22 Best Things to Do in Ubud, Bali (First-Timer’s Guide)

This guide covers the 22 best things we did in Ubud, from the famous Monkey Forest and Tegalalang rice terraces to lesser-known spots most visitors miss entirely.

We’ll be honest about the places we found overcrowded, what was actually worth the queue, and what we’d skip if our time were shorter.

And one piece of planning advice we’d give anyone: hire a private driver for at least one full day and start at 7 am. This way, you get to see most of the Ubud region!

Our driver took us to the Tegenungan Waterfall first, before the crowds; then we visited the Sacred Monkey Forest and had a warung lunch at d’Alas. In the afternoon, we visited the holy springs of Tirta Empul and the Tegalalang rice terraces to close the day in the late-afternoon glow.

It cost us around IDR 500,000 ($31) for the driver for the whole day, and it was the best value of our trip!

Is Ubud worth visiting?

Yes!

For us, Ubud has always been one of the most rewarding places in Southeast Asia if you want more than just a pretty beach.

BUT we also found Ubud very busy, there are sooo many scooters and tourists in the central temple and market area after 10 am.

If you’re expecting the quiet, mystical Ubud from ten years ago, that has sadly disappeared.

However, the rice fields, waterfalls, amazing temples, food…. It’s all still there. We just found we needed to get up early and go slightly off the main road to find it.

Visit Ubud if:

• Culture, temples, and rice fields matter more to you than beaches
• Yoga, wellness, or creative experiences are on your list
• You want a central base for exploring Bali by scooter or private driver
• You prefer jungle and rice field views to resort pools

Skip Ubud if:

• You’re mainly coming to Bali for beaches and nightlife (Canggu, Seminyak, or Uluwatu are better bases; see our guide to Uluwatu’s best beaches if that sounds more like your trip)
• You struggle with heat and humidity (we found Ubud hot and hilly)
• You want a five-star beach resort experience

If you are short on time, here are your best things to do in Ubud:

• 🌾 Tegalalang Rice Terraces: the famous postcard rice fields.
• 🐒 Sacred Monkey Forest: 1,200+ macaques in a 14th-century jungle temple.
• 🌋 Mount Batur Sunrise Trek: a pre-dawn climb to the crater rim for sunrise and a volcano-steam breakfast.
• 💧 Tukad Cepung Cave Waterfall: wade into a hidden canyon where light beams break through the mist.
• 💃 Kecak Fire Dance: 100 men chanting to a fire finale at sunset.

Summary: Best things to do in Ubud

We’ve grouped these 22 by how you’ll actually spend your time, from the must-dos in Ubud to hidden gems, adventures, wellness, and evening activities.

22 Best Things to Do in Ubud, Bali
🐒 Sacred Monkey Forest	🌾 Tegalalang Rice Terraces	🌅 Campuhan Ridge Walk
🏰 Ubud Palace	🏵️ Saraswati Water Palace	🌊 Tegenungan Waterfall
🛒 Ubud Art Market	🛕 Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)	💧 Tukad Cepung Cave Waterfall
🌿 Kajeng Rice Fields Walk	🏕️ Gunung Kawi Sebatu	🧘 Yoga Barn
🛁 Balinese Spa & Massage	🌋 Mount Batur Sunrise Trek	🚣 Ayung River Rafting
🌴 Bali Swing at Tegalalang	🚴 Rice Field Cycling Tour	🍱 Cooking Class in Ubud
💃 Kecak Fire Dance	☕ Café Culture & Warung Hopping	🍽️ Tirta Empul Purification
🗺️ East Bali Day Trip

Map of all Ubud attractions

You can find below a map of all the things to do in Ubud listed in our post!

Top attractions in Ubud

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

We went just after opening, and within two minutes, a macaque had already climbed onto the railing next to Laura.

Lucky for us, he decided her bag wasn’t worth the effort and ran away.

The temples in the forest were the real surprise for us. They are covered in moss and stone, with few people around. Especially the setting in a jungle makes it worth the trip!

