The Best Nusa Penida Day Trip From Bali

Last Updated on 12th March 2023

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Nusa Penida Day Tour Kelingking Beach T Rex

A Nusa Penida day trip was something that I’d wanted to do for many years; once we started planning our trip around the world and discussed visiting Indonesia for a couple of months, I knew it was something that we desperately had to do!

Unlike many other places in Indonesia (in particular, Bali, which you can read more about here), Nusa Penida didn’t disappoint at all. In fact, it exceeded my expectations in many ways!

The sheer beauty of the coastline of the island is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and it’s hard to comprehend just how spectacular it really is until you’re up close and personal.

In an attempt to share some of that beauty with you guys, I’ve put together my ultimate itinerary for the perfect Nusa Penida day trip so that you can get plenty of inspiration and wanderlust for your trip!

Nusa Penida day trip Itinerary

Despite spending one week on Nusa Penida island, we decided that we wanted to fit our trip excursion into just one day (many people opt to see the sights of Nusa Penida over the course of two or three days as there’s so much to see) as we managed to narrow our itinerary down to just six places that we really wanted to see.

We booked our driver through our accommodation – The Welcome Inn – and paid 800,000IDR (£43) to hire the driver for the entire day (from 8 AM until 4 PM). This might seem pretty expensive but this covered all entry fees to each spot as well which can often be between 20,000IDR and 100,000IDR per place, per person!

Nusa Penida day trip map itinerary

We organised our own itinerary as there were a lot of places that we didn’t want to visit that are usually included in most Nusa Penida island tours (such as Goa Giri Putri Temple, Teletubbies Hill and Crystal Bay, for example). By picking the places that we really wanted to see, we could tailor our itinerary so it perfectly suited us.

The only slight downside of this is that many of the best things to see in Nusa Penida are quite spread out across the island so we did have a lot of driving about but it was 100% worth it to see these amazing sights!

1. Thousand Islands Viewpoint – Nusa Penida day trip itinerary

The first stop on our tour was the Thousand Islands viewpoint (a name that’s slightly exaggerated but still well worth seeing!) which looks out to sea, as well as some incredible rock formations that jut out high above sea level.

It’s at this viewpoint that you’ll also find the incredibly Instagram famous treehouses (also known as the Rumah Pohon Treehouse). While you can pay to stand on the steps of the treehouse (the fees vary depending on who’s charging them, although there isn’t necessarily always someone there), the view is just as good from various points around the cliff face.

The hike down to reach the viewpoint is not easy and is pretty uneven if you’re uneasy on your feet, so make sure you pack plenty of water and ensure that you’re covered in sunscreen throughout the day as you’re gonna need it!

While we were there, there was a small group of girls who were wearing actual ballgowns (!!!) and they looked like they were struggling so much in the heat and with the hike.

One thing to note about Thousands Island Viewpoint and Atuh Beach is that getting there is incredibly difficult. You can access the “car park” either by hiring a car/your own driver or by riding a scooter there yourself.

The road to get there is quite possibly the worse road I’ve ever seen and even in a car, it was the bumpiest journey of my life! If you’re going to be taking a scooter there, take extra care when driving as the road surface is so uneven and pretty dangerous.

Top travel tip: Dress appropriately. I’m sure you want to take dozens of pictures of you looking beautiful and elegant in a ballgown but it’s just not practical and could actually be dangerous considering you have to navigate your way down a winding, uneven staircase!

2. Atuh Beach

Atuh Beach is practically just a stone’s throw from the Thousand Islands viewpoint and you can actually see it from the viewpoint itself.

It’s also situated right next to Diamond Beach and the two are often interchangeable depending on who you ask (I’m still not 100% sure which one ends where!).

The vivid blue colours of the water around these beaches are absolutely phenomenal and I assure you that any pictures you take won’t need any Photoshop work!

3. Diamond Beach – Nusa Penida day trip

Diamond Beach is potentially the most spectacular stretch of beach I’ve ever seen in my life (aside from Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays perhaps).

The trek down to the beach, however, is without a doubt the most intense, tiring and terrifying hike I’ve ever done and it’s certainly not one for the faint-hearted.

The “steps” that lead down to the beach aren’t really steps at all; they’re carved out of the rock face, accompanied by feeble ropes that are supposed to help you guide yourself up and down. The sheer drops of cliff edge look stunning in pictures but once you’re trying to navigate your way down, they don’t seem that appealing anymore!

