Top Things to Do in Ubud Bali, That You Shouldn’t Miss!

written by local expert Anna Faustino

Anna is a co-founder of Adventure in You and has been traveling the world for the last 9 years. She has spent time living in Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain and is our local expert in these areas. Her expertise on travel, gear, and building businesses have been featured on Foundr, Business Insider, Yahoo Travel, and more.

Ubud is centrally located amidst rice paddies and steep ravines giving this major tourist destination a cozy and cool ambiance. Popularized by Elizabeth Gilbert’s film, Eat Pray and Love, Ubud has since then become a tourist attraction that a lot of people frequent when visiting the island of Bali.

Littered with fancy boutique stores, hippie-like cafes, and many amazing vegetarian restaurants, you literally won’t have a hard time finding things to do while in Ubud.  Whether you want to go kick start your health food craze or you just want to spend a day indulging yourself and doing absolutely nothing, here is a quick list of things to do in Ubud Bali.

Get Your Adventure On

Surprising to many, Ubud isn’t all about relaxing and meditation as there is a whole slew of fun activities to do. From whitewater rafting, mountain biking, to VW safari tours. So if you’re done getting your Ohm on, make sure you make time to do a few fun activities during your stay in Ubud.

From white water rafting down the Ayung River, Quad Biking, to Canyoning tours, there are a plethora of fun adventures in Ubud.

✨The 1 Thing We Never Leave Home Without…✨

Travel Insurance

Coming from someone who has been traveling the world for the last 8 years AND has been in the hospital 2x, travel insurance is something everyone NEEDS to get. Get a quote below!

Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest

Although very touristic, the monkey forest is still a great way to spend the afternoon exploring Ubud. Located right in the center of Ubud, the monkey forest is a lush nature reserve and Hindu temple complex which houses over 600 plus monkeys. The nature reserve is beautiful and shaded, providing a much-needed relief from the heat of the sun when walking around town. The monkeys definitely enjoy monkeying around so be cautious of your belongings.

Insider Tip: If you want to feed the monkeys, bring food from outside rather than buying them at the park. Craving for more culture? Explore the many other temples including Ganung Kawi and Pura Taman Saraswati.

Monkey forest, Ubud, Bali

Take Cooking Classes

One of the best things to do in Ubud is to take cooking classes as the ingredients are always so fresh and tasty. Learn how to make a few showstopper Indonesian dishes which you can show off to your friends when you go back home. There are loads of cooking classes in Ubud to choose from, with a large portion of them catering to vegetarians and health fanatics. Click the link below to see the different classes.

View Classes
Babi guling pork

Psst...Want in on a Secret? 🤫

Tropicfeel

We've scoured the internet for the best ALL-AROUND travel shoe and Tropicfeel wins by far. We've taken ours through rivers, jungles, and cities and they're still alive and kickin'. Check them out below.

Take a Hike at the Campuhan Ridge Walk

Want to see Ubud for what it truly is? Take a walk down the Campuhan Ridge and see the beautiful landscape that makes Ubud a special place to visit in Bali. It is a free and easy nature trek which will lead you through some amazing scenery. Trek 3k and reach Karsa Kafe for a refreshing picturesque pit stop before you continue trekking on.

From the café, it is another 6k to circle back to Ubud town, or you can retrace your steps and head back to the ridge. If you do decide to push it a little bit further, you will be rewarded with beautiful scenes of empty rice paddies.

Insider Tip: Go on the walk during sunset to capture the sun setting on the rice fields. However, don’t get too preoccupied wandering and taking pictures like us as we ended up talking back the ridge when it was pitch black!

Rice fields, Ubud, Bali

Enjoy the Many Restaurants and Cafés

Ubud is home to many up and coming hip coffee cafes and restaurants. Every corner that you turn into seems to be a cool space ready for you to relax and chill in. Although Ubud town itself is surprisingly busy and is quite congested, there are many spaces that you can find solace in.

Insider Tip: Seminan Coffee Studio serves divine coffee which we found great value for your money. Also, a visit to clear café for their healthy smoothies and refreshing drinks is a must. Want something a little more indulgent? Try out Naughty Nuri’s ribs. Don’t worry, we won’t tell on you!

Coffee at fancy cafe, Ubud, Bali

Get Your Healthy On

With the health trend booming everywhere in Ubud, there are multiple yoga studios for you to try-incase you might have misplaced your inner peace. Head on down to Yoga Barn to experience their many different classes to get you feeling energized and stretched. Inhale, exhale and breathe out the bullsh*t. Don’t forget to say Namaste!

Insider Tip: Yoga Barn gets pretty full so make sure you get there ahead of time to reserve a slot. You can also check out Taksu Spa for their list of classes.

Relax and Pamper Yourself

Ubud is the perfect place to unwind, reset, and relax. With a spa in almost every street and corner, getting pampered isn’t hard to do. They have packages from an hour to even a whole week detox.  Check reviews online and compare prices to find the best deal.

Flower petals, Ubud, Bali


Traveling around Indonesia? Check out a few of our best articles

Share This!

26 thoughts on “Top Things to Do in Ubud Bali, That You Shouldn’t Miss!”

  1. i hope to visit Bali this fall, but with 2 little boys i doubt there will be too much relaxing … but I’m sure they will love the monkeys! and the views are to die for!!!

    Reply
  2. I enjoyed Ubud a lot. I loved the artsy cafes around the area and the market. We also had cooking lessons and silver making lessons. I had so much fun in Ubud 🙂

    Reply
  3. Ubud sounds amazing! I would absolutely love to head to Bali. The Sacred Monkey Forest sounds like a lot of fun–monkeys are always so adorable 🙂

    Reply
  4. I’m so glad you posted this! I’m going to Bali for my 40th birthday in January and I was going to start looking for recommendations. Great photos to go along with all the great info!

    Reply
  5. Yes yes yes! Ive been searching for blog posts about Bali since I am going there in October and this one is awesome! I cant wait to visit Ubud and do yoga and massages everyday!
    Where did you stay in Bali?
    Btw your photos are beautiful! I love the sunset one with rice paddle fields!

    Reply
  6. Oh guys… now I really want to get to Indonesia but I might just end up staying there forever!
    Love the sacred monkey forest though I’d probably keep my bag close to me since those can be proper little thieves! Ha ha
    All of this looks lush and gorgeous, thanks for that round up, Asia does have so much beauty and diversity, it’s hard to believe sometimes!

    Reply
  7. So so beautiful! I’ve never been to Indonesia and to be honest there are dozens more places I would rather go but the more I see beautiful photos like yours and read about Bali, especially Ubud, the more it intrigues me to want to check it out for myself.

    Reply
    • Indonesia is so beautiful! The landscape everywhere is so varied as well! You have rice fields, mountains, and stunning beaches. Thanks for reading @trustedtraveller:disqus glad it inspired you!!

      Reply

Leave a Comment