Bali in November 2026: Rainy Season Starts, What It Really Means
November is when Bali tips into the wet season: dry mornings, afternoon storms, green rice terraces and fewer crowds. What the weather does, what to sort before landing, and how to pay and stay online.
Quick answer: November is the start of Bali's wet season, not the middle of it. Long-term averages for Denpasar show the chance of a wet day rising from about 26% at the start of the month to about 47% by the end, with highs near 32C and the sea around 28C. Expect dry mornings, short heavy storms later in the day, greener rice terraces and thinner crowds than the dry-season peak. Sort the arrival card, visa and the IDR 150,000 Bali levy online before you fly.
Key takeaways
- Early November is drier than late November. Rain risk roughly doubles across the month, so the first half is the safer window.
- Three things to do before landing: the All Indonesia Arrival Card, the e-VOA (IDR 500,000) if your passport needs one, and the IDR 150,000 Bali levy on the official Love Bali site.
- Cash still runs Bali's warungs. Cards work in cafes and hotels; QRIS works for visitors only if their home banking app is linked to it.
- Rainy days are data days. More Grab and Gojek rides, more maps, more rebooking. Install a travel eSIM before you fly.
It is three o'clock in Canggu, the sky goes black in ten minutes, the scooter is parked two streets away and your ride app needs data you do not have. That is a November afternoon in Bali, and it is easy to handle if you plan for it. Here is what the weather really does this month, where to stay, what to sort before landing, and how to pay and stay online when the rain arrives.
How wet is Bali in November, really?
| November in Denpasar | Start of month | End of month |
|---|---|---|
| Chance of a wet day | about 26% | about 47% |
| Rain over the past 31 days | about 79 mm | about 168 mm |
| Average high / low | about 32C / 25C | about 32C / 25C |
| Sea temperature | about 28C | about 28C |
In practice the rain comes as short, heavy storms, often later in the day, rather than grey days. Mornings are usually the clear window, so plan the sunrise hike, the temple and the Nusa Penida boat early and keep afternoons loose.
Where should you base yourself in November?
- Ubud and the rice terraces: at their greenest once the rain starts, and slightly cooler at night.
- Canggu and Seminyak: low-lying lanes can flood for an hour after a downpour. Stay walking distance from where you eat, or budget for car rides instead of a scooter.
- Nusa Penida and the Gilis: fast boats get cancelled on rough days, so do not book the island leg the day before a flight.
Are there ceremonies in Bali in November 2026?
Not the big island-wide one. Galungan fell on 17 June 2026, and the next is on 13 January 2027, with Kuningan ten days later. Bali's 210-day ceremonial calendar still fills November with village temple anniversaries, so you will meet processions that close a road for half an hour; wait it out and do not drive through.
The full moon, Purnama, falls on or around 24 November, a day of offerings at temples across the island. If you visit a temple that day, wear a sarong and sash, which most temples lend or rent at the gate, and keep below the level of the priest during prayers.
What do you need to sort before landing in Bali?
- All Indonesia Arrival Card. Since 1 October 2025, travellers arriving by air or sea complete it online before arrival at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id.
- e-VOA, if your passport needs a visa. IDR 500,000 plus a small online processing fee, applied for at least 72 hours ahead at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. The airport visa on arrival still exists, with a queue.
- The Bali tourist levy. IDR 150,000 per international visitor, once per trip, paid on lovebali.baliprov.go.id by bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS. The QR voucher arrives by email. Nobody official collects it on the street, so ignore anyone holding up a QR code and asking for it.
Cash, card or QRIS: how do visitors pay in Bali?
Cash is still the language of warungs, small shops, parking attendants and temple donation boxes. Cafes, hotels, supermarkets and beach clubs take cards. Use ATMs inside bank branches or minimarts rather than lone street machines, and keep small notes for the many IDR 2,000 to 5,000 moments in a day.
