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Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, top 10 things to do (Wimup travel guide)
Top 10AsiaIndonesia

Top 10 Things To Do in Ubud

Country
Indonesia
Best months
May · Jun · Sep
Population
74,800
Language
Indonesian & Balinese
Budget / day
$40–100
Quick answer

Give Ubud three to five days. Two of them go to the valley itself (the Monkey Forest, the ridge walk at first light, a museum, a dance in the palace courtyard), and the rest go north-east to the Pakerisan valley, where Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi sit half an hour apart. Stay in or near the centre if you want to walk to dinner, and hire a driver for the temple runs rather than a scooter you will be riding in the dark.

Ubud is the inland answer to Bali, and it works on a different clock from the south. Mornings belong to the rice terraces and the temples, afternoons to rain and museums, evenings to a gamelan orchestra in a palace courtyard. It is small enough to cross on foot and busy enough that the crossroads jams by ten.

The 10 best things to do in Ubud

1

Meet the macaques at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Nature reserve· Jalan Monkey Forest, Padangtegal, Ubud, Gianyar 80571

Twelve hectares of jungle in the middle of town, owned by the village of Padangtegal, holding roughly 1,200 long-tailed macaques and three 14th-century temples. The monkeys are wild, habituated and quick: they take sunglasses and water bottles, so carry nothing in your hands. Open 09:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atAt opening
TipCarry nothing loose
Map↗ Website
2

Walk the Campuhan Ridge at first light

Walk· Jalan Raya Campuhan, beside Pura Gunung Lebah, Ubud

A paved spine of hill running north out of town between two river valleys, about two kilometres each way, free and open whenever you are. Start beside Pura Gunung Lebah at the confluence. Do it at six: by nine the ridge is exposed, hot and full. Shoes with grip, because the concrete is slick after rain.

Time1–2 hrs
CostFree
Best atSunrise
TipSlippery after rain
Map
Pura Tirta Empul, Ubud, Indonesia (Wimup)
3

Bathe in the spring at Pura Tirta Empul

Temple· Jalan Tirta, Manukaya, Tampaksiring, Gianyar 80552

A tenth-century water temple built over a spring that fills two bathing pools through a row of carved spouts, half an hour north-east. Balinese Hindus come for melukat, a purification worked down the spouts one at a time, and visitors may join: hire a sarong at the gate and skip the two reserved for funerary rites.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atBefore 09:00
TipSarong required
Map↗ Bali tourism
4

Climb down to the shrines at Gunung Kawi

Archaeological site· Banjar Penaka, Tampaksiring, Gianyar 80552

Ten shrines cut straight into the rock walls of the Pakerisan gorge in the 11th century, each about seven metres tall, reached by roughly 300 steps down through terraced rice. They are memorials rather than tombs. The walk back up is the hard part, so go early and take water. Far quieter than Tirta Empul nearby.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atMorning
TipAbout 300 steps down
Map
Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud, Indonesia (Wimup)
5

See where Balinese painting turned modern at Museum Puri Lukisan

Museum· Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar 80571

Ubud's first museum, opened in 1956, and the clearest single explanation of what happened to Balinese art in the 20th century. Four pavilions in a garden of ponds trace the shift from temple commission to signed work, from Kamasan painting to the Young Artists of Penestanan. Open daily 09:00 to 18:00.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed
Best atAfternoon rain
TipFree for under-15s with an adult
Map↗ Website
6

Watch the light move across the Tegallalang terraces

Rice terrace· Jalan Raya Tegallalang, Tegallalang, Gianyar 80561

The steep amphitheatre of paddies twenty minutes north, cut into a narrow valley and irrigated by the same subak cooperatives that manage water across the island. Private access points charge their own entry and run their own swings. Come before eight or after four: in the middle of the day the coaches arrive.

