Kintamani Bali is one of the islandβs most underrated areas, with fresh mountain air, lake view hotels and restaurants, and the humongous 13-kilometer-wide volcanic caldera that the village has sat in since ancient times.
The main attraction in Kintamani is the epic Mount Batur volcano, which is super popular for sunrise hikes, but there are a bunch of other neat things to see in the area like temples, hot springs, and the giant crater lake.
We spent a few days here recently and it was a fantastic getaway from the busy life in south Bali. This page will explain how to get to Kintamani, where to stay, and what are the best things you can see and do in the area!
Where To Stay In Kintamani
How To Get There
Kintamani is located on the northeast side of Bali island.
Itβs a 1 to 2 hour drive from touristy places like Ubud, Sanur, Canggu and Kuta in south Bali.
At the moment thereβs no public transport to Kintamani, so the best way to get there is with a private driver or by scooter.
How To Get Around
The Kintamani sights are a bit spread out over the area, so you may need transport if you plan to go exploring.
The most popular way to get around is by scooter, and you can book these online or rent from a hotel or street shop.
Most hotels will also be happy to provide a day driver + car if you need one, and tour companies typically include transport in their packages.
Best Things To Do & See
β’ Mount Batur Sunrise Hike
The Mount Batur trek is one of Baliβs most popular and epic hiking experiences.
Sunrise trekking is especially popular because you can catch amazing views from the top of the mountain, usually in a sea of orange clouds. There are Mount Batur tours that include hotel pickup and drop-off from the main tourist areas of Bali.
Batur is also a great hike to do while staying in Kintamani because you have easy access to the volcano. You can wake up later for the hike, so that means starting at 4 AM instead of 1-2 AM if you start from other areas of Bali like Ubud, Kuta, or Sanur.
We were able to walk directly to the volcano from our Kintamani hotel!
Read More: How To Hike Mount Batur
Book Now: Mount Batur Sunrise Hiking Tour
β’ Toya Devasya Hot Springs
This is a waterpark on the edge of Lake Batur where you can soak in the natural hot springs.
The infinity pool at Toya Devasya has one of Kintamaniβs most amazing views, with the lake and mountains directly in the background.
β’ Lake Batur
Lake Batur is a big volcanic crater lake that sits across from Kintamani village.
Besides being a photogenic lake thatβs great for drone photos, there are also tour companies that will let you do canoeing on the lake.
β’ Pura Segara Temple
This is an old floating temple on the edge of Lake Batur.
It has some similarities to the famous Lake Baratan temple in Bedugul, but this one has no crowds and no entrance fee!
Read More: Pura Segara Temple
β’ Trunyan Cemetary
Nicknamed βSkull Islandβ, this is an interesting (and creepy) ancient village across Lake Batur where the locals bury their dead above ground.
Read More: Trunyan Cemetery
β’ Kintamani Village Terraces
Inside the Kintamani caldera is a patchwork of picturesque crop fields growing onions, tomatoes, oranges and more.
The best time to take pictures of the fields is shortly after sunrise or before sunset, when the sun casts long dramatic shadows.
You can get the best views of this while climbing down Baturβs north slope, or by flying a drone!
β’ Volcano Dirt Biking
The south slope of the Batur volcano has a sandy black lava field thatβs perfect for dirt biking, and there are a bunch of companies that offer this. ATVs and jeep tours are also popular.
Itβs a cool experience if youβre looking to get an adrenaline rush while touring some scenic Indonesia vistas!
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β’ Mount Agung Trekking
If youβre really up for a challenge, hire a guide and spend a full day trekking Mount Agung, the biggest volcano and highest point in Bali. This is an extremely hard hike, and Kintamani is a decent place to base yourself for it.
Read More: Mount Agung Hike
β’ Besakih Temple
This is one of the biggest and most significant temples in Bali.
Besakih sits on the slopes of the Mount Agung volcano, and some parts of the temple may be thousands of years old.
Itβs a 40 minute drive from Kintamani, Bali.
β’ Marigold Fields
Temukus village near the Besakih temple has lots of marigold fields where they grow flowers for the Hindu ceremonies.
You wonβt see any of the usual palm trees and green rice paddies here, but instead youβre surrounded by foggy mountains and bright orange marigold flowers.
