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Bali Cruise Stopover at Benoa: Helicopter Shore Excursion Plan

A Bali cruise stopover at Benoa Harbour can fit a helicopter shore excursion in a half-day: an 18-minute flight along the Bukit cliffs is $650 for the whole helicopter, or $165 each for four, and a 12-minute flight is $450. Plan to be back at the ship 1 to 2 hours before sailing, confirm the all-aboard time with your cruise line, and get the pick-up point, pad and times in writing before you pay. Send the ship's schedule on WhatsApp for a fixed quote.

PlanningUpdated 2026-10-116 min read

Sanur beach reef and outrigger boats from a helicopter in Bali

In this guide

Cruise Stopover in Bali: What Fits in a Few Hours
Benoa Harbour and Your Time Budget
What Fits in a Half-Day With an 18-Minute Flight
Which Flights Fit a Port Day, and What a Group of 4 Pays
Risks and Delays to Plan For
Why Book Direct, With Times in Writing
How to Book From the Ship's Schedule
Staying a Night Before or After the Cruise

The short answer

Cruise Stopover in Bali: What Fits in a Few Hours

Yes, a helicopter flight fits a port day, if the port day is long enough and you plan the clock backwards from the ship's departure. The flight itself is 12 to 30 minutes. The rest of the time goes on getting from the ship to the pad, a 15–20 minute briefing, getting back and leaving a safety margin for the ship.

Benoa Harbour is Bali's main cruise terminal. It sits on the south-east coast, near the airport and Nusa Dua, and the Bukit pad where most south Bali flights lift off is further south. The exact pad and the car time from the terminal go into the quote. We do not assume a landing at the terminal, because ports have their own rules; confirm with your cruise line what is allowed and where a driver can wait.

Everything on port procedures, such as when you can leave the ship, where tenders or the gangway land you and the final all-aboard time, is for your cruise line to confirm. Use this page to plan the ground side.

Time budget

Benoa Harbour and Your Time Budget

Start with the time you actually have ashore, from when you can leave the ship to the all-aboard time on your ship card. Then take off the buffer for the return trip. These are planning figures, not promises.

Time ashore	After a 1–2 hour buffer	What realistically fits
6 hours	4–5 hours	One 12-minute flight and a short stop. It is tight, so ask for a written timetable
8 hours	6–7 hours	An 18-minute flight, a lunch or a temple visit, and a relaxed return
10 hours	8–9 hours	A 30-minute flight and one or two stops, or a longer lunch

Shore time can start later than the scheduled arrival if clearance runs long. Confirm with your cruise line when guests may leave the ship and when the last tender or shuttle returns.

A half-day plan

What Fits in a Half-Day With an 18-Minute Flight

An example for an 8-hour call with all-aboard at 16:30. Every time is a planning figure; the quote gives the real timetable for your ship.

08:30Leave the ship and meet your driverAt the meeting point agreed in the quote. Confirm with your cruise line when you may leave and where the car can wait.
08:45Car to the padThe quote states the pad and the car time. A private car to the pad starts at $50, priced by area and vehicle.
09:45Briefing and headsetsThe pilot weighs soft bags, shows the seats and fits headsets. Keep the ship card and ID in a zipped pocket.
10:00Lift-offThe route follows the Bukit cliffs past Uluwatu Temple on its sea cliff about 70 m high. See the Uluwatu tour for the landmarks in order.
10:20Back on the groundPhotos at the pad if you like. The Uluwatu temple grounds are a short ride away by car.
12:30Lunch on Jimbaran Bay or the BukitA seafood café on Jimbaran Bay is a natural stop on the way back north.
14:00Car to the terminalLeave plenty of margin. Allow for traffic, which varies by the hour.
15:00Back at the portAn hour and a half before all-aboard, if your line asks for 1 to 2 hours. Confirm the rule with your cruise line.

Flights and costs

Which Flights Fit a Port Day, and What a Group of 4 Pays

Guide prices for the whole helicopter, up to 4 guests, with pilot and fuel included. Cruise groups usually share one helicopter, so the per-guest column is the useful one.

Flight	Air time	Whole helicopter	Each, 4 guests	Fits when
Bukit cliffs and GWK statue	12 min	$450	$115	Short call, or a late start from the ship
Uluwatu Temple and the cliffs	18 min	$650	$165	A half-day with time for lunch
Nusa Penida cliffs	30 min	$1,150	$290	A long call, with a morning start
Mount Batur and Kintamani	30 min	$1,150	$290	A long call and a clear morning; cloud builds from late morning

Add a private car to the pad from $50, and for a group photo a ground photographer at $250. Six guests need the 6-seat class at about 1.4 times the price. The price page lists every flight.

