The Best Things to Do in Ubud, and the Right Time of Day for Each One

Ubud sits in Bali's central highlands, an hour inland from the airport, and runs on a different rhythm from the beach towns in the south. The best things to do in Ubud are temples, rice terraces, markets and jungle walks, most of them an easy drive from the town center.

Almost every guide gives you the same list. What they rarely tell you is when to go. Nearly every Ubud attraction is calm and cool at 7 am and hot and crowded by 11 am, and planning around that one rule improves the whole trip.

Tegalalang is the postcard image of Bali, a steep valley of stacked rice paddies just north of Ubud.

Arrive between 6 and 7 am. The light reaches the valley floor about 45 minutes after sunrise, which is the short window when the terraces look the way they do in photographs.

Two things catch first-timers out. There is no single official entrance, and what you pay varies depending on which one you use, so bring small notes rather than large ones.



Expect donation points along the trail too. Someone will offer you a basket, a hat or a photo spot, and a tip is expected in return. The swings are charged separately and are usually negotiable.

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

The Monkey Forest is a 12 hectare temple reserve in the middle of town, home to several hundred long-tailed macaques living among moss-covered shrines and banyan roots. It is the most visited of all Ubud attractions, and the only one you can walk to.

Tickets are sold at the gate. It opens daily from 9 am to 6 pm with last entry at 5 pm, and the first hour is noticeably quieter than the rest of the day.



Put away your sunglasses, water bottle, phone and any loose bag before you go in. The monkeys are fast, and nearly every incident involves a visitor holding food or something shiny.

Campuhan Ridge Walk

This is the one locals actually do, and the one most guides bury near the bottom of the list. The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a paved path along a grassy ridge between two river valleys, about 25 minutes each way, and the rare entry on any list of things to do in Ubud, Bali that costs nothing at all.

Walk it at sunrise or in the hour before sunset, because there is almost no shade on the ridge.



The path starts at the Warwick Ibah sign on Jl. Raya Ubud, just west of the town center. Go early enough and you will share the ridge with joggers rather than tour groups.

Tirta Empul and the Temples to the North

Tirta Empul is a working water temple north of Ubud, built around a sacred spring, where Balinese Hindus bathe under a row of stone spouts in a purification ritual called melukat. This is not a museum piece, so keep your distance from anyone mid-ritual and ask before photographing people in the pools.

Nearby Gunung Kawi gets a fraction of the visitors and is, for many people, the more memorable of the two. Ten shrines are carved into the rock face of a river gorge, reached down a long staircase through working rice fields.

Both temples require a sarong, available at the gate and usually included with your ticket, so there is no need to buy one beforehand.



Bathing at Tirta Empul works differently. The ritual needs a separate green bathing sarong and a locker, both rented at the temple, so bring a change of clothes and a towel. Start at the left-most spout and work along the row, and skip the last two, which are reserved for priests.

Ubud Art Market and the Royal Palace: Two Central Ubud Attractions

These two sit opposite each other in the middle of town, which makes them the obvious pairing for the hot part of the afternoon.

The Royal Palace, Puri Saren Agung, is free by day and takes about half an hour. Traditional Balinese dance is performed in the courtyard most evenings, with tickets sold at the entrance rather than online.



In peak season, buy the dance ticket earlier in the day and arrive half an hour early. Seating is open.

At the Art Market, bargaining is expected and not considered rude. Many stalls are cash only, and prices drop noticeably once you walk past the first row facing the street.

Waterfalls Near Ubud

Three waterfalls make easy half-day additions. Tegenungan is the closest to town, with a steep staircase down and back. Kanto Lampo is the photogenic one. Tibumana is the quietest.



Go on a weekday and go early. All three fill with tour groups from mid-morning.

Planning the Best Things to Do in Ubud by Day

Most lists of things to do in Ubud, Indonesia focus on the headline sights and skip the sequencing, which is where first-time visitors lose their mornings.

Two days covers the town itself: Monkey Forest, the palace, the market and the ridge walk. Three days lets you add the northern temples and a waterfall without rushing between them.



From November to March, rain usually arrives in the afternoon rather than lasting all day, which makes a morning-first plan more useful still. June to September are the driest months.

Where to Stay in Ubud

Where you base yourself changes the trip. Staying out in the hills means finishing a day of temples and markets with birdsong instead of scooter traffic.



TanaDewa Resort Ubud Bali by Cross Collection sits on a hilltop above the jungle, with views across the rice terraces and the river below. It sits away from the town itself, in the quiet hills to the south, with the sights of Ubud a drive rather than a walk away.

Accommodation is a small collection of Sky Suites and private pool villas in contemporary Balinese style, at a scale that suits couples and honeymooners.

Food and drink across the day. Tanarasa Restaurant serves Balinese and international dishes from 7 am to 11 pm, with a vegan and vegetarian selection. Poolside Dining runs from 10 am to 6 pm, and the Sky Terrace opens at 3 pm for cocktails as the sun goes down.

Space to slow down. The infinity pool sits high above the valley, open from 10 am to 6 pm, and TanaSpa runs from 9 am to 6 pm.



Balinese culture on site. Yoga and meditation sessions run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 am to 8 am. A Canang Siri offering-making class runs on Mondays and a rindik music lesson on Wednesdays, both led by the resort team.

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