Read More: Bali Marigold Fields
Best Kintamani Bali Restaurants
Kintamani has lots of good lake view restaurants and cafes, but here are a few top picks:
- Kintamani Coffee: A coffee shop on the main road with great lake views and great food. Perfect breakfast stop!
- Pulu Mujung Warung: Artistic/organic menu and some of the best food above Kintamani Bali. Views are top notch too.
- Rejeng Bali: A close-up lake view restaurant sitting directly on the shores of Lake Batur, with fair prices. This is probably your best food option near the lake itself.
- La Vista Coffee & Roastery: New-ish cafe with amazing swing set views of the Batur volcano and Kintamani caldera from above. Great spot for photos.
- Lakeview Restaurant & Hotel: They have Chinese, Indian, & Indonesian food with one of the best caldera views.
Other Tips
- Credit Cards: Not accepted at most restaurants, hotels, & other things in Kintamani. Cash is king.
- ATM: There are a handful of ATMs scattered along the main road above Kintamani Bali, and one at Toya Devasya hot springs, but I donβt know if they work. Best to bring extra cash.
- WiFi: Hotels in the area generally have WiFi good enough for surfing, but not streaming. This is improving quickly though.
- Cell Service: We had great reception in Kintamani with Telkomsel. Better than in Denpasar city, actually!
Kintamani Entrance Fee
As of 2022, the locals in Kintamani are charging an entrance fee to anyone visiting or passing through the area.
These are the current fees:
- Foreigners: 50k IDR (~$3 USD)
- Domestic: 20k IDR
- Locals (Bali): 10k IDR
Itβs a very silly fee that doesnβt accomplish anything, and even Balinese locals from elsewhere on the island are being charged a fee.
Apparently these fees have had very negative effects on the local businesses in Kintamani, and many hotels and restaurants are suffering as a result.
Hopefully the leadership sees how unreasonable these fees are, and gets rid of them soon.
Best Time To Visit
The weather in Kintamani is nice any time of year.
It sits in the mountains at an unusually high elevation compared to the rest of Bali, so the temps are quite a bit cooler β up to 10 Β°C cooler than at sea level.
If you plan to do hiking, the best months are May to November, when thereβs less rain and the mountain visibility is better.
The rainy season months will still work for hiking too, but you might want to bring a rain jacket just in case.
How Long To Stay
You can see the best sights of Kintamani in a couple days, but youβll probably want to stay longer because of the fresh mountain air and laid back pace of life.
Happy travels!
Where To Stay
Nowadays there are lots of great budget friendly Kintamani hotel options. See below for some recommendations.
One of the big advantages to staying in a Kintamani hotel is that you have easy access to the Batur volcano so you can wake up later for the hike.
That means starting the hike at 4 AM, instead of 1-2 AM if you do it as a day trip from other areas of Bali like Ubud, Kuta, or Sanur.
We were able to walk directly to the volcano from our Kintamani hotel in just a few minutes!
Kintamani Hotel Recommendations
My Bali Travel Guide
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this complete list of what to do in Kintamani Bali.
Donβt forget to check out my complete Bali Travel Guide with more free tips, info, and photos!
Bali Private Driver & Motorbike Rental
If you want to explore Bali in the comfort and safety of a private car with an English speaking driver, my top recommendation would be GetYourGuide.
Their price is 650k Rupiah ($45 USD) for a full day of driving and sightseeing in Bali (up to 10 hours) for 1-5 passengers. That's the total price for the whole car + driver + petrol! It's a great deal. They also offer affordable hotel transfers from the airport.
If you'd rather travel by motorbike, they have that too. Their scooter rentals start at 140k Rupiah (~$9) and include a helmet, rain coat, and free delivery in the south Bali area.
We've used GetYourGuide for lots of tours and activities around the world, and they're great! Highly recommended.
Book Now: Bali Private Driver / Scooter Rental
See Also
- Bali Beach Guide - The Best Beaches In Bali
- Bali Waterfalls Guide - The Best Waterfalls In Bali
- Bali Temple Guide - The Best Temples In Bali
- Bali Travel Guide - Info, Pictures, & Blog
- Nusa Penida Island Guide - How To Visit From Bali
- Most Beautiful Indonesian Islands - Best Places To Visit In Indonesia