10 Things to Do in Ubud for an Authentic Experience

The first time I went to Ubud, I felt like I had found my place.

I could walk through rice fields to a yoga studio, stumble into a plant-based café without trying, pass artisans carving wood by hand, and end the day at a $10 guesthouse hidden deep in the jungle.

But after returning four times, something shifted.

These days, I choose to stay outside the center and ride my motorbike into Ubud only when I need to. Most spiritual and wellness events are still here, but Ubud itself has changed.

This guide isn’t a checklist of things to do in Ubud.

Ubud is a place you sink into, not race through.

Think of incense drifting through temple gates. Morning offerings on cracked sidewalks. The low hum of gamelan in the evening. This is a guide for travelers who want culture, nature, wellness, and intentional stillness—not just highlights.

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Cultural Experiences That Define Ubud

1. Visit a Temple near Ubud

Ubud’s temples are beautiful—and crowded.

That’s the blessing and the curse. Because they’re easy to reach, everyone goes. If you want a quieter experience, timing matters: just after sunrise, mid-afternoon, or before sunset is when temples breathe again.

I’ve visited temples all over the world, and the difference is always the same—staying long enough to feel the place instead of rushing through it.

Skip the center and head to:

• Goa Gajah
• Gunung Kawi Sebatu
• Goa Garba

The more local the temple, the more important it is to respect dress codes and daily prayers. You’re not just visiting—you’re stepping into devotion.

Read More: Lempuyang Temple Entrance Fee, Dress Code and Tips

2. Watch a Traditional Balinese Dance in the Evening

One night of traditional dance is essential.

Many performances take place at Ubud Palace, and while they’re tourist-friendly, they’re far from meaningless.

The first time I watched Kecak, I was mesmerized by the hypnotic chanting—no instruments, just human voices layered into rhythm. Recently, I watched Barong, a dramatic retelling of the eternal battle between good and evil, driven by pounding drums that felt almost trance-like.

Pro Tip: Read the flyer. Learn the story. Then put the camera down and let yourself be inside the performance.

3. Explore the Ubud Art Market Before the Crowds Arrive

Like the temples, the Ubud Art Market is best early.

First, you’ll have your time visiting and checking for wind chimes, dreamcatchers, paintings and prints, handwoven bags, and silver jewelry.

Add the location; there are several. If possible, make a very brief differentiator.

Pro Tip: I find that although you can find good finds in the Ubud art market, the quality has declined over time to serve tourists who are not aware of the quality and just want to haggle for the cheapest price.

I find the best quality in actual local stalls scattered around Ubud. Like this one for musical instruments, where I found my wind chimes. 

Pro Tip: If you found a good one at the Ubud art market, start with a 50% discount. A local told me that they usually up this by this percentage; we usually end up with 20-30%.

Read More: 35 Hidden Gems in Ubud: The Ultimate Non-Touristy Guide

4. Take a Balinese Cooking Class That Starts at the Market

One of the most grounding things I’ve done in Ubud was joining a Balinese cooking class that started at the local market.

Walking through the stalls with a local guide completely changed how I understood Balinese food. Ingredients I’d eaten dozens of times suddenly had stories: where they grow, how they’re used in ceremonies, and why certain dishes are cooked only on specific days.

The class I took continued at an organic garden, where we picked herbs straight from the soil. At one point, I even climbed a coconut tree myself!

Spoiler: it looks easy when locals do it. It is not.

The dishes were home-style, not restaurant-polished, and everything we cooked felt like something a Balinese family would actually eat.

This was the tour I personally took and loved: Balinese Cooking Class at an Organic Farm

Nature Experiences In and Around Ubud

5. Walk the Tegallalang Rice Terraces or Hidden Rice Fields

I’ve probably been to every rice terrace and rice field around Ubud, and every time, I’m still mesmerized.

Yes, many rice fields have become backdrops for Bali’s iconic swings and flowing-dress photos. But beneath that surface is something much deeper. This is where you see the subak system in action, a sacred balance between humans, spirituality, and nature that has shaped Balinese life for centuries.

That said, your experience here depends heavily on where you go and when.

The most famous spot is Tegallalang Rice Terrace. If you’ve seen a photo of someone on a swing in a long dress, it likely came from here, especially around Aloha Ubud Swing. This was the first rice terrace I ever visited, and over the years it has become more crowded and more expensive and often feels like one long line for photos rather than a place to linger.

If you still want terraced views but with a bit more breathing room, UMA Ceking is a better option. The pricing feels more reasonable, crowds are lighter, and you can actually walk down into the rice fields instead of just viewing them from above.

If you prefer to skip tourists cramming in for photos, visit working rice fields instead.  Kajeng Rice Fields Walk and Subak Juwuk Manis are both within Ubud and are still part of everyday life. I’ve seen farmers harvesting, planting, and processing rice here, moments that feel quietly powerful precisely because no one is staging them.

If you want a farmer to guide you through the fields, you can visit Mupu Rice Terrace. It offers a more personal experience and still has a swing, but without overpowering the landscape.

Read More: Tegallalang Rice Terrace: The Ultimate Guide for Visiting

6. Take a Walk Along Campuhan Ridge

The Campuhan Ridge Walk is one of those places that feels almost too easy to access for how peaceful it is.

