Day Trips from Ubud: Tegallalang, Tirta Empul, Kintamani & More

The villages and highland sites surrounding Ubud are within easy reach — most are under an hour from the town centre and several can be combined into a single full day. Below are the five most worthwhile excursions, with entry fees (as of 2026), transport logistics, and two suggested itineraries that group them sensibly.

For general getting-around logistics, see our Bali transport guide. For activities within Ubud itself, the Ubud things-to-do guide covers Monkey Forest, cooking classes, and the palace gamelan performances.

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Tegallalang Rice Terraces

Distance from Ubud centre: 11km north | Journey: 20–25 minutes by scooter or car

The Tegallalang subak irrigation system — a UNESCO-recognised network of cooperative water management — turns the hillside north of Ubud into a luminous green amphitheatre. The terraces themselves are actively farmed, not a set piece. In peak growing season the paddy glows an almost surreal green; in harvest months the cut stalks leave golden scaffolding across the slopes.

Entry: Donation of approximately IDR 10,000–20,000 requested at the entrance, as of 2026 Hours: Open all day; best between 6–8am

A cluster of cafés and viewing platforms lines the ridge road — the views from here are good but crowded by 9am when tour buses park up. The better move is to walk down into the terraces themselves, where the paths between paddies give a proper sense of scale and the irrigation channels are audible. Allow 60–90 minutes if you want to walk the lower section.

Best time to visit: Before 8am. The morning light falls across the terraces from the east, and the tourist density is negligible. By 10am you are sharing the ridge walkway with dozens of groups.

Combine with Tirta Empul (10 minutes further north) if doing a highland morning circuit. Several decent warungs on the ridge serve breakfast; Kopi Tegallalang at the top of the steps has reliable coffee and paddy views.

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Tirta Empul Temple

Distance from Ubud centre: 14km north | Journey: 25–30 minutes by scooter or car

Tirta Empul is not a tourist attraction that happens to have a temple attached — it is a functioning site of active Balinese Hindu pilgrimage. The sacred spring at its centre has been in use since the 10th century CE, and on any given morning dozens of worshippers are moving through the melukat water purification ritual in the bathing pools. Respectful visitors may participate; many find it genuinely moving.

Entry: IDR 50,000 (adults) as of 2026, sarong rental usually included Hours: 9am–5pm daily

Arrive with a sarong and sash, or rent one at the gate. Remove shoes before entering the inner temple. Photography within the bathing pools area requires discretion — ask before raising a camera toward anyone in mid-ritual. The spring pools are divided: some are reserved for active Hindu worship only and are not for tourist use.

Practical note: The site also sits beneath the Suharto-era presidential Tampaksiring palace, visible on the ridge above. Entry is a short walk from the car park. Morning is generally the most atmospheric time, with incense smoke mixing with steam from the cold spring water.

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Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)

Distance from Ubud centre: 4km east | Journey: 10–15 minutes by scooter or car

Goa Gajah is the closest major site to Ubud town — a rock-cut sanctuary dating to the 11th century, set into a ravine above a small river. The cave entrance is carved into the face of a stone cliff in the form of a gaping demon mouth: entering the meditation chamber means walking into the creature’s face. Inside, a narrow tunnel leads to a T-shaped chamber with a Shiva lingam and two Ganesh statues.

Entry: IDR 50,000 (adults) as of 2026, sarong and sash required Hours: 8am–5pm daily

The bathing pools outside the cave entrance — two rectangular tanks fed by stone-carved waterspouts — were only rediscovered by Dutch archaeologists in 1954. They are now a central feature of the site.

The complex is smaller than photographs suggest and can be fully explored in 45–60 minutes. For a longer half-day excursion, combine with Yeh Pulu, a 14th-century carved rock relief 15 minutes’ walk south through rice paddies — entry IDR 15,000, and far less visited than Goa Gajah itself.

Best time to visit: Before 10am or after 3pm. The site is compact and tour groups make the narrow pathways congested in the middle of the day. Morning also gives better light on the cave mouth.

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Kintamani Volcano Viewpoint

Distance from Ubud centre: 27km northeast | Journey: 45–60 minutes by car (scooters are possible but not recommended on the steep highland road)

Kintamani is the highland village perched on the rim of a vast ancient caldera, looking north across the still waters of Lake Batur toward the active cone of Gunung Batur (1,717 metres). On a clear morning the view is extraordinary. By noon, mist and cloud typically roll in from the coast and obscure the caldera entirely.

