2 days in Ubud

Day by day

1. Day 1: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and Tegallalang Rice Terraces

   Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung) and Tirta Empul, then Kecak and Legong performances in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

      The forest is run by Padangtegal village as a conservation and spiritual site, and the paths take about an hour at a gentle pace.

   2. Late morning

      Tegallalang Rice Terraces

      Paths drop to the valley floor and climb the far side, and cafés line the rim along the main road. Farmers ask for small donations at points along the trail, and swings and photo platforms have been added around the edges.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Babi guling

      Long-established warungs around Jalan Suweta and Jalan Tegal Sari in central Ubud; go at lunchtime.

   4. Afternoon

      Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)

      After dark the courtyard becomes a stage for Legong and Barong performances with live gamelan, one of the most atmospheric settings for dance on the island.

   5. Late afternoon

      Tirta Empul

      Visitors may join the ritual in a sarong, following the order of the spouts as directed by staff. The presidential palace built under Sukarno overlooks the temple.

   6. Evening

      Kecak and Legong performances

      Kecak shows often end with a trance dancer kicking through burning coconut husks; sit to the side rather than in the front row.

2. Day 2: Pura Taman Saraswati and Subak Sok Wayah rice-field walk

   Pura Taman Saraswati, Subak Sok Wayah rice-field walk, Museum Puri Lukisan and Ubud Art Market, then Sunrise on the Campuhan Ridge in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Pura Taman Saraswati

      It was built in the 1950s under the direction of the Ubud royal family and is used as a venue for evening dance performances.

   2. Late morning

      Subak Sok Wayah rice-field walk

      It passes irrigation channels, farmers' shrines and a handful of organic cafés, and shows how close the paddies still are to the town centre.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Crispy duck

      Rice-field restaurants along Jalan Hanoman and the main road towards Pengosekan.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum Puri Lukisan

      It focuses on modern traditional Balinese painting and woodcarving from the 1930s onwards, displayed in pavilions around a lotus garden.

   5. Late afternoon

      Ubud Art Market

      Early in the morning the lower levels are a working market with produce and flowers for offerings, before the souvenir stalls take over.

   6. Evening

      Sunrise on the Campuhan Ridge

      Walk the ridge as mist lifts from the valleys either side, then share breakfast at a café in Bangkiang Sidem.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Neka Art Museum (Sanggingan): Start in the Balinese Painting Hall to understand the styles, then you will recognise them in the galleries in town.
• Swap in ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) (Pengosekan): Check the noticeboard at the entrance for workshops; a hands-on offering-making class suits children too.
• Swap in Blanco Renaissance Museum (Campuhan): Pair it with the Campuhan Ridge Walk, which starts a few hundred metres away.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.6 hours in June to 12.6 hours in January.

Getting between stops: Walking. The palace, market, Monkey Forest, Jalan Hanoman and the Campuhan Ridge are all within about 20–30 minutes on foot of each other, and rice-field paths lead out of town in several directions.

More or fewer days

• One day in Ubud
• 3 days in Ubud
• 5 days in Ubud

Questions travellers ask