7 Things To Do In Ubud, The Cultural Heart of Bali
While Bali is mostly famous for its beaches, there’s a whole lot more to this unique island than just sun and sand.
Situated in the uplands of Bali, the eccentric town of Ubud is considered to be the cultural heart of the island, with its busy streets boasting myriad cafes, restaurants and craft stores, all encompassed by lush greenery and rolling hills.
Ubud is bursting to the brim with beautiful architecture, intricate temples and bustling markets, making it very much deserving of its title “the cultural heart of Bali.” And, outside the town centre, there are terraced rice fields, waterfalls, and so much more waiting to be explored.
To be honest, Ubud isn’t the kind of place where you need a long to-do list. It’s the kind of place where it’s nice to just be. I stayed for a week and spent most of my time eating, relaxing and wandering around Ubud’s town centre – and I think that’s okay!
That being said, there are a lot of things to do in Ubud, so let’s dive in!
Where to stay in Ubud
Budget: An excellent choice for a hostel or budget hotel stay would be Puri Garden Hotel & Hostel. They have a huge swimming pool area, complete with a relaxation garden and hammocks. Plus, there is a free nutritious breakfast served every morning.
Luxury: I personally stayed at Ulun Ubud Resort during my time in Ubud – a rare treat, as I usually travel as frugally as possible. It was absolutely beautiful, with rolling views over the rice fields. I could not recommend it enough.
Things to do in Ubud
Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is easily one of the most popular attractions in Ubud, pulling in an estimated 10,000 tourists each month! The sanctuary is actually a Hindu temple complex, as well as a nature reserve, and is really quite a beautiful place to visit.
As the name would suggest, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is home to a lot of monkeys – long-tailed macaques, to be precise. While I’m always a bit concerned about the ethics of tourist attractions that involve animals, this one does genuinely seem okay. The monkeys are free to come and go as they please, there are visitor-restricted areas for them to retreat to, and they’re not forced to interact with tourists.
The monkey forest is open from 8:30 AM to 6 PM each day and costs 80,000 IDR (6 USD) to enter.
See the Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Just a half-hour drive north of Ubud, you’ll find the spectacular Tegallalang Rice Terraces.
This scenic, terraced hillside showcases rice paddies amongst lush greenery, making for a really impressive sight. You can walk among the terraces, although I recommend you bring shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy – the terraces hold water rather well and can get quite boggy.
The terraces are an absolutely beautiful vivid shade of green which my camera just couldn’t capture – you’ll simply have to take my word for it!
Sunrise hike up Mount Batur
Okay, maybe this one is cheating a little bit. Mount Batur is actually situated in northeast Bali, not Ubud, but I completed this hike by signing up to an organised tour, which did run from Ubud.
If you’re not going to be visiting northern Bali, then you may want to consider adding a Mount Batur sunrise trek to your Ubud itinerary. Despite the hour drive to get to the start of the trek, I promise you it’s worth it for the spectacular sunrise you’ll get to witness.
I was picked up from my hotel at 2 AM and driven an hour to the base of the volcano, where we were given breakfast and a quick briefing. The hike was not too challenging, but it rained heavily on the way up and was very foggy. The fog worried me as this could mean we wouldn’t be able to see the sunrise, but we went up above the clouds so this wasn’t an issue. The sunrise was probably one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen.
Visit a coffee plantation
If you’re in Bali and you love coffee, then you’ve definitely come to the right place!
There are plenty of coffee plantations around Ubud, which you can visit to learn how the coffee is made and sample a variety of roasts. It’s a great experience to enjoy a cup of coffee or two while overlooking the lush greenery of the rice fields below!
On a negative but important note, Bali is famous for its Luwak Coffee – a coffee harvested from the dung of a luwak, which is a small cat-like creature native to south and southeast Asia. Essentially, luwaks eat coffee beans and poo them out, which is then collected, washed and made into coffee. Luwaks are often kept in pretty poor conditions, so I urge you to be an ethical traveller and not to buy luwak coffee.
Hike the Campuhan Ridge Walk
The Campuhan Ridge Walk is one of the most iconic short hikes in all of Bali. It’s quite a short walk at just 2 kilometres, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t rewarding! It’s tucked behind the hotels of Ubud’s busy main street, making it a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the town centre.
The walk will lead you along an easy-to-follow paved trail, amongst rice fields, palm trees and beautiful green hills, rewarding you with peace, tranquillity, and scenic vistas.
The walk is quickly becoming one of the most popular things to do in Ubud, so I advise that you come for sunrise in order to beat both the crowds and the heat. The Campuhan Ridge Walk officially finishes at the Karsa Cafe, so you can treat yourself to a delicious coffee once you’ve finished!
Take a cooking class
Being a town rich in arts and crafts, Ubud offers a ton of different creative classes for you to try, such as painting, jewellery making and cooking.
As someone who is horrifically inept at anything artistic, a cooking class is my preferred choice. Ubud is no doubt one of the best places in Bali to try cooking traditional dishes, such as Goreng Tempe or Nasi Goreng, given that it’s thought of as the cultural centre of the island.
Lobong Culinary Experience is a great choice for those looking for an authentic experience, as you’ll cook in a family home and also visit a local market to pick out the fresh ingredients you’ll use in the class! I’ve also heard really good things about Jeding Bali’s cooking classes.
Shop at the Ubud Art Market
The Ubud Market takes place every single day in the centre of town. From 3 AM to 8 AM, the market sells food products, such as fresh vegetables and spices, but from 9 AM onwards, the area is transformed into the famous Ubud Art Market.
The Ubud Art Market sells a vast array of both modern and traditional handicrafts, with everything from jewellery, handbags, paintings, scarves, crockery, souvenirs and more.
It’s usually quite busy but is really fun to look around – don’t be afraid to haggle for a good price once you see something you like!
And there we have it – a guide to some of the best things to do in Ubud! I really loved this town and thought it was a wonderful place to take things slow for a week.
About The Author
Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger based in London. She writes about active adventure travel, aiming to encourage and inspire travellers to make the most of the great outdoors.
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