There are so many things to do in Ubud that when I was backpacking in Bali I instantly felt in love with the place as for me it has a wonderful combination of traditional places, beautiful nature, friendly locals and a thriving expat community so it’s no wonder there are so many digital nomads moving there.
Table of Contents
- These are some of my favourite things to do in Ubud when you’re backpacking in Bali
- Go to Manuaba Waterfall
- Explore the rice fields
- Do the water purification ritual at Tirta Empul
- Visit Goa Temple
- Go for a massage
- Eat, eat, eat!
- Learn how to cook traditional Balinese food
- Explore the live music scene
- See the sunset by the Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Visit temples
- Go to Sanur Beach
- Take a ride to Bedugul
- Go (or not) to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
- Is it wort it to go to Ubud?
From cheap local restaurants to cool bars with live music, I really enjoyed the vibes here and it’s one of those rare places where I could easily see myself living there.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Ubud you will definitely be spoilt for choice, when I first arrived to Ubud I wanted to be out of the busy town centre so I stayed in Umah Nik Kepitu which is some 10min away by scooter and really loved it. It’s a bit out of town but that allows you to go walking by the rice fields right from your room! The family there was also super friendly and I had some lovely conversations with Nyoman who took the time to explain many things about Bali. The gardens in the guesthouse are also beautiful.
After staying there, I moved for a few more days closer to the centre and spent a few nights at Leket House, although it’s quite common in Ubud and elsewhere in Bali, it’s pretty cool to be inside a family temple in your own guesthouse.
In Ubud you don’t really need to join any tours, as long as you’re able to ride a scooter safely, rent one and you will be able to explore the region at your leisure. There are indeed lots of things to do in Ubud but many of them are very touristy and can be crowded.

These are some of my favourite things to do in Ubud when you’re backpacking in Bali
Go to Manuaba Waterfall
The most popular waterfalls in the region around Ubud can be really busy and they have built so many things around them that is almost a waterfall version of a theme park. Which is the case in Tegenungan Blangsinga Waterfall, where the fall itself is cool but they have developed a kind of resort just next to it that makes it feel anything but natural.
Instead, go to Manuaba Waterfall, I got it recommended by my host at Umah Nik Kepitu and really loved it! I saw only 2 other people on my time there. The walk consists of a loop that takes you through two waterfalls, you can only swim in the second waterfall.
It was great to walk behind the waterfall itself and slowly approach the strong water coming down which can even hurt you if you’re not careful! After a nice time admiring the power of nature, you finish the loop by walking by the river itself. It’s not deep at all and you can take your shoes off as it’s easy to walk.

Explore the rice fields
This is likely the most associated image with Ubud, the rice fields. There are some areas where it’s proper touristy, such as in Tegallalang rice fields, I still liked it though. You will find plenty of coffee shops and restaurants with beautiful views of the terraces. You can also walk around the fields as part of a tour but depending on where your accommodation is located, you can walk lots of rice fields at your own leisure and for free, I did so when I was staying at Umah Nik Kepitu.

Do the water purification ritual at Tirta Empul
This was a really beautiful and deep experience for me. Tirta Empul is one of the most important temples in Bali and although most of them have areas that are restricted for only the locals to access, this is a ritual that you can take on your own.
The entrance to Tirta Empul costs 50k IDR, and they give you the traditional sarong to be able to access the temple. To take part in the water purification ritual you need to rent a second sarong for 10k IDR, there are lockers to keep your belongings as well that you can rent for 15k IDR.
There are tour guides around but I got all the explanation on what to do from a local so it’s not really necessary to pay extra unless you want to hear more stories of the temple.
I won’t explain in detail the entire ritual but I can recommend you to go early in the morning to avoid the crowds. This was one of those places where I felt a special energy, it was really magical and hard to explain in words. If you still prefer to go with a tour where they pick you up from your accommodation in Ubud, then here’s a well recommended and well-priced tour to Tirta Empul.

