Top Things To Do In Ubud

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali, the perfect place to slow down and immerse in all the beautiful scenery that this in-land town offers!

Ubud is home to stunning scenic spots, mind-blowing waterfalls, delicious restaurants, yoga studios, wellness retreats, spas, boutiques, and artisan shops. Not to mention temples, shopping markets, and a whole lot of cultural charm. We wouldn’t suggest doing a mere day trip to Ubud, because the real essence of Ubud is found in exploring the surroundings at your own pace in your own way.

🚀 Best time to visit to Ubud

The best time to visit Ubud is anytime except when it’s raining, which is normally between October and March. Otherwise, when it’s bright and sunny, it’s just perfect to bask in all the glory of the town and its surroundings.

🚀 How to get to, in, and around Ubud?

Ubud is just an hour’s drive north of the Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar). If you’re coming to Bali via the ferry from Java, then hop into a little bus or bemo in Gilimanuk bus station and alight at Mengwi bus terminal (4 hours journey). From Mengwi you can ask a motorcycle rider to shuttle you to Ubud (45 minutes journey).

Grab and GoJek are banned in many areas of Ubud. So if you can’t use these ride-hailing apps, you’ll have to pay a local scooter rider to shuttle you around. But if you can ride a scooter, go ahead and rent one! It’s budget friendly and can get you to all the unique secluded spots in and around Ubud.

Bike rentals in Ubud can cost as low as IDR 50,000 (USD 3.4) per day and IDR 600,000 (USD 40) a month. If you’re quoted a higher price, try haggling. And we don’t recommend renting a car because the roads in some areas are quite narrow and inaccessible by car. Petrol can be bought in bottles in most parts of Ubud, and one litre bottle costs about IDR 8,000 (USD 0.60).

So ride through the local villages through some great scenery, and keep your earphones (for Maps navigation), sunnies, and sunblock handy!

🚀 Where to eat in Ubud?

There are heaps of vegetarian and vegan food options in Ubud, which is AWESOME! You’ll find local warungs and fine dining options, everything that will suit one’s budget of any kind. You can pay as little as IDR 15,000 (USD 1) in street side shacks, IDR 45,000-75,000 (USD 3-5) at mid-end restaurants, and the high-end dining options will cost around IDR 200,000 (USD 13.5). You’ll find every type of cuisine in the city centre, from fast food eateries to classic authentic local and international dishes. But it is the healthy and vegan eateries that catch the most limelight for many people visiting Ubud.
Some of the best Indian restaurants in Ubud include Ganesha Ek Sanskriti, Queen’s Of India, Sitara Indian Restaurant, Indian Delites, Mumbai Station, and Warung Sharaswhaty!

🚀 Visit the Ubud Monkey Forest

One of Ubud’s famous attractions is the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, located around a number of temple grounds at the southern end of the Monkey Forest Road. This sacred forest is home to hundreds of mischievous long-tailed macaques. They can be cheeky and aggressive, especially if you take any food with you that you don’t intend to share with them! If you want, you can buy bananas to feed the monkeys here. Take care of your personal belongings as the monkeys have been known to snatch items such as cameras, sunglasses, and jewellery. Be on your best behaviour, don’t bother them by touching them, and you’ll have a great time!

• 🕣 Ubud Monkey Forest Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:30am – 5:30pm
• 🎫 Ubud Monkey Forest Entrance Fee: Adult IDR 50,000 (USD 3.4), Child IDR 40,000 (USD 2.7)

🚀 Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)

Head to Goa Gajah in Bedulu Village, an impressive archaeological wonder consisting of a large temple complex used commonly as a spiritual place for meditation. Dating back to the 11th century, this place has got a cave with a menacing entrance, relics, gushing fountains, and ancient bathing pools. The inside of the cave is completely dark, so you will need your phone’s flashlight to catch a glimpse of the Ganesh statue and Shiva’s stone lingam and yoni. Oh and you may explore the vicinity looking for signs that can testify why this place is even called Elephant Cave! 😆🐘

• 🕣 Goa Gajah Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00am – 4:30pm
• 🎫 Goa Gajah Entrance Fee: Adult IDR 15,000 (USD 1), Child IDR 7,500 (USD 0.5)
  

  

🚀 Spend time at the Ubud City Centre

Continue your Ubud explorations by visiting the markets located in the village centre. Indulge in local artisan shopping and fashionable Bohemian/hippie shops, or shop at Coco Supermarket located right at the beginning of Ubud’s city centre. You’ll find heaps of restaurants in this area, so it’s definitely a good idea to grab a bite before exploring further.