Get a Group Price

Risks

Risks and Delays to Plan For

A ship will not wait for an independent excursion. Build the delays into the plan, not into your hopes.

Risk	What can happen	What to do
Late docking or slow clearance	Shore time starts later than the schedule	Send us the ship's arrival and all-aboard times. We agree in the quote how the pick-up moves
Traffic between port and pad	The car takes longer than planned	Ask for the car time in writing and add margin. A morning start is safer than a late one
Weather	Cloud, rain or wind stop the flight. The pilot makes the call	Choose the first slot you can. If a flight cannot go, the part not flown is refunded. Details come with the quote
A late return to the port	The ship sails without you	Set a hard turn-back time with the driver, and start the return trip 1 to 2 hours before all-aboard
Pad or air traffic delay	The take-off slips by some minutes	Keep a buffer between landing and the car, and do not book a tight tour straight after

Cruise lines usually hold the ship for their own organised excursions and usually do not for independent ones. Confirm that rule with your cruise line before you book.

Book direct

Why Book Direct, With Times in Writing

A direct booking lets you see every time before you pay. Ask for these in the quote and keep it on your phone.

The pick-up point and time. Where the driver waits for you, and when. Confirm with your cruise line that this meeting point is allowed.
The pad and the car time. The name of the pad and the minutes by road in each direction.
The take-off window and the flight length. Minutes in the air and the time you should be back at the pad.
The latest return to the port. The time the car must leave the last stop to reach the terminal.
The weather and delay terms. Reschedule or refund of the part not flown, and what happens if the ship's schedule changes.
The operator and its licence. The licensed Indonesian air operator and its licence number; see what to ask an operator.

Booking

How to Book From the Ship's Schedule

Send the ship's times

The date, the ship's arrival time, when guests may leave, the all-aboard time, how many guests and approximate weights. Ask your cruise line if you are unsure.

We reply with a timetable

The reply names the aircraft class, the pad, the car time, the take-off window and a fixed price. In the busy season ask ten to fourteen days ahead.

A deposit holds the slot

Payment details come with the quote. Nothing is paid on this website.

Check the weather the day before

We tell you if the forecast is poor and offer the first slot of the morning.

Share a WhatsApp contact for the day

If the ship runs late, we move the pick-up. If you are close to the margin, we say so before the flight, not after.

Before or after the cruise

Staying a Night Before or After the Cruise

If you add nights in Bali, the helicopter has a bigger job to do. An arrival from Ngurah Rai Airport to Ubud or Uluwatu is a short flight against a long drive; see the airport helicopter transfer for the times and one-way prices. That leg is fully separate from the port-day plan and has no ship deadline.

The guide to which route to choose helps when you have more than one day. For a day with no ship attached, you can pick a morning, a stop and a sunset flight at your own pace.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where do cruise ships dock in Bali?

Benoa Harbour is Bali's main cruise terminal, on the south-east coast near the airport and Nusa Dua. Whether your ship docks or uses tenders on the day is something to confirm with your cruise line.

How much time do I need for a helicopter excursion from the ship?

Allow a half-day. The flight is 12 to 30 minutes, but the car to the pad, the 15–20 minute briefing and the return trip add up. Plan to be back at the ship 1 to 2 hours before all-aboard, and confirm that rule with your cruise line.

How much does a helicopter flight cost for four cruise passengers?

An 18-minute flight is $650 for the whole helicopter, which is $165 each for four. A 12-minute flight is $450, or $115 each, and a 30-minute flight is $1,150, or $290 each.

Will the ship wait if my helicopter excursion runs late?

Do not assume so. Cruise lines usually hold the ship for their own organised excursions and usually not for independent ones. Confirm the rule with your cruise line, set a hard turn-back time and keep a generous margin.

Can the helicopter pick us up at the cruise terminal?

We do not assume a landing at the terminal, because ports have their own rules. The quote names the pad and the meeting point, and you should confirm with your cruise line where the driver may wait.

What happens if the weather stops the flight?

The pilot makes the call. We move the flight to the next suitable slot if your schedule allows, or refund the part not flown. On a one-day call there is no second slot, so book the first slot of the morning.

Send the Ship's Times and We Build the Timetable

Tell us the date, the ship's arrival and all-aboard times, how many guests and which flight you like. We reply the same day with the pad, the car time, the take-off window and one fixed price. Nothing is paid on this site.

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