The cultural and spiritual heart of Bali is always up for something to do! There are thrilling activities for the whole family, beautiful sites of nature, wildlife and much, much more. Stay right in the midst of nature here. Besides the Hanging Gardens, there are other activities that should not be missed out! If you still have energy at night, do check out the things you can do at night!
Read on to find out about the best things to do during your stay in Ubud:
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1. Get your instagrammable shots at Tegalalang Rice Terraces
Tegalalang Rice Terraces is one of the most photographed places in Bali. Like the Pura Blanjong Temple in Denpasar or Seminyak Beach, this site is what makes Ubud instantly recognizable. Know how they say that looking at the color green is soothing for the eyes? Well, these lush rice paddies will definitely help. Line up your phone camera to take a shot and show your followers what paradise looks like. With good lighting, a perfect angle, and steady hands, you won’t even need to slap a filter on it!
2. Enjoy a Balinese massage at Tamarind Spa
A full itinerary can wear one out just as much as a long day at work. Before you forget you’re on vacation, head to the award-winning Tamarind Spa and give your body the relaxation it deserves. Located inside the famous Murni’s Houses, the tranquil ambiance will let you forget about your jam-packed schedule for a while. It’s a well-known fact that a massage can reduce not only muscle tension but also stress hormones. While you’re here, you can enjoy other spa treatments like a relaxing honey seed scrub or a facial. If you want to go all out, try the full day care package, which includes a luxurious flower bath.
Tamarind Spa
Address: Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Website: Tamarind Spa
Opening hours: 9am - 9pm (daily)
3. Walking or cycling through the rice fields
Ubud is surrounded by emerald rolling rice paddies. Cycling or walking through the rice fields is an amazing experience! The walk or ride is wonderfully peaceful and the views are absolutely stunning! You can bring a map and just start walking or you can go on the 9-kilometer (5.5 mile) long Campuhan Ridge Walk. A scenic walk, it is ideally done in the early morning or in the afternoon, to escape the heat of the day. You can also go cycling through the rice fields, just rent a bicycle in one of the lively streets in the center of Ubud or go on a guided cycling tour booked one day beforehand. Whatever you prefer, you will love being surrounded by rice paddies and you will take some stunning photos!
Campuhan Ridge Walk
Address: Jalan Raya Campuan, Sayan, Ubud, Kelusa, Payangan, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 700,000 IDR (53 USD) for a tour
Opening Hours: 6am - 7pm.
4. Balinese Silver Jewelry Class
Why would you buy a silver jewelry when you can make your own from scratch? Do not worry if you think you are not skilled enough. With the 10 grams of silver included in the cost of the workshop, our instructors will guide you step-by-step and even assist you in pounding the silver with mallet for the metal to take its shape. You will be surprised to see that you can actually create a fine piece of accessory to take home!
Balinese Silver Jewelry Class
Price: 50 USD
Duration: 2.5 hours
5. Hot Glassworks
If you’re looking buy a souvenir from your trip, why not create your own stunning hand-blown glass paperweight? Join the workshop at P.T. Horizon Glassworks. Watch the glass master in action, explaining the process and the shop operations, safety tips and demo how to create elegant fine pieces such as vases, lamps, bowls. You will then have 20 to 30 minutes rolling your glass in a free-standing pot furnace. It is a treat to watch as the colourful glass slowly takes its gorgeous shape. The finishing touches will be done by the shop and can be collected the following day. Their gallery is well-stocked with these glassworks and there are gifts at all prices.
Hot Glassworks
Price: 80 USD
Duration: 2.5 hours
6. Wood Carving
If you want some wood-carved souvenir this is the workshop to go! You get to spend time with a Balinese family of wood carvers and be amazed seeing solid blocks of wood being carefully transformed into magnificent pieces of art. Our helpful instructors will guide you to carve your chosen design (be it a flower, a mask, or an animal) and customize it with your name. Even a novice will surely come away with lovely artistic pieces to take home for show and tell. It is also a fantastic day out to learn more about other aspects of Balinese life. If you’re staying within the Ubud area, you can be collected from the hotel and take you to the workshop site.
