Is Ubud Worth Visiting and How Long Do You Need? (2026)
Ubud was my first stop when I arrived in Bali by myself and it ended up shaping the rest of my Bali trip. In these first few days, I had breakfast overlooking rice fields, eased into yoga and wellness, and cycled through the palm trees. I ended up returning to Ubud again and again. Here’s why Ubud is worth visiting and how many days you need to spend in Ubud to make the most of your time.
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Quick overview of Ubud
- Ubud is worth visiting for its yoga, food and picturesque nature
- Allow at least a week to enjoy it properly
- The Yoga Barn is a big draw for yoga fans (like me)
- Take time for day trips to the Tegallalang rice terraces, Sacred Monkey Forest and coffee plantations
- The Mount Batur sunrise trek is well worth it if you’re OK with a hike
Is Ubud worth visiting?
I would say absolutely yes. I was first inspired by Eat Pray Love (don’t judge me!), but Ubud is somewhere you make your own.
Set inland among rice fields, jungle and small villages, it’s a place built around wellness, creativity and food. The yoga studios here, like Yoga Barn, are world-class. The restaurants serve tasty vegetarian food and the surrounding landscape encourages you to slow down and relax.
Being close to the centre of the island means you have easy access to terraced rice fields, temples, misty volcanoes and hidden waterfalls without long journeys. It’s why I often used it as my base.
How many days do you need to spend in Ubud?
I would suggest allowing at least a week in Ubud. It’s the cultural heart of Bali, so take your time to get to know the island’s temples, traditional dance performances and local ceremonies that make up daily life here.
While there’s plenty to do in Ubud and excellent day trips beyond, don’t feel guilty if you end up doing almost nothing. I spent days doing little except reading in a hammock, getting massages and journalling.
Where to stay in Ubud
The first thing you will need to do when you arrive in Ubud is check into your accommodation. There are many traditional family homestays in Ubud. They are often ornately designed, well-priced and give you a chance to get to know some of the locals.
Try Tude’s Family Homestay, which is set in peaceful tropical gardens, while Bale Bali House offers cooking classes and Maple House overlooks rice fields. Hostels in Ubud include Savanna Ubud, which has a swimming pool, and the women-only Arya Wellness.
Browse the map below to find the best deals on accommodation in Ubud for your dates:
The best places to eat in Ubud
When you first arrive, I recommend simply going for a wander. Get your bearings and discover some of the many fantastic places to eat in Ubud.
Most accommodation in Ubud comes with breakfast included. Served to you on your terrace, it’s often a tasty banana pancake or eggs on toast and tropical fruit salad.
Bali is obsessed with coffee and even produces its own speciality, called luwak coffee. One of the places that is loved by the yoga community is KAFE Ubud, in the centre of town. It is a cool place, serving vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free food and super-smoothies.
The nearby Atman Kafe is also excellent, as is Clear Cafe. If you’re going to the Radiantly Alive yoga studio, be sure to stop at the neighbouring Bali Buda Cafe. The Yoga Barn has an on-site restaurant serving great vegetarian food including colourful stir-fries – see my photo below.
In the evenings, there are also many excellent places in Ubud to eat dinner. My personal favourite restaurants in Ubud include Mamma Mia, a fantastic pizza place, and the marvellous Mexican Taco Casa.
Where to go for yoga in Ubud
In Ubud is a world-class yoga studio called Yoga Barn. Here, you can take a wide range of popular classes and meet like-minded people.
As well as movie screenings, meditation, kirtan they hold divine Thai yoga massage workshops. Their weekly ecstatic dance sessions have a reputation as one of the most fun things to do in Ubud.
Another excellent yoga centre in Ubud is Radiantly Alive, which is quieter and offers aerial yoga classes.
For more information about Yoga Barn, check out my honest review here.
More things to do in Ubud
Venture into the sacred monkey forest
One of most famous places to visit in Ubud is its sacred monkey forest sanctuary. It’s an essential stop on any Ubud itinerary. This Hindu temple complex located in the jungle is home to hundreds of macaque monkeys.
These little monkeys are cute but fearless. They will want to steal anything that looks shiny or tasty, so keep your belongings close.
