Ubud
Ubud is where a Bali trip settles rather than starts. A twelve-hectare temple forest in the middle of town holds three fourteenth-century temples and a thousand macaques.
Ubud in a nutshell
Ubud: what to expect
We looked at how travellers actually plan Ubud on Stippl, across 73,000+ planned stops in the town.
Ubud is inland Bali, and you come for the culture and the day trips rather than a beach. The Sacred Monkey Forest sits in the middle of town, three fourteenth-century temples in twelve hectares of jungle with the macaques living free among them. The Campuhan Ridge Walk starts at the edge of the centre and costs nothing. Tegallalang's rice terraces are twenty minutes north, Tirta Empul's purification springs half an hour, and the Mount Batur sunrise trek collects you at two in the morning. Most travellers give Ubud 3 nights.
More than half of every Indonesian trip planned on Stippl includes Ubud, and almost nobody passes through. One Ubud stop in eight is a single night against one in four across the country, and more than half of all Ubud stays run exactly three or four nights. Ubud opens about one trip in six of those it appears on and closes fewer than one in fourteen, so it sits in the middle of a Bali itinerary rather than at either end.
Three nights, and hang the day trips off them. Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi, Goa Gajah, Tegallalang and Batur are all out and back before dinner, and nothing else on the island sits this centrally. Ubud pairs with the interior rather than the coast, so Munduk, Amed and Sidemen follow more naturally than Canggu. Skip it if you came for a beach, because the nearest is an hour of traffic away.
Who Ubud is for
First-time Bali travellers
the single most-planned place in the country in our data, walkable, English-speaking, and with the island's best day-trip radius from one bed
Culture travellers
temples, a daily offering culture you cannot miss, nightly Legong and Barong dance at the palace, four art museums and a live woodcarving and mask trade
Yoga, wellness, retreats
the reason a large share of visitors come at all: multiple full-scale studios, sound healing, retreats and teacher trainings, with accommodation attached
Digital nomads and long-stayers
coworking and coliving concentrated in Penestanan, cheap monthly villas, and a community that turns over slowly
Couples
jungle-view villas with private pools at a fraction of what they cost anywhere else, rice-field dinners, and a town that closes early
Families
quieter than anywhere on the south coast, no surf to worry about, and the Monkey Forest, markets and art classes are all short outings; the outer neighbourhoods have the space
Adventure on a rest day
white-water rafting and tubing on the Ayung and Telaga Waja, ATV jungle tracks, and the Mount Batur sunrise trek all leave from here
Maybe not for you: beach people (there is no coast and the nearest is an hour of traffic away); anyone travelling December to February, when Ubud takes 350–410 mm a month and rain closes the outdoor half of the town's appeal; light sleepers booking centrally, because Jalan Raya and Monkey Forest Road are gridlocked from mid-morning; anyone who wants nightlife, which is two or three bars and an ecstatic-dance night rather than a scene; and first-time scooter riders, for the reasons
When to go to Ubud
Dry season
April–October
the travel window: 41–218 mm a month, 10–17 rain days, and the rice terraces still green because Bali harvests three times a year rather than drying out
Wet season
November–March
248–410 mm a month and 16–21 rain days. Showers are heavy and short rather than all-day, but at 20 rain days in a month "short" stops being a comfort, and the waterfall pools run muddy
Peak season
July–August
plus Christmas to mid-January; every source names it and none recommends it. Rooms and tours cost materially more and the headline sights are at their worst
The shoulder pair
April–May and September–October
the unanimous answer, and our own data agrees: September is the most-planned month for Indonesian trips and December the least (see §8)
- every Balinese temple holds its own anniversary ceremony on the 210-day pawukon cycle, so in a town with this many temples something is on most weeks. Our own data's own local tip is to ask your host for the schedule; roads close, and it is the least staged cultural thing available