Time1–2 hrs
CostEntry at each access point
Best atBefore 08:00
TipCash for the path fees
Map
Goa Gajah, Ubud, Indonesia (Wimup)
7

Read the carvings at Goa Gajah

Archaeological site· Jalan Raya Goa Gajah, Bedulu, Blahbatuh, Gianyar 80581

The Elephant Cave, five minutes east, is a T-shaped meditation cave hacked into rock behind a doorway carved as a huge open mouth, dated to around the 11th century. The bathing pools in front were only excavated in 1954. Walk past them and down through the ravine at the back, where almost nobody goes.

Time45–60 min
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atEarly morning
TipWalk down to the ravine
Map
Ubud Palace, Ubud, Indonesia (Wimup)
8

Take a seat for a dance in the palace courtyard

Performance· Puri Saren Agung, Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar 80571

The royal palace stands at the main crossroads and still houses the Sukawati family, and most evenings its front courtyard becomes a stage: legong, barong, kecak and mask dance on a rotating programme with live gamelan. Tickets are sold at the gate. Turn up thirty minutes early, because seating is unassigned.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atEvening
TipArrive 30 min early
Map
9

Raft the Ayung River gorge

Adventure· Ayung River, Payangan, Gianyar

The Ayung cuts a jungle gorge west of Ubud, and the standard run is about ten kilometres of class II and III water: wet enough to be fun, gentle enough to be a family trip. It is worth doing for the walls as much as the water. Expect a steep staircase down to the put-in and another up at the end.

TimeHalf day
CostOperator trips
Best atMorning
TipSteep stairs at both ends
Map
Tegenungan Waterfall, Ubud, Indonesia (Wimup)
10

Stand under Tegenungan Waterfall

Waterfall· Kemenuh, Sukawati, Gianyar 80581

The closest real waterfall to Ubud, twenty minutes south, and one of the few in Bali not in a highland valley. A wide curtain drops into a shallow pool you can swim in, reached by a long flight of steps. The pool clears out early, and after heavy rain the flow is brown rather than photogenic.

Time1–2 hrs
CostTicketed at the gate
Best atBefore 09:00
TipLong staircase down
Map

9 of the 10, mapped

Ubud · 9 spots
AllTemplesMuseumsNatureFree

Ubud travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Ubud?+
Three to five. Two cover the town itself: the Monkey Forest, the Campuhan ridge at dawn, a museum, a market and an evening dance. The rest go to the Pakerisan valley temples, the terraces at Tegallalang or Keliki, and one longer trip to Kintamani or Sidemen.
Is Ubud a better base than the beach towns?+
It is a different holiday. Ubud is inland, green, cooler at night and organised around temples, walks and food rather than surf. There is no beach and getting to one takes an hour or more each way. Many people split the trip: a few nights here, a few on the coast at Canggu, Sanur or Uluwatu.
Do I have to pay the Bali tourist levy?+
Yes. Every international visitor owes a one-off levy of IDR 150,000, separate from any visa fee. Pay it before you travel through the Bali provincial government's Love Bali site, which ends in .go.id, and keep the QR voucher. Copycat sites charge more for the same thing.
What should I wear at the temples?+
A sarong and sash, and shoulders covered, for every temple you enter. Goa Gajah and Tirta Empul rent them at the gate. Women are asked not to enter courtyards while menstruating, and at Tirta Empul two spouts are reserved for funerary purification, so follow the queue.
When is the best time to visit Ubud?+
The dry season runs roughly April to October. May, June and September are the sweet spot: dry, and either side of the July and August peak. January and February are the wettest months, when the afternoon downpour is close to daily. Ubud sits inland at altitude, so evenings are noticeably cooler than the coast in any month.
Where Ubud eats

Best restaurants in Ubud

Ten kitchens, from a twenty-course tasting menu in Lodtunduh to a lunch counter that stops when the pig runs out.
Lodtunduh

Locavore NXT

Tasting menu · Dinner

The successor to Locavore, on its own land at Lodtunduh, cooking a long tasting menu from Indonesian and foraged ingredients. Book well ahead.