The Ubud monkey forest opening hours are 8.30am until 5.30pm daily. The entrance fee is priced at around Rp80,000 (US$5.50).
Relax in one of Ubud’s sensational spas
In the afternoon, why not visit one of the sensational spas in Ubud. Bali has developed its own style of massage which is incredibly relaxing. The good news is, spa treatments in Bali are affordable, even if you are on a backpacker’s budget.
My favourite Ubud spa is the Ubud Wellness Spa. Here, you can enjoy one of the best massages in Ubud and beauty treatments at an attractive price.
For a luxurious Ubud spa centre, a little out of town, head to the Maya Ubud Resort & Spa.
Watch a traditional dance performance
In terms of things to do in Ubud at night, it is a pretty chilled place after dark. Some of the best bars in Ubud include No Más Bar, Night Rooster Bar and Laughing Buddha Bar.
One of the top things to do here in the evening is to watch a traditional Kecak Fire & Trance Dance. This is a compelling retelling of the Ramayana epic tales through dance and percussion. It’s full of fire, demons and magic. Performances take place at venues all over Ubud. One of the best places to watch it is at the Royal Palace.
Day trips from Ubud
See the famous rice terraces
You can rent a bike to explore the gorgeous green rice fields surrounding Ubud. I went on a cycling tour with a group which was great fun and allowed me to meet people.
Visit a coffee plantation
Around Ubud there are many coffee plantations where you can learn how the unique luwak coffee is produced. One of the best places is Ubud Me Sari Luwak Coffee Agrotourism. Here, you can taste several types of locally produced tea and coffee, flavoured with ginseng, coconut and ginger. My cycling tour included a stop at one of these plantations for a tasting of its produce.
You can also take a local cooking class in Ubud to discover how Balinese delicacies are made.
See the sunrise from the top of Mount Batur
One of the most memorable day trips from Ubud is a sunrise guided hike to climb Bali’s second highest volcano.
Located in the village of Kintamani, Mount Batur reaches over 1700 metres (5,600 feet) above sea level, offering breathtaking views of Lake Batur and surrounding mountains. This accessible hike suits even novice trekkers without special equipment.
My tour started very early with a 2am pickup from Ubud for the one-hour drive to Mount Batur. A local guide is required to access the volcano, costing around Rp350,000 (US$24) per person – some negotiation helps! It’s a two-hour climb where you navigate rocky trails in darkness, so bring a torch, warm layers and good trainers.
It’s well worth the early start and the effort. At the summit, I saw magnificent views across waters and mountaintops emerging through misty clouds as the sunrose. They gave us breakfast to enjoy up here. You can also see Mount Batur’s unusual double caldera – one volcanic crater inside another – and Bali’s largest crater-lake.
The good thing is, the tour returns you to your accommodation while it’s still the morning, so you can enjoy the rest of the day or go back to bed if you prefer!
How to get to Ubud from Bali’s international airport
From Ngurah Rai international airport in Denpasar to Ubud, the distance is around 15 miles (25 km). However traffic on the island means it can take an hour or two to reach Ubud by taxi.
The good news is, there are beautiful things to see in Bali out of the taxi window on your way. You’ll likely see intricately decorated temples, artisan craft stores and colourful religious offerings.
When is the best time to visit Ubud?
The dry season from May to September delivers the best weather with minimal rain and perfect conditions for temple visits and rice terrace walks. However, Ubud remains beautiful year-round. The wet season from October to April brings lush green landscapes and fewer crowds – just pack an umbrella for afternoon showers. I visited from mid-April to June and the weather was perfect.
Final thoughts
I absolutely loved Ubud from the moment I arrived. My shoulders dropped and I breathed deeper, despite the fact I was alone. I would always recommend it, especially if you love yoga.
It’s not a party place – it’s quiet, peaceful and the ideal place to relax and unwind. The food is excellent, with plenty of healthy and vegetarian options. It’s a meeting place for many independent travellers, so you may well get chatting with other people in your new favourite cafe.
Walk around Ubud and you’ll find offerings left outside family temples, the scent of frangipani flowers and the gentle tinkling of gamelan music. This place is like nowhere else and I’d go back in a heartbeat.
