Dubai and Bali holidays put a city stop between the UK and a week or more on Bali, and Singapore can sit in the middle or replace Dubai altogether. This Dubai, Singapore and Bali holiday guide covers the choices to settle before you compare packages: which city, which order, how many nights in each place and which months suit all of them.
Quick answer
Dubai has a non-stop onward flight to Bali, so Singapore is an option rather than a necessity. Add it for a second city and a short final hop. Travel Dubai first and Bali last. Allow 10 to 12 nights for two centres and 12 to 14 for three. April to May and October to November work best across the route, though Baliโs rains begin in November.
- London to Dubai
- About 7 to 7ยพ hours non-stop.
- Dubai to Bali
- About 9 hours non-stop.
- Dubai to Singapore
- About 7ยฝ to 8 hours non-stop.
- Singapore to Bali
- Under 3 hours non-stop.
- Time difference
- From 25 October 2026 the UAE is 4 hours ahead of the UK, and Singapore and Bali are 8 hours ahead. Take off one hour while British Summer Time runs, from 28 March 2027.
- Currencies
- UAE dirham, Singapore dollar and Indonesian rupiah.
Dubai and Bali, Singapore and Bali, or all three?
Start with the city, because it sets the number of flights, the shape of the journey and the time left for the beach. The table compares the three common routes.
| Route | Flights after leaving the UK | How the journey feels | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai + Bali | One, Dubai to Bali | Two long legs of similar length, with a rest in between. | A beach-led trip with one city break and the fewest check-ins. |
| Singapore + Bali | One short hop, Singapore to Bali | One very long first leg, then an easy final flight. | Food, gardens and city walking, and the shortest flight into Bali. |
| Dubai + Singapore + Bali | Two | Three stages, each ending in a hotel bed. | A first long trip to Asia that takes in two contrasting cities before the beach. |
Dubai and Bali multi centre holidays keep things simple: one flight between the stops, and the rest of the trip on the island. Singapore and Bali holidays suit travellers who would rather do the long flying in one go and then have almost none left. A third stop costs you another flight, another check-in and fewer nights in Bali for the same trip length.
What Dubai adds
Dubai gives you desert, beach hotels and the tallest building in the world within a short drive of each other. Two or three full days cover Downtown, a desert evening and time on the Palm or the Marina. For hotels and areas, our Dubai holidays guide goes into more depth.
What Singapore adds
Singapore is compact, clean and easy to cover on public transport. Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, the hawker centres and the older districts of Chinatown and Kampong Glam fit into two days without rushing. Allow a third night if your flight from Dubai lands in the evening, or the arrival day is lost. Changi Airport is close to the city, which keeps the final transfer short.
What Bali adds
Bali is the slow end of the trip: temples, rice terraces, surf beaches and resort pools. The island is larger than it looks on a map, so the area you choose matters more than the hotel name. Our Bali holidays from the UK guide covers the island itself.
Which order works best?
Fly east: UK to Dubai, then Singapore if you include it, then Bali, and home from Bali. Three reasons make this the sensible default.
- The clock moves in two steps. The UAE sits roughly halfway between UK time and Bali time, so the first night in Dubai absorbs part of the change.
- The hardest travel day comes first. You arrive in Dubai fresh and do the city while you still have the energy for it.
- The trip ends at the slowest stop. Your last days are by a pool rather than in a queue for a viewing deck.
The route also works in reverse, with Dubai at the end, if you want a shopping stop on the way home. The trade-off is that your last days are in a busy city rather than by a pool.
How many nights in Dubai, Singapore and Bali?
These splits work for most itineraries. They are planning guidance, not fixed packages, and any of them can move by a night.
| Trip length | Dubai | Singapore | Bali | Why this split |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 nights, Dubai and Bali | 3 | โ | 7 | Fewest flights, most beach time. |
| 10 nights, Singapore and Bali | โ | 3 | 7 | Shortest onward flight. |
| 12 nights, Dubai and Bali | 4 | โ | 8 | An extra night in each place. |
| 12 nights, all three | 3 | 2 | 7 | Adds a second city without cutting Bali below a week. |
| 14 nights, all three, beach-led | 3 | 3 | 8 | Room for a second Bali area. |
| 14 nights, all three, city-led | 4 | 3 | 7 | A slower Dubai stay, best in the cooler months. |
Keep Bali to five nights or more. The long flight in and the drive to the hotel take most of the arrival day, and anything shorter leaves too little time on the island to justify the journey.
