Fancy cycling around Ubud?
You are in for a real treat. So many things to see that you’ll be wanting to do it again and again!
Cycling is really the very best way to see the magical sights of Ubud and its surrounding villages and rice fields. All you need to do is rent a bike from one of the many bicycle rental shops around Ubud and then you are off and cycling around. The price is around Rp 50 000 per day but you may be able to negotiate this down to around Rp 35 000, depending on the number of bikes you want to hire. You might like to book your Ubud cycling tour all you need to do is contact us and we’ll have you peddling around Ubud on your next Bali getaway.
Ubud is really a wonderful and very spiritual area and the following are 5 great sites you are going to see along the way. You can go by yourself but it might be a good idea to organise a guide that will be able to show you around. Going it alone, you may get lost but I guess that’s part of the fun.
1. Ubud Monkey Forest
Located on Monkey Forest Road this is usually the first stop on the way and you really can’t miss it. It’s at the bottom of the loop that forms the main tourist hub of Ubud from Jalan Monkey Forest Road through to Jalan Hanoman also known as Ubud Village and there you will see more monkey’s than you will have ever seen in your life.
There are also sacred temples and lush tropical rainforest surroundings. WARNING! – these monkeys are great to look at but they will steal anything that’s not firmly bolted down. Sunnies, Go-Pros, cameras, jewellery will be pinched off you in a heartbeat. Get off your bike and spend an hour or 2 wandering around this place – you will have a great time. This is guaranteed! You can buy some bananas and peanuts from the local vendors outside to feed the monkeys. Probably a good idea as it’s better to feed them something or else they might get aggressive. It’s a tad intimidating and if you cycle with children it may be a good idea to get a local guide who will be able to keep these monkeys at a safe distance.
Updated 16 Feb 2020 – you cannot buy food and feed it to the monkeys. You will have to wait for feeding time and the staff will feed them. You can watch and take photos. Probably a lot safer this way!
2. Goa Gajah
This is the elephant cave and was so named by the shape of the entrance. It’s nowhere near as exciting as the monkey forest but worth the visit purely for tourist purposes…you can boast you’ve been there. It’s a bit touristy but that is part of the fun. It will take about 1 hour to cycle from the centre of Ubud to Goa Gajah and along the way you are going to pass gorgeous rice fields and local farmers.
Goa Gajah is open seven days a week from 7.45 a.m. to 4.15 p.m.
The entrance fee to the Elephant Cave is Rp15,000 or AUD $1.50 per person ( for more information about changing money in Bali, read this)
3. The sensational rice fields and rice terraces
This is what it’s all about and this is why you really need to be cycling around. Going by car and speeding by will not do this justice. You need to soak up the beauty and take it all in. It’s picture-perfect and the type of stuff that goes on all postcards. The smells, the sights, the farmers, the local villages are all intoxicating. In fact, you might get off your bike and decide to walk through the rice fields as they are just so stunning.
The absolute best spot to take that picture postcard Instagram picture is at the very famous and well known Tegallalang Rice Terraces north of Ubud’s city centre ( this will take you about 90 mins to get there). You will be blown away by the sheer magnificence of these rice fields with their gorgeous greenery and lush colours. It’s really a place where you need to stop for lunch so you can soak up the atmosphere. It’s not a place where you want to rush. There are lots of local cafes and restaurants here so probably a good place to stop for lunch and spend some time processing just how fabulous it really is. Take a walk through the fields, have some photos with the farmers, go on the swing and enjoy one of Bali’s most spectacular sights.
4. Visit art galleries along the way
Stop for lunch, visit a museum, browse the numerous art galleries or have a healthy juice at one of the many cafes around Ubud. You will never get bored. There is a wealth of activity around every corner and if you are like me you will want to be a sticky beak and look everywhere.
5. Have an easy cycle downhill from Lake Batur to Ubud
Try a cycling tour downhill from Lake Batur to Ubud, where you will pass so much rural scenery, rustic villages, temples ( you may even see a local Balinese ceremony) and see the locals. In this way, you will get a much better feel for the way of life of the Balinese people outside the main tourist areas. The tour itself is relatively easy and most of the trip is on the road and only a small part is off-road. After all this cycling and photo-taking you are bound to have worked up an appetite and the tour ends with a lunch at a local warung where you can sample the tempting local cuisine. It’s a perfect way to see so much of the area without cycling uphill. For those who are not as athletically inclined as others, this is ideal.
Cycling in Ubud is fun for the whole family
Points to note whilst cycling in Ubud
The land around Ubud is dissected by rivers running in a southerly direction, so if you are intending an east-west route this will involve a lot more leg work as you traverse the ups and downs of the river valleys. If you want an easier route go the north-south route as this runs between the rivers which makes cycling much easier.
If you are staying in one of our holiday Villas in Ubud and you need some advice on what to see and which direction you should be heading off in, make sure you speak with one of our very friendly villa staff. or the manager. They are locals and will have an intimate knowledge of the area and will be able to help you out, renting the bike and perhaps even coming along for the ride!
5 really important tips for cycling in Ubud
- It’s best to hire a guide. In fact, we can’t stress this point more. They will know all the shortcuts and best places to visit. You don’t want to be wasting hours trying to find the path through the village that someone told you about. You will just end up getting lost. Guides are around AUD$50 per day and worth every penny.
- Have a basic skill level of riding a bike and if you have a health condition, have never ridden before or are unfit, then it’s probably a good idea to do this via a tour where you’re in a car
- Drink loads of water and stay hydrated.
- Don’t forget your camera. The scenery is phenomenal and you will kick yourself if you didn’t bring your phone or camera.
- Wear light clothing and if you cycling in the rainy season bring a raincoat or poncho
For other ideas on what to do in Ubud read this: Ultimate Travel Guide to Ubud, Bali.
Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.
