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A gazebo looking over calm water at Sanur beach, Bali.
Land Tour

Sanur Sunrise & Old Bali

Bali's east-facing beach, awake two hours before the rest of it

Duration
6 hours door to door
Group
Private car, up to 5 guests
Difficulty
Easy · flat and paved
Timing
Sunrise, around 06:00

The trip

What You're Signing Up For

Sanur faces east, which makes it the only major beach in Bali where the sun comes up out of the sea rather than going down into it. The reef sits a long way out, so the water inside is flat and shallow, and there is a paved path running five kilometres along the whole front.

It is also the oldest resort area on the island, developed in the 1930s when the Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur settled here and married the dancer Ni Pollok. Their house is still there, still full of his paintings, and almost nobody goes in.

Highlights

Why People Pick This One

  • Sunrise over the sea, which only happens on this coast
  • The Le Mayeur museum, included, and usually empty
  • Five kilometres of flat paved beach path
  • Breakfast at a warung on the sand as the fishing boats come in
  • Bajra Sandhi, the independence monument, on the way back

Full description

The Whole Thing

Sanur is where Bali tourism started. Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur arrived in 1932, married the legong dancer Ni Pollok, and painted her for thirty years in the garden of the house that is now the museum. The first international hotel on the island opened here in 1966.

Itinerary

The Trip, Stop By Stop

Timings are typical, not fixed. Your guide reshapes the day around your pace and the conditions.

  1. Very early pickup

    Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud

    Around 05:00 depending on where you are staying. Confirmed the evening before.

    Included

  2. Sunrise on the sand

    At the north end near the jukung moorings, where the boats are drawn up.

  3. Breakfast on the beach

    A warung on the path as the fishing boats come back in. Not included.

  4. Le Mayeur museum

    The painter's house, kept as it was, with his work still on the walls. Included.

  5. Bajra Sandhi, optional

    The independence monument in Denpasar, twenty minutes inland.

  6. Back to your hotel

    Same car, same driver, back before the day gets hot.

    Included
Trip stop Pickup area Pickup is from your own accommodation inside these areas. Route is indicative, not the exact road taken.

The price covers

What's Included, And What Isn't

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off across South Bali, Ubud and Canggu
  • Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver
  • Fuel, parking, tolls and the driver's day
  • Sunrise at the north end of the beach
  • An optional stop at Bajra Sandhi on the way back

Not included

  • Breakfast on the beach path
  • Bajra Sandhi entrance if you go in
  • Personal spending, tips and anything you buy on the day
  • Meals and drinks during the day
  • Entrance tickets, parking charges and anything else paid on site

Before you book

Who This Trip Isn’t For

We would rather talk you out of the wrong trip than take your money for it. If any of these apply, message us and we’ll suggest something that fits better.

Anyone who will not get up at five

Sunrise is the point, and it does not move.

Anyone looking for surf or nightlife

Sanur has neither. It is flat water and an early bedtime, which is why people either love it or find it dull.

Anyone wanting deep water to swim in

Low tide leaves the lagoon very shallow. Check the tide with your driver if swimming matters.

Come prepared

What To Bring

A torch, or your phone light

You are walking onto the beach before dawn. The promenade is unlit at that hour.

A light layer

It is cool and damp on the sand before the sun is up, and warm within twenty minutes of it rising.

Sandals you can slip off

The sunrise part is barefoot on sand; the temple and market part is not.

Cash for breakfast

The warungs on the promenade open at first light and none of them take cards.

On the trip

What It Looks Like

Tap a photo to enlarge

Before you book

Questions About This Trip

Anything not covered here? Message us. We'd rather answer first than have you book the wrong trip.

How early is early?

Pickup around five, sunrise a little after six. It is the earliest trip we run apart from the volcano treks.

Is Sanur worth it if we are staying in Canggu?

It is forty minutes and a completely different Bali: flat water, older crowd, no surf. Some guests love the contrast, some would rather stay west. We will be honest if we think you would not enjoy it.

What is the Le Mayeur museum?

The 1930s house of a Belgian painter who settled here and married a Balinese dancer. It is small, it is included, and it is usually empty.

Can we swim?

Yes, and it is the calmest swimming in south Bali because the reef is so far out. Low tide leaves it very shallow.

Can we take the fast boat to Penida from here?

You can, and Sanur is the port for it. If you want that instead, look at the Nusa Penida day trips.

Pairs well with

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Ready When You Are

Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We'll confirm availability, pickup time and the total, usually within the hour.