Map↗ Website
Sanggingan

Mozaic

French-Indonesian · Dinner

Ubud's long-running fine-dining garden on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, doing French technique on Indonesian produce since 2001. The most formal room in town.

Map↗ Website
Central Ubud

Hujan Locale

Modern Indonesian · Lunch and dinner

A two-storey colonial-style house off Jalan Sri Wedari serving modern Indonesian at a price a normal evening can carry. The bar is a good place to sit alone.

Map
Sayan

Room4Dessert

Dessert tasting · Evening

Will Goldfarb's dessert tasting menu, run as a full evening rather than a course at the end of one. The cocktail pairing is half the point.

Map
Jalan Suweta

Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka

Babi guling · Lunch

The name that took Balinese suckling pig beyond Bali. Rice, crackling, roast pork, lawar and sausage. Go at noon: when the pig is finished, service ends.

Map
Peliatan

Bebek Tepi Sawah

Balinese duck · Lunch and dinner

Crispy fried duck eaten in pavilions set out over a working paddy on the Goa Gajah road. A set piece, but the duck is genuinely good.

Map↗ Website
Jalan Dewi Sita

Nusantara by Locavore

Indonesian · Lunch and dinner

The Locavore group's archipelago kitchen on Jalan Dewi Sita: rendang, sambals by the tray, and dishes from islands most Bali menus skip.

Map
Campuhan

Bridges Bali

European · Dinner

Built down the side of the Campuhan gorge beside the old suspension bridge, with a wine cellar and a bar terrace over the river. Come for the drop as much as the food.

Map↗ Website
Subak Juwuk Manis

Sari Organik

Organic Indonesian · Lunch

A warung at the end of the Subak Juwuk Manis path, twenty minutes on foot through the rice. The walk out is the meal's better half.

Map
Jalan Hanoman

Clear Cafe

Vegetarian-friendly · All day

A big barefoot room on Jalan Hanoman that has fed Ubud's wellness crowd for years: raw plates, smoothie bowls and Indonesian standards.

Map
Where Ubud prays

Best temples in Ubud

Eight temples and rock-cut sites inside a fifteen-minute drive, none of them requiring a full morning.
Pura Taman SaraswatiJalan Kajeng

Pura Taman Saraswati

Water temple · Free entry

The water palace behind the main street: a lotus pond leading to a carved gate, and a courtyard that doubles as a dance stage after dark.

Map
Campuhan

Pura Gunung Lebah

River temple

Set at the meeting of two rivers below the Campuhan bridge, and the reason the valley is called Campuhan (the confluence). The start of the ridge walk passes its gate.

Map
Pura Dalem Agung PadangtegalPadangtegal

Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal

Death temple · Inside the Monkey Forest

The 14th-century death temple at the bottom of the Monkey Forest ravine, guarded by Rangda figures under moss. It comes with the ticket.

Map
Pura Samuan TigaBedulu

Pura Samuan Tiga

Historic temple

At Bedulu, where a 10th-century assembly is said to have settled the shape of Balinese Hinduism. Broad, quiet courtyards and almost no visitors.

Map
Pura Penataran SasihPejeng

Pura Penataran Sasih

Bronze Age drum

The old state temple of Pejeng, holding the Moon of Pejeng: a bronze kettledrum close to two metres tall, thought to be around 2,000 years old.

Map
Yeh PuluBedulu

Yeh Pulu

Rock relief

A 25-metre rock relief near Bedulu showing hunting and daily life rather than gods. Reached on foot through paddy, which keeps the crowd down.

Map
Sebatu

Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu

Spring temple

Not the gorge shrines: a separate spring temple north of Tegallalang, with koi ponds and bathing pools fed from the hillside. Usually near-empty.

Map
Jalan Raya Ubud

Pura Desa Ubud

Village temple

The village temple on the main street beside the palace. A working temple rather than a sight, and the place to catch an odalan anniversary.