Wood Carving
Price: 40 USD
Duration: 4 hours
7. Eco Cycling Through Bali
If you want to touch-base with nature, here’s one scenic cycle tour for you. We have an amazing itinerary the covers the lovely countryside of Bali. We will cycle downhill on hidden pathways and narrow village roads passing the countryside of Ubud, visiting a Balinese home, exploring local medicine and coffee plantations, and tasting the most expensive coffee in the world, the Coffee Luwak. The tour includes hotel pick up & drop off, refreshments, breakfast overlooking Mt. Batur (an active volcano), coffee break, a Balinese feast at lunch, all equipment, guides & support team, and insurance for participants aged between 12 and 65. Baby seats are also available when required.
Eco Cycling Through Bali
Price: 40 USD
Duration: 8 hours
8. Go on a chocolate tour at Pod Origin
Bali is home to some amazing cacao bean farms and chocolate factories. One of them is Pod Origin and it is located just a short drive from Ubud Center at the Elephant Camp, Bali. Here, you can go on a wonderful chocolate tour, learning all there is to know about chocolate and munching a whole lot of it, of course. The chocolate comes straight from the farm, ensuring top quality and support to the local cacao bean farmers. A visit to the chocolate farm makes a great trip for families, for both kids and parents will love it! The tour starts with a chocolate shot, followed by a trip to the farm and the chocolate factory and it ends with making your own chocolate elephant. On-site, you can see elephants and you can even cuddle a bear without getting eaten (yes, it’s really true!). Don’t forget to snap some photos and to buy some more Pod chocolate bars at the outlet to take home with you as a chocolate memory. You will thank yourself later!
Pod Origin
Address: Jalan Tukad Ayung, Carangsari, Petang, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80353, Indonesia
Price: from 250,000 IDR (19 USD)
Opening Hours: 9am - 4pm.
Duration: around 1.5 hours required.
Access: 20 kilometers (12 mi) from the center of Ubud
Contact: +62 8133738/8778
Website: Pod Origin
9. Go rafting on the Ayung river
A day of adventure on the river, who isn’t up for that? The views from down below in the river valley are jaw-droppingly beautiful and the water is clear, cold and fresh, wonderful for swimming or body rafting on a hot sunny day. There are several rafting companies near the riverside. You will walk down the river gorge, get into one of the rafting boats and the adventure starts, with a guide of course! The trip is lovely, not dangerous and yet a whole lot of fun! It ends with a yummy Indonesian lunch after a couple of exciting rafting hours with loved ones.
Bali Sobek Rafting
Address: Kedewatan, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80353, Indonesia
Price: from 500,000 IDR (38 USD) - (negotiable).
Opening Hours: 9am - 3pm.
Duration: around 4 - 5 hours required.
Access: 8 kilometer (5 mi) drive from Ubud center.
Contact: +62 361729016
Website: Bali Sobek Rafting
10. Enjoy a back-bending, mind-soothing yoga lesson at the Yoga Barn
The Yoga Barn has become an iconic health-hub over the years. It’s a peaceful Yoga Center found in the heart of Ubud and you can go there for yoga practices, massages, healthy food and meet like-minded travelers and soul searchers. Be sure to check it out!
The Yoga Barn
Address: Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud, Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 130,000 IDR (10 USD)
Opening Hours: 6am - 9pm.
Duration: 1 hour lesson
Access: 1.5 km from Ubud Palace
Contact: +62 361971236
Near by Food: The Garden Cafe and Juice Bar
Website: The Yoga Barn
11. Encounter monkeys at the Monkey Forest
The Monkey Forest is found right in the center of Ubud. It’s a small forest, with a peaceful streaming river, a Hindu Temple and everywhere, there are cheeky monkeys on the lookout for bananas, or basically any kind of food… or sunglasses, and iPhones… Actually, better keep your belongings safely inside your bag and make sure they don’t open it. You will be sure to have a smile on your face, meeting these funny creatures. You can take great photos, feed them bananas bought from the guides who will also help you feed them in a safe way. Most of the time you also get to see mother monkeys with little babies. So cute!
Ubud Monkey Forest
Address: Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 50,000 IDR (4 USD)
Opening Hours: 8.30am - 6pm.
Duration: around 1 hour required.
