Top picks from this guide
#1
Campuhan Ridge Walk
A paved ridge path through palm hills, ten minutes on foot from the Ubud Palace. Walk it before 08:00 — the ridge has no shade, and the grass glows in early light. Forty-five minutes out and back is enough, then coffee in town before the forest opens.
#2
Sacred Monkey Forest
A temple forest where hundreds of long-tailed macaques roam free among moss-covered shrines. Arrive at the 09:00 opening for quiet paths and calmer monkeys. Keep sunglasses, bottles and snacks zipped away — the residents are professional pickpockets and the staff will not negotiate on your behalf.
#3
Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The most photographed terraces on Bali, 20-30 minutes north of town depending on traffic. Walk down into the bowl instead of shooting from the cafe rim — the lower paths lose most of the crowd. Expect a small entrance fee plus donation points along the trail.
#4
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
A waterfall inside a curved canyon where sunbeams cut through the opening around midday — which is exactly when this itinerary lands you there. The walk in takes 15-20 minutes with stairs and a shallow stream crossing, so wear sandals you can get wet.
#5
Kintamani volcano viewpoint
The crater-rim road at Kintamani looks straight at Mount Batur and its lake, and the row of warungs along the rim serves lunch with that view. Go before mid-afternoon — clouds usually swallow the volcano after 14:00-15:00. The air up here is noticeably cooler, so bring a layer.
#6
Tirta Empul Holy Spring
Bali's most important water temple, where locals and visitors queue at the spring-fed spouts for the melukat purification. You can watch from the side or join in — sarongs are provided at the entrance. Late afternoon is quieter than the midday tour-bus window.
#7
Dinner in central Ubud
Finish where you started: the streets around the palace and market fill with warungs and restaurants at dusk. A plate of nasi campur or a slow dinner is the right full stop after ten hours on the road, and most palace dance performances start in the early evening.
Doing Ubud yourself vs booking a tour
You can cover this route three ways: rent a scooter, hire a private driver, or book it as a guided day. The scooter is cheapest, but Ubud traffic is dense, parking at Tegalalang and the Monkey Forest is chaotic, and the Kintamani leg adds a winding mountain road at the end of a tired day. A private car with driver — from $59 per car — removes all of that and lets you set your own order; our guide to private driver costs in Bali explains how the daily rate works.
The simplest version is the guided loop. Our Ubud highlights tour runs the core of this itinerary — Monkey Forest, the Tegalalang rice terraces, temple stops and the Kintamani volcano viewpoint — as a private 10-hour day from $69, with an 08:00 hotel pickup from covered Bali areas. Because the car is private, you can ask when booking to trade a stop — Tukad Cepung instead of a temple, for example. Booking is direct on WhatsApp with no prepayment.
How much time each stop actually needs
Budget 10-11 hours for the full seven-stop loop, including drives. The single biggest mistake people make in Ubud is underestimating the road: distances look short on the map, but central Bali traffic keeps average speeds low, and every famous stop has a parking queue at peak hours. Here is the honest time budget, stop by stop:
- Campuhan Ridge Walk — 45-60 minutes out and back, before 08:00
- Monkey Forest — 60-90 minutes from the 09:00 opening
- Tegalalang — 45-60 minutes, plus a 20-30 minute drive from town depending on traffic
- Tukad Cepung — 60-75 minutes, including the 15-20 minute canyon walk each way; 30-45 minutes' drive from Tegalalang
- Kintamani — 45-60 minutes for lunch on the crater rim; 30-40 minutes' drive up from the waterfall turnoff
- Tirta Empul — 45-75 minutes, longer if you join the purification ritual; 30-40 minutes' drive down from Kintamani
- Drive back to central Ubud — 40-60 minutes depending on traffic
If that looks tight, it is — the day works because every stop ends just short of the point of diminishing returns. Cut Campuhan Ridge or the waterfall if you want slack in the schedule. Cut Kintamani only if clouds have already rolled in, because the viewpoint is the one stop that dies completely in bad weather while the forests and temples work in any light.
