Indonesia itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Nights per stop, so you can copy a route straight into a booking sheet. All routes start and end at an airport with direct international flights where possible.

Fly into Denpasar (DPS) and go straight to Ubud, 4 nights. Ubud is the base for rice terraces, temples, dance performances and food, and a driver can cover the day trips from there. Keep the second base on the south coast for the last 3 nights, close to the airport, so the departure morning is short.

Do not try to add Yogyakarta or the Gili islands to a 7-day trip. Each island hop costs most of a day between the flight, the transfer and the check-in, and you would see both places badly. If Borobudur is the reason you came to Indonesia, flip the plan: 7 days on Java only, with 3 nights in Yogyakarta and the rest in Jakarta or Bandung.

Same Bali shape, with 3 nights on Gili Air between Ubud and the beach. Fast boats run from Padang Bai and Serangan to the Gilis; crossings take around 1.5–2.5 hours depending on the operator and sea state. Boats cancel in swell, so keep the last night near DPS and do not book a tight connection.

Gili Air is the quiet middle island: no cars, snorkelling and diving offshore, and easy day access to Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. Lombok's Senggigi and Kuta are a further boat and drive if you want a quieter coast instead.

This is the classic overland route and the best use of two weeks. Fly into Yogyakarta (YIA) or Jakarta (CGK), spend 3 nights in Yogyakarta for Borobudur, Prambanan and the sultan's palace, then move east by train and car to Bromo (1 night) and Ijen near Banyuwangi (1 night). Cross by ferry at Ketapang–Gilimanuk into Bali, then 5 nights in Ubud and 4 on the beach, flying out of DPS.

Two warnings. Volcano viewpoints are weather-dependent and access can close; check PVMBG levels the day before. And the Bromo and Ijen legs are usually done as pre-dawn drives, so build in a slow day afterwards rather than stacking a third sunrise.

Three weeks lets you keep the 14-day route and add Labuan Bajo, the port for Komodo National Park, with 3–4 nights. Fly DPS or Lombok to Labuan Bajo, take a day or overnight boat trip to see the dragons and reefs, then fly back to Bali or continue to another island. Komodo trips are tide and weather dependent and park fees change; confirm with your operator.

Alternatives if you have already done Bali and Java: Sumatra for Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang, Sulawesi for Toraja and Bunaken, or Raja Ampat for reefs, which needs 5–7 nights and a longer flight chain. All three are better as their own trip than as an add-on.

Fly between islands and use trains and cars on Java. Domestic flights are frequent but delays and cancellations happen, so never put a domestic flight on the same day as an international departure.

Keep one Bali base per 4 nights. Moving hotels every two days is the most common way people waste a week here. Bali's Nyepi day closes the island for 24 hours, including the airport, so check the date before booking flights.

Budget and paperwork: see the cost and visa pages before you lock dates, and check the money page for cash and tipping habits, since many small businesses and drivers still prefer cash.

Short answers to the questions readers ask most about Indonesia itineraries.