It’s without a doubt the scariest hike I’ve ever done and I was sweating and panicking all the way up and down, but it really is worth it for those views (and that’s not something you’ll hear me say a lot!).

Despite the arduous and gruelling trek up and down, Diamond Beach was arguably my favourite place in Nusa Penida, and one of my favourite experiences in Indonesia. It’s a paradisal place unlike anywhere else but I would urge you to try and get there as early as possible, especially during peak season as the crowds can get pretty intense.

4. Kelingking Beach

Potentially the most famous “attraction” in Nusa Penida is Kelingking Beach; also often referred to as the T Rex head.

While Matt and I thought it looked more like a whale than a dinosaur, it’s hard to ignore just how mightily impressive it is; especially up close and personal.

It’s hard to comprehend just how blue and clear the water really is and it actually looks much bigger in real life than in pictures, which surprised me somewhat.

Kelingking Beach is located on the west side of Nusa Penida island, pretty much the opposite end to Atuh Beach and Diamond Beach, which is why many people choose to do these trips on two separate days.

Our driver was lovely and accommodating, however, and was more than happy to drive us there as part of our day tour.

Kelingking Beach was definitely the busiest place we visited and rightly so; it’s absolutely magnificent. The huge peninsula of the “T Rex head” juts out of the water like something out of a movie. The viewpoint from above is mesmerising and if it wasn’t for being burned by 37°+ heat, I would have quite happily stared at it all day!

You can see the T Rex head from numerous angles around the top of the cliff but most people seemed to gather in one place, all trying the get the same picture (see above). However, if you hike up a little bit further and round the corner, there was practically no one there and I actually think the view from here was even better! (see below).

There is a walkway that you can hike down that takes you right onto the beach but after our struggle with the Diamond Beach hike, we were pretty exhausted! The walk down takes approximately 30 minutes depending on your fitness levels and how busy it is, but I have heard that it’s just as gruelling as the Diamond Beach hike!

One ~qualm~ I do have about Kelingking Beach is that so many tourists were not being safe and respectful of their environment and were actually putting themselves at risk. There were men climbing trees to take a “perfect” shot of their partner and one woman even climbed over the railings to dangle off the edge of the cliff which I thought was absolutely crazy! (take a look at the pictures below).

Top travel tip: PACK SENSIBLE SHOES. I cannot stress enough just how difficult some of the paths you’ll be taking are so it’s imperative that you’ve got the right footwear on.

I wore the hiking boots that I wore pretty much every single day in New Zealand and Australia and they haven’t let me down yet!

5. Angel’s Billabong

Our final two spots on our day trip are actually accessed from the same point but I’ve separated them for the sake of this post so you can see the beautiful images on their own!

Angel’s Billabong is such a unique formation on the West Coast of Nusa Penida. It’s essentially a tide pool that’s full of some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen; you can almost perfectly see the rocks underneath the water!

However, it is a place that you have to visit with caution; while it’s a popular spot for taking a dip in the translucent water, it has been known to drag unknowing swimmers out to sea and thus render them stuck and unfortunately numerous people have drowned.

Depending on the time of the day and the tide, the area will be closed off so you can’t swim in the water, but it’s still a magnificent sight to behold nonetheless.

The colour of the water can change throughout the day depending on the temperature, tide and sunlight. We were lucky when we were there that it was incredibly sunny so the water looked so clear and magical and we could see all the way into the tide pool!

6. Broken Beach

You’ll actually walk passed Angel’s Billabong to get to Broken Beach, so it’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone!

The aptly named Broken Beach received its name due to the impressive arch that curves its way around the bay, allowing seawater to come in and out of the little cove.

The water here is also crystal clear and remarkably blue and while it might be tempting to jump in, you’re not actually allowed down onto the beach as there’s a good chance that the tide could come in and sweep you out to sea!

There are so many good angles to snap a picture of Broken Beach; everywhere you look, you can get a different view of it!

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Writing this guide has made me realise even more just how spectacular Nusa Penida really is and while I’m not desperate to return to Bali at all, I would definitely consider a trip back to Nusa Penida!

Pin for later – Nusa Penida day trip itinerary

Have you ever been to Indonesia? Is a Nusa Penida day trip on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16.

*Prices throughout this post are accurate to the currency exchange rate as of November 2019.