Visit Goa Temple
This is another famous place to visit but as if with Tirta Empul you go early to beat the crowds you will be able to enjoy this unusual temple. There are some short trails to walk around the temple as well and you will find a waterfall and walk down to the river itself which was really peaceful when I went.

Go for a massage
Among all the walking around, do not miss going into one of the many massage parlours that are all over Ubud. Some are really nice and you can get a 1-hour full body massage for about £5 which is one of my favourite things to do when I’m backpacking in most of Asia.
Eat, eat, eat!
Among all the trendy restaurants targeting digital nomads you will still be able to find lots of traditional restaurants. Some of them got some fame by now (such as Sun Sun Warung) but even with that the prices are still affordable. I also liked Sugriwa’s Warung as they were playing traditional music when I went.
Learn how to cook traditional Balinese food
There are lots of places where you can go for a cooking class in Ubud, they vary in prices but for about £20 you can have a class where you cook at least 5 dishes and if you pick a morning class you can also go to the market with them to buy all the ingredients. My class was with Beras Bali Cooking and was excellent. They even pick you up and drop you back at your accommodation.

Explore the live music scene
The bustling centre of Ubud is full of bars and restaurants where live music can be easily found. Although there’s a lot of your regular famous western singing, it’s also possible to find traditional music.
See the sunset by the Campuhan Ridge Walk
This short walk of about 2Km allows you to quickly move from the chaos and traffic of Ubud centre as it’s easily reachable. There’s a very cool point right at the beginning (from the south) where you can see two rivers merging into each other so keep an eye for that when you’re crossing the bridge that goes to the Pura Gunung Leah temple.
The walk is fairly easy and you will find a few places to grab a drink with views of the surrounding terraces.
Visit temples
Possibly the most ubiquitous sight all over Bali are its temples. There are over 10,000 of them! And each house has a temple themselves, that’s why it’s common to find guesthouses, restaurants and massage parlours within a temple.
Just wandering around Ubud you will find some more spectacular than others such as Pure Taman Kemuda Sarawasti right in the middle of Ubud. Beware that most temples have restricted areas only for the locals so be respectful of Balinese culture and keep an eye for those signs.

Go to Sanur Beach
Yes, technically this is a bit out of Ubud but you can’t go to Bali and not go to the beach and this one is a really quiet one some 30min away by scooter. It was certainly not my favourite beach as I prefer the ones in Uluwatu, but Sanur beach is simply closer to Ubud so it helps if you want to improvise a beach day, you can even go dinghy sailing there!
Take a ride to Bedugul
I rode the scooter for about 60min from Ubud to Bedugul as I wanted to do some hiking. Bedugul sits next to Beratan lake which is the second largest on the island and its elevation can make it feel “cold” as my guesthouse host in Ubud said it would be, it was cold compared to Ubud but don’t expect to need a coat. The coldish weather makes this part of Bali famous for its strawberries so make sure to try some.
The hike I improvised in Gunung Tatur (a surrounding mountain opposite to Bedugur across the lake) was good fund, feeling very wild and with no people around at all. If you hike in Bedugul though, make sure to know what to do when leeches attack!
Bedugul is also home to the botanical gardens and one of the most picturesque temples in Bali: Ulun Dani Beratan which is a place included in most of the tours that go from Ubud towards the north of the island and Mt Batur.

Go (or not) to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
This was not my favourite place in Ubud but it’s certainly one of the most famous ones. There are areas that are pretty cool but others feel like a theme park. It does the job of filling the hottest hours of the day as it’s quite fresh under all the forest.
Is it wort it to go to Ubud?
A big fat YES from me. I really loved the eclectic nature of the place which offers so many things to do. I’m not surprised so many expats have chosen Ubud as their new hometown as it offers a great combination of traditional things to do and local people combined with a bustling expat community that is constantly organising something new. This place has defintely gone to one of my top destinations in Asia.
If you have questions about other things to do in Ubud or have suggestions of places you visited drop a message below, check out my tips to travel in Bali as well!
Happy adventures!
