Nusa Penida 2 Days Itinerary to Steal

What to do in Nusa Penida in 2 days? Can I just go for a day trip?

Yes, you can take a day tour to Nusa Penida. Generally speaking, that is what people do.

But, I just returned from a summer trip in Bali. I can assure you that a one-day Nusa Penida tour package is insufficient. I advise you to stay in Nusa Penida for at least two days. By doing so, you will be able to explore east Nusa Penida as well as its well-known beaches in the west.

So, I’m sharing my version of Nusa Penida’s 2-day itinerary with you, which you can steal. It’s best to do it when you have 10 days to spend in Bali.

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Nusa Penida 2 Days Itinerary

Because we traveled from Jakarta to Bali on the same day, our 2-day excursion to Nusa Penida began in the afternoon.

Your Nusa Penida tour should ideally begin in the morning. That way, you can see more destinations or spend more time in places you want to visit.

However, even if you skip the morning, you’ll still get to visit the island’s top attractions.

So, here’s our take on the Nusa Penida 2 days itinerary:

Note: The water between Sanur and Nusa Penida can be choppy. Don’t forget to take Dramamine before leaving for the island.

Nusa Penida Itinerary – Day 1

After around 45 minutes in the fast boat, we arrived at Banjar Nyuh Port in Nusa Penida around 3 pm. Our fast boat was late because it came late from Nusa Penida.

In about 15 minutes, we sat in the rental car and began our journey to Nusa Penida east.

From the north to the east, our itinerary followed the seashore. We were shocked to find so many signs for yoga studios.

Around 4.30 pm, after stopping at a convenience store for some drinks and snacks, we made it to Diamond Beach.

We didn’t make any other stops because we didn’t want to get to the beach too late. On the east side of the island, night falls more quickly.

Atuh Beach is a beach that is close to Diamond Beach. Although a cliff separates the two beaches, you cannot cross the water to access the other beach. You must ascend to the cliff’s peak once again before descending to the opposite side.

We went straight to the beach after paying the entrance charge of 10,000 IDR (less than $1) for each passenger and 5,000 for the car.

Atuh Beach is farther to the left than Diamond Beach from the entrance. Diamond Beach is on the right side. But to reach both beaches, you must descend the bluff on foot.

Diamond Beach, with its spectacular cliff stairs, was our first pick. And sure enough, the magnificence of the Diamond Beach stairs left us speechless.

Diamond Beach is well-known for stunning sunrises because of its location on the east side. As a result, not many individuals were present. On the way down, we only encountered four other people. Suitable conditions for capturing photos.

Normally, the trip to the beach takes around 20 minutes. Another 20 minutes will be needed to return to the summit. We probably added an extra 10 minutes because we took so many breaks to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.

I wrote a separate post about Diamond Beach. You must read it to learn more about the Diamond Beach stairs, what to expect when descending, and a few other details.

Unfortunately, due to the high tide, we did not make it all the way to the beach. We would have made it all the way down if our fast boat hadn’t been late.

Ten minutes later, we returned upstairs. Then, but only from above, we traveled to Atuh Beach to take a look. Even though it was still sufficiently bright, we knew it would be dark before we got back.

We had dinner at Kubu Resto in Diamond Beach, which is about a 3-minute drive away from Diamond Beach. It was already dark by the time we arrived.

Behind the restaurant, there are two new accommodations. It’s called Kubu Penida Villa, and we wish we’d found it when we were looking for places to stay online.

When we planned our itinerary, we decided to stay in the area because we finished Diamond Beach late in the afternoon.

Our lodging was Lempeh Jungle Cottage, which was right next door. Both accommodations have the same model and layout, but because it is newer, Kubu Penida Villa is nicer and cleaner.

What would we do differently if we arrived in Nusa Penida first thing in the morning?

We will stop at Pura Goa Giri Putri (Giri Putri Cave) on our way to Diamond Beach. It is a temple built inside a cave that can be reached via a winding staircase.

After that, we visited Rumah Pohon Tree House and Thousand Islands Viewpoint.

Following that, we went to Diamond Beach and hiked all the way to the bottom, staying as long as we wanted.

We would swim and relax at Atuh Beach after leaving Diamond Beach. Then we went back to the hotel.

Nusa Penida Itinerary – Day 2

We left Lempeh Jungle Cottage after a fried rice breakfast for the famous Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida west.

