15 Cool Things to do in Ubud • Nomads With A Purpose

While nothing around here is a totally EPIC thing to do, there’s a lot to see and experience. Ubud is a cultural hotspot with artisans, architecture, and restaurants but it also has lots of natural beauty in the surrounding rice terraces and jungles. Read on to find out the best things to do in Ubud..

1. Get a room with a view

Ubud lies in a lush and beautiful jungle. There are so many great accommodation here! It’s worth trying to get a room with a view like this one at Sweat_Blu.

We stayed at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast overlooking the jungle in Ubud, Bali

Booking.com

2. Grab some coffee beans at Ubud Coffee Roastery

We are coffee snobs so when we came across this coffee roaster along the streets of Ubud, we couldn’t help but go in and take a look. The pure aroma of coffee as you step in is enough to make you want to visit. We tasted lots of different coffee beans of varying roasts and grabbed a bag of beans to go on our way out of town. The coffee shop also serves delicious brewed coffee to go.

The cute little coffee roastery in Ubud
Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

3. Photograph temples

While the intricate temples of Puri Saren Palace and Pura Taman Saraswati are popular among visitors to Ubud, I personally think the small temples that line the streets are cooler to see.

The incredible architecture of typical temples that line the streets

4. Go to a yoga class/retreat

Sadly we did not have the chance to participate in a yoga class ourselves but Ubud is well known for it. The Yoga Barn is the most popular studio in Ubud. Click here to see their class schedule, retreats they offer, or even yoga teacher trainings. Don’t forget to pack a yoga mat and a yoga towel (the weather makes your mat slippery). Most yoga studios provide mats but they are often thin and slippery and I love my Munduka Pro Lite mat. Want to find the best yoga studios Ubud? Click here.

5. Eat at Atman Nourish Cafe

This cute little cafe provides a great ambiance and delicious, vegan food. With inspirational quotes along the walls, yummy smoothies, cakes, truffles, and entrees, and unique a dining setting of sitting cross-legged on cushioned platforms, it’s a must visit eatery in Ubud.

Inspirational messages around the cafe

6. Walk through the town

As the cultural hotspot of Bali, there’s a lot to take in throughout the town. Shops with sculptures, jewelry, notebooks, and more line the streets. On top of that there are dozens of art galleries.

Wandering the alleys of Ubud

7. Refresh yourself with popsicles from Paletas Wey

I don’t even like popsicles but in the sweltering heat of Bali, nothing sounds better as a midday snack than popsicles from Paletas Wey. You can’t go wrong with any flavor but we loved the chocolate-banana and stawberry-kiwi the most!

Photo credit: PaletasWey via Trip Advisor

8. Tegallalang Rice Terraces

To be totally honest this spot is totally overrated but the only reason I’m including it is because if you visit at the right time (ike at sunrise), it’s a cool thing to see. Click here to read our guide to visiting the Tegallalang Rice Terraces.

Walking through Tegallalang rice terraces

9. Get pastries at Monsieur Spoon

It’s a bit of a paradox to eat French pastries in Bali but they’re just so darn good. While they’re not exactly like a traditional French pastry (we would know, we’ve been there), they’re still still fluffy, sweet, and buttery. The chocolate almond croissants were our personal favorite. Be sure to get there early, they sell out fast!!

Delicious pastries from Monsieur Spoon
Photo credit: BALI.com

10. Go to the Monkey Forest

This too is a bit overrated because of the fact that you can see monkeys all around town. If you have a little bit of money to spend, it’s worth a visit. The price to enter is IDR 50,000 (around $3.30 USD) for adults and IDR 40,000 (around $2.70 USD) for kids.

The Scared Monkey Forest in Ubud
Photo credit: BaliAround.com

11. Rent a motorbike

I dare anyone to try and ride a motorbike in Bali for the first time without being scared shitless. That’s no reason not to try it though. You cannot visit Bali without partaking in the chaos that is driving in Bali. While there may seem to be no order in the streets of Ubud, don’t worry, accidents seem to be extremely rare.

Riding motorbikes through Bali

12. Eat a Betutu from a street vendor

You my be risking a little Bali belly, but it’s worth it! This traditional Balinese street food is so good! Betutu consists of meat mixed with Balinese spices wrapped in a banana leaf, then wrapped in a banana tree’s bark and slow cooked over a coal fire.

Getting some street food is one of the most memorable things you could do in Ubud

13. Explore hidden rice fields

While Tegallalang is worth seeing, the rice fields of average farmers that surround Ubud are equally as beautiful. I highly recommend hitting the road, getting out of town, and stopping at views of rice fields.

14. Take a day trip to Canggu

Ubud is rad, but Canggu is honestly our favorite place in all of Bali. Grab a motorbike and take a day trip down south to relax on the beach, surf, or stroll through he hipster downtown. Click here to read our guide to visiting Canggu.