Things to do in Canggu when you're not surfing
Here's the honest list of things to do in Canggu on your days off: quick escapes you can fit around a lesson, and full-day trips worth clearing the schedule for.
People ask me for things to do in Canggu the moment they land, usually while still shaking sand out of their bag. A surf trip doesn't have to mean surfing every waking hour. Between sessions, Canggu and the rest of Bali have enough waterfalls, temples, rice terraces, cliffs and beach clubs to fill every rest day you've got, and then some.
This guide splits cleanly into two halves. First, quick escapes you can slot around a lesson or a lazy afternoon. Second, the full day trips worth setting an entire day aside for. I've done all of these more times than I can count, so take my picks over the generic ones.
01 Close by
Quick escapes near Canggu
Not every rest day needs a long drive. These things to do in Canggu are close enough to fit into a half-day, so you're back in time for the next lesson.
Tanah Lot
A sea temple perched on a rock just offshore, roughly 30 minutes from Canggu. It's one of the most photographed spots on the island, and there's a reason for that. Go late afternoon and you'll catch it silhouetted against the sunset, tide rolling in around the base of the rock.
Seseh Beach
Fifteen minutes south and noticeably quieter than the main Canggu strip. Black volcanic sand, moody swell, a fraction of the crowd. It's less a destination in its own right, more a place to disappear for an hour when Canggu feels a bit much.
Tabanan hot springs
About an hour inland, tucked into the jungle near Angseri. Natural thermal pools sitting among rice fields and bamboo. Genuinely useful for loosening up shoulders after a few days of paddling.
Cafe-hopping in Canggu itself
You don't always need to leave. Canggu's cafe scene is dense enough that a day off can just mean a slow breakfast at one spot, coffee and a laptop at another, a smoothie bowl somewhere else before the afternoon session. Plenty of guests rate a quiet cafe morning as highly as any temple. I don't blame them.
The honest bit
The best things to do in Canggu aren't all on a list. Half of it is knowing when to do nothing, coffee in hand, and let the next surf come to you.
02 Golden hour
Beach clubs and sunset spots
Canggu's beach club scene is a big part of what makes evenings here easy. Pools looking straight out at the swell, beanbags in the sand, a sunset most places on earth would charge admission for. You don't need a plan beyond turning up before 5:30pm. Grab a spot, order a drink, watch the day's last sets roll through while the sky does its thing.
It's also one of the easiest ways to turn a solo evening into one with company. Nobody sits alone at a beach club for long. A shared sunset and a "how was your surf today" is usually all it takes.
A few things worth knowing before you go. The busiest clubs get properly packed on weekends and around sunset in dry season, so arriving an hour early buys you a better spot without the scramble. Most run on a minimum spend rather than an entry fee, which works out fine if you're staying for food and a couple of drinks. If you'd rather skip the DJ altogether, the quieter stretch of beach north towards Pererenan gives you the same sunset with a fraction of the noise. My pick, if I'm honest.
03 Inland
Waterfalls and rice terraces within reach
Bali's interior looks nothing like its coastline. That contrast is worth chasing on a day off.
90 minutes out
Jatiluwih rice terraces
UNESCO-listed terraces stepping down the hillside in green tiers as far as you can see. Walking trails cut through the paddies themselves, so you're in among the rice, farmers still working the fields around you.
A little over an hour out
Leke Leke waterfall
Reached by a short jungle trek down bamboo bridges and muddy trails. The waterfall itself is thin and tall rather than wide, dropping into a pool that's genuinely worth swimming in after the walk down.
Both pair well with a temple or hot spring stop on the same route. Bali's roads mean you're rarely doing just one thing per trip.
04 South of here
Uluwatu: cliffs, temple, a different Bali
About 45 minutes to an hour south, Uluwatu is Canggu's opposite in almost every way. Limestone cliffs instead of black sand, a clifftop temple, some of the most photographed surf in the world breaking beneath it. Even if you're not surfing here, the cliff walk at sunset and the Kecak fire dance at the temple grounds are worth the trip on their own.