Kelingking Beach is home to a cliff that resembles a T-Rex. According to locals, it resembles our left pinkie finger (kelingking.)

We drove through the middle of the island, up and down the hills, this time. We passed by a sign for Bukit Teletubbies (Teletubbies Hill), but we didn’t go there. The views in the photos I saw on social media did not impress me.

We arrived at Kelingking Beach around 9.30 a.m. after about an hour of driving.

We had arrived early because we wanted to go down to the beach. It’s a difficult hike that gets hot quickly.

Kelingking Beach is usually crowded between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. That is where the Nusa Penida day trippers from Sanur arrive. Before and after these hours are ideal for visiting the beach without encountering too many people.

The hike to the beach was difficult but worthwhile. The views are breathtaking, and at the bottom is a white sandy beach. I recommend you do it if you are in good shape. Don’t just take photos from above like most people.

It took me about 40 minutes to go down and an hour to return. My son arrived much faster than I did, and my sister was about 10-15 minutes later.

We were exhausted and decided to take a long rest at a warung (local mini restaurant) and eat lunch there as well.

From Kelingking Beach, we went to Angel Billabong and Broken Beach. It took approximately 30 minutes to get there.

We arrived around 2.30 p.m. and proceeded to Angel Billabong. People were swimming and taking pictures by the natural pool, but we could only see it from above. Tourists were everywhere by this point.

Then we went to Broken Beach, which was literally right next door. It’s only about a 10-minute walk.

Nusa Penida was extremely hot at the time. Fortunately, there are several warungs that sell cold drinks and ice creams.

We left Broken Beach around 3.30 p.m. for Sampalan Port, where our fast boat to Sanur would depart. The drive to the port took about 50 minutes.

Our fast boat left for Sanur at 5 p.m. The end of our Nusa Penida 2 days trip. See you later, Nusa Penida!

What would we have done differently if we hadn’t stopped for a long time at Kelingking Beach?

We would make a quick stop at Crystal Bay before heading to Sampalan Beach. One of the island’s most famous beaches, where day trip visitors went swimming or playing on the beach before being driven back to the port by the tour company.

I just wanted to see what it looked like because I heard mixed things about it. Some said it was a nice place, while others said it was OK but overcrowded.

Now that you have a plan, let’s look up the location of Nusa Penida in Bali.

Where is Nusa Penida in Bali?

Nusa Penida is an island in Bali province’s southeastern region.

The distance between central Bali and central Nusa Penida is 52.7 kilometers if we take a straight line (32.75 miles.) Not by much.

Nusa Penida is sometimes referred to as Nusa Penida Island, despite the fact that Nusa means “island” in Balinese. It’s a little repetitive, but that’s fine. Penida means priest, so Nusa Penida literally means “the island of priests.”

Nusa Lembongan Island and Ceningan Island are two smaller islands near Nusa Penida.

Note: Traveling with kids? Don’t forget to bring chewable Dramamine. You never know when you will need one.

Things to know about Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is a relatively new Bali tourist destination. As a result, there aren’t many tourists yet, particularly on the east side of the island.

There are, however, accommodations for tourists who plan to stay on the island.

Most restaurants serve local/Indonesian cuisine as well as basic western fare such as pasta, pizza, and French fries.

In 2017, my niece visited Penida. In 2019, another friend went. Someone commented on my post about Diamond Beach in Nusa Penida’s east. People were not allowed to stay on the island when she went to the water around Nusa Penida for scuba diving instructor training 12 years ago, according to her.

My friend, on the other hand, has been visiting and staying in Nusa Lembongan since the late 1990s.

If you practice yoga, you should include Nusa Penida in your Bali island tour itinerary. Along the way, I noticed a lot of yoga signs.

How to Get to Nusa Penida

Currently, the main mode of transportation to Nusa Penida is by fast boat or ferry.

Every day, several fast boat companies depart from Sanur Beach. Visit Penidago to find one that fits your schedule. The journey takes about 45 minutes.

My family and I took the Angel Billabong fast boat and returned on the Idola Express. I prefer the Idola Express over Angel Billabong because their seats are more relaxed than Angel Billabong’s straight position. Aside from that, everything else appeared to be the same.

