Things to do in Ubud: the main sights, walks and cultural stops

Ubud is best known as Bali’s cultural and wellness hub, and the most common things to do are visiting the Monkey Forest, walking the rice terraces, seeing temples and dance performances, and joining cooking, yoga or rafting activities. The central area suits short strolls, while several signature sights sit a short drive away.

What are the core Ubud attractions?

The attractions most often listed for first-time visitors are the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud Palace, Ubud Art Market, Campuhan Ridge Walk, Tegallalang Rice Terraces and Tirta Empul Temple. Travel guides also consistently include waterfalls such as Tegenungan and cultural stops such as Saraswati Temple and Goa Gajah.

Lonely Planet says visitors commonly combine the Monkey Forest with Ubud Palace dance, art collections and ridge walks, while Virgin Australia groups the art market, temples, rice terraces and waterfall visits as the main draw.

How much of Ubud can you do on foot?

Much of central Ubud is compact enough for short walks between sights such as Ubud Palace, the art market and nearby galleries, but outlying attractions need transport. One travel guide describes the central area as roughly 2 kilometres north-south by 3 kilometres east-west, with places farther out such as Tegallalang, Tirta Empul and some waterfalls requiring a scooter or driver.

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is one of the easiest walking options and is repeatedly described as a free, self-guided ridge trail with valley views.

Which culture-focused activities are most typical?

Ubud’s cultural activities centre on temple visits, Balinese dance, art and food traditions. Guides consistently mention Pura Tirta Empul, Pura Gunung Kawi, Goa Gajah, Ubud Palace dance performances, art museums and Balinese cooking classes.

Virgin Australia highlights Saraswati, Goa Gajah and Tirta Empul as three of the best-known temples for visitors, and Lonely Planet notes nightly dance at Ubud Palace as a common cultural stop.

What active or wellness things do visitors do?

Common active options include white-water rafting on the Ayung River, yoga classes, spa treatments, rice-field walks and waterfall visits. Virgin Australia specifically lists Ayung River rafting and a yoga class at the Yoga Barn, while other guides add cycling, ATV rides and cooking classes to the usual Ubud mix.

Ubud is also widely presented as a wellness destination, with yoga and massage appearing alongside food and cultural stops in multiple visitor guides.

What is the practical takeaway for planning a day?

A simple first-time Ubud day usually combines one central walk, one cultural stop and one nature stop. The most efficient pattern is to stay in town for the palace, market and ridge walk, then add either a temple, a rice-terrace visit or a waterfall if you have transport.

Because several of Ubud’s signature sights sit outside the centre, guides repeatedly suggest planning around travel time rather than trying to pack everything into one small area.

Sources

• Lonely Planet
• Virgin Australia
• Machu Picchu.org
• Visit Bali