Here are 5 beautiful and easy Ubud walks to try during your visit to Bali, Indonesia!

Ubud is a gorgeous area of Bali, Indonesia that is known for its lush greenery, waterfalls, temples, and rice terraces. 

Those looking to explore this charming part of Bali should consider a few of these lovely Ubud walks!

You can get out amongst the countryside and stretch your legs while admiring beautiful views of Ubud. Some of these trails are within walking distance of the Ubud town center and others are accessible via taxi or motorbike. 

All of these walks are easy and short. So you can complete multiple walks in a day or just enjoy a relaxing stroll before kicking back in a cafe. 

I found all of these walks to be super beautiful and not really that touristy! Even though most of these walks are well-known and popular, none of them were that crowded. 

If you want to escape the busy town center of Ubud and admire some peaceful tropical scenery, try some of these Ubud walks!

How to get to the best Ubud walks

You can easily reach these Ubud walks either by walking, motorbike, taxi, or guided tour. It just depends on where you’re staying in Ubud and which walk you’re doing. 

If you’re hoping to save money in Bali, check out my ultimate list of 50 Budget Travel Tips!

Walking Distance from Ubud Town Center

Some walks, such as the Campuhan Ridge Walk, are located right near the city center so you can easily walk to the trailheads. 

I recommend downloading an offline map on Google Maps or Maps.Me so you can find your way. Or you can purchase data for your trip, which is pretty cheap as well. I bought an eSIM before arriving in Bali and it was so easy and helpful!

It’s very safe to walk around Ubud in Bali. Locals always smile and say hello, and directions are straightforward. People will ask you if you need a taxi constantly, but there is no intense haggling or pushiness which is nice.

Renting a Motorbike

Other Ubud walks, like the rice terraces and waterfalls, are a 15-20 minute drive outside downtown Ubud. 

We rented a motorbike for the day and drove to the further walks ourselves. This is the cheapest way to get around, as a motorbike rental is only 100,000 IDR (10 AUD / 7 USD) for the whole day and a 1.5L bottle of petrol is 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD). 

Matt drove and I gave him directions from the back of the motorbike. Most bikes have a phone stand as well for directions if you’re driving alone. As long as you’re confident yet careful, you should be able to get around Ubud with ease on a bike. 

The busy town center has some hectic, chaotic traffic. But driving to the rice terraces and waterfalls takes you through quiet countryside where the roads are peaceful. 

Hiring a Taxi or Private Driver

The other option is hiring a driver. You can get a taxi, a motorbike taxi, or hire a private driver for the day.

Most people I’ve spoken to prefer hiring a driver for the day, which should cost around 500,000 IDR (50 AUD / 30 USD). 

This is a good option if you want to combine lots of attractions in one day and have a local drive you to each spot. It’s still pretty affordable as well if you’re a couple or a group of travelers who can split the cost.

You can also just get a standard taxi. There are guys all over Ubud selling taxi rides. You just have to agree on a price beforehand and apparently there isn’t much rhyme or reason to the taxis and their prices.

Lots of travelers prefer using the APP called Gojek, where you can book your motorbike taxi online for a set price. Bookaway is also handy for booking transport around Indonesia online.

Guided Tour

Lastly, you can book guided tours to most destinations around Ubud and Bali. Tours are popular for visiting waterfalls and rice terraces.

A tour is a slightly pricer option, and I didn’t feel like any of these Ubud walks required a tour as they are all straightforward. 

The only walk that would require a guide is the Mount Batur sunrise hike. I personally didn’t do this hike, but it’s one of the most popular hikes in Bali. 

Definitely book a tour for this one as you’ll be hiking in the dark in a very remote area of Bali!

Traveling alone in Bali? Check out my guide to staying safe and confident while traveling solo!

5 Best Ubud Walks, Bali, Indonesia

Here are 5 of the best Ubud walks! For all of these Ubud walks make sure you have a camera and plenty of drinking water. If you’re hiking during the day also bring sun protection. 

I’m sure there are many more amazing walks in Ubud, but these are the ones that stuck out to me in my pre-trip research. 

1. Campuhan Ridge Walk

• Total Distance: 2km one way
• Duration: Around 1 hour
• Cost: Free
• Difficulty: Easy
• Recommended Tour: Ubud Highlights Monkey Forest & Market Walking Tour
• Recommended Footwear: Sneakers are more comfortable but can be done in sandals

Campuhan Ridge Walk is one of the most popular walking trails near the town center of Ubud. 

It’s easily accessible from the main street. The walk to the start of the trail is actually scenic as you get to walk through the “Green Tunnel” of Ubud Main Street. You’ll stroll along the sidewalk next to the busy main road but have a lush canopy of trees and vines surrounding you. 

Then follow signs to the Campuhan Ridge Walk. You’ll pass the majestic Pura Gunung Lebah Hindu Temple and soon find yourself on an easy, peaceful trail through the jungle. 

As you head uphill onto the ridge, you’ll walk through charming villages full of clifftop cafes and vibrant green rice fields. 

This is one of the most popular Ubud walks to do at sunrise or sunset. We walked at midday and it was still beautiful and not too crowded.

2. Tegallalang Rice Terrace Walk

• Total Distance: Around 2-4km depending which routes you follow
• Duration: 1-2 hours
• Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
• Cost: 25,000 IDR per person (2.50 AUD / 1.60 USD) – you pay at the parking area next to the road
• Recommended Tour: Waterfalls, Water Temple, & Rice Terraces Private Tour
• Recommended Footwear: Anything that you don’t mind getting a bit muddy. I was fine in flip flops!

The Tegallalang Rice Terrace is a magical part of Ubud, Bali that is absolutely worth visiting! A stroll through the vibrant green fields adored with towering palm trees and Instagram-worthy swings makes for one of the best Ubud walks. 