It was more peaceful than the “monkeys steal your sunglasses” reputation monkey forest had led us to believe.

Officially the Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, this is a 12.5-hectare nature reserve and active temple complex home to over 1,200 long-tailed Balinese macaques and three 14th-century Hindu temples still used for worship.

Summary:

• 🐒 What you’ll see: 1,200+ free-living macaques, three 14th-century temples, jungle river and stream
• 💵 Cost: IDR 130,000 ($7,20) for adults; IDR 100,000 ($5.50) for children
• 🕘 Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
• 📍 Getting there: 10 to 15 min walk south of Ubud Palace along Jalan Monkey Forest
• 💡 Our tip: Go at 9:00 am for active monkeys and small crowds. Zip away phones, sunglasses, snacks.

More information at the official website of the monkey forest!

Tegalalang Rice Terraces

This is probably why you came to Ubud, to see the famous rice fields!

We ended up seeing Tegalalang by e-bike (see below for the tour), which turned out to be our favourite way to do it. You ride down through the side-paddies before seeing the highlight, ‘the famous terraces‘, so by the time you arrive, you’ve already had the postcard to yourself.

This is where you can take your Instagram-worthy pictures!

Then, our guide took us into a family house to explain how a Balinese home is laid out.

Afterward, we stopped for a rice-field-view lunch and a coffee-and-tea tasting.

The terraces themselves are really beautiful but quite touristy.

There are a lot of swing operators, photo-prop sellers, and donation collectors everywhere, so keep that in mind!

Now, you get to enjoy the most photographed rice terraces in Bali, carved into a valley 10km north of Ubud and managed under the UNESCO-recognised subak irrigation system.

Summary:

• 🚴 What you’ll do (e-bike tour): ride through rice fields and villages, visit a Balinese compound house and temple, lunch with a terrace view, coffee/tea tasting
• ⏱️ Duration: 3 hours; small groups (max 10 people)
• 💵 Cost: e-bike tour from $28.49pp
• 🕕 Hours (independent): 6:00 am – 7:00 pm

Campuhan Ridge Walk

A free 2-kilometre ridge walk above the Wos River valleys on the western edge of Ubud. For us, it was one of the few quiet walks on foot from the centre.

We did this at 7 am and had most of the ridge to ourselves, which is exactly why we put our alarm so early.

The first climb up from the temple is quite short but steep, then the path flattens along a grassy spine with jungle-filled ravines dropping away on both sides.

We carried on past the ridge to Karsa Kafe for a rice-field breakfast, which turned a 30-minute walk into a perfect slow morning.

Summary:

• 🌅 What you’ll see: open ridge views, jungle ravines, terraced hillsides
• 📏 Distance: 1.3 miles / 2km one way
• 💵 Cost: Free
• 🕕 Best time: Before 8 am
• 💡 Our tip: Wear shoes with grip rather than sandals. The first section is the steepest; it opens out after that.

Saraswati Water Palace (Pura Taman Saraswati)

A temple dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and the arts, with a large lotus pond leading to an ornate Balinese gate, built 1951 – 1952 by architect Gusti Nyoman Lempad.

The Water Palace is one of those places where you wanna go early, from 10 am onwards, there are long queues to get the perfect picture.

We went at 8 am and had the whole pond to ourselves.

We had a coffee at Cafe Lotus afterwards, which sits right on the pond with the temple as your view.

Small, free, and about ten minutes of your morning, but a lovely ten minutes.

Summary:

• 🏵️ What you’ll see: lotus ponds, ornate carved gate, Cafe Lotus with temple views
• 💵 Cost: Free (outer grounds). You must wear a sarong (free to rent)!
• 🕖 Hours: Outer grounds 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
• 📍 Getting there: Jalan Kajeng, two minutes from Ubud Palace, look for the Cafe Lotus sign

Tegenungan Waterfall

Welcome to the Tegenungan Waterfall. This is one of Bali’s busiest and most commercialised falls.

