Here is the self drive Ubud waterfall itinerary that I created for our trip to Bali, Indonesia. We had a great time so I wanted to share it with my beautiful readers!

Bali, Indonesia is a lush, tropical island packed with natural beauty and rainforest. There are so many stunning waterfalls around Bali, and Ubud is a convenient place to base yourself for waterfall tours. 

Ubud is quite a tourist hub. The city is packed with accommodations, restaurants, markets, tour companies, and places to rent motorbikes. 

So if you’re traveling around Bali and hoping to stay somewhere convenient with lots of amenities, Ubud is a great choice. The main street of Ubud is busy, but just a short walk or drive off the main street and you’ll find peaceful villages, rice terraces, walking trails, and waterfalls. 

I was so excited to spend a day touring waterfalls during our stay in Ubud. Because I did lots of research and planning for our day of waterfall chasing, I’ve decided to write about everything I learned!

I hope this guide helps other travelers plan their own waterfall adventures near Ubud. 

How to get to the waterfalls in Ubud

For visiting the best Ubud waterfalls, you can either book a guided tour, hire a private driver, or rent a motorbike. 

Most Ubud waterfalls are too far from the city center to walk. Indonesia is a pretty affordable country to visit so any of the transport options are cheap. 

Self Drive Via Motorbike

As budget travelers, Matt and I chose to do a self drive waterfall tour of Ubud with our own motorbike. 

This is definitely the cheapest way to visit the Ubud waterfalls for couples. You can rent a motorbike for 100,000 IDR for the day (10 AUD / 7 USD). Then you only need to pay the small entry fees at each waterfall. 

But only rent a motorbike if you’re confident enough to drive it! The streets can be super chaotic and you have to be really careful. Matt was a great driver and we had a blast winding through the scenic countryside of Bali. 

However, if I were traveling alone I probably wouldn’t have done a self drive Ubud waterfall itinerary. Which brings me to the next option…

Ubud Guided Waterfall Tours

I think a guided waterfall tour is the best option for solo travelers (especially solo female travelers). 

First of all, group tours are fun and social which is ideal for solo travelers. You also don’t have to worry about directions and your guide will lead the way, which removes lots of stress from your shoulders. 

Also, the best Ubud waterfalls are at least 20 minutes outside the city in super rural areas. I actually felt very safe traveling around Bali and the people are super nice, so anyone might be completely fine visiting waterfalls on their own. 

But I’m always extra cautious white traveling, especially if I’m traveling solo. I personally wouldn’t want to be out in remote parts of Indonesia with a motorbike by myself. 

So if you’re traveling alone, or you just don’t feel confident driving a motorbike, book a tour!

Hiring a Private Driver

The third option for visiting the stunning waterfalls around Ubud is hiring a private driver. 

This should cost around 500,000 IDR (50 AUD / 35 USD) for the day. You’ll get a private car with a local driver who will take you anywhere you want to go. 

This is a great option for couples who want a private tour without other tourists. Customize your own day and let the driver take care of all the logistics.

If you’re traveling with a group of friends, you can all split the cost and make it a super affordable private tour! Or you can find friends in your Bali hostel and all split the cost together. Either way, this is another one of the best ways to visit the Ubud waterfalls.

The Perfect Ubud Waterfall Itinerary: Self Drive Tour

Here is my carefully curated and convenient Ubud waterfall itinerary! If you’re hiring your own motorbike or a private driver for the day, this is a great route to take for exploring the waterfalls around Ubud. 

I felt a bit overwhelmed trying to plan my Ubud waterfall itinerary because there are SO MANY gorgeous waterfalls around Bali. 

So I tried to pick waterfalls that are close to each other to cut down on travel time. I also checked out photos of each waterfall beforehand to make sure it was worth the visit. 

This is the self drive Ubud waterfall itinerary we ended up doing, and it was incredible! Because the falls are all near each other, you can complete the whole itinerary in just a few hours. 

Here are some quick facts about my Ubud waterfall itinerary:

• Total driving time by motorbike: 1 hour and 20 minutes total
• Total driving distance: 31km
• Waterfalls we visited: 4
• Total tour duration including time at each waterfall: About 4 hours
• Starting point: Anywhere in Ubud! For the Google Maps directions, I put Ubud Palace since it’s in the heart of the city center. 

I’ll also include some modifications for those who want to visit more or fewer waterfalls. You can easily spend the whole day touring waterfalls in Ubud. Or you can just visit 1 or 2 if you don’t feel like rushing around. 

Either way, enjoy this epic self drive Ubud waterfall itinerary!

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Stop #1: Kanto Lampo Waterfall

• Driving distance from Ubud: 11km (25-30 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 25,000 IDR (2.50 AUD / 1.63 USD)
• Facilities: Toilets, change rooms, a few cafes selling drinks/snacks

The first location that has to be in any Ubud waterfall itinerary is Kanto Lampo Waterfall.

