3 day Ubud itinerary - my home away from home
Out of all the destinations and cities I visited, Ubud was by far my favorite. And that might be an unpopular opinion, as it’s not right next to a beach and doesn’t have a crazy party scene, but something about it just SPOKE to me. I didn’t spend as much time in Ubud as I would’ve liked, but in the little time I did spend there, I fell in love and managed to squeeze in another day at the end of my three weeks in Bali just to experience the magic of Ubud one more time.
If you don’t have two months in Bali, however, 3 days is a good amount of time to get the feel for the city, tick off all the must-do’s, and just chill out.
3 day Ubud Itinerary
Day 1
Would it even be a Bali travel guide if I didn’t give you a few good brunch recommendations? Absolutely not. So for your first day, definitely head to Milk & Madu. Its super conveniently located for the rest of your day! I only had a juice and a cinnamon roll there, but the menu looked amazing and the environment was so chilled - loads of people with their laptops out getting some work done. Also, just look at this place ->
Our first day revolves around getting oriented in the city and seeing all the sites that are within walking distance of where you’re staying! So after brunch, you can head straight to Ubud Palace - it’s right across the street! Entry is free, and while it once housed the royal family of Ubud, it’s now a historical site and museum. It only took me about 15-20 minutes to walk through, so it’s a super quick and convenient cultural pit-stop.
2 minutes away from brunch and Ubud Palace, you’ll find Ubud’s famous traditional art markets. They’re usually open from 9-6 - and if you’re looking for souvenirs, it’s definitely the place to be! Don’t be afraid to haggle with the vendors and try to get good deals. I’m obsessed with all the wicker bags and trinkets, but unfortunately since I was traveling for an extended period of time and living out of a backpack, my trip to the markets consisted of only window shopping :( RIP.
Regardless of whether or not you’re on the hunt for souvenirs, it’s still a beautiful street to take a walk down, and it’s so centrally located that you’ll probably run into it on accident, so it’s definitely not an inconvenience of any sort.
The next must-see of Ubud is the Lotus temple! Unfortunately, when I went, there were only a few blooming lotus flowers, but it was still stunning. It’s weirdly hidden behind a Starbucks and a cute little restaurant, so if you’re confused trying to find it, you’re probably in the right place.
I spent 6 dollars of my 35 dollar daily budget on a pumpkin spice latte from said Starbucks (I hate myself too don’t worry) and explored the temple grounds. Very similar vibes to the palace, but the lotuses (the 2 that I managed to find LOL) did add a nice touch.
The last thing on our agenda for today is the infamous Monkey Forest. One thing about me: I hate monkeys. I think they’re actually so scary - I’ve seen them bite tourists, steal things, and have you seen their teeth?? They have NO business being that big.
That being said, Monkey Forest is quintessential Ubud, so I begrudgingly went and bought a ticket. To be fair, the forest itself is STUNNING. There’s a creek running through it, bridges made out of overgrown trees, and it’s overall very fairytale vibes.
And the monkeys weren’t THAT bad. They are really comfortable with tourists, so they will come right up to you, but I didn’t see too much aggression. Just don’t try to touch them or feed them, and make sure you hold on tight to your belongings! I saw hats get taken as well as a phone that someone had set down. We spent around two hours wandering around!
End your night with a delicious meal at Kafe! The menu is massive and has something for everyone:) Go home and have an early night, because if you take my advice, you will be up EARLY EARLY. It’s worth it though, I promise.
Day 2
When I say early, I’m saying like 1:30 a.m. early. You’re hiking a volcano this morning babyyyyy
Using either a travel agency that you find on the main street of Ubud or by coordinating through your accommodation (I booked it through my hostel), book a hike up Mt. Batur! You’ll set out at about 2 in the morning, sleep in the car, and start hiking around 4.
I’m not gonna lie, the hike is HARD. I only had my little Nike Airforces, and the second half of the hike is very ashy, so I kept slipping and sliding. We had headlamps and were carrying the breakfast the tour company provided for us, so definitely consider bringing a small backpack so you have your hands free. We got to the summit just in time for sunrise, and it was gorgeous. Not as epic as I thought it was going to be (I chose a very cloudy day to go) but it was still stunning.
I made the mistake of going to a club the night before because it was my silly little travel boyfriend’s last night in Bali, set an alarm for 1:30 to remind me when I needed to leave the club, took a motorbike taxi back to my hostel, changed into leggings, and hopped into the shuttle bus. Not my finest moment, but if I made it to the summit in that state, you can too.