Even though there are many people around, it is still a really powerful 15-metre waterfall.

Keep in mind, you’ll stand in the mist at the bottom after about 200 steps downward to reach the waterfall. Afterward, you do have to climb them back up in a tropical climate!

Swimming is allowed in the roped-off safe zone.

Summary:

• 🌊 What you’ll see: 15m waterfall, jungle setting, swimming area; around 200 steps down and back
• 💵 Cost: IDR 20,000 ($1.25); parking is free
• 🕡 Hours: 6:30 am – 6:30 pm
• 📍 Getting there: 20–30 min drive southeast of Ubud; free parking
• 💡 Our tip: Before 10 am or after 3 pm. Swim only in the roped-off zone. Water shoes help.

Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)

Ubud Palace is a historic residence of the Ubud royal family, at the main crossroads in town, with public courtyards and nightly Balinese dance performances.

We wandered the palace courtyards in the afternoon and evening so we could also see the Legong dance in the courtyard.

It’s a type of gamelan music, gold costumes, and a flicker of torchlight on carved stone.

The seating for the dance is first come, first served, but there’s always enough space so you can see the show.

Summary:

• 🏰 What you’ll see: ornate courtyards, stone carvings, split gates; evening dance performances
• 💵 Cost: Free to enter grounds; evening dances around 6 USD
• 🕖 Hours: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm; dances begin at 7:30 pm
• 📍 Getting there: Central Ubud, junction of Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Suweta; opposite the Art Market
• 💡 Our tip: Do the Palace and Art Market in one go. For the dance, arrive 20 to 30 min early.

Ubud Art Market (Pasar Seni Ubud)

A daily market opposite Ubud Palace sells sarongs, batik, wood carvings, silver, rattan bags, and souvenirs.

It’s quite nice to visit, but don’t expect to be blown away.

We bought two batik sarongs we could wear when visiting temples, rather than always having to rent one.

Summary:

• 🛒 What you’ll find: textiles, carvings, jewellery, bags
• 💵 Cost: Free to enter; prices negotiable (we always start at 40% of their price)
• 🕗 Hours: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
• 📍 Getting there: Jalan Raya Ubud, opposite Ubud Palace

Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)

A 9th-century Hindu-Buddhist temple complex around 3 miles / 5km southeast of Ubud, famous for its T-shaped cave with a carved entrance, plus bathing pools and a jungle river.

We nearly made the classic mistake here; the cave itself is super tiny and takes all of two minutes (quite disappointing), and we wanted to leave like most people.

But while you’re there, you can view the ancient bathing pools, and we highly recommend visiting the moss-covered Buddhist ruins, fallen statues, and a small waterfall in the ravine below, with almost no one around.

You can ask the locals where you have to go to find them!

Summary:

• 🕏 What you’ll see: carved cave entrance, seven-nymph bathing pool, ravine with Buddhist ruins, and a small waterfall
• 💵 Cost: IDR 50,000 ($3) adults (sarong included)
• 🕗 Hours: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
• 📍 Getting there: 10 to 15 min drive southeast of Ubud (book a Grab or Gojek)
• 💡 Our tip: Go down into the ravine; don’t stop at the cave. Sarongs included, skip the vendors.

Our recommended Ubud private tour

If you want to cover the top things to do in Ubud in one day, a private driver tour is the most practical option.

Our tour started at 7 am and went like this: Tegenungan Waterfall → Monkey Forest → lunch at d’Alas Warung → Tirta Empul → Tegalalang Rice Terraces.

