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Bali is insanely pretty. All it takes is a quick image search and you’ll be looking up flights in the next couple of minutes. Daniel grew up in Perth, so we’ve been to Bali more times than we can count.
Over the last several years, we’ve noticed Instagram tours have been blowing up in popularity in Bali. We’re here to answer the question, “Is it really worth it?”
Being the curious travelers we are, we decided to finally pull the trigger and see what all the excitement was about. In this post, we will go in-depth about our experience on this specific Instagram tour, what to expect, and some of the pros and cons of Bali Instagram tours. Of course, we will also show you the great photos we got along the way!
What Bali Instagram tour did we do?
After digging through all of the different Instagram tours offered online and comparing them, we finally decided on this Private All-Inclusive Bali Instagram Tour. Not to ruin the surprise or anything, but it was fantastic.
What makes this tour stand out from the rest is that it covers the cost of everything. The guide, cameraman, round-trip transportation, lunch, entrance tickets, etc … all of it is included in the price so we didn’t have to worry about any surprise costs. We do encourage you to bring some cash to tip your guide, but it’s not expected.
The other part of this Bali Instagram tour we loved is that we never felt like we were just paying to have someone shuttle us around and pose for pictures. Even though the places we visited are quite touristy, our guides were incredible and made our day a full-on cultural experience. We learned about Balinese history, religion, food, and so much more! And it isn’t just us who loved the experience, this tour has literally thousands of 5-star reviews you can read here.
If you’re an early riser like we are, there’s an option to start the tour at 4 am to beat the crowds, but the more favorable choice is the 6 am start time. We know that’s still early, but as they say, “the early bird gets the best Instagram shot.” We want to point out that this is a long day and can last upwards of 12 hours, so we recommend going to bed early the night before. We spent a lot of time outside and while it shouldn’t be a problem for most travelers, there is a lot of walking and some of the places are moderately challenging to get to.
That brings me to my first piece of advice: pack multiple shoes! Hiking boots aren’t exactly cute, but they make your day a lot easier. Have a backpack with everything you’ll need to be comfortable and a change of outfit at the ready. Trust me, you do not want to walk up Lempuyang Temple’s 1,700 steps in heels.
Speaking of Lempuyang Temple, since it is a religious place, we were required to cover our knees and shoulders during our visit. If you don’t have an outfit that provides this coverage, there are sarongs for rent at the temple to cover your knees or shoulders. This goes for both men and women.
This tour includes five stops throughout the day (more on that soon) with an hour for lunch. It should be noted that the traffic in Bali is pretty bad so we did spend a considerable amount of time in the car between stops. Luckily, the vehicles have A/C and WiFi which gave us ample time to post our pictures, talk to our driver, and just admire the scenery from the window.
Even as a solo traveler, this Instagram Tour is a great option. It covers so much in one day! If you do decide to go on your own it will cost $199 USD. Otherwise, for groups of two and up, it is $134 USD per person.
You can book this Bali Instagram Tour right here!
Best Places We Visited on the Tour
1. Lempuyang Temple
We have been all over Bali and I think Lempuyang Temple is one of the most incredible places in the country. Also known as the Gate of Heaven, this Balinese Hindu temple is one of the holiest places in Bali and is still actively used to this day. The famous photos you see here with Mount Agung in the distance are of the candi bentar which is the split gateway that is the entrance to the temple.
It was constructed to sit on top of Mount Lempuyang, which is known as Sang Naga Taksaka, and is considered the mount of the god, Shiva. For me, part of what makes this place so cool is how symbolic it is and the intricate details on the structure.
While the history is important, what makes this place such a great spot for photos is the view from the temple. Using a neat little trick, our guide took a mirror and positioned it underneath the lens, so it reflected the gate, the mountain, and us, which is how we ended up with one of the most iconic photos in Bali. Instagram worthy? I’d say so!
2. Tirta Gangga
Constructed in 1946 by the last King of Karangasem, Tirta Gangga directly translates to “blessed water from the Ganges”. The Ganges is a sacred river in Hinduism and because of the direct correlation between the river and Tirta Gangga, the palace is considered a sacred site. The architecture has a mixture of Balinese and Chinese influences, which make for a unique temple design in Bali.
I loved learning the history of Tirta Gangga from our guide, but the highlight for me, and the reason many people come here, is its magnificent koi pond. Lined with stone guardian statues, the pond has small stone platforms used to walk across the water. The koi fish here are huge and swim all around, which makes for some great photos. Just watch your step because we’re not even halfway done with this tour, and falling into a koi pond isn’t something we’d recommend!
The unique architecture and koi-filled pond of Tirta Gangga make for some excellent one-of-a-kind photos. Our guide knew all the best places to take pictures, so we’re sure your pictures will get plenty of likes!
3. Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Being from Canada, I have seen plenty of Instagrammable places including a lot of beautiful waterfalls, and I’m always searching for the best ones when we travel. The Tukad Cepung Waterfall is one of those waterfalls I will come back to again and again – it’s just stunning!