- ten days apart every 210 days, line every street with penjor poles, most visible in a town this dense with compounds
- Nightly Legong, Barong and Kecak performances rotate between the Ubud Palace and half a dozen other venues, a different programme each night, tickets sold at the gate from late afternoon
- Every publisher says avoid the wet season; January is nonetheless the second-most-planned month for Indonesian trips in our data. That is the northern-hemisphere school holiday, not a judgement about the weather, see §8
- Ubud's rainfall is the destination fact our sources cannot carry: 2,400 mm a year against Canggu's 1,642 and Uluwatu's 1,508. Inland central Bali catches materially more rain than the coast in every month, and the gap is widest in the wet season
- Ubud's cool-season nights genuinely are cool: 21.9–22.4 °C minima in July and August against 24.5–24.9 in Uluwatu. The recurring "bring a pullover for the evening" is a real instruction, not a cliché
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Things to do in Ubud
Photo by Max Kukurudziak via Unsplash
Photo by Atlantic Ambience via Pexels
Photo by bckfwd via UnsplashThe Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
a 12-hectare temple forest in the middle of town with several hundred long-tailed macaques living free among three 14th-century temples. It is the town's headline sight, it is genuinely a nature reserve rather than a zoo, and the monkeys steal glasses, phones and bags. 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:00
Tegallalang rice terraces at sunrise
the terraced valley on every Bali poster, 20–25 minutes north. Every source gives the same instruction and it is the whole trick: be there before 10:00, ideally at first light. Later it is a queue for a swing
Melukat at Pura Tirta Empul
the purification ritual at the holy-spring temple 30 minutes north: you queue along roughly 30 spouts in a bathing pool, dipping your head under each in turn. Locals and visitors do it together; sarongs are provided; it is an active temple with rules, not an attraction
The Campuhan Ridge Walk
a 2 km ridge path starting beside Pura Gunung Lebah at the edge of the centre, running above two river valleys and out into village and rice country. Free, no tour needed, and our sources' most-repeated free recommendation. Do it at sunrise or late afternoon; midday is punishing
The Mount Batur sunrise trek
pickup around 02:00, roughly two hours up in the dark, sunrise from the rim of an active volcano at 1,717 m, breakfast cooked in volcanic steam, hot springs on the way down. Four hours round trip on the mountain, most of a night and morning in total
A Balinese cooking class
usually starting with the morning market to pick ingredients, then base genep, sate lilit and a full nasi campur. The most-recommended half-day in our sources after the ridge walk
The neighbourhoods of Ubud
Penestanan
digital-nomads*
Northwest of the centre up a flight of steps, narrow lanes, thicker greenery, an artists' and long-stay community, coworking
Rice-field lanes, the Campuhan ridge and the town's coworking scene.
Nyuh Kuning
Village life
A village immediately south of the Monkey Forest, woodcarvers, a handful of warungs, no through traffic
A working Balinese village ten minutes from the market, and almost no traffic.
Central Ubud (Jalan Raya / Monkey Forest Road)
first-timers*
The walkable core: palace, market, water palace, restaurants and the two main streets everything else is measured from
Palace, market, Saraswati temple and 200 cafés inside a ten-minute walk.
Padangtegal (below the Monkey Forest)
first-timers*
Quiet lanes immediately south of the centre, five to ten minutes on foot from it, with the sanctuary at the end of the road
Central Ubud without the traffic noise, and the Monkey Forest at the end of the street.
Sayan / Kedewatan
Gorge views
The west edge above the Ayung river gorge: valley views, resorts and villas, a drive from the centre
The Ayung ravine from above, and the island's best-known resort addresses.
Pengosekan
Artists' quarter
South of the centre, a long-established painters' quarter with galleries and creative guesthouses
Painting, dance and music lessons where the artists actually live.