During my online research about the best waterfalls near Ubud, I was completely sold on this one from the photos! 

When we arrived at Kanto Lampo, it was just as incredible as I had imagined. It’s a tall, majestic collection of cascades that fall down the jagged rock face. 

The black, angular rocks make natural stairs so you can walk up the waterfall and get some cool photos. 

At the bottom of the falls is a small pool that isn’t really deep enough for swimming. But you’ll get refreshed just standing under one of the many cascades from the waterfall. 

The dense, lush jungle on either side of Kanto Lampo Waterfall is also breathtaking. 

I’d recommend getting here as early as possible because it’s pretty touristy and gets crowded. You’ll see people hiring the local guides to be their photographers and the locals get SO into it. It’s amazing and hilarious watching the guides direct the tourists into fabulous model poses. 

So it’s a bit of tourist trap. But the waterfall itself is definitely one of the coolest in Bali, so I think it was worth it!

Stop #2: Abangan Waterfall

• Driving distance from Kanto Lampo Waterfall: 2km (5 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)
• Facilities: None

Abangan Waterfall offered a completely different experience from Kanto Lampo. There were literally no other people at this hidden waterfall. 

It’s on Google Maps, which is how I found it. But you can barely find photos of it online so I had no idea what it would look like. We decided to wing it since it was right next to Kanto Lampo anyway. 

There is a small sign on the side of the road and a narrow grassy pathway where you can park. Wayan, a happy, barefoot, cigarette-smoking local ran over and brought us down to the waterfall. 

Abangan Waterfall is located on his family’s land, so they have decided to open it up to tourists and charge a small fee of 20,000 IDR. 

Wayan led us across his quiet, grassy farm and down some steep dirt stairs built into the cliffside.

Because you’re just in a random person’s backyard, there are no facilities and the path doesn’t have the same sophistication as the other Ubud waterfalls. 

But the waterfall is beautiful and it’s cool to explore a spot with no other tourists around. 

Wayan insisted on being our photographer and was so excited to take cheesy photos and videos of us. Matt and I were awkward, reluctant models at best but Wayan seemed to be having a blast. 

We gave him a 50,000 IDR tip and cackled at our cringy photos before heading on to the next waterfall!

Stop #3: Goa Rang Reng Waterfall

• Driving distance from Abangan Waterfall: 650km (2 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)

Another convenient stop on this Ubud waterfall itinerary is Goa Rang Reng Waterfall. 

We personally didn’t visit this one because Matt thought it looked average in photos. Matt is more selective of his tourist attractions whereas I’ll visit pretty much anything. 

Goa Rang Reng is a wide, flat cascade rather than a big impressive waterfall. It’s another beautiful swimming spot near Ubud, but I don’t think it’s a jaw-dropping sight. 

So it’s up to you if you want to include this one in your Ubud self drive waterfall tour. It’s literally right on the way to Tibumana Waterfall and will easily fit into this itinerary!

Save money on your trip to Bali with my list of 50 Budget Travel Tips!

Stop #4: Tibumana Waterfall

• Driving distance from Goa Rang Reng Waterfall: 3.3km (10 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)
• Facilities: Toilets, change rooms, a few cafes selling drinks/snacks

Tibumana Waterfall is another must-visit on any Ubud waterfall itinerary. It’s a picture-perfect plunge waterfall in the middle of a canyon with a refreshing pool at the base. 

The walk down to Tibumana Waterfall is beautiful as well. You pass lots of brightly colored flowers and walk across quaint bamboo bridges. 

This is another one of the more popular Bali waterfalls but it was uncrowded when we arrived. 

The only other people there were the two local guides acting as “lifeguards”. Tibumana is a powerful waterfall and there are signs ensuring you don’t try to swim under it. But the locals sometimes have to step in when tourists get too close to the heavy waterfall!

Tibumana Waterfall was probably my favorite on this Ubud self drive waterfall tour. The wide, deep swimming pool felt like heaven after driving around in the hot Bali sun. 

It was a gorgeous waterfall with a nice walking trail and barely anyone else around!

Stop #5: Taman Sari Waterfall

• Driving distance from Tibumana Waterfall: 1.5km (4 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)
• Facilities: Toilets, change rooms, small cafe selling drinks/snacks

Our last stop was Taman Sari Waterfall. This stop had the biggest and best swimming hole, and another lovely walk through the rainforest. 

Taman Sari Waterfall has one bigger cascade at the top and a row of smaller cascades at the bottom. You can walk up to the top part or float around in the spacious pool at the bottom. 

There are some stairs where you can walk up through the jungle and get cool photos of the falls as well. 

After Taman Sari, we had had enough waterfalls for the day and decided to head back to Ubud. From Taman Sari Waterfall it was about 13km (30 minutes) back to Ubud.

