Ubud is the capital of Bali and the cultural center of the island. When traveling to Bali, Ubud is a must visit destination. After living the beach life along the coast of Bali, it is fun to head to Ubud for a jungle escape. If you are looking for ancient temples, beautiful rice terraces, rainforest views, and traditional Balinese crafts and dance, then pack up your bags and head to Ubud.
In this Ubud, Bali travel guide, I am going to share the best Ubud attractions, restaurants, and Ubud travel tips. If you are looking for things to do in Ubud, look no further. We spent one week in Ubud and really enjoyed our time there!
- Where is Ubud?
- Bali Currency
- Where to Stay in Ubud
- How to Travel Around Ubud
- Things to do in Ubud
- Best Restaurants in Ubud
Where is Ubud?
Ubud is located within the Ubud District of Bali, Indonesia. It is 36.6 kilometers (22.74 miles) north of the Ngurah Rai International Airport. Though it is a short distance, expect more than an hour drive with the hectic streets of Bali.
Read our other blogs for more destinations in Bali:
- 12 Best Restaurants in Canggu, Bali (Café & Dinner Food Guide for Canggu)
- 10 Awesome Things to do in Canggu, Bali
- An Epic Trip to Nusa Penida & Nusa Lembongan (Bali’s Nusa Islands)
- A Guide to Uluwatu: The Best Bali Beach Destination
Bali Currency
The currency used in Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). At the time of writing this blog, $1 USD is equivalent to 15,607 IDR.
A lot of local places only accept cash, so make sure to always carry some on you. There are a lot of ATMs around Bali, so as long as you have a debit card that works internationally, you will have availability of cash.
Where to Stay in Ubud
We stayed at the Green Sala Villa and it was a great, quiet stay outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. Personally, we thought it was the best accommodation in Ubud that we could have stayed at for the price. If you stay here, you will want to make sure you have a scooter because you will have to drive to everything that you do, but it is only a quick 5-10 minute drive into the town.
How to Travel Around Ubud
The attractions in Ubud are pretty spaced out, so you are going to want to make sure you have some sort of transportation. We rented a scooter to get around and it cost us $2.60 USD per day.
The driving in Bali is crazy, and if you are not comfortable driving a scooter, I would recommend using Grab or Gojek, which are like the South east Asian versions of Uber. We downloaded the Grab app for transportation to and from the airport.
Things to do in Ubud
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
The Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest is one of the best things to do in Ubud! We had so much fun watching and taking pictures of all of the monkeys interacting with one another. The sanctuary is like a large park. The cost of the Monkey Forest is 80.000 IDR on weekdays and 100.000 IDR on weekends for adults. Once you have your ticket, you are free to walk around, and it does not take long to start seeing monkeys! We spent a few hours in the park, and could have easily spent more time.
Of course, there are some important rules to follow for your safety and the monkeys.
- Do not look the monkeys in the eye (they see it as a sign of aggression)
- Do not take any food (the monkeys will know, and try to take it)
- Don’t take anything valuable into the monkey forest (passports, jewelry, wallets, etc.)
For a full list of rules, check the Monkey Forest website.
Tegallalang Rice Terrace
The Tegallalang Rice Terrace is another must see in Ubud. It is just north of Ubud and is a 15-20 minute drive. Once you park, there will be people selling entrance tickets on the street. There are two separate entrances. One for the rice terrace overlooks, and the other for the trekking paths. We were able to do both on the same entrance ticket.
It was beautiful within the trekking paths of the rice terrace. Once you are inside, there are many ways you can take, and just feel yourself get lost in the magical fields.
OKA Agriculture Bali
If you are a coffee lover like us, OKA Agriculture is a neat place in Bali that grows and sells their own coffee. Upon arriving, they give you a free, informative tour, then you get to try 12 of their coffees and teas for free, before deciding which one you would like to buy. They also have a beautiful balcony overlooking the rainforest, which you get to enjoy during your tasting.
OKA is a 30-40 minute drive from Ubud, but we made a loop after visiting the Tegallalang Rice Terrace.
Elephant Cave (Goa Gajah)
The Elephant Cave is an ancient temple that is believed to have been built for spiritual meditation, and is probably dated to the 11th century Bali Kingdom. The menacing faces carved into the face of the stone are believed to ward off evil spirits, and the primary figure was once thought to be an elephant- hence the name Elephant Cave. Interestingly, the cave was not rediscovered until 1923, and the fountains and bathing pool were not found and excavated until the 1950’s.