Located just a 20 minute drive north of the Ubud town center, the rice terraces are easy to reach and easy to find. 

There is a big sign on the road for the Tegallalang Rice Terrace where you can pull over and park. Pay the entrance fee and then you have access to the winding maze of trails through the iconic rice fields. 

The Tegallalang Rice Terrace is the southernmost of a collection of scenic rice terraces. So you can also walk through the Ceking Rice Terrace, Mupu Rice Terrace, and Abian Desa Rice Terrace. 

It’s honestly a huge jumble of trails that wind through the ripples of rice terraces. We had no idea where we were half the time and we emerged on the road at one of the more northern terraces so we had to walk along the road back to our bike. 

But it is a stunning place to get lost! The trails wind up and down through the hills so some parts are steep and you will definitely be sweating. You’ll see cute kittens, colorful roosters, unique plants, and humble cafes with locals who are dying to serve you a cold drink. 

3. Manuaba Waterfall Loop Walk

• Total Distance: Around 2km total
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: 20,000 IDR per person (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)
• Recommended Tour: No group tours available as this walk is pretty remote and non touristy
• Recommended Footwear: Sandals! It’s a bit muddy and the end of the walk requires walking through a river so sneakers are not ideal.

This is a beautiful little walk through the jungle that includes 2 waterfalls. It’s short and full of greenery, though there are some stairs and the path can be rocky and muddy.

You can put Manuaba Waterfall into Google Maps and park your bike at the dirt parking area. Then follow the road uphill until you see the stand with the super nice locals at their tourist stand! They will take your small entrance fee and direct you to the path. 

It’s about 10 minutes of walking through the dense jungle until you reach Manuaba Waterfall #1. This one is cool but Manuaba Waterfall #2 is even better.

It’s a scenic, quiet, 15 minute walk to the second waterfall. This cascade is a powerful plunge waterfall with a small, shallow pool at the bottom. It honestly looked too intense to stand under but you’ll feel plenty refreshed just from the spray coming off!

Continue past Manuaba Waterfall #2 through a mystical, mossy gorge. There is nowhere to walk except in the river, so take off your shoes and enjoy the water. The ground is a bit rocky so just be careful. 

Then emerge from the river and follow the stairs back up to the road at the top. 

4. Mount Batur Sunrise Hike

• Total Distance: Around 7km
• Duration: 2-4 hours (plus driving time to reach the trailhead)
• Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
• Cost: Around 462,000 IDR ($46 AUD)
• Recommended Tour: Mount Batur Sunrise Hike With Breakfast
• Recommended Footwear: Good sneakers or hiking boots

Mount Batur Sunrise Hike is one of the most popular hikes in Bali. You should definitely book a tour for this one as it’s pretty remote and you’ll need to hike in the dark to make it to the top for sunrise. 

You’ll be picked up around 3am from your accommodation in Bali. Most tours offer pick up from a variety of popular tourist locations around the island. 

Ubud is one of the closest tourist pick-up spots for this hike as the drive to the trailhead is only an hour. 

The hike is supposed to be moderately hard and you get epic views of Lombok and Bali at sunrise!

I personally chose to skip this hike, mainly because I felt like no sunrise volcano hike could top Volcan Acatenango in Guatemala. And I know my boyfriend wasn’t thrilled at the idea of waking up at 3am on our Bali holiday!

And honestly, everyone I asked about the Mount Batur hike said it was awesome. But no one RAVED about it and said it was a MUST DO. So we didn’t do it, but if you’ve never done a sunrise volcano hike before definitely consider it while you’re in Bali.

5. Kajeng Rice Fields Walk (Sweet Orange Walk or Subak Kuwuk Manis Rice Fields Walk)

• Total Distance: Probably around 2km in total
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: Free
• Recommended Tour: No tour needed
• Recommended Footwear: Sandals are fine, it’s easy and flat

This short, easy, and peaceful loop walk branches off the main street of Ubud. So it’s one of the most accessible Ubud walks for all types of travelers.

You’ll pass both the Kajeng Rice Fields and the Subak Kuwuk Manis Rice Fields on this loop walk, hence why it can be called both names. 

There is a cute cafe along the trail called the Sweet Orange Warung so the path is also called the Sweet Orange Walk Trail. 

If you find the 3 different names confusing, it’s all just one big semi-circle so it’s impossible to get lost!

The walkway loops away from the main road and has two starting points. The first is on Jl Kajeng Street, which takes you through the mesmerizing stalls of the Prianka Ubud Art Market. If you start this way you’ll pass the Kajeng Rice Fields first. 

You can also start the walk at the Sweet Orange Trail, which passes the Subak Kuwuk Manis Rice Fields first. 

Either way, the chaotic buzz of traffic and city life dies down within minutes. You’ll stroll past sprawling rice fields, coconut-clad palm trees, smiling Balinese farmers, and quaint open-air cafes. 

Thanks for reading my list of the 5 best Ubud walks!

I absolutely loved visiting Ubud and felt like it was the perfect introduction to Bali.

There is lots of art, culture, history, and nature to explore around Ubud. Everything is pretty easily accessible yet it’s not overly crowded or commercialized.

Here are some things to consider before traveling to Indonesia…

☼ Get travel insurance! It’s a developing country that still has some risk of tropical disease and lots of the best attractions are out in rural areas. Bali is a very touristy and safe part of Indonesia to visit, but it’s still smart to have travel insurance. I personally love using Squaremouth Insurance!

☼ Consider a work exchange! You can work in exchange for free accommodation and have a super cool, immersive cultural experience. It’s my favorite way to travel, and Worldpackers is my favorite site for finding work exchanges.