Bali Airport to Sanur: Prices, the Toll Road and Catching a Boat the Same Day
Short answer
Sanur is 17 km from the airport and 25–35 minutes off-peak. A standard car cost Rp148,000 with Grab, Rp151,000 with Bluebird's fixed fare and Rp180,000 with Gojek in our dated check. The Bali Mandara toll road (Rp14,000) is optional and only saves time in traffic. If you are heading straight to Nusa Penida, land before early afternoon to make a boat.
- Distance
- 17 km
- Drive
- 25–35 min, peak 45–75 min
- App car (10 May 2026)
- Rp148k–180k
- Toll (optional)
- Rp14,000 per car
What it costs
| App | Standard car | Bigger or nicer car | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyBluebird (taxi) | Rp151k fixed (meter estimate Rp116k–158k) | — | — |
| Grab | Rp148kGrabCar Airport | Rp163.5kPlus | Rp235k |
| Gojek | Rp180kGoCar | Rp238.5kComfort | Rp277.5kLuxe |
Quotes from the airport to a Swiss-Belresort hotel in south Sanur, taken in the apps on 10 May 2026, 07:02–07:20 Bali time — early morning, no rain. Grab showed a Rp20,000 promo already applied; the normal Grab price was Rp20,000 higher. Peak hours, rain and holidays push app prices up.
Show the three app screenshots
Grab and Bluebird were level, Gojek about Rp30,000 more. The route in our Grab screenshot ran along the bypass without the toll road — the app price does not assume you take it.
Toll road or bypass?
The Bali Mandara toll road crosses the bay on a causeway from the airport side towards Benoa. For Sanur it is a shortcut, not a must:
| Bypass (Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai) | Bali Mandara toll road | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Rp14,000 per car, paid by e-money card |
| When it helps | Most of the day | Afternoon traffic on the bypass |
| Who pays | — | You, on top of an app or taxi fare |
A driver asking “toll or no toll?” is not trying anything; say yes in the afternoon if the bypass is red on the map, otherwise no.
Going straight to Nusa Penida
Sanur’s harbour on Jalan Matahari Terbit is where the fast boats to Nusa Penida leave. Boats run from about 07:00 to about 17:00, and the crossing takes 40–45 minutes. To make it the same day:
- Land before about 13:00 if you can. Immigration, bags and the drive easily take two hours.
- Put the harbour itself, not a hotel, as your destination.
- Book a boat with a flexible time, or buy at the harbour — outside July, August and Christmas there is usually space.
For flights landing in the afternoon, sleeping in Sanur and catching the first boat at 07:00 is calmer than racing the last one. Details on boats, prices and the new island fees: Bali to Nusa Penida.
North or south Sanur
Sanur stretches about 5 km along the beach. Southern Sanur, near the Mertasari end, is closest to the airport; the north end near the harbour adds 10 minutes. Most hotels on the beach path are reachable by car to the front door.
Sources
- Antara Bali — Bali Mandara toll tariff — Rp14,000 for cars, e-money only
- Grab — Ngurah Rai International Airport rides
- detikBali — Sanur harbour departures and crossing time — December 2025
- Nusapenida.org — how to get to Nusa Penida — updated September 2026