Planning your trip to Ubud? You’re in for a great time, there’s lots to do in Ubud and nearby. Keep on reading to find out about some of my favorite things the city has to offer.
All of these are best reached by scooter. However, if you prefer to go by car, hit me up. I can give you the number of a very nice driver in Ubud!
Tip: If you’d like to keep up with my life after traveling, follow me on Instagram here.
About Ubud
Ubud is one of the most popular cities in Bali – at least at the moment. Everyone you ask seems to be going either to Ubud or to Canggu or both. Ubud is also said to be the cultural center of Bali. It’s located in Gianyar regency.
Things to do in Ubud
Without further ado, here are the best things to do in Ubud. My friend Jess, who I did most of these things with, vlogged the whole experience. You’ll be able to find both of our videos here and here.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The Tegallalang Rice Terraces are located a 30-minute drive outside of Ubud’s center. Their beautiful views make for amazing photo locations. If you’re there around sunrise (or at least early in the morning), you’ll have the rice paddies mostly to yourselves.
There are some souvenir sellers and an old farmer who can be really pushy. It is your decision though if you want to give the farmer a small donation.
Price: around 50 Cents for parking, donation of your choice
Sacred Monkey Forest
The sacred monkey forest is located in the south of Ubud. It is quite big and has three different entrances. In addition, you’ll find three temples inside the forest.
There are around 750 monkeys living in the Sacred Monkey Forest. Trust me when I say that they are very cheeky. So don’t bring any food inside the forest and keep your belongings safe.
Price: less than 3€ entrance fee
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is located right outside Ubud’s city center. Just walk down Jalan Raya Ubud and you’ll be there in about 15 minutes. If you need further assistance in finding your way to the Campuhan Ridge Walk, check out this blog post.
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a beautiful, 2km long walk (one way) through luscious greenery. Perfect to take a little walk on and enjoy the amazing views it has to offer.
There is a cafe at the end of it which I didn’t go to but it’s supposed to be worth a visit.
Price: it’s free, so what are you waiting for?
Eat amazing vegan food
There are lots of vegan (friendly) restaurants and cafes. Check out my blog post on my favorite ones here.
Price: 4-10€ for main course, dessert, and drink
Goa Gajah Temple
Also known as elephant cave temple, this temple is located just ten minutes away from central Ubud. You can go inside the cave, gaze at the relics in the courtyard and view the rock-wall carvings. A nice place but it didn’t blow us away.
Price: less than 1€ entrance fee
Ubud Markets
Looking for some nice clothes? Jewelry? A souvenir? When you turn left onto Jalan Raya Ubud from Jalan Goatama, you’ll find Ubud’s markets.
Just beware, this is not going to be a peaceful shopping experience! Unfortunately, some of the vendors are really aggressive in their selling methods. Therefore, I preferred the bazaar in Canggu. But many of my friends found some great pieces in Ubud’s markets, so I included them nonetheless.
Price: depending on your bargaining skills
Things to do around Ubud
There are a lot of things to see in Ubud but it’s also a great destination to do some day trips from. Whether you want to chase waterfalls or trek volcanoes – Ubud is a great base to do all these things from. Check out these places to visit near Ubud.
Tukad Cepung
This waterfall is located a 50-minute drive away from Ubud’s center. Its distinctive feature is its location in a cave. From the car park, it is an easy 15-minute walk down to the waterfall.
Take your time to explore! Depending on the way the light shines into the cave, the waterfall looks like straight out of a fairytale. There is another smaller one located on the other side of the cave which is worth exploring as well. This one is also way less crowded and you won’t have to wait your turn to take pictures!
Come here early in the morning to make the most of your experience! I have to say, this is one of my favorite waterfalls.
Price: less than 1€ for parking and entrance fee
Tibumana Waterfall
If you know me, you know I’m a waterfall lover. If you’re into big impressive cascades, this isn’t the one for you. But it was Tibumana waterfall’s simplicity that really captured me.
Tibumana waterfall is just a 30-minute drive away from Ubud. In addition, the drive there is beautiful and we ended up taking some pictures on the alley leading there. From the car park, it’s another ten minutes of walking (not a hard walk) until you’re there.
There are some lockers available for a small fee and some free changing rooms. I’d definitely recommend going for a swim!
Price: around 50 cents entrance fee
Mount Batur
To be fair, Mount Batur isn’t really located close to Ubud. However, many of the tours (including mine) going up there start in Ubud, so I included it in this blog post.
The most popular tour to Mount Batur is the sunrise trek. You get picked up in Ubud at around 2 o’clock in the morning, make your way to Mount Batur and start walking up there at around 4. Then, it takes you about 1 ½ to 2 hours to reach the top.
Some tips:
- Wear lots of layers, it is cold up there!
- If you can spare the extra money, book a private guide. We had to take breaks every 20 minutes because we were such a large group.
- Most tour operators have some stops planned on the way back where they try to sell you things. Because everyone on our shuttle was super tired we convinced our driver to not stop and take us directly to Ubud instead.
Price: depending on your tour operator. We paid 350k IDR, which is about 20€.
Tirta Empul Temple
Tirta Empul Temple is located 30 minutes outside of Ubud’s center. Its name means “holy water spring” because of a water source within the temple.
Tourists are able to purify themselves with the water as well. We didn’t do that though since we didn’t want to do it without understanding the religious significance behind it.
Price: a little bit over 1€ for entrance and sarong
I hope you’ll have a great time in Ubud! As always, tag my in your pictures and don’t hesitate to ask me any questions.
For more blog posts helping you plan your time in Bali, check out these: The Secret Garden of Sambangan (as a solo traveler). Your Day Trip to Tanah Lot. Ten Days of Traveling Bali. Your vegan food guide to Ubud. Your vegan food guide to Canggu.
Planning on going to the Nusa Islands? Check out my guides on how to explore Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan by foot and the best places on Nusa Penida.
Find more inspiration on what to do in different places. Check out things to do in Alicante, Hanoi, Hobart, Byron Bay, Sydney, Wellington, and Taupo.