The Instagram version of this day
If photos are the point of the day, there is a different route built for exactly that. The Ubud Instagram tour — from $65 per car, 10 hours, 07:00 hotel pickup** — is honest about what it is: a photo run through the east Bali icons that finishes at the Tegalalang rice terraces. It is not an Ubud sightseeing day. You trade the Monkey Forest and Tirta Empul for the east-coast icon shots, and you reach Tegalalang late in the day, when the light softens and the day-trip crowd has thinned.
Pick the Instagram route if your camera roll matters more than the checklist, and the classic highlights day if you want Ubud itself. For a rundown of where the famous frames actually are — and which ones involve a queue — see our guide to the best Instagram places in Bali.
Fees, dress code and what to bring
Every stop on this route charges a small entrance fee, paid in cash in rupiah, so carry more small notes than you think you need. At Tirta Empul, sarongs are provided at the entrance and shoulders must be covered inside the temple grounds. At the Monkey Forest, anything loose — sunglasses, water bottles, snacks — goes inside a zipped bag before you walk in. Kintamani sits high enough that a light layer makes lunch more comfortable, and Tukad Cepung means wet feet, so sandals beat sneakers. The full checklist, including reef-safe sunscreen and temple dress, is in our Bali packing guide.
One more idea worth stealing: stay the night in Ubud instead of driving back south. You wake up an hour closer to the island's classic pre-dawn trip — see Mount Batur sunrise from Ubud for how that morning works and what the jeep and hike versions cost.
FAQ
Is one day enough for Ubud?
Yes — for the headline sights. A well-sequenced day covers the Monkey Forest, Tegalalang, a waterfall, Kintamani and Tirta Empul with a proper lunch. What one day cannot deliver is slow Ubud: yoga, cafes, galleries, long walks. If that version is what you came for, book two nights in town instead.
What should I do in Ubud if I only have one day?
Walk Campuhan Ridge before 08:00, enter the Monkey Forest at the 09:00 opening, reach Tegalalang by late morning, catch the midday light beams at Tukad Cepung, eat lunch on the Kintamani crater rim, then stop at Tirta Empul on the drive back. That order beats both the crowds and the afternoon clouds.
How much does a one-day Ubud tour cost?
Direct 2026 prices: the private Ubud highlights day — Monkey Forest, rice terraces, temples and Kintamani — from $65 per car for 10 hours with an 08:00 hotel pickup. The photo-focused Ubud Instagram tour runs from $65 per car, and a private car with driver from $59 per car if you want to build your own route.
Can you do Ubud without a tour or a driver?
Yes, with caveats. A scooter handles central Ubud and Tegalalang fine, but the Kintamani leg adds a winding mountain climb, and parking at the busy stops is a real time cost. Ride-hailing works for single point-to-point trips but is unreliable for a seven-stop loop — a waiting car between stops is exactly what drivers are for.
What time should you visit the Monkey Forest in Ubud?
At the 09:00 opening. The first hour has the quietest paths and the calmest monkeys — by late morning tour groups arrive and the macaques get bolder around food. Keep sunglasses, bottles and anything dangling in a zipped bag, do not touch the animals, and the visit is straightforward.
Can tourists bathe at Tirta Empul?
Yes. Visitors may join the melukat purification at the spring-fed spouts if they do so respectfully: sarongs are provided at the entrance, a separate bathing sarong is used in the pools, and menstruating women are asked not to enter. If you would rather not bathe, watching from the courtyard is completely acceptable.
How far is Ubud from Seminyak or Canggu?
Plan 1-1.5 hours from Seminyak and 1.5-2 hours from Canggu, depending on traffic — mornings before 08:00 move fastest. That is why tours collect guests at 08:00 or earlier: leaving south Bali late can cost you the entire quiet window at the Monkey Forest and Tegalalang.
Is the Kintamani viewpoint worth the drive from Ubud?
Yes, on a clear morning or early afternoon — the crater rim looks straight at Mount Batur and its lake, and lunch up there is the best-value view on the whole route. After 14:00-15:00 clouds usually cover the volcano, so if you arrive to grey skies, save the stop for another day.
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