To enter the temple, you must wear a sarong to respect the Hindu practices. We have our own since so many places in Bali require the use of one, but if you do not have one, they will provide you with one before entering.
Ubud Palace
The Ubud Palace was built in the 1800’s and was the official residence of the royal family of Ubud. It is in the center of Ubud, and easy to walk to when you are in downtown. There is no entrance fee to the palace, so you can easily go and walk around. There is a traditional Balinese dance show held nightly at 7:30pm, however we did not end up making it to the show.
Sangeh Monkey Forest
After visiting the main Ubud monkey forest, we found out about the Sangeh Monkey Forest and knew we had to visit! It is about a 30 minute drive from Ubud. It is quite a bit smaller than the Ubud Monkey Forest, but it is a beautiful park and you still see a lot of monkeys. After paying the entrance fee, they give you a free guide that walks you around the park, and even lets you interact with the monkeys.
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace
The Jatiluwih Rice Terrace is over an hour drive out of Ubud’s center, but it is beautiful and I would stick it on the list of best things to do in Ubud. In our opinions, this rice terrace was even more beautiful and serene than the Tegallalang. There are multiple routes that you can take through the terrace, and we opted for one of the longer routes. Everything is so picturesque, especially the backdrop of mountains.
Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge walk in Ubud is a beautiful path at the top of a ridge, and a valley on either side. It is perfect for a scenic morning walk or run. It is an easy, yet beautiful out and back trail that is relatively flat.
Ubud Waterfalls
There are tons of waterfalls in and around Ubud, and we only had time to do two of them! Therefore, I cannot attest that these are the best waterfalls in Ubud, but we did enjoy each of them.
Tibumana Waterfall
The Tibumana Waterfall is around a 30 minute drive from Ubud. There is a marked parking lot and entrance station where you pay a small entrance fee. The path is fairly easy to get to the waterfall, and it is one of the few waterfalls in Bali where swimming is allowed.
I would recommend wearing tennis shoes, as we did see a small snake on the trail, which is to be expected when you are in a rainforest.
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
The Tukad Cepung Waterfall was very beautiful. There are a lot of steps, as you hike down into a small canyon. You then have to walk through some water to reach the waterfall. If you get here at the right time of day, you will see light rays in front of the waterfall!
Jaens Spa Shanti
After all the scooter riding and rice field trekking, one of the best things to do in Ubud is go to a spa. There are endless options, and the services are amazing at such a great price. We went to Jaens Spa Shanti for a couples Traditional Balinese Massage and it was a relaxing experience.
Ubud Yoga House
Of course, when you go to Ubud, you are going to want to try some yoga, whether you do it all the time, or are a beginner. We tried out the Ubud Yoga House and loved it! They have two open-air studios, the rice-terrace studio and jungle studio. Both of our classes were in the jungle studio, and it was so calming listening to the jungle sounds while doing a morning yoga session.
Best Restaurants in Ubud
Twist
Jacob was in the mood for a burger, so we settled on eating at Twist. The food was really good and we enjoyed the atmosphere. Their menu was also fun to read with their unique descriptions of their dishes!
Ubud Cinnamon
I found Ubud Cinnamon because I am always looking for something sweet to eat. Their cinnamon rolls were delicious! They had really good coffee too.
Yellow Flower Cafe
The Yellow Flower Cafe was a cute family-owned cafe. To get there, we had to walk up the Penestanan Stairs. They had clean, natural dishes and volcano views. We only had time for coffee here, but I would have loved to try their food too!
Pukako by Paddyfield
We had breakfast at Pukako by Paddyfield after our morning yoga class at Ubud Yoga House. The restaurant sits along the same path as the yoga studio with rice field views. The food and coffee was delicious.
Ubud, Bali is such a unique and beautiful place. The people are sweet and friendly, there are amazing restaurants, the views are incredible, and there is so much culture and history to explore. Ubud should be added to everyone’s bucket list of must-see places!
Here are a few more photos and our ‘Traveling Wellburys’ Podcast from our trip to Bali.
Please subscribe to our blog for new content delivered directly to your inbox!
The Traveling Wellburys 
Leave a comment