How to Get from Java to Bali (or the Other Way Around)

By plane

This is definitely the fastest way to cross from one island to the other. Several low-cost airlines leave from Surabaya, Jakarta and Yogyakarta and land at Denpasar airport in Bali. We recommend searching on Google Flights.

But if you're planning to visit the Bromo and Ijen volcanoes, flying isn't the best option.

By ferry

Crossing from Java to Bali by ferry is the option we used, and it's definitely the cheapest.

If your route includes the Bromo and Ijen volcanoes, this is the best way to cross to Bali. Ijen volcano is 1.5 hours by car from the port of Ketapang, where ferries leave for the port of Gilimanuk, in Bali.

The ferry costs 6,500 rupiah (US$0.60) and takes 40 minutes to reach Bali.

Gilimanuk is in the east of Bali, so keep in mind that you'll have to keep traveling across the island to reach your destination. When you get off the ferry, hundreds of Balinese pounce on you offering transportation at sky-high prices! Don't accept the first offer. Keep looking and negotiating.

There are 2 options for getting from the port to your next stop:

Private taxi

It's the most comfortable way, since the buses go to Denpasar first and you then have to take a taxi to your destination. We were going to Ubud, and since we'd gone several days without sleep and were tired, on top of Bali's traffic being hell, we went with this option.

While still on the ferry, we started looking for other tourists who wanted to make the same trip so we could split the cost of the taxi. We were lucky to meet 2 French travelers also going to Ubud, so we decided to share the ride.

The first offer we got was 1,000,000 rupiah (US$75), which seemed like a huge amount of money. So we kept looking until we negotiated 600,000 rupiah (US$43) with a driver to take the 4 of us to the center of Ubud. Our advice: don't settle for the first offer, and ALWAYS haggle. In Bali especially, they assume that because you're a tourist you can pay any ridiculous price, and they'll try to take advantage of you as much as they can.

Bus

It goes to Denpasar and takes about 4 hours, since it makes many stops along the way. It costs 40,000 rupiah (US$3). They'll probably try to sell it to you for more. DON'T accept.

Once in Denpasar, you'll have to take a taxi or a Grab (much cheaper) to your hotel.