Hidden inside of a cave in Tembuku Village, this is one of those places where you’ll want some decent shoes because it is a pretty rocky hike on the way to this waterfall. Upon arrival, the water is about ankle-deep, and the wide, enclosed waterfall makes for some epic photos. The payoff is worth the hassle though! I mean, how often do you see a waterfall in a cave?
I think this is one of the best waterfalls to visit in Bali so you don’t want to miss it. The only question is, what will your photo caption be?
Related Read: For another unique experience, check out the Dambulla Cave Temples in Sri Lanka! It’s just one of many incredible things to do in Sri Lanka.
4. Uma Pakel Agro Tourism: Café, jungle swing, and coffee plantation
This next one is actually a bit of a one-two punch when it comes to Instagram worthiness. There isn’t one or two, but three great places for photos! That is, of course, assuming you don’t mind swings that dangle you over the jungle hundreds of feet up. Hey, anything for the shot!
While the jungle swing is the highlight and makes for some seriously cool photos, I think the rest of the experience is fantastic too. There is a far less frightening floating bench made from sticks (I really don’t know any other way to describe it) that looks out over the lush jungle below. So if you’re scared of heights you can still get great pictures!
The coffee plantation we visited afterward was a fun experience, and our guide showed us about the harvesting and roasting process. We were super appreciative of the coffee tasting which was a welcomed caffeine bump after getting up so early! We even got to grind some of the coffee, which made for a great photo and fun story for our friends.
5. Tegallalang Rice Terrace
If you have never seen a cascading rice terrace in person before, Tegallalang is going to blow you away! I’ve seen a couple rice fields during my travels, but the Tegallalang Rice Terrace (aka Ceking Rice Terrace) is by far the prettiest one I’ve come across.
Located just outside of Ubud, these beautiful rice fields always seem like something out of a dream. This is a popular attraction, but our guide helped us get some amazing pictures that made it look like we had this place all to ourselves!
The Tegallalang Rice Terrace is an iconic destination in Bali and the deep lush colors of the rice terrace are enchanting. If you’ve ever looked up photos of Bali before, chances are you’ve seen images of this tropical paradise. Well, the pictures are great, but believe us when we say they are even more amazing in person! And of course, we encourage you to take some pictures so you can tell everyone who comments the same thing.
Related Read: Another amazing place we love to explore in Southeast Asia is Thailand. Check out our guide on traveling around Thailand on a budget!
What We Loved About the Bali Instagram Tour
Well-planned tour
From top to bottom, this Bali Instagram Tour was designed to be the best possible experience. Our guides knew exactly where to go and helped us minimize the often ridiculously long wait times for pictures. Not many Instagram tours leave as early as this one, and people often get stuck waiting up to 2 hours to get the “perfect picture,” whereas we only had to wait a maximum of 30 minutes.
Something else our guide did extremely well was balancing the pace at each location between picture-taking and allowing us time to appreciate the area. I mean, what’s the point of getting a picture if you don’t get to take some time to take in the beauty and uniqueness of each spot? Because it was so well organized, we never felt rushed, which is a key selling point for me.
All-inclusive
We love all-inclusive tours and this is about as all-inclusive as you can get. This tour was convenient, stress-free, and made it easy to fully enjoy our day.
Besides deciding to buy a coffee at Lempuyang Temple, we didn’t have to pull out our wallets any other time. Everything, and I mean everything, is covered. Our guide even made a joke about us leaving our wallets at home, but I personally don’t recommend that.
At first glance, it seemed expensive at $134 USD each. However, some of the other tours we looked at were cheaper, but not all-inclusive, so it would have ended up costing us more overall. For everything included with this tour and the convenience, it’s a killer deal.
Fantastic guide
People make the place and a guide makes the tour. Our guide, Beni, was one of the best we have ever had. Balinese people are already incredibly friendly, but this guy went above and beyond!
Whether it was answering our questions about culture and history, needing to make a stop for the bathroom, taking amazing photos, or giving advice, Beni had us smiling all day. I can’t imagine we would have had anywhere near as much fun without him!
He was also a very safe and considerate driver which we appreciated. Traffic in Bali can get wild, but we always felt safe and everything went smoothly. This is especially important since you spend an extended amount of time in the private car.
But we aren’t the only ones who feel this way. The Bali Instagram Tour has over 1,700 5-star reviews you can read here and almost all of them mention their guide. Check this one out:
“The tour was one of the best we have experienced. Beni was an amazing tour host. He went above and beyond in making sure we enjoyed this beautiful country. Our photographer, Gede, took some amazing pictures of us and also shared some facts about Bali periodically throughout the trip. Thanks for providing us with such a great experience and we will certainly recommend this tour to our family and friends.”
Communication was excellent
Communication is key for any good tour and within minutes of booking this tour on Viator, they were in contact with us. I was honestly a little shocked at first by how fast they responded! Talk about a good first impression.
It didn’t stop there though. They invited us to join a WhatsApp group so we could chat with our guide and ask any questions we had. The night before our tour they confirmed the pick-up time and our location, and they were there on time the next day. It was incredibly easy and made us feel like they really cared because they did!