Map
Where Ubud paints

Best art museums in Ubud

Six collections, all within a short drive, covering Balinese painting, masks, textiles and the foreigners who changed the local hand.
ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art)Pengosekan

ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art)

Painting · Pengosekan

Agung Rai's museum at Pengosekan, and the broadest collection in Ubud: Balinese classical work, Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet and the only Bali holding of Raden Saleh.

Map↗ Website
Neka Art MuseumKedewatan

Neka Art Museum

Painting · Sanggingan

Suteja Neka's museum on the Sanggingan road, a sequence of pavilions organised by school rather than by date, with a strong Lempad room.

Map↗ Website
Blanco Renaissance MuseumCampuhan

Blanco Renaissance Museum

Artist house · Campuhan

Antonio Blanco's hilltop house above the Campuhan bridge, kept as he left it: gilt frames, his studio, a garden of birds. A portrait of a personality.

Map
Mas

Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets

Masks and wayang · Mas

More than a thousand masks and shadow puppets in restored joglo pavilions at Mas. Free, and among the least visited good things near Ubud.

Map
Peliatan

Museum Rudana

Painting · Peliatan

A three-floor museum at Peliatan, moving from classical Kamasan work to contemporary Indonesian painting, with a commercial gallery next door.

Map
Jalan Kajeng

Threads of Life

Textiles · Jalan Kajeng

A textile gallery and foundation on Jalan Kajeng working with weaving cooperatives on natural dyes. The staff explain what you are looking at.

Map↗ Website
Out into the paddy

Best rice field walks in Ubud

Five walks that start in town and end in rice, none of them needing a car or a guide.
North of Jalan Raya Ubud

Subak Juwuk Manis

2 km each way · Easy

The classic Ubud rice walk: a concrete path north off Jalan Raya Ubud running twenty minutes through working paddy to a line of warungs.

Map
Jalan Kajeng

Kajeng rice field walk

Short · Easy

Head north up Jalan Kajeng past the inscribed paving stones and keep going: the street narrows to a path and opens into fields.

Map
Penestanan and the Painters' HillPenestanan

Penestanan and the Painters' Hill

Steps · Moderate

Climb the steep steps off the Campuhan road into the village where the Young Artists school started in the 1960s, then follow the lanes down to Sayan.

Map
Sayan

Sayan ridge to the Ayung

Steep · Hard

West of town the land falls into the Ayung gorge, and paths drop from the ridge through terraces to the river. The hardest walk here, and the quietest.

Map
Keliki

Keliki

Village lanes · Easy

Fifteen minutes north, a valley of terraces with no ticket booth and no swings. Park in the village and walk. This is Tegallalang before the coaches.

Map
Where Ubud practises

Best yoga studios in Ubud

Six studios, from a two-hundred-mat hall to rooms that cap a class at a dozen.
Padangtegal

The Yoga Barn

Large studio · Daily schedule

The largest studio in Ubud: multiple halls, a full daily timetable from vinyasa to sound healing, a cafe and a spa on the same site.

Map↗ Website
Jalan Jembawan

Radiantly Alive

Central · Trainings

Three studios in the centre looking into greenery, known for a strong faculty. Smaller and more technical than the Barn, and better for correction.

Map↗ Website
Sakti, north Ubud

Ubud Yoga House

Small classes · Over the paddy

A small open-sided shala over the rice north of town, with limited class sizes and a slower pace. Beginners get looked after here.

Map
Jalan Goutama

Taksu Yoga

Studio and spa

Part of the Taksu spa complex on Jalan Goutama Selatan: a studio over a stream, with treatment rooms and a restaurant in the same garden.

Map
Penestanan

Intuitive Flow

Hatha and yin

Up the steps in Penestanan, one wooden room over the valley with a long reputation for alignment-led hatha and yin. The climb is part of the filter.

Map
Singakerta

Ubud Yoga Centre

Purpose-built hall

A purpose-built hall on the Singakerta road with a pool and a cafe, and a timetable aimed at people staying a week rather than dropping in.

