Benoa Bali Indonesia

507 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (48 Cruises)

Azamara Pursuit

1112 Passengers
30277 tons
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Celebrity Cruises (26 Cruises)

Cruise CEL Celebrity Ship Millennium

Celebrity Millennium

2218 Passengers
91011 tons
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Crystal Cruises (17 Cruises)

Emerald Waterways (36 Cruises)

Emerald Xara.

Emerald Xara

128 Passengers
5 tons
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Oceania Cruises (64 Cruises)

Cruise OCE Oceania Cruises Riviera ship

Oceania Riviera

1250 Passengers
66084 tons
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Princess Cruises (44 Cruises)

Cruise PCL Princess Grand Ship

Grand Princess

2600 Passengers
107751 tons
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises (86 Cruises)

Cruise REG Regent Seven Seas Cruises Explorer ship

Seven Seas Explorer

1294 Passengers
55254 tons
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Cruise REG Regent Seven Seas Cruises Mariner ship

Seven Seas Mariner

1167 Passengers
48075 tons
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Seven Seas Splendor.

Seven Seas Splendor

1296 Passengers
55254 tons
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Silversea Cruises (19 Cruises)

Viking Ocean Cruises (87 Cruises)

Viking Orion.

Viking Orion

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Viking Venus

Viking Venus

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The scent of incense arrives before the gangway. On Benoa Wharf, dancers in gold-embroidered costume welcome ships to the sound of gamelan, and small baskets of flowers placed on the ground recall that Bali lives to the rhythm of its offerings. The terminal itself, installed in an active port zone about ten kilometres south of Denpasar, does not seek to seduce: it opens a door. The island of the gods begins beyond the cranes, in temples, rice terraces and artisan workshops.

Organise Your Day From the Dock

A Balinese port-call must be planned, as distances matter more than the map suggests. Traffic around Denpasar is dense, and each direction represents a choice: the south and its cliffs, the north and its rice terraces, the west and its marine sanctuary. Taxis wait at the terminal exit, and organised excursions remain the simplest way to combine two or three stops without watching the clock.

DirectionApproximate Journey From Benoa
Denpasar (centre)11 km, 20 to 30 minutes
Uluwatu (south)About 30 minutes
Tanah Lot (north-west)About 45 minutes
Ubud (north)About one hour
Nusa Dua and Tanjung BenoaA few kilometres

Uluwatu: A Sanctuary at the Edge of the Void

South of the peninsula, the Temple of Uluwatu has stood since the eleventh century atop a cliff that plunges straight into the Indian Ocean. You follow the ridge by an arranged path, your gaze divided between the roofs of black stone and the foam far below. The place remains a living sanctuary: you enter in a sarong, in a hushed voice, as the faithful come to leave their offerings. Brazen monkeys prowl along the railings; best to hold sunglasses and hats firmly.

Ubud: Rice Terraces and Working Hands

Northward, the road climbs through villages to Ubud, Bali's cultural heart. The rice terraces there draw curves of deep green, maintained by hand as they have been for generations. The nearby forest shelters troops of unfearing monkeys, and the surrounding workshops perpetuate wood carving, batik and painting. It is the portion most demanding in travel time, but also the one showing the island most faithful to itself.

Tanah Lot: The Temple Set Upon the Sea

Another option, the Sanctuary of Tanah Lot rises on a rock detached from the shore, surrounded by water at high tide. Balinese count it among their most venerated places, and its silhouette cut against the horizon explains why so many travellers make the detour.

Stay Near the Ship Without Boredom

Those who prefer to limit travel find their match within minutes of the terminal. The beaches of Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa line clear sand and calm waters, suited to swimming and water sports alike. The Chinese Buddhist temple Caow Eng Bio witnesses the island's religious diversity, and a cooking school like Bumbu Bali initiates you to local spices over a course. From this same point, short boat excursions also reach Turtle Island, where a local centre presents these animals to families. Cultural demonstrations organised near the dock, between puppets, gamelan orchestra and traditional dance, offer a condensed version of Balinese art steps from the gangway.

Return Aboard

On return, frangipani trees at the roadside drop their white flowers on the asphalt, and you understand that Bali boils down neither to a beach nor a monument. The island gives itself in fragments: a temple against the ocean, a rice terrace, an offering placed on a threshold. Everyone comes back up the gangway with theirs, and already craving more.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Benoa terminal, in a working port area about 10 km south of Denpasar. The pier itself makes no attempt to charm, but the welcome is worth seeing: dancers in gold-embroidered costume, gamelan music and small baskets of flowers set on the ground.
No. The terminal sits in a port zone and everything happens on the road. Taxis wait outside the gate, and organised excursions remain the simplest way to string together two or three stops without watching the clock.
Denpasar is 11 km away, or 20 to 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes for Uluwatu, 45 minutes for Tanah Lot and an hour for Ubud. Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa are only a few kilometres away. Traffic around Denpasar is heavy: travel time matters far more than distance.
Pick one direction and stay with it. The south and its cliffs, the north and its rice terraces, or the west and its sea temple. Trying to combine Uluwatu and Ubud in one day means spending the call in a car.
An eleventh-century sanctuary perched on a cliff that drops straight into the Indian Ocean, at the southern tip of the peninsula. A laid-out path follows the ridge, between black stone roofs and surf far below. It is a living place of worship: you enter in a sarong and keep your voice down.
Yes. The temple monkeys are bold and patrol the railings. Hold on to glasses, hats, phones and bags: they are very good at spotting whatever dangles.
The beaches of Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa, minutes away, offer pale sand and calm water for swimming and watersports. The Chinese Buddhist temple Caow Eng Bio, local cooking classes and the gamelan and dance demonstrations near the pier round out the day.
Yes, provided you stay close to the port. The calm beaches of Tanjung Benoa, short boat trips to Turtle Island and the puppet and dance demonstrations work well with children. Ubud, with two hours of driving there and back, does not.
The Indonesian rupiah. Hotels, restaurants and tourist shops take cards, but markets, drivers, temple entrance fees and tips are cash. Bring small notes.
Shoulders covered and a sarong tied at the waist, for men and women alike. The busiest temples, such as Uluwatu, lend them at the entrance. Respect matters more here than elsewhere: these are working sanctuaries, not monuments.