What We Didn’t Like About the Bali Instagram Tour
It’s a really long day
There isn’t really any way around this since traffic in Bali is always a factor, but we spent a lot of time in a car which made it feel like a very long day. For us, the whole experience was just over 12 hours. While it was an amazing time, we were definitely ready to just take a shower and go to bed once we got back to our hotel.
I wouldn’t let this deter you from experiencing this tour, but I would recommend keeping it in mind. Bring a book or have some podcasts at the ready to help pass the time quicker when you inevitably get stuck in traffic.
There is also quite a bit of walking and standing at some locations. I think most people will find that this tour is doable, but bring some decent shoes and it will make your life much easier. You can do the whole day in flip-flops, but I think you’d be very uncomfortable.
Most places are very touristy
Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be an Instagram tour if you didn’t go to some touristy places. Everywhere we visited was breathtaking, but often it got wildly busy. This can get annoying quickly and sometimes take away from the experience.
Luckily, our guide did a great job of helping us navigate the chaos and have a fun time when places inevitably got busier. I mean, having devoted our lives to traveling, we understand that it comes with the territory. The prettiest places in the world are often the most busy.
We like to get off the tourist track as much as possible so we were a little hesitant to do this tour at first, but I have to admit, there is a reason these places are so popular! You’ll see for yourself when you visit.
Is this Bali Instagram Tour Worth it?
Yes, this is hands down one of the best ways to experience the amazing sights in Bali!
The temples and rice fields are beyond beautiful and were the highlight of our day. It was so cool seeing all these places, many of which we had only seen online. We can confirm that they were even better in person!
We loved this tour. If you’re not a social media person or don’t care about pictures that much, this is still a great way to see a lot of the island in one day. We were pleasantly surprised by how much of it was culture and history-focused. That is largely because of our incredible guide who went out of his way to share his knowledge of each location.
So if you have been curious about the Bali Instagram Tour, but unsure if it’s worth your time, we can confidently say that yes, it is!
Ready to book? Easily reserve the Bali Instagram Tour here!
Where to Stay in Bali
Bali is full of stunning hotels – so many, in fact, that it can be hard to choose. The first step is deciding on which area suits you best and then selecting a hotel afterward.
There are three areas of Bali that we personally love and recommend to all of our friends. You can read about them below as well as our top hotel choice in each area!
Canggu
This is Bali’s trendiest area! This is where Dan and I stay whenever we are in Bali for an extended amount of time because of the lifestyle here. There are beautiful cafes on every corner, amazing restaurants and bars, and boutique shopping. It’s also close to the beach and has a great nightlife. This is the area where most expats base themselves in Bali, which creates the buzzing atmosphere that Canggu is known for.
Chesa Canggu is a boutique hotel within walking distance of Canggu’s best restaurants, bars, and beaches. Each room faces the outdoor pool and has a private bathroom, free WiFi, a TV, and a safety deposit box. Chesa has an onsite bar and restaurant and offers free parking for guests. The beds are super comfortable, and the staff always go out of their way to help you. Trust us, you won’t regret staying here!
Prices start as low as $124 USD per night and you can book online here.
Uluwatu
This is the perfect place to stay if you want a relaxing beach holiday! Uluwatu is a lot quieter than Canggu with a lot less traffic. The beaches here are amazing and some of the most beautiful on the island. There are also plenty of cafes, restaurants, and beach clubs here. We also love the closer proximity to the airport, making for a convenient stay if you’re only in Bali for a short time.
Anantara Uluwatu is a fantastic option for those looking to treat themselves during their stay in Uluwatu. It’s located right on the beach, so you’re guaranteed some amazing views. There are multiple restaurants and bars, an outdoor infinity pool, a spa, and a fitness center. Plus, each room comes with your own hot tub! The employees are super helpful, and the hotel has onsite activities like dance classes, ceramic-making, and yoga.
Prices range from $320 to $1,500 USD, and you can check rates and availability online here.
Ubud
Not a beach person? Then Ubud is for you! It is located inland, surrounded by lush jungle. The area is still quite trendy with plenty of cafes and restaurants, although the nightlife is a lot more limited. Ubud is where you can easily find nearby waterfalls, go whitewater rafting, ATVing, and all the other fun adventurous activities.
We stayed at Abipraya, which was super quiet and nestled into a tropical garden, about 10 minutes’ walk from the main town. The location was ideal for us and we loved the big swimming pool overlooking the rice fields, as well as the open and airy feel that the rooms had.
Prices start at around $50 USD per night, which includes breakfast, so it was a really good budget option. Book Abipraya here!
Thanks for reading!
There are loads of things to do in Bali, and after taking a Bali Instagram tour, we understand the hype. Aside from getting some breathtaking photos, the places we visited were truly beautiful. From waterfalls to bright green rice terraces, going on an Instagram tour is worth it!
We love traveling around Asia and Australasia too! We’re always looking for excuses to come back, and we want to share our experiences with you. Here are some other blogs that might interest you:
23 BEST Things to do in Uluwatu, Bali
Tips for Visiting Angkor Wat: Cambodia’s Most Popular Tourist Attraction
5 BEST Day Cruises in Fiji for an Ideal Day on the Water
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