Summary:

• 🌊 Tegenungan Waterfall first: swim and photos before the crowds; one recent reviewer noted it gets busy, so the early start matters
• 🐒 Sacred Monkey Forest (Mandala Suci Wenara Wana): mid-morning, before the tour buses peak
• 🌴 Ubud Jungle Swing: the soaring-over-the-valley photo everyone comes to Bali for (included on the booked tour)
• 🍛 Lunch with a rice-field view: simple Indonesian food; reviewers repeatedly call this a highlight
• 🕉️ Tirta Empul: central Bali’s holy-spring purification temple, dating to 926 AD; you can join the water ritual (several travelers found it genuinely moving); entry and sarong are covered on the booked tour
• 🌾 Tegalalang Rice Terraces last: late afternoon for better light and fewer crowds
• ⏱️ Full day: 8–10 hours, hotel pickup and drop-off included
• 💵 Cost: $57 per person, all-in on the Travelnata tour

Unique & hidden gems in Ubud

These places are all within reach of Ubud and are quieter than the top activities.

Tukad Cepung cave waterfall

This is the best waterfall in Bali!

You wade ankle-to-shin-deep along a river into a jungle canyon, and if you time it right (around 10 am), sunlight comes through a gap in the rock and breaks into golden beams through the waterfall’s mist.

It’s a bit of a scramble over wet rocks, so water shoes were essential, but it’s the most photogenic natural spot we saw in Bali.

We go into full detail in our Tukad Cepung Waterfall guide.

Summary:

• 💧 What you’ll see: hidden canyon waterfall, light beams (9 to 11 am on sunny days)
• 💵 Cost: IDR 30,000 ($2)
• 📍 Location: 1 hour east of Ubud in Tembuku, Bangli Regency
• 🥾 Getting in: 15 to 20 min walk down from parking, then wade along the riverbed
• 💡 Our tip: Wear water shoes.

Gunung Kawi Sebatu

We stopped here on a temple-and-waterfall day and had it almost to ourselves, which after Tirta Empul’s crowds felt like a nice change.

KEEP IN MIND: This is the quieter water temple and not the famous Gunung Kawi rock-cut tombs.

Summary:

• 🏕️ What you’ll see: tiered shrines, spring-fed pools, tropical gardens, and few tourists
• 💵 Cost: around IDR 20,000
• 📍 Location: 30 min north of Ubud toward Kintamani

Kajeng rice fields walk

When we wanted rice fields without the Tegalalang circus, we walked out from the top of Jalan Kajeng in central Ubud and within ten minutes were among paddies, ducks, and small warungs with no swings and no donation posts.

It’s flat, quiet, and free, and we did the little extended loop past Dragonfly Village to stretch it to about an hour.

This was the “real Ubud” everyone talks about, five minutes from the palace. We highly recommend it!

Summary:

• 🌿 What you’ll see: working rice paddies, ducks, local warungs with the optional Dragonfly Village loop
• 💵 Cost: Free
• 💡 Our tip: Trainers or sandals are just fine.

A Balinese cooking class & market visit

This turned out to be one of our favourite mornings in Bali.

We were picked up early and taken to a traditional market where our host walked us through fruits, spices, and greens, then on to an open-air kitchen in the jungle.

We learned to make a daily offering basket and then cooked our way through a spread of Balinese dishes, ate the lot for lunch, and left with the recipes.

Summary:

• 🍱 What you’ll do: morning market tour, offering-making, hands-on cooking (7–9 dishes) with lunch
• ⏱️ Duration: 6 hours; small groups (max 8)
• 💵 Cost: from $39pp
• 🍽️ Sample dishes: sate lilit, pepes ikan, lawar, chicken curry, black rice pudding
• 💡 Our tip: Don’t eat a big breakfast; you’ll taste at the market and eat a full lunch.

A quiet local café off the main road

The best of Ubud’s café culture, for us, was never on Jalan Monkey Forest.

Ten minutes into the neighbourhoods of Padangtegal, we found a small, locally-owned warung serving Balinese rice plates, fresh juice and coffee for under IDR 100,000 ($6) with a rice-field view out the window.

Summary:

• ☕ What to expect: local warung, fresh juice, rice-field views, under IDR 100,000 per person
• 📍 Where: Padangtegal

Adventure & day trips from Ubud

Mount Batur sunrise trek

The 2 am pickup was brutal, but when you are standing on the crater rim at 1,717m watching the sun come up over Mount Agung and Lake Batur, you get over it quickly.