Where to base yourself in Bali
Most multi-centre trips stay in one Bali area. Splitting the stay between Ubud and a beach area costs a transfer day, so only do it with eight nights or more on the island.
| Area | What it is like | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|
| Ubud | Inland among rice terraces and river valleys, with no beach. | Culture, walking, temples and villas with private pools. |
| Seminyak | West-coast beach town with restaurants, shops and beach clubs, busy with traffic. | Evenings out and a lively beach after a city stop. |
| Uluwatu | Clifftops on the southern Bukit peninsula, with surf beaches and cliff-edge hotels. | Sea views, sunsets and a quieter pace. |
| Nusa Dua | A planned resort area on the Bukitโs east coast, with sheltered beaches. | Large resorts, calm swimming and an easy stay for families. |
When is the best time for a Dubai and Bali holiday?
No month is perfect in all three places, because the three climates peak at different times of year. Singapore is warm and humid all year, with rain in every season. The table gives a verdict for each route.
| Months | Dubai + Bali | Singapore + Bali | All three | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October to November | Good | Good | Good | Dubai cools through the period, and Baliโs rains are only starting. Singapore has afternoon storms. |
| December to March | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Dubai is at its most comfortable, but this is Baliโs wet season, and Singapore is wettest from December to early January. |
| April to May | Good | Good | Good | Bali is drying out and Dubai is warm but not yet at its peak. |
| June to September | Avoid if you want days outside in Dubai | Good | Mixed | Baliโs driest months, but average daytime highs in Dubai run from about 39ยฐC to 42ยฐC. Singapore is the easier city stop. |
Rain in Baliโs wet season tends to come in heavy bursts rather than all day, and temperatures stay warm. It is a trade-off rather than a reason to rule the months out.
2027 dates to plan around
- Chinese New Year, 6 and 7 February 2027 (Singapore). Public holidays, with some shops and hawker stalls closed and hotels in demand.
- Ramadan, expected from about 8 February 2027 (Dubai). The UAE estimate puts Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March, subject to moon sighting.
- Nyepi, Monday 8 March 2027 (Bali). The Balinese day of silence. The airport closes for the day, so no flight can arrive or leave.
An itinerary crossing February and early March 2027 can hit all three. Check which one falls on your dates before you fix the order.
Entry requirements for UK passports
Each country has its own arrival formalities, and two of them now want an online form before you land.
| Country | Visa on a British passport | Before or on arrival | Also note |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Free visa issued on arrival, for up to 90 days in any 180. | Nothing to file in advance for a standard visit. | Passport valid for 6 months from arrival. Some prescription medicines need approval before you travel. |
| Singapore | No visa needed. Officers set the stay, normally 30 to 90 days. | Submit the SG Arrival Card online within the 3 days before arrival. | Passport valid for 6 months. E-cigarettes and vapes are banned. |
| Indonesia (Bali) | Visa on arrival for IDR 500,000, valid 30 days, paid by cash or card. An e-visa can be bought online at least a week ahead. | Complete the All Indonesia arrival declaration within 72 hours before landing. Pay the Bali tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about ยฃ8). | Passport valid for 6 months with 2 blank pages. Carry proof of your onward or return flight. |
Rules change at short notice, so read the FCDO travel advice for all three countries when you book and again in the week before you fly.
Booking the route as one package
Our Dubai and Bali twin-centre holiday is 10 nights: 3 in Dubai and 7 in a private pool villa in Ubud, and it can be extended to 12 or 14 nights. The Dubai to Bali flight is included. For two cities first, our 14-night Dubai, Singapore and Bali holiday includes the flights between all three stops. Both come in Economy or Business, with return flights from the UK, and are ATOL protected under licence 10713. For Singapore without Dubai, see our Singapore, Ubud and Bali holiday.