See every Ubud neighbourhood on one map
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Where to stay in Ubud
The decision is central-versus-outside, and it is a real trade. Central Ubud puts the palace, market, restaurants and dance shows inside a ten-minute walk and no transport budget at all; it also puts you on a street that is gridlocked by 09:00 and noisy until late. Outside, Penestanan, Nyuh Kuning, Padangtegal, the rice lanes, is quiet, green and cheaper for the same standard, and costs you a Grab bike every time you want dinner
Penestanan
€25–70
Northwest of the centre up a flight of steps, narrow lanes, thicker greenery, an artists' and long-stay community, coworking
Nyuh Kuning
A village immediately south of the Monkey Forest, woodcarvers, a handful of warungs, no through traffic
Central Ubud (Jalan Raya / Monkey Forest Road)
€12–60
The walkable core: palace, market, water palace, restaurants and the two main streets everything else is measured from
Padangtegal (below the Monkey Forest)
Quiet lanes immediately south of the centre, five to ten minutes on foot from it, with the sanctuary at the end of the road
Sayan / Kedewatan
The west edge above the Ayung river gorge: valley views, resorts and villas, a drive from the centre
Pengosekan
South of the centre, a long-established painters' quarter with galleries and creative guesthouses
What to eat in Ubud
Whole spit-roast suckling pig with rice, crackling, lawar and blood sausage: a Balinese ceremonial dish, and Hindu Bali is where you can eat it
Duck rubbed with base genep spice paste, wrapped and slow-steamed for hours; usually needs ordering a day ahead
A plate of rice with six or eight small Balinese sides: the everyday meal, and the cheapest way to eat widely
Minced meat, grated coconut, vegetables and spice; the red version uses blood, so ask if that matters to you
Minced fish or chicken with coconut and spice moulded onto lemongrass stalks rather than skewered
Civet coffee, served at plantation tastings north of town alongside a flight of flavoured coffees and teas
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Ubud customs and what not to do
Hinduism here is daily
practice rather than heritage: canang sari offerings appear on every doorstep, pavement and shop counter by early morning, incense with them, and stepping on one is the commonest visitor mistake. Walk around them
Temple dress is enforced
at every ticketed temple in the Ubud radius: shoulders and knees covered, sarong and sash. Tirta Empul and Goa Gajah lend or provide them at the gate; carrying your own is cheaper and faster. The same national rule applies here as everywhere in Bali; what is local is that you will be at three or four temples in three days
Tirta Empul has its own rules
specifically: menstruating women may not enter the temple, soap, shampoo and sunscreen are not allowed in the pools, keep the noise down, never point your feet at a priest, and ask before photographing anyone praying. Bring a change of clothes
Bargain at the art market
it is expected there and not in boutiques or cafés. The market runs as a produce market from before dawn and turns into the souvenir market from mid-morning, two different places at the same address
The carvers are the shopkeepers
Ubud's mask, woodcarving and painting trades are still working trades rather than souvenir manufacture, and the shopkeepers are frequently the makers. The distinction is worth caring about because it is the difference between a craft object and an airport carving
Kopi luwak is a question
one our sources do not raise. Two publishers recommend the plantation tastings as a fun stop with no mention of how the coffee is produced; caged civet production is widespread in Bali and is the reason the drink is cheap enough to hand out on a free tasting. Treat "wild-collected" claims as unverified
Do
- Start at sunrise. Every publisher says it and it is the one thing that changes the trip: Tegallalang, the ridge walk, the temples and the market are different places before 09:00
- Carry your own sarong and small cash notes for temple and waterfall gates
- Walk around offerings, never over them
- Ask your host what temple ceremonies are on, an odalan is the least staged thing you will see here
- Book bebek betutu a day ahead if you want to eat it
Don't
- Don't bring food into the Monkey Forest, don't make eye contact with the macaques, and secure glasses, phones and loose bags
- Don't ride a scooter here without a licence that actually covers you
- Don't plan a beach day; the coast is an hour of traffic each way
- Don't expect nightlife, the town is quiet by 22:00 and that is the point
- Don't book July–August or Christmas unless the dates are fixed for you
Daily budget in Ubud
Budget
€13–30
Hostel dorm or simple homestay, warung meals, Grab bikes, free walks and the odd 25,000-IDR waterfall
Mid-range
€47–130