Our guide even handed us coffee and eggs cooked over the volcanic steam vents.

The climb is about 1.5 to 2 hours and very steep in the dark on loose rocks, but quite feasible in a group. Our guide knew a really good spot where to stand for sunrise before the crowds arrived.

We added the hot springs afterwards and didn’t regret it.

Summary:

• 🌋 What you’ll do: 1.5 to 2 hr guided pre-dawn climb to the crater rim, summit breakfast, optional hot springs
• ⏱️ Duration: 8 hours total; pickup around 1:30 to 2:00 am from Ubud
• 💵 Cost: from $20pp with guide, breakfast and transport
• 🥾 Bring: decent shoes, a warm layer, a little cash
• 💡 Our tip: A licensed guide is required and makes it safer.

Ayung River white-water rafting

We booked this as a fun half-day, and it was exactly that, a good rafting class with 2 and 3 rapids, long calm stretches to float, and some jungle canyon walls with hidden waterfalls and stone carvings you’d never see otherwise.

Both the guide and the gear were good. There’s a hot shower and buffet lunch at the end.

It’s more scenic-and-fun than white-knuckle, which suited us; if you want big adrenaline, this isn’t it.

Summary:

• 🚣 What you’ll do: 12km down the Ayung River, class 2 and 3 rapids, waterfalls and cliff carvings, buffet lunch
• ⏱️ Duration: 2 to 3 hours on the water, but count for half a day with transfers
• 💵 Cost: from $27pp including gear, lunch and insurance
• 👶 Suitable for: beginners and families

Bali swing at Tegalalang

We did the swing on a day that also took in the Monkey Forest and a couple of waterfalls, and we’ll be honest: it’s a very commercial, built-for-Instagram experience.

If you know that going in, you’ll enjoy it.

If a manufactured photo-op isn’t your thing, skip it and spend the time walking the terraces instead.

Cycling the rice fields

We haven’t done this ourselves, but you can also take an easy downhill cycling morning through the volcanic countryside north of Ubud.

It’s mostly coasting through rice fields, coffee and spice plantations, and small villages, with a local lunch at the end.

It’s a relaxed, local-feeling way to see the landscape without the crowds of the main sights, and you learn a lot from the guides about daily Balinese life along the way.

Summary:

• 🚴 What you’ll do: mostly downhill ride through rice fields, plantations, and villages; plantation visit and local lunch
• ⏱️ Duration: 4 to 5 hours
• 💵 Cost: varies by operator
• 💡 Our tip: Pay the small extra for an e-bike if you’d rather not work the uphill stretches.

East Bali day trip

We gave East Bali a full day with a driver, and it was one of our most varied, from the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang, to the amazing Tirta Gangga water garden, a traditional salt-making village at Kusamba, and a cliff-side bat cave temple.

The Instagram spot is exactly that, but Tirta Gangga’s ponds and gardens more than made up for the wait.

Summary:

• 🗺️ What you’ll see: Lempuyang “Gates of Heaven,” Tirta Gangga water garden, Kusamba salt village, Goa Lawah bat cave temple
• ⏱️ Duration: 10 hours, private, hotel pickup
• 💵 Cost: from $32.54pp
• ⏳ Heads-up: the Lempuyang photo queue is long

If diving is part of your Bali trip, two of the island’s best sites are reachable as a longer day trip from Ubud: Menjangan Island in the northwest, and the USAT Liberty Shipwreck near Tulamben in the northeast.

Wellness in Ubud: yoga, spas & sound healing

Ubud is Bali’s wellness centre.

DID YOU KNOW: There are more yoga studios, healers, and spa treatments in Ubud than anywhere else in Southeast Asia?

Yoga Barn

We took a morning Vinyasa class here and understood immediately why it’s the name everyone knows.

There are eight studios, a garden café, and a schedule that runs from early morning to late at night.