It's also a useful reference point if you're deciding where to base a future trip. Uluwatu suits experienced surfers chasing bigger reef breaks. Canggu suits beginners and anyone who wants a livelier, more social base. Doing Uluwatu as a day trip rather than a base is often the better call: you get the cliffs, the temple, a look at the swell, without giving up your spot in a friendlier lineup back home.
Beyond the temple, the Bukit Peninsula around Uluwatu has its own run of beach coves worth a look, Padang Padang and Bingin among them, each reached by a steep set of stairs through the cliff face. None of it needs planning in advance. Pick two or three spots and drive between them for the day.
05 The reset
Ubud: jungle, rice paddies, a change of pace
Roughly 90 minutes inland, Ubud swaps the coast for jungle, rice paddies and a noticeably slower pace. It's Bali's cultural and wellness centre: art markets, the Sacred Monkey Forest, the Tegallalang rice terraces, a genuinely different rhythm to the day. Most people do it as a single long day trip from Canggu; some stretch it into an overnight if the schedule allows.
If you've been surfing daily for a week, a day in Ubud is the closest thing to a proper reset without leaving the island. The surrounding villages reward a slow wander too: smaller temple complexes, working artisan workshops, warungs that never make anyone's top-ten list but beat half the ones that do. It's also the easiest place on the island to book a decent massage if a week of paddling has left you stiffer than expected.
06 The full day
Nusa Penida: the day trip everyone talks about
A short, sometimes choppy boat ride from Sanur, Nusa Penida is the island most people have seen in photos before they've even booked a flight. The dramatic cliffs at Kelingking, the natural infinity pool at Angel's Billabong, water so turquoise it looks retouched but isn't. It's a full-day commitment: boat, transfers, a fair bit of driving on the island itself. Worth doing once rather than squeezing in casually.
Most day trips run a loop covering three or four viewpoints, with a snorkelling stop around Crystal Bay or Manta Point thrown in if conditions allow. Manta rays are a genuine possibility here, not just a marketing line. Roads on the island are rough and often unsealed, so whoever's driving matters more than usual.
Book it through a proper operator rather than winging it. The crossing and the island's roads are both rougher than they look in photos.
Days off around Canggu, from the temple road to the cliffs at Uluwatu.
Surfing daily, exploring on your days off. Elsewhere's Bali camp sits in the heart of Canggu, close to everything in this guide and close to your next wave.
See the Bali surf camp07 Before you go
Planning your days off around Canggu
Leave early
Anything over an hour away needs an early start. Bali's roads are narrow and traffic builds fast after mid-morning.
Carry cash
Warungs and smaller attractions outside Canggu often don't take cards. Small notes help.
Dress for temples
A sarong (usually provided or rentable on-site) is required at most. Cover the shoulders too.
Pair activities by direction, not by list order. Group anything south (Uluwatu) or inland (Ubud, waterfalls, terraces) into the same day rather than criss-crossing the island. And think about your coaching schedule before you book a big day trip the day before an important lesson. Tired legs make for a rough pop-up.
For Tanah Lot specifically, the Indonesia tourism board's Bali guide has current temple hours and ceremony dates worth checking before you drive out.
08 Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What can I do in Canggu besides surfing?
Beach clubs, cafe culture, yoga studios, and a handful of quick escapes like Tanah Lot temple and Seseh Beach are all within 30 minutes. For more, Uluwatu, Ubud and Nusa Penida make excellent full-day trips further afield.
How far is Uluwatu from Canggu?
Around 45 minutes to an hour by car or scooter, depending on traffic. It's an easy half-day or full-day trip.
Is Nusa Penida worth a day trip from Canggu?
Yes, but treat it as a full day. You'll need transfers to and from Sanur, a boat crossing, and time to get around the island itself. It's not something to squeeze in casually.
Do I need a scooter to see these places?
A scooter works for anything near Canggu, but for longer trips (Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Penida transfers) a car with a driver is safer and less tiring, especially if you're combining it with early surf sessions.
Will I have time for day trips if I'm at a surf camp?
Yes. Lessons run once a day at our Bali camp, which leaves the rest of the day free for exactly this kind of exploring. A half-day escape near Canggu fits easily around a morning session, and full day trips like Ubud or Nusa Penida work well on a day you've pencilled in as a rest day from the water.