A pool guesthouse or small resort, a mix of warung and café eating, a full-day driver, a paid attraction or two a day
High-end
€110–180+
Private-pool villa, restaurant dining, a private driver on call, rafting, retreats, spa
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Fun facts about Ubud
Ubud's Monkey Forest holds three Hindu temples dating from the 14th century, and the macaque population is put at over 1,000 by our own data and "hundreds" by two publishers: a range, not a number
The town's international reputation dates from the 1920s and 30s, when European artists settled around the Ubud court, our own data names Walter Spies and 1927. Not corroborated in our sources; treat as unverified
Ubud was the setting for Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 memoir Eat Pray Love, and our sources treat the resulting wave of spiritual tourism as the thing that changed the town's economy. Three publishers reference it; none cites a figure
Bali harvests rice roughly three times a year, so the terraces have no single green window, which is why "the rice is green" is not a season here
The Ubud Palace is still a royal residence as well as a nightly dance venue
Local tips for Ubud
Only the road in
There is no way in but the road. Bali has one airport, Ngurah Rai at Denpasar, and Ubud is 37 km from it. Every source gives a different duration: 1 h, 1.5 h, 1.5–2 h, 2 h, because every source hit different traffic. Budget two hours and be pleased
Grab bike in town
In town, the Grab or Gojek motorbike is what everyone actually uses: 15,000–20,000 IDR a trip anywhere in Ubud, a bike arriving in about two minutes, and it weaves the traffic a car cannot. Cars are for trips out of town
Scooter rental band
Scooter rental runs 50,000–100,000 IDR a day (three sources, three currencies, one band). What that does not buy you is a licence, insurance or the right to ride
A driver for day trips
A private driver for a full day is the standard way to see the day-trip radius, and every publisher recommends it over self-driving for anyone with a family, a group or no scooter experience. Drivers double as guides
Riding without a licence
The road is the risk in Ubud as it is everywhere in Bali, and the specific trap is renting a scooter without a licence. Indonesia requires a valid motorcycle licence plus an International Driving Permit; Bali's traffic police check both at roadside stops in tourist areas, and rental shops do not. Fines run from roughly 300,000 IDR per missing document upward. More consequentially, riding unlicensed voids most travel insurance, and Balinese hospital bills for a serious motorbike injury run into the tens of millions of rupiah, [live: bali.com transport guide, indailysa.com.au, visa-indonesia.com; corroborated by sioh, gg]
Motorbikes dominate road deaths
More than 70% of Indonesian road deaths involve a motorbike (WHO data, cited in a 2025 investigation into Bali's tourist-rider problem). Two of the publishers advise against renting unless you have ridden in Asia before
Ubud questions, answered
Early mornings and one day trip, then nothing. Ubud is the most-planned stop in Indonesia, carrying 73,000+ stops on Stippl, and everything worth seeing is worth seeing at seven in the morning. Put the temples and the ridge walk into Stippl before breakfast and leave the afternoons free.
Three to four. The Ubud stops planned on Stippl run to 3 nights, which covers the town and one day-trip loop. The fourth night lets you add Batur at sunrise or an east Bali drive without giving up a slow morning somewhere.
You can, and only 1.34% of Ubud stops planned on Stippl are same-day, which tells you what people conclude. The things that make Ubud worth it happen at sunrise, and a day trip from Canggu arrives at ten with everybody else. Move here for three nights instead.
Tegallalang charges an entry fee and has vendors and swings strung along the paths, which is a different experience from the photographs. The Campuhan ridge walk, the Kajeng lane and the path past Sari Organik are free, quieter and closer to town, and they are what most writers recommend.
Safe enough, and bites and thefts are ordinary rather than rare. No food anywhere on you, no eye contact, nothing loose or dangling, and sunglasses in a bag. If you are bitten, wash it for fifteen minutes and get to a clinic the same day, because rabies exposure is treated on the clock.
No, and most people should not rent one. Grab and Gojek motorbike rides cost very little and arrive in a couple of minutes, and a private driver covers the day trips for less than a day of stress. Rent only if you have ridden in Asia and hold a licence and an international permit.
Every guide is written by the Stippl editors and checked against the trips our travellers actually plan. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
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