🚀 Visit the Ubud Palace

The Ubud Royal Palace is also known as Puri Saren Agung, and is located in the centre of the town close to the Ubud Art Market. The palace is home to one of Bali’s royal families, who still live in sections of the palace that is also used for ceremonial reasons. You can walk around the gardens here and enjoy the ornate Balinese architecture. It is also known as the best place to come in the evenings if you want to witness a traditional Balinese dance performance.

• 🕣 Ubud Palace Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00am – 7:00pm
• 🎫 Ubud Palace Entrance Fee: Free
• 🎫 Ubud Palace Dance Show Ticket Price: IDR 100,000 (USD 6.7) starts at 7:30pm

🚀 Visit the Saraswati Lotus Temple

This lotus temple is located in the middle of Ubud centre, a minute walk from Ubud Palace, and has an unassuming exterior while being stunning on the inside. It also houses a couple of cafés namely Starbucks and Lotus Restaurant – so you could marvel at the temple’s beauty over a cup of coffee. There are dance performances held here in the evenings when the temple is illuminated against the night sky, which makes for a stunning sight!

• 🕣 Saraswati Temple Ubud Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00am – 6:00pm
• 🎫 Saraswati Temple Ubud Entrance Fee: Free
• 🎫 Saraswati Temple Ubud Dance Show Ticket Price: IDR 80,000 (USD 5.4) starts at 7:30pm

🚀 Explore the Penestanan Stairs

This is definitely one of our favourite spots in Ubud. The Penestanan Stairs isn’t just a flight of stairs but is a foodies’ heaven and the perfect place to find absolute tranquility. Yoga centres, dime a dozen raw/organic/vegan/health food restaurants and hidden cafés, and heaps of accommodation options galore here. Being an artist’s village, there are events happening here frequently, so do check out the notice board! You can live here for days on end; if not it makes for a perfect day-time visit. We decided to escape the heat and chilled in a book café here, drinking coconut water, reading, and eventually taking an afternoon nap. Just doing things the Balinese way, you see! 📚🥥😴

🚀 Do the Campuhan Ridge Walk

Up for some walking? Do the Campuhan Ridge Walk which is a paved jungle track with beautiful greenery of trees and hills. You’ll also see some artworks by expatriates and locals being sold towards the end of the walk, near the Karsa café.

How to get there? Find Warwick IBAH villas and spa on Maps and turn left into the road down that leads you to the parking lot. You will see the sign saying ‘This Way Trekking Campuhan Ridge “Karsa Kafe” 2 Kilometres’. Down the stairs is the Gunung Lebah Temple and towards the right begins this gorgeous walk that overlooks an exquisite valley. Do this walk either early morning or late afternoon.

🚀 Do the Sari Organik Walk

Well this walk got its name from the café that is located in the vicinity. The start of this walk can be found at Jl. Subak Sok Wayah. This area is quite secluded and it can be a mission and a half to reach here, but it’s absolutely worth all the hassle a first-timer would go through. Opt to be here just before sunset time and you can end the day watching a spectacular sunset by the paddy fields! You can even lounge inside Pomegranate café or Sari Organik café, seeing the sun go down against the rice field views in front of you.

🚀 Visit the Tegalalang Rice Terrace

Your visit in Ubud will not be complete without checking out the absolutely gorgeous and totally Instagrammable Tegalalang Rice Terrace located 20 minutes drive away from Ubud centre. This attraction is famous for its beautiful scenery of rice paddies, made popular by the movie Eat, Pray, Love. The rice fields are located on the hill bank and are a result of a Balinese irrigation technique called ‘subak’, which creates a stepped landscape. Coconut trees ornament the area adding to the glory of this place. Try to get here early in the morning, when the soft golden light of the sun makes this place magical with less people swarming this super touristy place.

• 🕣 Tegalalang Rice Terrace Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 7.00am – 5.00pm
• 🎫 Tegalalang Rice Terrace Entrance Fee: IDR 15,000 (USD 1)

🚀 Go Waterfall Hopping

When the day is beautiful with the sun shining so bright, head out for a serene escape to chase waterfalls. The four waterfalls below were within a distance of 60km and can all be visited in a day, with time to spare in the evening for some shopping and a traditional dance show.