The trail starts right near the Ubud art market area, then slowly opens into wide stretches of green hills and fresh air that feel far removed from the noise of town. Within minutes, the traffic disappears, and you are surrounded by open landscapes, tall grass, and quiet paths.

If you keep walking, the ridge eventually leads toward a small village and a temple, where life moves at a slower, more local pace. It is the kind of walk that does not need a destination. Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, walk slowly, and let the space do the work for you.

This is one of the simplest ways to experience Ubud without planning anything at all.

7. Visit One Waterfall Near Ubud

If you only visit one waterfall near Ubud, make it Kanto Lampo Waterfall.

The main cascade is undeniably impressive, but it has also become very popular. Yes, you may have to line up briefly for the iconic photo at the central waterfall. That part is busy, and it’s best to accept that going in.

What most people miss, though, is everything around it.

Just beyond the main falls are smaller cascades that feel surprisingly quiet, even when the entrance area is crowded. I wandered around and found a large natural pool with no one else in sight, a short hike leading to a viewpoint, and even a small temple tucked into the landscape. Those moments made the visit feel far more special than the photo spot itself.

My advice is to visit one waterfall and take your time. Explore beyond the obvious, walk a little farther, and let the place unfold instead of rushing to the next stop.

Read More: The 23 Beautiful Waterfalls Near Ubud

8. Visit Pejeng

I discovered Pejeng because it’s where I completed my 300-hour yoga teacher training. Until then, I didn’t realize that what most people think of as Ubud is really just Ubud Center. Ubud itself is much wider, stretching into forested villages that still feel deeply local. Pejeng is one of them.

I stayed here for more than a month, and it was exactly what I imagine when I think of old Bali. Quiet, narrow streets with barely any traffic. Coconut trees and rice fields in every direction. Forest paths, small temples, and locals simply going about their day.

It felt lived-in, not curated.

Pejeng is only about a 15-minute motorbike ride from Ubud Center, which makes it easy to dip into town while coming home to calm. While you’re here, you can visit Goa Garba, a small local temple tucked between forest and river that feels worlds away from tourist routes.

For food and coffee, Pejeng has some quiet gems. I loved the sugar-free cakes at Malaika, artisan coffee at Vunja Coffee, and simple comfort meals like porridge bowls and avocado toast at Harry’s Cafe. When it came time to unwind, I had one of the best Balinese massages of my trip at Twin Spa.

If Ubud Center ever feels like too much, Pejeng is proof that a quieter version of Ubud still exists. You just have to ride a little farther to find it.

Wellness Experiences in Ubud

9. Join Wellness Activities in Ubud

If there’s one thing Ubud is truly known for, it’s wellness.

Nowhere else in Bali has the same concentration of spiritual and healing practices. Yoga studios sit next to temples. Sound healing sessions happen after sunset. You’ll find kirtan, ecstatic dance, meditation, and deeply restorative spa treatments happening every single day.

You don’t need to do all of it. In fact, I’d argue you shouldn’t.

Choose one or two practices that resonate with you and let them anchor your time here. From my own experience, these are the ones I return to again and again:

• Healing Yin Yoga at Heartspace Bali
• Sound Healing at Pyramid of Chi
• Kirtan with Sayuri
• Ecstatic Dance at The Yoga Barn
• A traditional Balinese spa experience for deep relaxation and grounding

What makes Ubud special isn’t just the variety, but how accessible everything is. You can drop into a single class or go much deeper if that’s what you’re called to do.

I personally chose to go deeper.

I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training with House of Om and later my 300-hour training with SKY Yoga. Those experiences shaped not only my practice, but how I now travel. Living in and around Ubud during training gave me a very different relationship with the place. Less consumption, more presence.

That’s why Ubud continues to attract people who are seeking change. Some come for a single yoga class. Others stay for months. Both are valid.

Read More:

• 29 of the Best Wellness Retreats in Bali
• 29 Most Spiritual Things To Do In Bali

10. Do Absolutely Nothing for an Entire Day

If you’ve been reading my guides for a while, you’re probably tired of this advice. But take it from me, after traveling through more than 30 countries, this is the one thing that consistently changes how a place feels.

There’s something about intentional rest that allows your body to truly arrive.

Take a day where you don’t force yourself to wake up at 5 a.m. for sunrise. Skip the carefully planned itinerary. Walk into a café you didn’t save on a map, order a coffee, and stay longer than you meant to. Let the day unfold instead of directing it.

Maybe that day looks like journaling, reading, or wandering through rice fields with no destination. Maybe it looks like doing nothing at all.

Give yourself permission to miss out.

When you stop trying to experience everything, you start experiencing the place itself. And that’s something most travelers never give themselves time for.

Let Ubud Meet You Where You Are

Ubud isn’t a place you conquer with a checklist.

It’s a place that asks you to listen, to slow your pace, and to notice what’s happening in the spaces between activities. Whether you’re here for a few days or a few months, the most meaningful moments often come when you stop trying to make the trip productive.

Choose fewer things. Stay longer where it feels good. Let routines form naturally. And don’t underestimate the power of a quiet morning, a familiar walk, or a café you return to simply because it feels right.

That’s when Ubud stops being a destination and starts feeling like a place you truly experienced.