How Long Is the Flight to Bali from the UK and London?

How far is Bali from the UK, and how long is the flight to Bali in total?

Bali really is on the other side of the world from Britain, and the distances make that plain. The table shows great-circle distances from London Heathrow; from Manchester add roughly 60 to 170 km depending on the route.

Two things stand out. First, the detour through the Gulf only adds around 450 to 550 km, which hardly matters on a trip this long. Second, connecting in Singapore is the most direct line on the map, but it means one very long flight followed by a short hop, and not everyone likes doing the long stretch in one go.

In terms of time, the nonstop legs out of the UK look like this (typical scheduled times, which shift a little with the season and the wind):

• London Heathrow to Dubai about 7 h 25 min, to Doha about 6 h 45 min, to Abu Dhabi about 7 h, to Istanbul about 3 h 55 min, to Singapore 13 to 13 h 40 min.
• London Gatwick has similar options: Dubai about 7 h, Doha about 6 h 35 min, Istanbul about 4 h, Singapore just under 13 h.
• Manchester to Dubai about 7 h 10 min, Doha 6 h 45 min, Abu Dhabi 7 h, Istanbul 4 h 10 min, Singapore about 13 h 10 min.
• Onward to Denpasar: from Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi just over 9 hours, from Istanbul about 12 h 30 min, from Singapore under 3 hours.

How long is the flight to Bali from London? Route by route

Where you change planes, and how many times, is the single biggest factor in how long the trip takes. Here are the realistic options from the UK.

Via the Gulf (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi)

The most popular choice and usually one of the quickest. The first flight from London or Manchester takes about six and three quarter to seven and a half hours, the second one to Denpasar just over nine hours. With a connection of around two hours, the total comes to roughly 18 to 19 hours. The split is fairly even, so neither flight feels endless.

Via Istanbul

A short first hop of about four hours, then a much longer second flight of around twelve and a half hours. The total ends up close to the Gulf routes, but the shape is different: a quick warm-up and then one very long sit.

Via Southeast Asia (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok)

Here it is the other way round. The first flight is the long one, around 13 hours to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and about 11 and a half to Bangkok, and the second is short: under three hours from Singapore, about three from Kuala Lumpur and a little over four from Bangkok. This is the route to pick if you would like to stretch the stopover and spend a day or two in the city on the way.

With two stops

The cheapest and the slowest. The total easily climbs to 24 to 30 hours and sometimes more than a full day. It is only worth it when the price difference is genuinely large and your holiday dates are not fixed to the day.

Which airlines fly from the UK to Bali, and how they differ

No airline flies nonstop from the UK, or anywhere else in Europe, to Bali, so you are always choosing between connecting carriers. In practice, the real difference between them is less about the fare and more about where you stop and for how long:

• Emirates via Dubai and Qatar Airways via Doha. The most common choice: good service, modern aircraft and hub airports where even a longer wait is bearable. Both fly from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Total journey time is typically 18 to 21 hours.
• Etihad via Abu Dhabi. A similar pattern to Emirates and Qatar, with flights from Heathrow and Manchester.
• Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. The shortest first flight, about four hours from Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester, so it suits anyone who hates a long sit right at the start. The second leg, on the other hand, is the longest of all, over twelve hours.
• Singapore Airlines via Singapore and Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur. Usually pricier, but the last leg to Bali is short, under three hours. Singapore Airlines flies from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, Malaysia Airlines from Heathrow. A good pick if you want to turn the connecting city into a stopover of a few days.
• Two-stop combinations, for example via Amsterdam or Frankfurt and then through the Gulf or Asia. Often the cheapest and the slowest, easily 26 hours. Watch out for separate bookings, where nobody guarantees anything if a flight is delayed.

What to pack in your hand luggage for such a long journey

• An inflatable neck pillow, plus earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones. On a nine- or twelve-hour leg they make the difference between sleeping and not sleeping.
• A refillable water bottle. Take it through security empty and you save on airport prices.
• Medication in your carry-on, including anything for travel sickness. Checked bags do get delayed.
• A spare T-shirt and a toothbrush. After twelve hours in the air, it is the cheapest way to feel human again.
• A power bank, but only in your hand luggage. The rules do not allow it in checked baggage.
• Printed or offline copies of your documents: your accommodation confirmation and the QR code from the All Indonesia customs and health declaration, which you fill in online before arrival.

What happens when you land in Denpasar

I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport sits south of Denpasar, between Kuta and the Bukit peninsula, so most tourist areas are close by. Once you are off the plane, expect this sequence:

1. Immigration. British passport holders get a 30-day visa on arrival, which you either pay for at the airport (500,000 rupiah, cash or card) or arrange online in advance. The online route usually means a shorter queue. You will need proof of a return or onward flight. On top of that, Bali charges foreign visitors a tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah (about £8), payable online or on arrival.
2. Customs declaration. You fill it in online before you land, as part of the All Indonesia declaration (within 72 hours of arrival), and the QR code is scanned at the exit. Without it you will be sent to complete it on the spot, which costs time.
3. Baggage and screening. After you collect your suitcase, it goes through an X-ray scanner, unlike at most European airports.
4. Getting away. Taxis from the official rank charge fixed fares by zone. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek work, but they have their own designated pick-up point away from the main exit.

We cover the airport and the city itself in more detail in our guide to Denpasar and Bali airport.

Bali time difference to the UK, and how to cope with it

Bali is on UTC+8 all year round, so it is 7 hours ahead of the UK during British Summer Time and 8 hours ahead in winter. When you sit down to lunch in London, people on Bali are getting ready for bed.

What that means in practice:

• The outbound trip is harder than the return. You fly east, towards the sunrise, and your day gets shorter, so you arrive tired.
• Many flights land in the morning or around midday. On the first day, don’t try to do anything big: get to your accommodation and stay awake until the evening.
• Adjusting takes three to four days. Don’t plan a night-time volcano hike for your second day.

Sleep, light and timing matter more than any gadget, and the tips in the next section are the ones that help most with jet lag.

How to survive a long-haul flight to Bali

• Choose your seat in advance. On long flights it is worth paying extra for an exit-row seat, or at least an aisle.
• Drink water and skip the alcohol. Cabin air dries you out more than you would think.
• Get up and walk around. Sitting for hours raises the risk of thrombosis, and on a journey of 16 hours in the air compression socks make sense.
• Set your watch to Bali time as soon as you take off and sleep accordingly.
• Bring earplugs and an eye mask. How much you sleep on the plane is the main factor in how you feel on day one.

When to book flights to Bali from the UK

• Three to six months ahead usually gives the best balance of price and choice.
• Avoid the Christmas holidays and the school summer holidays in July and August, when fares are at their highest.
• The rainy season is usually the cheapest, roughly January to March, when you can fly for noticeably less.
• A return ticket almost always works out better than two one-ways, and Indonesia generally asks for proof of onward travel when you enter anyway.

How many days to spend in Bali when it is this far

With 18 to 21 hours of travel each way, a short holiday is not worth it. A sensible minimum is ten days, and two weeks or more is ideal. On a one-week trip you spend two days travelling and another two adjusting, which leaves you just three usable days.