The QRIS codes on every counter are Indonesia's national QR standard. Visitors can scan them only if their home banking app is connected through Bank Indonesia's cross-border links, which cover Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and, since 1 April 2026, South Korea. Our guide on QRIS for foreigners in Bali covers who can and cannot use it.
Will you have data when the storm hits?
Buy and install a travel eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, keep your home SIM on for bank SMS and ride-app codes, and switch the travel line on after landing at Ngurah Rai. On a wet afternoon you lean on your phone more: booking a car, checking whether the boat runs, finding a warung with a roof.
The Fizen Indonesia eSIM runs on Indosat, 4G and 5G (catalog checked 25 October 2026). The country plans are unlimited, from 3 to 30 days, and the catalog lists them as unlimited high-speed data with no speed cap stated. Most plans cannot be topped up, and more data means a new eSIM, so pick the length of your whole stay. Plans start from about US$0.30 a day.
If a verified fault on Fizen's side stops the eSIM working, you get a free 1-for-1 replacement for the length of the trip, or a refund for the days you could not use, from a real person in chat. If plans change, an unused eSIM that is not installed yet can usually be taken back; eligibility depends on the plan, so check Package details or ask chat.
The honest alternative: Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at arrivals, registered to your passport. If you are staying months, or need an Indonesian number for local apps and deliveries, the local SIM is the better choice. Paying in USDT? New users get US$10 of eSIM credit in the Fizen app's eSIM tab.
Sorted, a November day looks like this: rice terraces at eight, lunch before the clouds, a car booked from the cafe when the storm rolls in, and a dry walk home an hour later.
What should you pack for Bali in November?
- A light rain jacket and quick-dry clothes; cotton never dries in this humidity.
- Sandals that can get wet, mosquito repellent, and a sarong for temples.
- A dry bag for phone and passport on scooters and boats.
Frequently asked questions
Is November a good time to visit Bali?
Yes, if you can live with afternoon storms. It is the start of the wet season, crowds are thinner than in July and August, and the island is at its greenest. The first half of the month is usually drier than the second.
Does it rain all day in Bali in November?
Usually not. Rain tends to arrive as short, heavy storms, often later in the day, with clear mornings. Long-term averages show the chance of a wet day rising from about 26% to about 47% across the month.
How much is the Bali tourist levy in 2026?
IDR 150,000 per international visitor, paid once per trip on the official Love Bali site, lovebali.baliprov.go.id. It is separate from any visa fee.
Do I need to fill in an arrival card for Bali?
Yes. Since 1 October 2025 travellers complete the All Indonesia Arrival Card online before arriving by air or sea, and passports that need a visa apply for the e-VOA in advance.
Is Galungan in November 2026?
No. Galungan fell on 17 June 2026 and the next one is on 13 January 2027. Village temple ceremonies still take place through November.
Land in Bali with data already on
Install the Indonesia eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and switch it on at Ngurah Rai. Indosat, 4G and 5G, unlimited plans from 3 to 30 days. Paying in USDT? Use the Fizen app instead.
Terms and conditions
- Information only. This article is information only. It is not an offer or a sale, and it is not travel, legal or financial advice. Weather figures are long-term averages and entry rules can change; check official sites before you travel.
- For readers in the United States. This is information only, not an offer or sale, and not advice. Fizen products and services are not offered to US Persons.
- Data-only product. The eSIM is data only. It does not include a phone number or SMS. Most plans cannot be topped up (more data means a new eSIM), so size it for the whole trip.
- Facts and availability. Carrier, plan types and plan lengths were checked in the Fizen catalog on 25 October 2026. The shop page carries current plans and prices.
Sources
- WeatherSpark, average weather in November in Denpasar
- Love Bali, official Bali tourist levy payment site
- The Examiner (ACM), new entry rules for Bali, updated 7 January 2026
- Indonesia Business Post, Indonesia and South Korea operationalise cross-border QRIS, April 2026
- Le Petit Journal Bali, Galungan and Kuningan 2026 dates
Weather averages, entry rules, levy and eSIM catalog details checked on 25 October 2026.
