Museums · Ubud · Indonesia
4 best museums in Ubud
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Karter873, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Neka Art Museum, ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) and Museum Puri Lukisan. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 5–6 hours across 4 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 5–6 hours
- Areas
- Sanggingan, Pengosekan and Central Ubud
Museums in Ubud
Museum · Sanggingan
1.Neka Art Museum
Founded by the collector Suteja Neka, the museum's pavilions cover the development of Balinese painting from classical Kamasan wayang works to the Ubud and Batuan styles, plus foreign artists who lived on the island such as Arie Smit and Rudolf Bonnet.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Pengosekan
2.ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art)
A museum and cultural centre set in gardens and rice fields off Jalan Raya Pengosekan, with works by Walter Spies and Raden Saleh alongside Balinese painters.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
- Kids
Museum · Central Ubud
3.Museum Puri Lukisan
Opened in 1956 on Jalan Raya Ubud with the support of the Ubud royal family and Rudolf Bonnet, this is one of the oldest art museums in Bali.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Campuhan
4.Blanco Renaissance Museum
The flamboyant former home and studio of the Philippine-born painter Antonio Blanco, who settled in Ubud in the 1950s, stands on a hill above the Campuhan bridge.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Views
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Sanggingan | Neka Art Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
| Pengosekan | ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) | 1.5 hours |
| Central Ubud | Museum Puri Lukisan | 1 hour |
| Campuhan | Blanco Renaissance Museum | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 4 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Neka Art Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Sanggingan, Pengosekan and Central Ubud): Neka Art Museum → ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) → Museum Puri Lukisan, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Campuhan): Blanco Renaissance Museum, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- November: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. The rainy season starts, usually as afternoon downpours with sunny mornings; rooms are good value.
- March: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 16 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rain begins to ease late in the month.
- February: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 18 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still wet and humid, but one of the quietest months, with lower villa prices and waterfalls in full flow.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Central Ubud — Palace, market and the crossroads of Jalan Raya Ubud and Monkey Forest Road
- Penestanan — Hilltop village of painters, rice fields and villas reached by a long stairway
- Campuhan and Sanggingan — River confluence, the ridge walk and fine-dining restaurants on the road west
More of Ubud
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Ubud?
Neka Art Museum. Founded by the collector Suteja Neka, the museum's pavilions cover the development of Balinese painting from classical Kamasan wayang works to the Ubud and Batuan styles, plus foreign artists who lived on the island such as Arie Smit and Rudolf Bonnet.