🌊 Tegenungan Waterfall

Tegenungan waterfall is unique for its lush green surroundings and heavy water flow, which is of brown sugar colour on a rainy day. It may not look very Instagrammable then, but it’s quite impressive! You can walk around the waterfall area, have a shower under the smaller waterfall tucked a little inside at the mid-point of the stairs, or you can simply admire the views from the restaurant terrace. There’s a little swing there as well where you can pay and have a shot taken against the gushing water. Since it is a highly visited waterfall, unless you are here early morning you will most likely be joined by a crowd.

• 🕣 Tegenungan Waterfall Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:30am – 6:30pm
• 🎫 Tegenungan Waterfall Entrance Fee: IDR 15,000 (USD 1)

🌊 Tibumana Waterfall

Located at Bangli area is the understated yet modestly serene Tibumana waterfall that offers visitors a beautiful swimming spot at the bottom of the falls. Being an easy 10-minute walk down, this waterfall is one of the quieter and less touristy waterfalls in Bali that is worth visiting for some afternoon relaxation.

• 🕣 Tibumana Waterfall Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00am – 6:00pm
• 🎫 Tibumana Waterfall Entrance Fee: IDR 10,000 (USD 0.7)

🌊 Kanto Lampo Waterfall

Gaining popularity and being a sensation of a place now in Bali, Kanto Lampo waterfall has water falling on jumbled black rocks, causing water to crash and generate splashes on all sides to produce a fascinating beauty. You’ll feel the vibes of being in a jungle, and the rock carvings are incredibly impressive around the area. The pool of this waterfall is quite deep, so it makes for a fantastic place to swim without a snag!

• 🕣 Kanto Lampo Waterfall Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00am – 6:00pm
• 🎫 Kanto Lampo Waterfall Entrance Fee: IDR 10,000 (USD 0.7)

🌊 Tukad Cepung Waterfall

This is the farthest waterfall of all, and is well worth the ride through windy palm tree roads and scenic rice fields. This spot is a tad secluded, involving a walk through a stream that leads you through cliffs creating a cave-like formation. Being open at the top, this stunning place lets sun rays beam through the falls. The ambiance is super enchanting, and if you have never seen water flowing from the sky, then you’d not want to miss out on visiting this place.

• 🕣 Tukad Cepung Waterfall Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00am – 6:00pm
• 🎫 Tukad Cepung Waterfall Entrance Fee: IDR 15,000 (USD 1)

If you’re up for even more waterfall ventures, go further north and visit Nungnung waterfall, Leke Leke waterfall, Banyumala waterfall, Gitgit waterfall, and Sekumpul waterfall. They are more serene, stunning, and super impressive!

Note: You’re going to have to climb down quite a few steps to reach the waterfalls and then back up. Also be cautious of slippery paths on days when it’s raining!

🚀 Shop at Pasar Seni Sukawati

Once you’ve had your fill of waterfalls for the day, head to Pasar Seni Sukawati (also known as Sukawati Art Market) for some shopping. Here you’ll find a complete range of Balinese clothing items and souvenirs, and you can haggle your way through a great bargain! Pasar Seni Sukawati is a cheaper place to go shopping compared to the markets in Ubud village centre.

• 🕣 Sukawati Art Market Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00am – 6:00pm

🚀 Watch the Sahadewa Barong Dance

You can have a fantastic cultural experience and watch one of the two Sahadewa Barong Dance performances at Batubulan. One is a ‘Barong and Kris Dance’ that happens in the morning and the other one is a ‘Kecak and Fire Dance’ that runs in the evening. We went for the latter, and the performance was a Balinese adaption of the Ramayana. The music came from the voices generated by 40 men orchestrating without any musical instruments. There is an interpretive dance involved, and the synopsis is outlined in the pamphlet you will receive at the ticket booth which helps with following the story as the scenes unfold (since there is no narration). The show ends with a Kecak Fire Dance, a dancer who dances on fire unscathed. Oh! Also, only if you’re fascinated by culture and have an hour to spare, is the dance show worth it.

• 🕣 Sahadewa Barong and Kris Dance Timing: Monday to Sunday 9:30am – 10:30am
• 🕣 Sahadewa Kecak and Fire Dance Timing: Monday to Sunday 6:30pm – 7:30pm
• 🎫 Sahadewa Barong Dance Show Ticket Price: IDR 100,000 (USD 6.7)

 

Experience Bali’s enchanting scenery and culture in Ubud, which is a perfect place for relaxation and nature lovers. Art fans will get a unique chance to enjoy and learn the many artistic styles of Ubud, yoga enthusiasts will find nirvana here, and food lovers will find ecstasy here!