of Bali and December across most of the island, with the peak in January or February 2027.
Is there Galungan in November 2026?
No. Galungan follows the 210-day Pawukon calendar: it fell on 19 November 2025, only once in 2026 on 17 June, and the next is Wednesday 13 January 2027, with Kuningan on 23 January 2027. November 2026 has Pagerwesi on 4 November and the full moon on 24 November.
Is Bali busy in November?
No, it is the quietest month of the second half of the year. BPS counted 483,364 foreign arrivals in November 2025, 18.74% fewer than in October and about 31% below the July peak. Indonesia has no national holiday in November 2026, and Australian summer school holidays only start in mid-December.
Can you surf in Bali in November?
Yes. November is the tail of the west-coast window, around 1.6 m of swell at 13.2 seconds, with the wind turning variable while the east coast from Nusa Dua to Keramas starts to clean up. Plan to move between coasts. A private beginner lesson is from $35 for 2-4 hours.
Is November a good month for Mount Batur?
It works, with a spare morning in the plan. November is the start of the wet season, when guides still run most mornings and cloud is the real risk to the view. The jeep tour that ends in the hot springs is $55 if you meet it in Kintamani or $70 with hotel pickup, and a grey dawn cannot spoil it entirely.
Recommended Bali tours for this guide
Ubud Rice Terrace, Temple & Volcano Tour
This private Ubud and Kintamani day tour is built for travelers who want Bali culture, scenery, and soft adventure without planning the route or doing the driving. It works especially well for first-time visitors because the route moves from craft villages and temples to volcano views, rice terraces, and the Ubud center in one organized flow.
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Area
- Kintamani, Ubud, and central Bali
- Format
- Private day tour by car
- Best for
- First-time Bali visitors
From $65 per car No prepayment
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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
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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