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    Ubud
    City

    Ubud

    Ubud, in the highlands of Gianyar, is considered Bali's cultural center. Palace, temples, art museums, and evening dance performances are close by, surrounded by rice terraces and river valleys.

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    9. Ubud
    Ubud, in the highlands of Gianyar, is considered Bali's cultural center. Palace, temples, art museums, and evening dance performances are close by, surrounded by rice terraces and river valleys.
    Ubud has grown from several villages and has tens of thousands of inhabitants. The center is the intersection at Puri Saren Palace and the market. From here, Jalan Monkey Forest leads south to the Monkey Forest, and Jalan Hanoman runs parallel. To the west lies Penestanan with rice fields and art studios; to the north, the Campuhan Ridge; to the south, Pengosekan and Peliatan. The center is easily explored on foot, but you'll need a driver for nearby temples and rice terraces. By day it's busy and traffic is heavy; evenings are quiet, as Ubud has little nightlife.
    Around the center, the individual Banjar have their own character: Penestanan with artist colony and rice fields, Peliatan with dance groups, and Pengosekan with art workshops.

    Sights in Ubud

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
    Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Park

    1Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

    A wooded area with three 14th-century temples, home to several hundred long-tailed macaques. The monkeys snatch at glasses, bags, and food; feeding is forbidden. Moss-covered stone bridges and banyan trees make the walk worthwhile.
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    Puri Saren Agung (Ubud Palace)
    Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Historic Landmark

    2Puri Saren Agung (Ubud Palace)

    Ubud's princely family palace in the town center is still home to the family. Its courtyards with stone gates and pavilions are open freely by day; evening dance performances are held here.
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    Campuhan Ridge Walk
    Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attraction

    3Campuhan Ridge Walk

    Paved walking path on a grassy ridge between two river valleys, starting at Gunung Lebah Temple. It’s cooler in the early morning or late afternoon; the path leads in about an hour to cafés in Bangkiang Sidem village.
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    Rice Terraces of Tegallalang
    Attraction

    4Rice Terraces of Tegallalang

    Rice fields terraced steeply into a valley, about ten kilometers north of Ubud. Bali's most famous terrace is heavily developed for tourism, with swings and hillside cafés. Arrive early to experience the fields in the morning light and without crowds.
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    Goa Gajah
    Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
    Temple

    5Goa Gajah

    The "Elephant Cave" east of Ubud is a sanctuary whose origins date back to the 9th to 11th century. The entrance is framed by a demon face carved into the rock, with bathing pools featuring water spouts in front. A path leads down to Buddhist relics by the river.
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    Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA)
    Museum

    6Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA)

    Art museum in Pengosekan featuring Balinese painting, from classical Kamasan works to modern art, including works by Walter Spies. The grounds also offer dance performances and classes.
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    Restaurants in Ubud

    1

    Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka

    Ubud's most famous Babi Guling warung on Jalan Suweta near the Palace. The suckling pig comes with rice, Lawar, and crispy skin, often selling out by lunchtime.
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    2

    Bebek Bengil

    Large restaurant on Jalan Hanoman with rice field pavilions, known for crispy fried duck. Touristy, but an Ubud institution.
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    3

    Hujan Locale

    Restaurant in the center with modern Indonesian and Southeast Asian street food-style cuisine, plus cocktails and vegetarian dishes.
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    4

    Warung Biah Biah

    Small warung on Jalan Goutama with Balinese dishes in small portions for sharing, affordable and popular in the evenings.
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    5

    Locavore NXT

    Locavore's successor project south of Ubud, which prepares tasting menus with ingredients from Indonesia and operates its own gardens and labs. Reservation required.
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    Food and Drink

    Ubud has Bali's most diverse gastronomy, from Warungs to vegan cafés and ambitious Indonesian cuisine.

    Babi Guling

    Suckling pig is especially popular in Ubud; the most famous Warungs are near the palace and often sell out by lunchtime.

    Bebek Goreng

    Crispy fried duck after marinating and cooking, served with rice and Sambal, a specialty of the Gianyar region.

    Kochkurse

    Many courses begin with a market visit and teach Base Genep, Sate Lilit, and Lawar.

    Vegetarian and vegan

    Ubud is Bali's hub for plant-based cuisine, with smoothie bowls, tempeh dishes, and raw food.

    Art and Dance

    The Cultural Heart of BaliUbud was home to a princely family who, from the 1930s onwards, supported artists such as the German Walter Spies and the Dutchman Rudolf Bonnet. Together with Balinese painters, they founded the Pita Maha artists' association, which shaped modern Balinese painting. Museums like Puri Lukisan, Neka, and ARMA showcase this development.Every evening, groups perform dance dramas in the palace and temples: Legong with young female dancers, Barong depicting the struggle between good and evil, and the Kecak with a chorus of dozens of men. Tickets are sold by street vendors and the tourist information office. Processions for temple festivals, where women carry offering towers on their heads, can be seen almost daily somewhere.

    Exploring locally

    ArrivalFrom the airport: 1.5 to 3 hours by car, depending on traffic. Between 3 PM and 7 PM, factor in at least 45 extra minutes.Shuttle bus: The Kura-Kura Bus runs four times daily between Kuta and Ubud, reservation required (kura2bus.com). Perama connects Ubud with Sanur, Padang Bai, Lovina, and other destinations (peramatour.com, 12go.asia).Onward to Lombok and the Gilis: Via Padang Bai, from there fast boats in 1.5 to 2 hours.Getting around UbudIn town: On foot, even though sidewalks are narrow. Grab and Gojek are sometimes not allowed to pick up in the center; local drivers are on every corner.Excursions: For Tegallalang, Tirta Empul, and Goa Gajah, a driver for half or a full day is recommended; bike tours often start at Batur and roll downhill to Ubud.

    Trips & Activities

    Tegallalang and Tirta Empul

    North of Ubud are the Tegallalang Rice Terraces and the Tirta Empul Spring Temple. Early in the morning, both are significantly emptier.

    Batur for the sunrise

    Pickup around 2 AM, ascent in the dark, breakfast at the crater rim. Return in the morning.

    Rafting on the Ayung

    The Ayung, west of Ubud, flows through a forested gorge with waterfalls; tours last two to three hours.

    Sidemen

    A more tranquil rice terrace landscape is situated an hour east at the foot of Agung.

    Accommodations in Ubud

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    Nearby

    Bali

    Bali

    Bali is Indonesia's sole majority Hindu island. Temple festivals, offerings, and dance shape daily life, rice terraces and volcanoes the interior. The south is heavily touristed, the east and north much quieter.
    Sidemen
    Paul Arps from The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

    Sidemen

    Sidemen is located in a valley in eastern Bali, overlooked by the Gunung Agung volcano. Terraced rice fields, Songket weaving workshops, and quiet villages make the valley an alternative to bustling Ubud.
    Canggu

    Canggu

    Canggu, northwest of Seminyak, has grown from a surf village into a hub for surfers, café-goers, and digital nomads. Black sand beaches with consistent waves alternate with rice paddies and densely developed streets.
    Sanur

    Sanur

    Sanur, on the southern east coast, is one of Bali's oldest resorts. An offshore reef keeps the waves at bay; a beach promenade connects hotels, Warungs, and fishing boats. From here, boats depart for Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.
    Seminyak
    Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Seminyak

    Seminyak on the southwest coast is Bali's district for boutiques, restaurants, and beach clubs. The wide sandy beach merges seamlessly into Legian and Kuta, the sunset over the Indian Ocean is the daily ritual.