Because Sanur Beach does not yet have a port, you must walk into the water to reach the boat. The fast boat company will provide a container for your shoes. They will then dump them in a Nusa Penida port for you to find your shoes.

They will carry your large suitcase to the boat for you if you have one. When you arrive in Nusa Penida, they will place them on the dock, just like the shoes.

Note: Still worry about motion sickness? Don’t let it ruin your travel experience. Alleviate sea sickness with the Sea-Band Anti-Nausea wristband.

The first fast boat departs Sanur at 7 a.m., and the last at 5.20 p.m. However, you must check the website to ensure that there have been no changes.

With the exception of Idola Express, most fast boats from Sanur travel to Banjar Nyuh port in Nusa Penida. Caspla Bali Speed Boat and Wijaya Buyuk Cruise are two other fast boat companies that travel to Buyuk port.

It is the same from Nusa Penida to Sanur. All fast boats depart from Banjar Nyuh, except for the Idola Express, which departs from Sampalan and the other two from Buyuk.

The Sampalan Port is larger and more developed than the Banjar Nyuh port.

Other ports in Bali from which to travel to Nusa Penida include:

– Kusamba (Klungkung) to Sampalan. The Angkal Fast Boat is faster, taking about 20-25 minutes. You will depart from Sampalan and arrive in Kusamba on your way back to Bali.

– Padangbai to Buyuk. It takes 30 minutes by D’Prabu fast boat, also from Buyuk to Padangbai.

How to get around Nusa Penida

You must rent a car or a motorcycle to get around Nusa Penida. Because of the island’s poor road conditions, I recommend renting a car. There are many holes and blind corners, and it is also narrow.

You will probably want to ride a motorcycle if you see tourists doing so around the island. I still recommend renting a car. If you must rent a motorcycle, make sure you wear a helmet!

Car rental costs around 700,000-750,000 IDR ($47-$50) per day and it includes a driver as well.

The cost of a motorcycle ranges from $4 to $10, depending on the model.

Where to eat in Nusa Penida

I can’t say much about Nusa Penida restaurants because we only ate there twice. Once for supper and once for lunch.

We had dinner at Kubu Resto,which is located near Diamond Beach. They served Indonesian cuisine such as fried rice, fried noodles, rice with chicken/fish, chicken curry, and other dishes. Burgers, fried chicken, spaghetti, French fries, and pizza were also available.

We had chicken curry, fried rice, spaghetti, and pizza delivered. Except for the pizza, everything was excellent.

We had lunch the next day at Klingking View restaurant in Kelingking Beach. On your way to the photo spots, it’s the last restaurant on the right.

This restaurant has an extensive menu. I’m not sure if they have everything on the menu. We ordered fish and chips, a burger, fries, a hot dog, and noodle soup, which were all delicious.

Where to stay in Nusa Penida

As previously stated, we stayed at Lempeh Jungle Cottage. It is located near Diamond Beach. In the neighborhood, Kubu Penida Villa was better and cleaner.

Here are some additional hotel options for your stay along the east coast:

– The Angkal Resort Nusa Penida – Diamond Beach is 30 minutes away

– Ogix Cliff Paradise – approximately 30 minutes from Diamond Beach

– Aksara Villa – is approximately 25 minutes from Diamond Beach

Nusa Penida Itinerary 1 Day

When we spent a night at Black Lava Camp in Kintamani, we met a woman and her two daughters who had taken a day trip to Nusa Penida. She stated that they could only visit the west beaches and purchased the tour package from Bali.

My friend went to Nusa Penida about a month after us. They also took a day trip to Nusa Penida and only spent time on the west coast.

The following is a typical Nusa Penida day tour itinerary:

– Depart from Sanur in the morning.

– The first stop is Kelingking Beach, but only for aerial photography. Depending on the time of year, the wait can last up to an hour.

– Make your way to Angel Billabong and Broken Beach.

– Take some time to relax at Crystal Bay. You can swim, play on the beach, and so on.

– Returned to Sanur.

Is Nusa Penida worth visiting?

Absolutely! The beaches are stunning, and there aren’t many tourists yet.

I strongly advise you to spend at least 2 days in Nusa Penida. That way, you can see all of the island’s major attractions.

If you have extra days and want to spend more time at the beach, visit other beaches, or go snorkeling/diving, you can stay in Nusa Penida for three days. Or maybe even more.