By air
Ngurah Rai, Denpasar (DPS), ~35 km, 1–1.5 h by road
Southeast Asia · Indonesia
Ubud, Indonesia
Rice terraces, temples and Bali's creative heart
Getting there
Best time to visit
April to October — the dry season
Don't miss
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Ubud Palace
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
Tirta Empul
Things to do
The Tegallalang rice terraces
A Balinese dance performance
Yoga and cooking classes
The Sacred Monkey Forest
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Light clothing, a sarong for temples (often lent at the gate), a rain layer
A quieter corner
The Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise
Questions travellers ask
How long is the drive from Bali's airport to Ubud?
Ngurah Rai, Denpasar (DPS) is about 35 km away, around 1 to 1.5 hours by road.
When should I visit Ubud, and do I need a sarong?
April to October is the dry season. Bring a sarong for temples (one is often lent at the gate), light clothing and a rain layer.
How should I fill my days in Ubud?
See the Tegallalang rice terraces, catch a Balinese dance performance, try yoga or a cooking class, and visit the Sacred Monkey Forest. Start one morning with the Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise.
What should I eat in Ubud?
Babi guling and nasi campur at local warungs, plus a wander through Ubud's morning market.
About Ubud
- Hills
Where it is
Ubud is a town in Gianyar regency in the uplands of central Bali, Indonesia, surrounded by rice terraces and deep, forested river valleys, north of Denpasar.
History
Ubud's name comes from the Balinese word for medicine, after the healing plants of its valleys, and legend tells of an 8th-century Javanese priest, Rsi Markandeya, who founded a temple at Campuhan. The town became the seat of a line of local lords, and in the 1930s painters such as Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet joined Balinese artists and the royal family in founding the Pita Maha association, making Ubud a centre of the arts.
People
Ubud's people are Balinese, speaking Balinese and Indonesian and following Balinese Hinduism, whose daily offerings and temple anniversaries (odalan) shape village life. The surrounding villages specialise in crafts, such as painting in Penestanan and woodcarving in Mas.
Known for
- Tegallalang rice terraces
- The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- Ubud Palace and Balinese dance nights
- Craft villages for painting, carving and silver
- Yoga, wellness and cooking classes
Did you know?
The rice terraces around Ubud are watered by subak, Bali's cooperative irrigation system run through water temples, and UNESCO inscribed Bali's subak landscapes as a World Heritage Site in 2012.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.