18 BEST THINGS TO DO IN UBUD, BALI - Ultimate Travel Guide (2025)

If you're watching this video, this probably means that you're planning a trip to Bali soon and in this video, I will share the 18 best things to do in Ubud with you. There is so much to see on this beautiful island, from temples, waterfalls, rice terraces, some of the most beautiful cafes ever. I've explored Bali over the last three years and I cannot wait to finally share all of my best tips with you. This video is all about Ubud and Ubud is located in the center of Bali, about one and a half hour drive away from the airport and about a one hour drive away from Canggu. So first of all, the best way to get around Ubud is definitely by renting a scooter. The price for that should range between 90 to 150k per day, depending on the scooter you drive. So if they give you a Scoopy or a Vario, one of the smaller bikes, it should be around 90,000, which is like four or five euros. And if you're renting a bigger bike, such as an Enmax, that's the one I drive, it should be around 150k. If you want to rent it for longer, like a few more days, then you can negotiate a better price. You can usually just ask in your hotel or hostel if they know someone who rents a scooter to you. Otherwise, you can just find heaps of signs on Ubud street, but I can also put one of the contacts in the description box below. So feel free to check that out. Just one more thing. Please, please, please make sure you have a valid international driver's license and to always wear your helmet, because I've seen a lot of bad accidents here in Bali. And especially if you don't have a driver's license and also if you don't have a good health insurance, you won't be covered in case of an accident and you really, really don't want that. So definitely make sure to get a travel medical insurance that will cover you for that. I will link the one that I have in the description box below as well. But now let's finally start with my first recommendation for Ubud and this is the beautiful Manchingen rice terraces. You might not have heard about that place before, but it's such a beautiful spot, only 10 minutes north of Ubud and in my opinion, definitely a must visit. It is super peaceful and nice in the early mornings to go for a walk along the path or in the afternoons. Much more quiet than other spots around Ubud and really, really beautiful. And also there was no entrance fee or parking fee when we went there. So yeah, really, really good spot. Number two will be Tibumana Waterfall, which is only a 30 minute drive away from Ubud center, which makes it the perfect destination if you're staying around Ubud and if you're renting a bike. Otherwise, you can also always get a Gojek, which is like the local taxis they have here to get there. The entrance fee to Tibumana Waterfall is only 10,000 rupiah, which is less than a euro and you can also go for a swim here. So definitely pack a towel and your swimwear. Number three will be Ubud Art Market, which is located right in the center of Ubud. Ubud Art Market is the perfect place to buy some souvenirs from your trip to Bali and to do some shopping. Don't forget to bargain to get a better deal, but do not overdo it. Remember that they are only trying to feed the families at home with what they earn over the day. Number four will be Kretia Ubud and you've probably heard about this place because it got very viral on Instagram like two years ago. But yes, I've just visited recently and it's a very, very beautiful place. The only thing I would say is visit in the early morning, so it's not too busy. I think they're open at 9am and the entrance fee is 50,000 rupiah, which is around 3 euros, so not too bad. And if you go all the way down to the lowest level of the pool, you can put your stuff there for free. There's no minimum spend, which is really nice, but these spots fill up fast, so make sure to be there early. Otherwise, you can always spend a sunbed or daybed and just spend a few hours there, which is really relaxing. But yes, it gets very busy over the day. Number five is one of my absolute favorite temples in Bali and I just discovered it recently and I was shocked, honestly, because it's so beautiful. This one is called Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple. It is an underground temple carved into the side of a cliff from the 11th century, so it's super impressive to walk around it. You can also buy some fish food there and feed the huge koi fish in the ponds, which is really fun. And the entrance fee is only 50,000 rupiah. So yeah, make sure to add this one to your list. Number six is one of my absolute favorite spas in Bali and the first one that I ever had a flower bath in. It's called Kasa Spa and it's perfect if you're looking to relax and for a good massage, so I guess this is for most people. Kasa Spa is located in the northern part of Ubud and an absolutely beautiful spa to treat yourself to a massage in one of the famous flower baths here in Bali. The prices here are really good for what you get and the location is really beautiful. Other spas in Ubud that I can recommend to you are Taksu Spa and Bali Putri Spa, but you will find an overview about all of the best spas in Bali and in Ubud in my Bali e-book. I will link my Bali e-book as well in the description box below for you. Number seven is one of the absolute best cafes and restaurants I have tried here in Ubud, so it really deserved a spot in this YouTube video and it's called Röstös. Röstös is a really beautiful cafe and big restaurant in Ubud with a view on rice terraces. I absolutely love their menu and the quality of food you get there is out of this world. I especially love the breakfast options here as well as the coffee, which they are very well known for, so definitely make sure to check this one out. Number eight is another waterfall and I'm talking about Sumampan Waterfall. Sumampan Waterfall is really pretty and the hike down is not too bad, so it is a great spot to visit and to relax. When the current isn't too strong, you can even use the rope to get on the other side of the waterfall, which is really stunning. The entrance fee to Sumampan Waterfall is 30,000 rupiah, so really affordable. I'm pretty sure you've all heard about the next spot because, yes, I am talking about Monkey Forest. Monkey Forest is a really cool place and actually really nice for a walk with beautiful temples inside and very, very nice stone carvings. Overall, there are more than 1,000 monkeys, which are split in six different groups. The monkey there are used to tourists being around and generally not aggressive, but there are a few rules to keep in mind, such as not feeding them and not making direct eye contact. Entrance fee to Monkey Forest is 80,000 rupiah during the weekdays and 100,000 on the weekends, which is around 5 to 7 euros