Map
What to carry home

Best markets & shopping in Ubud

Six places to buy, from a produce market that clears by nine to a bookshop that has outlived most of the street.
Jalan Raya Ubud

Ubud Art Market

Crafts · Bargaining expected

Pasar Seni Ubud, opposite the palace: two floors of sarongs, baskets and rattan. The first price is not the price. Go late, as traders close out.

Map
Jalan Raya Ubud

Pasar Ubud, the morning produce market

Produce · Early morning

Before the craft stalls take the building, the same site trades food from dawn: snake fruit, offerings and jaje sweets. Finished by nine.

Map
Sukawati

Sukawati Art Market

Wholesale crafts

Twenty minutes south, the wholesale version: a rebuilt multi-storey market where Ubud's traders buy. Cheaper, and right for buying in quantity.

Map
Jalan Raya Ubud

Ganesha Bookshop

Books

A long-standing independent on Jalan Raya Ubud with a serious Indonesia section and staff who will actually recommend something.

Map
Jalan Monkey Forest

Ashitaba

Ata grass baskets · Fixed price

Baskets and bags woven from ata grass by a cooperative in Tenganan and smoked over coconut husk. One piece takes weeks; prices are fixed.

Map
Jalan Dewi Sita

Kou Cuisine

Jams and salt

A small shop on Jalan Dewi Sita selling handmade jams and Balinese sea salt in ceramic pots. It is the easiest edible souvenir in town that is not a bag of coffee.

Map
Worth the drive

Best day trips in Ubud

Eight trips out of the valley, ordered by how early you need to leave.
Mount Batur at sunriseKintamani

Mount Batur at sunrise

1,717 m · Guided · Pre-dawn pick-up

An active volcano an hour and a half north-east, climbed in the dark for a summit at first light. Pick-up is around 02:00, so it costs a night.

Map
Kintamani and Lake BaturBangli

Kintamani and Lake Batur

Caldera rim · Half day

The daylight version of the same trip: the caldera rim road, a lake in the crater, and Pura Ulun Danu Batur, the supreme water temple.

Map
JatiluwihTabanan

Jatiluwih

UNESCO subak landscape · Full day

The other subak landscape on the UNESCO inscription, ninety minutes north-west under Mount Batukaru. Broad open terraces, and none of the Tegallalang crush.

Map
Sidemen valleyKarangasem

Sidemen valley

Valley drive · Half day

An hour east, a green valley of rice and weaving villages under Mount Agung, with a fraction of Ubud's traffic. The best half-day drive.

Map
Pura BesakihKarangasem

Pura Besakih

Mother temple · Half day

Bali's mother temple, more than twenty temples climbing the slope of Mount Agung, ninety minutes away. Sarong required, and a guide comes with entry.

Map
Tirta GanggaKarangasem

Tirta Gangga

Water palace · Full day

The last raja of Karangasem's water garden: stepping stones across carp ponds and tiered fountains. Two hours east, best paired with Sidemen.

Map
Tanah Lot at sunsetTabanan

Tanah Lot at sunset

Sea temple · Evening

The sea temple on its own rock off the south-west coast, ninety minutes away and busy at dusk. Time the tide: at high water you cannot cross.

Map
Off the south-east coast

Nusa Penida

Island · Long day

A hard day: an hour to Sanur, forty minutes on a fast boat, then rough island roads to the cliffs at Kelingking. Doable from Ubud in a day, better as an overnight.

Map
What's on

Festivals & annual events in Ubud (2026)

The island calendar moves on two systems, so check your dates against both.
Mar

Nyepi and the Ogoh-Ogoh parades

Balinese New Year, and the one day the island stops: no flights, no traffic, no lights. The night before belongs to the ogoh-ogoh.

Jun

Galungan and Kuningan

The ten days when ancestral spirits return, marked by penjor poles over every village street. They follow a 210-day cycle.

Apr

BaliSpirit Festival

The island's flagship wellness gathering, based at The Yoga Barn: yoga, breathwork, dance and music across five days in April.