Summary:

• 🧘 What’s on: 15+ daily classes (Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Kundalini, Restorative, Ecstatic Dance, Sound Healing), garden café, on-site spa
• 💵 Cost: from IDR 160,000 ($10) per drop-in
• 💡 Our tip: Popular classes fill up. Arrive 20 to 30 min early in peak season and check the weekly schedule online.

Balinese massage & spa

After the Batur climb, we treated ourselves to a traditional Balinese massage, which means long, flowing strokes with gentle acupressure for a fraction of what it would cost at home.

Local spas run IDR 80,000 to 150,000 ($5 to 10) for 60 to 90 minutes; resort spas charge more but often come with a river-valley or rice-field view that’s part of the point.

Even though they charge more, it is definitely worth it!

Summary:

• 🛁 What to expect: traditional Balinese massage, 60–90 min
• 💵 Cost: IDR 80,000 to 150,000 ($5 to 10) at local spas; more at resort spas
• 📍 Worth knowing: We recommend Karsa Spa on the Campuhan Ridge

Free things to do in Ubud

• 🌅 Campuhan Ridge Walk: 2km, free, views over the river valleys
• 🌿 Kajeng rice fields walk: central Ubud, free, quieter than Tegalalang
• 🏵️ Saraswati Water Palace: free outer grounds, lotus pond, and temple gate
• 🏰 Ubud Palace courtyards: free during the day
• 🛒 Ubud Art Market browsing: free to enter, no obligation to buy
• 🌇 Jalan Bisma at sunset: river valley views many visitors miss
• 🌸 Morning market on Jalan Raya Ubud: before 8 am, food, offerings, and flowers

Ubud at night: dances & nightlife

Ubud is not a nightlife town; most good restaurants close by 10 pm, and the energy shifts to quiet by 9 pm.

What it does have is one of the best traditional performance cultures in the world.

Kecak fire dance

We watched the Kecak at the Uluwatu Temple at sunset, around 100 men chanting in overlapping rhythms with no instruments, building to a fire finale as the sky turned orange over the ocean.

It’s the most famous version of the dance and, honestly, the setting makes it unforgettable!

If you’re based in Ubud, there are Kecak performances in town too (Pura Dalem Taman Kaja), but the clifftop version paired with a seafood dinner made a memorable last evening.

Summary:

• 💃 What you’ll see: 100-performer Kecak chant and fire dance; clifftop Uluwatu version at sunset plus Jimbaran seafood dinner on this tour
• ⏱️ Duration: performance 1 to 1.5 hours
• 💵 Cost: in-town Kecak IDR 80,000–150,000; the Uluwatu sunset + dinner tour is priced higher

Our suggested Ubud itinerary

3 days in Ubud

Day 1: Central Ubud on foot

Campuhan Ridge Walk at 7 am → café breakfast → Saraswati Water Palace → Ubud Palace & Art Market → Monkey Forest late morning → rest at midday → Kecak fire dance in the evening.

Day 2: Private driver day

Tegenungan Waterfall (7 am) → Tirta Empul → warung lunch → Tegalalang (4 pm) → dinner in Ubud.

Day 3: Slower pace

Yoga or morning walk → Goa Gajah → Kajeng rice fields → Balinese massage → dinner.

Where to go after Ubud

We recommend going to Bali’s south coast to Uluwatu. Discover below our in-depth guides about the region:

• Uluwatu Bali: 39 Things You Need to Know
• First Timer’s Guide to Uluwatu Temple
• Top 25 Uluwatu Beaches

Our final thoughts on visiting Ubud

Ubud earns its reputation, just not always in the way you might think.

The early mornings were the best time to discover Ubud.

The rice fields at 7 am, the Campuhan ridge before the heat, the Monkey Forest before the tour buses. Our best experiences were when there were few people around.

Written by Laura and Alexander, a travel couple who explored Bali from the cultural heartland of Ubud to the Uluwatu coast, who loves the culture, food, and diving locations all around Bali!