Best Things to Do in Ubud: 11 Experiences Worth Your Time

Ubud packs more genuine cultural experience into a small area than almost anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Within 30 minutes of the town centre, you can walk through terraced rice fields, bathe in a sacred spring, watch a traditional dance performance that has not changed in centuries, and eat some of the best food in Bali. These are the best things to do in Ubud — chosen for depth, not just spectacle.

1. Walk the Tegallalang Rice Terraces

Ubud’s most iconic image is the stepped rice terraces at Tegallalang, 8 km north of town. The subak irrigation system that carved these terraces is a UNESCO-recognised cultural landscape dating back to the 9th century. Early morning (before 9 AM) is the best time to visit — cooler, quieter, and with dramatically better light for photography.

Walk the path between the terraces rather than just viewing from the road. Several local cafés and warungs sit at the terrace edge, and many now offer swing and zipline activities if you want to add a bit of adrenaline to the visit. Entry is by donation (IDR 10,000–20,000 is typical).

2. Watch a Traditional Kecak or Legong Dance

Ubud is the best place in Bali to watch traditional Balinese dance — not just because performances happen nightly, but because many are still held in active temple settings with genuine ceremonial context. The Kecak Fire Dance, performed by a chorus of up to 50 men chanting rhythmically without instruments, is one of the most arresting things you can watch in Asia.

Look for performances at Ubud Palace (most accessible), Pura Dalem Ubud, or smaller village temples where the audience is mostly local. Performances typically run 6:30–8:30 PM and cost IDR 80,000–150,000 ($5–$10). Check the Ubud Tourist Information Centre on Jalan Raya Ubud for the nightly schedule.

3. Visit Tirta Empul Sacred Spring Temple

Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring, 12 km from Ubud, is one of Bali’s most sacred water temples. Its natural spring pools have been used for purification rituals since the 10th century. Visitors can observe or participate in the melukat cleansing ritual, moving through a sequence of 14 fountains while priests perform blessings.

Go early or late — before 9 AM or after 4 PM — to avoid the tour buses that fill the middle of the day. Wear modest clothing and a sarong (available for hire at the entrance). Photography during active ceremonies should be approached with care and permission.

4. Walk the Campuhan Ridge

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is a 2 km trail along a narrow grassy ridge above the confluence of two rivers, starting near the Ibah Luxury Villas on Jalan Raya Campuhan. It is one of the most accessible nature walks near central Ubud — no guide or entrance fee required, flat enough for all fitness levels, and genuinely beautiful.

Sunrise is the best time (bring a torch for the first 15 minutes before light). The ridge connects to the Bangkiang Sidem path, which continues into rice fields and small villages if you want to extend the walk to 5–7 km. End at Warung Bodag Maliah for Balinese coffee and breakfast.

5. Take a Balinese Cooking Class

Balinese cuisine is one of the most complex and distinctive regional food traditions in Indonesia, built around spice pastes (base genep) that can contain up to 13 ingredients. A cooking class gives you the framework to understand it — and a set of skills to take home. Classes typically start with a market visit at 8 AM and end with a multi-dish lunch.

Most classes run 4–5 hours, include market and ingredient education, and end with sitting down to eat everything you cooked. Cost ranges from IDR 350,000–700,000 ($22–$45) depending on group size and included meals. Book in advance — quality classes fill up.

6. Explore the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

The Ubud Monkey Forest is home to over 1,000 Balinese long-tailed macaques living in a forested temple complex at the southern end of Monkey Forest Road. Three ancient temples sit inside the forest, which has been a sacred site for at least 700 years. The monkeys roam freely and are habituated to humans, though they will steal food and sunglasses given the chance.

Entrance costs IDR 80,000 ($5) and the forest is best visited early morning or late afternoon when it is cooler and less crowded. Do not bring food inside, secure loose items, and follow the posted guidelines for safe interaction with the monkeys.

7. See the Gunung Kawi Temple Complex

Gunung Kawi is one of Bali’s most impressive archaeological sites — a 10th-century rock-cut temple complex carved directly into a cliff face above the Pakerisan River. Descending the 300-step staircase into the valley reveals a landscape that feels genuinely ancient, with eight enormous candi (shrine) carvings and rice fields lining the river below.

Located 18 km from Ubud in Tampaksiring, it combines naturally with a visit to Tirta Empul nearby. Arrive before 9 AM to have the valley to yourself. Entry: IDR 50,000. Sarong required — available at entrance.

8. Try a Traditional Balinese Massage

Bali has some of the best and most affordable massage in the world, and Ubud is the place to experience it properly. Traditional Balinese massage combines deep tissue pressure, gentle stretching, and acupressure in a treatment that leaves most people genuinely transformed. It is also significantly cheaper here than at Western spa prices.

A one-hour traditional massage from a reputable spa costs IDR 100,000–200,000 ($6–$13). For a longer experience, combine with a flower bath, boreh body scrub (a warming spice paste), or Balinese facial. Book at a recommended spa rather than a walk-in street massage parlour for the best technique and hygiene standards.

9. Cycle Through Bali’s Villages and Rice Fields

Several Ubud operators offer downhill cycling tours starting from the high slopes of Mount Batur (around 1,500 m) and winding down through villages, coffee plantations, and rice fields to the valley floor. Most tours are gentle enough for beginners and include hotel pickup, a guide, breakfast, and bike rental for $25–$40.

The scenery on the descent is exceptional — volcanic landscapes transitioning to dense jungle and then to the patchwork terraces of central Bali. It is one of the most immersive ways to see the countryside between villages that do not feature on most tourist itineraries.

10. Visit the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA)

ARMA houses one of the finest collections of Balinese and Indonesian art in the world, including rare works by German-Balinese artist Walter Spies (whose 1930s paintings shaped global perception of Bali) and the pioneering Balinese masters of the classical Ubud and Batuan schools. The museum complex sits within beautiful gardens and includes an active cultural programme.

Entry: IDR 100,000. Open daily 9 AM–6 PM. Dance performances take place in the outdoor pavilion on selected evenings — check the schedule when you visit. The on-site café and library are also worth spending time in.

11. Attend a Temple Ceremony

Bali’s Hindu calendar includes hundreds of ceremonies across thousands of temples throughout the year. In Ubud, you are almost certain to encounter a temple odalan (anniversary ceremony) during any stay of three days or more. If you are respectfully dressed (sarong, covered shoulders), you will often be welcomed to observe or even join the offerings and prayers.

Your guesthouse owner or hotel staff can tell you which temple is celebrating nearby. This spontaneous encounter with living religious tradition is, for many travellers, the most memorable part of time spent in Ubud.

Practical Tips for Getting the Most from Ubud

• Start early — Most of Ubud’s best experiences (ridge walks, temple visits, rice terrace photography) are transformed by arriving at or before sunrise.
• Rent a scooter — Access to a scooter multiplies what you can do in a day. The temples, waterfalls, and cycling routes are all within 30 minutes of town.
• Eat at warungs — Local food stalls (warungs) serve some of the most delicious Balinese food at a fraction of the price of tourist restaurants. Nasi campur (rice with small portions of multiple dishes) is the meal to try.
• Book experiences ahead — Cooking classes, popular temple tours, and dance performances at quality venues fill up. Book at least a day or two in advance during peak season.