Entry: The viewpoint itself is free. Most visitors stop at one of the restaurants lining the caldera rim road, which may charge IDR 50,000–100,000 minimum spend for table use. The village of Penelokan at the caldera edge is the main viewpoint stop. Best time: Arrive between 9–11am for clear visibility; cloud usually builds after midday

From Kintamani you can descend to the caldera floor to visit Toya Bungkah village on the lake shore — the base for Batur sunrise hikes — or continue west toward Bangli for the temple circuit. Most day-trippers view the caldera from the rim and continue on to other stops.

Note on hawker pressure: The Kintamani viewpoint car parks are busy with vendors and some persistent touts. Keep your car windows up when parking and agree a “not interested” policy in advance if you have a hired driver.

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Tegenungan Waterfall

Distance from Ubud centre: 11km south | Journey: 20–30 minutes by scooter or car

Tegenungan is the most accessible waterfall from Ubud and the busiest. The falls drop around 15 metres into a jade-green pool, framed by jungle. The approach is down a steep concrete staircase from the road, passing through a gauntlet of small warungs and souvenir stalls. The falls themselves are genuinely attractive.

Entry: IDR 20,000 (adults) as of 2026 Hours: Open daily, best before 9am

The pool at the base of the falls is swimmable when the flow is not too strong. During wet season (November–March) the volume increases significantly and the water turns brown; the dry-season blue-green colour only holds from May through October. Wear water shoes if you plan to swim — the rocks are slippery.

Best time to visit: Before 9am on any day, or at 3–4pm when the light shifts and morning crowds have thinned. Midday is the least pleasant time here.

Tegenungan sits on the southern road between Ubud and Gianyar, making it a natural first or last stop on a circuit that heads north toward Goa Gajah and Ubud centre.

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Suggested Itineraries

Classic Highland Circuit (full day, car recommended)

This route combines three major sites in a logical geographic arc without doubling back.

Start: Depart Ubud by 7am with a hired car or driver

1. Tegallalang rice terraces — 7:00–8:30am. Walk the lower terraces in morning light, have breakfast at a ridge warung.
2. Tirta Empul — 9:00–10:30am. Arrive as the temple opens, observe or join the melukat ritual, allow 90 minutes.
3. Kintamani caldera rim — 11:00am–12:30pm. Drive up to Penelokan for caldera views while the morning is still clear. Lunch at a rim restaurant.
4. Return to Ubud by 2pm.

Transport: IDR 400,000–600,000 to hire a car with driver as of 2026. Scooters can manage Tegallalang and Tirta Empul but the Kintamani road is steep and the distance makes it a long day in the saddle.

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Quick South Loop (half day, scooter-friendly)

Good for travellers who’ve already done the highland sites, or as an afternoon addition.

Start: Depart Ubud by 8am

1. Tegenungan Waterfall — 8:00–9:30am. Swim if conditions allow, then continue before crowds arrive.
2. Goa Gajah — 10:00–11:00am. Quick stop on the return road; sarong required.
3. Back in Ubud centre by 11:30am.

Transport: IDR 70,000–100,000/day scooter hire from Ubud town, or a ride via Grab for each leg. Both sites are on the same road axis.

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Practical Notes

• Car vs scooter: A hired car with driver (IDR 400,000–600,000/day as of 2026) is the easiest way to combine three or more sites. Scooters are fine for Tegenungan and Goa Gajah but the highland roads to Kintamani involve significant elevation and long distances.
• Temple dress: Every Hindu temple requires a sarong and sash covering the lower body. Most sites provide rentals at the gate (usually included in the entry fee or IDR 10,000–20,000 extra).
• Rain timing: Even in the dry season, afternoon cloud is common in the highlands. Schedule Kintamani and Tegallalang for morning; save Tegenungan and Goa Gajah for mid-morning to afternoon.
• Hired drivers: Ask your accommodation to recommend a trusted driver rather than accepting approaches from the street. Most guesthouses have a regular driver at fair posted rates.

More Ubud Guides

• Things to do in Ubud — activities within Ubud town: Monkey Forest, cooking classes, palace performances
• Best restaurants in Ubud — warung classics, fine dining at Locavore, and café spots
• Where to stay in Ubud — rice-field guesthouses, jungle resorts, and budget picks
• Getting around Bali — full transport guide: scooters, cars, fast boats, and airport transfers