May

Ubud Food Festival

Three days of Indonesian cooking taken seriously, with demonstrations, market tours and long-table dinners across town.

Aug

Ubud Village Jazz Festival

A two-night festival in the ARMA compound at Pengosekan, built around Indonesian players rather than headline names.

Oct

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

Southeast Asia's largest literary festival, founded after the 2002 bombings. Over a hundred events across the town in October.

Apr & Nov

Saraswati and Banyu Pinaruh

The day for knowledge and books, when offerings are laid on manuscripts, followed the next morning by ritual bathing.

Jun – Jul

Bali Arts Festival

A month of gamelan, dance and craft competitions in Denpasar, an hour south. Village troupes from around Gianyar perform.

Getting around

Ubud transport & airports

How to reach the valley, and how to get out of it for the day.
DPS

Ngurah Rai International

Bali's only commercial airport, in the far south, about 35 km away. Allow one to two hours by road: the distance is short and the traffic through Denpasar is not.

Map↗ Website
Car

Drivers and ride-hailing

A car and driver by the day is the standard way to do the temples. Grab and Gojek both operate, but some village wards restrict app pickups, so you may be asked to walk to a main road.

Scooter

Scooters

The cheapest way to move, and the one that needs paperwork: an International Driving Permit endorsed for motorcycles, your home licence, a helmet, and insurance that covers riding.

↗ Love Bali rules
Walk

On foot

Central Ubud is walkable end to end in half an hour. Pavements are narrow, uneven and often missing, and the lanes have no street lighting, so carry a torch after dark.

Traditional food

Must-try dishes in Ubud, Indonesia

What Balinese kitchens actually cook, beyond the smoothie bowls.
Nasi campur Bali, Ubud (Wimup travel guide)

Nasi campur Bali

Rice ringed by small portions of whatever the kitchen made that morning. No two warungs build it the same.

Lawar, Ubud (Wimup travel guide)

Lawar

Minced meat or jackfruit with grated coconut, beans and heavy spice. The red version is bound with blood.

Sate lilit, Ubud (Wimup travel guide)

Sate lilit

Minced fish or chicken with coconut and spice, wrapped around a lemongrass stalk and grilled over husk.

Babi guling

Suckling pig spit-roasted over wood with turmeric, lemongrass, garlic and chilli packed inside.

Bebek betutu

Duck rubbed with spice paste, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed for hours. Usually ordered a day ahead.

Tipat cantok

Compressed rice cake with blanched vegetables and a thick peanut sauce pounded to order. Sold from carts.

Bubur injin

Black rice pudding, slow-cooked to a purple porridge and served warm with coconut milk over it.

Jaje laklak

Small green rice-flour pancakes with grated coconut and palm sugar syrup. Gone from the market by nine.

Ubud fact sheet

Ubud at a glance

The essentials worth knowing before you go.
Country
Indonesia
Region
Gianyar Regency, central Bali
Population
74,800 in Ubud district (2020 census)
Founded
Grew around Puri Saren Agung, the Ubud royal palace, from the 19th century
Nickname
Bali's cultural heart
Language
Indonesian (official) and Balinese
Currency
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Time zone
UTC+8 (WITA), no daylight saving
Calling code
+62, area code 0361
Airports
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International (DPS), 35 km south
Power
230V, Type C and F two-pin plugs
Emergency
112
Ideal length
3–5 days
Getting around
On foot & by scooter
Tourism board
↗ Official site

Interesting facts

  • The name is usually traced to ubad, the Balinese word for medicine, after the healing plants gathered along the Campuhan river valley.
  • Bali's only UNESCO listing is the subak system, inscribed in 2012. Its Pakerisan component sits half an hour north-east of the town.
  • Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet settled here in the 1930s and founded Pita Maha, which redirected Balinese painting toward signed work.
  • The Monkey Forest is owned and managed by the village of Padangtegal, and its 1,200 macaques live around three 14th-century temples.
  • Every international visitor to Bali owes a one-off tourism levy of IDR 150,000, separate from any visa fee.

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