Optional Stop #6: Suwat Waterfall 

• Driving distance from Taman Sari Waterfall: 7.2km (15 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 15,000 IDR (1.50 AUD / 1 USD)

Suwat Waterfall is the next-closest waterfall to Taman Sari. So if you want to extend your Ubud waterfall itinerary, you can venture to this one next! It’s just 15 minutes from Taman Sari Waterfall. 

Suwat Waterfall looks beautiful as well and is reachable via a relaxing, 5-minute rainforest walk. 

You can swim in Suwat Waterfall as there is a spacious natural swimming hole at the base of this photogenic waterfall near Ubud. 

It’s about 12km (30 minutes) from Suwat Waterfall back to downtown Ubud. 

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Alternative Ubud Waterfall Itinerary

Because I spent so much time researching and curating our Ubud waterfall itinerary, I actually came up with an alternative itinerary as well. 

This is a slightly shorter waterfall circuit that requires less driving. This itinerary also includes Tegenungan Waterfall, which is arguably the most famous and touristy waterfall near Ubud. So I chose to do the other itinerary because we wanted to avoid the super touristy areas. 

I feel like we succeeded because other than Kanto Lampo Waterfall, our Ubud self drive waterfall tour wasn’t crowded at all. 

But if you don’t mind the chance of crowds at Tegenungan Waterfall, and you’re looking for a waterfall itinerary that is closer to Ubud, here is an option for you!

Here are some quick facts about this alternative Ubud waterfall itinerary:

• Total driving time by motorbike: 55 minutes total
• Total driving distance: 23km
• Waterfalls visited: 3
• Total tour duration including time at each waterfall: About 3 hours

Stop #1: Sumampan Waterfall

• Driving distance from Ubud city center: 9.4km (25 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 10,000 IDR (1 AUD / 0.70 USD)

Because I didn’t visit these waterfalls, I only know what I’ve found through my online research!

Sumampan Waterfall is supposedly not that touristy and has a steep but short walk to reach it. There is one tall cascade fringed by tropical forest and there is a nice swimming pool with small cascades at the bottom. 

Stop #2: Uma Anyar Waterfall

• Driving distance from Sumampan Waterfall: 1km (3 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 15,000 IDR (1.50 AUD / 1 USD)

Uma Anyar Waterfall looks like a smaller waterfall with multiple tiers and a natural pool for swimming. 

This one is also not that touristy, so you’ll get your serenity at the Sumampan and Uma Anyar Waterfalls before heading to Tegenungan Waterfall.

Stop #3: Tegenungan Waterfall

• Driving distance from Uma Anyar Waterfall: 2.4km (7 minutes)
• Waterfall entry fee: 20,000 IDR (2 AUD / 1.30 USD)

Tegenungan Waterfall is a majestic, powerful waterfall that emerges from the vegetation-clad cliffs near Ubud. 

It’s one of the most famous waterfalls near Ubud! You’ll find signs for Tegenungan Waterfall taxis and tours all over town. 

As is the case with most tourist attractions, visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid most of the crowds. 

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What to bring for your self drive Ubud waterfall itinerary

If you’re touring waterfalls around Ubud, here is what you should bring for the day:

• Bathing suit
• Towel
• Sandals
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Camera
• Water
• Cash (small bills for waterfall entry fees)

I recommend wearing your bathing suit and just bringing comfy clothes to put on over when you travel between waterfalls. 

You can swim at most of the waterfalls around Ubud! So you’ll want to have everything you need for a fun day in the water. Most waterfalls have toilets and changing rooms as well if you do want to change clothes. 

Bring a towel, and I would recommend a microfiber towel if you have one. This is a travel essential in my opinion! A microfiber towel is perfect for a day of touring waterfalls because it’s lightweight and dries quickly. 

Read next: 15 Travel Essentials To Always Add To Your Packing List

I also recommend having sun protection as the Bali sun can be intense! If you’re driving around on a motorbike, sunglasses are also ideal for keeping dust out of your eyes. 

As for footwear, you can easily do this Ubud waterfall itinerary in flip flops or sandals. Again, you’ll be swimming a lot and sneakers might get wet or muddy. All the walking trails are easy and accessible in flip flops. 

Bring some water and snacks if you want, but there are locals selling drinks and snacks at the more touristy Bali waterfalls. And definitely bring a camera!

Thanks for reading my Ubud waterfall itinerary recommendations!

Touring waterfalls was one of the activities I was most looking forward to in Ubud. I really wanted to make the most of our day out in the jungles around Ubud. It took a bit of planning but I’m so happy with how our waterfall day turned out!

Check out some of my other adventures in Southeast Asia:

5 Beautiful Ubud Walks In Bali, Indonesia

The 18 Best Things To Do In Siem Reap, Cambodia

Thailand On A Budget: The Ultimate Travel Guide

3 Days in Bangkok Travel Itinerary

Thailand Island Hopping: Ultimate Budget Travel Guide