per person. Number 10 is also definitely a must visit when you come to Ubud and it's the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. Also, not a hidden gem, but yes, definitely worth a visit in my opinion, especially if you're going in the mornings when there's less people around and the light is very soft And also, it's not too hot, so you can actually trek in the rice terraces without getting a sunburn and overheating. The entrance fee to the rice terraces is around 20,000 rupiah, which is just a little over a euro. And no, you don't need a guide to trek through the rice terraces, you can just go by yourself and explore. I would recommend the early morning hours or in the afternoon because then, as I said before, it is not too hot and it's very beautiful. And also, please don't get confused because there are several entrances to the rice terraces, but they all lead to the same spots eventually. And just another thing, please skip the Luwak coffee. I would honestly not recommend to support that, so I would just skip this and try the tea instead. Number 11 is one of my favorite cafes here in Ubud and it's such a hidden gem. And sometimes I even just drive there one hour from Canggu because I just want to have my coffee with a view on the jungle. This one is called Kiliki Coffee. Kiliki Coffee is a very small place by the side of the road and they only have a menu for drinks, but I absolutely love the view and the jungle and the coffee. It's just like a very comforty atmosphere, very cozy, very nice, so I just like to sit there with my coffee, my journal or a book, just enjoy the view, enjoy my coffee and just be for myself, but obviously with friends. It's just equally as nice. Number 12 on the list is Tirta Ampul Temple, which is actually just a 5-minute drive away from where I'm staying right now. Oh, I will also show this area to you a little bit to you soon because this hotel where I'm staying at right now is very nice. Tirta Ampul Temple is a Hindu Balinese water temple and located a 30-minute drive away from the center of Ubud. The entrance fee is 50,000 rupiah. It is known for its water purification ceremony that you can do there and yes, of course you can get a guide who walks you through all the steps and explains everything in detail. Two years ago, I even filmed an entire YouTube video on the purification ceremony itself, so feel free to check it out. It should be over here. Number 13 on the list is having a dinner at Taman Deh Dari. I have heard about this place many, many times because of its impressive statues and beautiful setup. It has such a lovely atmosphere and the food as well was really amazing. They have really great and authentic Balinese food, but also offer Western food options such as pasta, sandwiches, and salads, so definitely a must visit. Number 14 is Saraya Pot Terracotta, which is a little Indonesian-owned shop that sells the most beautiful handmade terracotta pots I've ever seen. It's a perfect place to get a unique Balinese souvenir but also take a picture. I mean, how beautiful is this? Number 15 is for all the coconut and ice cream lovers because this one sells homemade coconut ice cream and it's literally the best I've ever tasted. The place is called Takis Coconut Ice Cream and they make their coconut ice cream fresh in their shop and you can taste it. It's literally so good. The ice cream that they are selling there is literally the best coconut ice cream I've ever had in my entire life, so it had to be in this YouTube video. One scoop of coconut ice cream is around 30,000 Indonesian rupees, so just a little less than 2 euros, which for Bali is a little bit more expensive, but it's gonna be worth it. Next up at number 16 is going for an RTV ride around Ubud. I did that two times already and it is a really fun activity, especially if you're coming with a bigger group of people. There are several tour operators and some are better than others. On the tour I went on, we went through a cave, a river and in the end raced with some mud, which was so, so, so much fun. I linked the exact tour we did in the description box below and I can highly recommend this one to you. Next up is Ubud Cinnamon, which is a bakery located in the center of Ubud. They have some of the best cinnamon rolls in Bali, ranging from original ones all the way to salted caramel cinnamon rolls and coconut cinnamon rolls. They also have regular breakfast options and a really creative coffee menu, so I can highly recommend to check this one out for breakfast. And last but not least, I'm sharing my absolute favorite waterfall in Bali with you, Nongnong Waterfall. Nongnong Waterfall is located a one hour drive away from the center of Ubud, so a little bit outside, but it is one of the most impressive waterfalls I have ever seen in my entire life. The hike down to the waterfall takes about 15 minutes and it's really pretty. The hike back up is quite demanding, I have to admit, but you can just take a few stops along the way and it's gonna be totally worth it, I can promise you that. The entrance fee to Nongnong Waterfall is just 20,000 IDR, so just a little over a euro, and if you're coming there with your bike, the parking fee for your bike is 2,000 IDR. These were 18 things to do in Ubud, but obviously there's so much more to do around Ubud, such as whitewater rafting, which I just did again last week, and it honestly was so much fun. I will leave the link to the tour we did in the description box below, because there's a couple of spots around Bali where they offer whitewater rafting, but there's only one spot which is actually fun and has some action, so yeah, I will leave the link in the description box below. If you're looking for more great things to do around Ubud and Bali in general, such as the best hotels, the best cafes, the best activities, the best itineraries as well, because that's a question I get a lot, like how to spend 10 days, 14 days, 3 weeks or even 4 weeks in Bali, I have all of this information included in my Bali e-book, I will link it for you in the description box below. I think that's it, thank you guys so much for watching, and if you have been to Bali already and any recommendations for what to do around Ubud, then leave them in the comments as well, so other people can see it, and if you would also like a guide like this video on other areas of Bali, such as Canggu, Uluwatu, East Bali, North Bali, then also let me know in the comments which one I should work on next, and it will be coming soon. Okay, my camera shut down, so I have to film the last sentence with my phone, but anyways guys, again, thank you so much for watching, if you liked this video and if this was helpful for you, then don't forget to leave me a thumbs up, because this supports my channel a lot, and then I will see you guys in my next video next Sunday. Bye!