Access: Right in the heart of Ubud
Contact: +62 361971304
Near by Food: Ganesha Ek Sanskriti Authentic Indian Restaurant and Bar
Website: Ubud Monkey Forest
12. Eat raw food & raw chocolates
Endless raw food cafés, juice bars and restaurants are found in the center of town. Let the zucchini spaghetti, hummus dips, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, raw chocolate cakes with freshly brewed organic coffee, and more delights come along! All is good and very affordable compared to western prices. Health food lovers, vegans, and vegetarians; eat your heart out! Recommended raw-food restaurants;
Warung Sopa
Address: Jl. Sugriwa No.36, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 30,000 IDR (2.25 USD)
Opening Hours: 8am - 10pm
Access: Central Ubud
Contact: +62 85100765897
Website: Warung Sopa
Alchemy
Address: Jalan Penestanan Klod, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 32,000 IDR (2.40 USD)
Opening Hours: 7am - 9pm.
Duration: around 3 hours required.
Contact: +62 0361971981
Website: Alchemy
The Elephant
Address: Taman Indrakila, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Sayan, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 35,000 IDR (2.65 USD)
Opening Hours: 8am - 9.30pm.
Contact: +62 85100161907
Website: The Elephant
13. Practice your bargaining skills at the Ubud Market
The Ubud market is tucked in a grand double-storey building in the center of town. A place of liveliness, colors, a whole lot of souvenirs and ladies who are eager to sell. Jewelry, sarongs, clothing, wooden-carved artifacts and Buddha sculptures, you can find everything here. All you need to do is practice your bargaining skills because the ladies already know all of the tips and tricks :)
Ubud Market
Address: Jl. Raya Ubud No.35, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Price: from 1 USD
Opening Hours: 6am - 4pm. Closed on public holidays.
Duration: around 1 hour required.
Access: 1 min walk from Ubud Palace
Near by Food: Bar Luna or street food from the local street vendors
14. Visit Gunung Kawi & Tirta Empul Waterfall Temple
A bit of a drive from the heart of Ubud awaits the ancient ruins of the King’s graves, descending back to the 11th century and not too far from there, you will find the holy Tirta Empul Waterfall Temple. A place of worship and pilgrimage. Both are quite enchanting and impressive to see, surrounded by the unspoiled nature of Bali Island.
Tirta Empul Waterfall Temple
Address: Jl. Tirta, Tampaksiring, Manukaya, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80552, Indonesia
Price: from 30,000 IDR (2.25 USD)
Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm.
Access: Located 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from the center of Ubud
Gunung Kawi
Address: Banjar Penaka, Tampaksiring, Gianyar, Tampaksiring, Bali 80552, Indonesia
Price: from 15,000 IDR (1.15 USD)
Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm.
Access: approximately 13.5 kilometers (8.3 mi) from Ubud center.
Contact: +62 87862216435
Near by Food: any good food.
15. Admire and swim at the Tegenungan Waterfall
Who doesn’t love a hike through the rainforest to find a magnificent waterfall cascading its water down into a natural pool you can swim in, like a hidden blue lagoon? This dream becomes reality at the Tegenungan Waterfall. Bring your swimsuit and enjoy a day in a peaceful tropical oasis of Bali Island.
Tegenungan Waterfall
Address: Jalan Ir. Sutami, Kemenuh, Sukawati, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80581, Indonesia
Price: from 10,000 IDR (0.75 USD)
Access: 10.2 kilometers (6.2 mi) from Ubud center.
16. See the Goa Gajah Temple
Goa Gajah, better known as ‘the elephant cave’ was built in the 9th century, serving as a place of sanctuary and it is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. This ancient cave with traditional rock-wall carvings is conveniently located just 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) out of central Ubud. For those who appreciate culture, ancient art, and ruins, go check it out! For 100,000 IDR (7.5 USD) per group, you can get a local guide to show you around, telling you all about the temple’s history.
Goa Gajah
Address: Bedulu Village, Jalan Raya Goa Gajah, Blahbatuh, Gianyar
Price: from 15,000 IDR (1.15 USD)
Opening Hours: 8am - 4pm.
Duration: around 1 hours required.
Access: 6 km (3.7 mi) from Ubud center
Enough to see and do!
Made it to Ubud? Venture out now and explore all of our ‘10 best things to do in Ubud’, we would love to hear about your experiences! Enjoy!
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12 Things To Do In Ubud At Night - Updated 2024Stephanie Anais -
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Alysha .over 4 years ago
I'm so excited to try the Yoga Barn after reading this list of recommendations. Thank you!
0 . Reply