You’ll get back around 10 a.m., and you definitely have time for a little nap before the rest of your afternoon activities.
Even if you choose to nap instead of brunching, I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a brunch option. Lazy Cat is one of my favorite restaurants I had the pleasure of eating at during my time in Ubud - their brunch menu is awesome and inexpensive, and the atmosphere is to die for.
I know you’re tired just THINKING about that hike, but never fear - the only other thing you have on your agenda today is exploring the infamous rice fields of Ubud and lounging around at a pool club.
While Ubud may not be by the beach, they have more than enough pool clubs overlooking the rice terraces, and the most famous of these is called Cretya. It has multiple tiers of infinity pools, and the food there is really reasonably priced! We dropped our things off in the lockers, Went exploring through the Tegalalang rice terraces while the light was still good, and then came back and lay by the pool all day.
Most people recommend going to the rice terraces in the morning, but to be honest, they’re so big that it didn’t really seem crowded at all when we went mid-day! I did come back the next day with my drone to take some pictures, but I had left my SD card at the hostel. #nice. Enjoy my friends photo of the terraces that is so much better than mine would’ve been even if I HAD brought my SD card. Photography is not my strong suit LOL.
The water in Cretya’s pools was actually ICE cold so we didn’t do much swimming, but it was an amazing way to unwind after that EARLY wake up call (or lack of sleep, if you’re like me and didn’t even manage to make it to bed in the first place LOL). - You can stay here for the evening! It’s a super fun place to be:)
Day 3
Day 3 of our 3 day Ubud itinerary is a spectacular one! Buckle up.
First thing in the morning, I recommend heading over to the Yoga Barn, a world renowned yoga studio that seems like it’s set in a jungle, even though it’s smack in the middle of Ubud city. They have so many different types of classes, and I was able to try Aerial yoga for the first time ever; It was a blast! Ubud is such a spiritual place that coming and not participating in a yoga class would honestly be a crime.
The yoga barn is a freaking COMPLEX, it’s massive and I wish I was able to stay for a retreat there, as they have dorms and villas to house their resident students. I wish I was one of them :’)
After yoga, stop by their restaurant for a classic Bali smoothie bowl to fuel your day.
The main thing we’re doing today is seeing a waterfall! There are two that are within a 20 minute drive of Ubud city center: Tegenungan Waterfall (pictured) and Kanto Lampo. Personally, I had just come from a whole 3 days of chasing waterfalls up in the north of Bali (Munduk) so I skipped out on these. I heard they were gorgeous, although very crowded as most people tend to choose the waterfalls with the least amount of travel time.
If you want to travel a little farther, I suggest going to Leke Leke, which is about an hours drive from the city center, and it’ll probably be a little less crowded!
Plz enjoy my friend’s pictures from Tegenungan Waterfall as I unfortunately was a little waterfalled out by the time I got to Ubud! Spend all the time you like visiting one or more waterfalls around Ubud, but make sure to be back and ready to go by sunset.
While most Ubud itineraries suggest the Campuhan ridge walk for sunset, I personally think the best walking path in Ubud is the Art walk. It’s much harder to find then Campuhan, but once you do fine it, it’s honestly pure magic. The tiny, narrow path is lined in epic palm trees and surrounded by endless rice fields. There are loads of artisans selling their work all along the path, and lots of cafes and restaurants that you can eat at that have an amazing view of the rice paddies.
I followed the route from THIS blog post, but I’m not gonna lie: The turn where you start to loop back really has you walking through the mud of the jungle, so if I was you, I would go one way, and then turn back around when it starts wanting you to head straight into the jungle on a little muddy path.
Ft. a drone pic from when I actually remembered my SD card for once. Spot me!!^^
Once I found my way back to the start, I had one last Mie Goreng at a little restaurant called Sweet Orange Warung, and it was to die for. I found this little place on my last day in the country, and sitting there with my traditional Indonesian food, watching the sun set over the rice paddies of my favorite city in Bali was such a significant moment for me.
When the sun goes down, head to the main street in Ubud and go to a freaking spa - after the whirlwind that was the last three days, you definitely deserve it!
Disclaimer: I got a massage every day I was in Ubud, as I found a FANTASTIC spa that had hour long traditional balinese oil massages for like 7 USD, complete with a cup of tea at the end. I got multiple massages in Bali, but this spa was by far my favorite. It was called Tirtha Wangi Spa.
And there you have it! The perfect 3 day Ubud itinerary.
In my mind, Ubud is pure magic, and my favorite place I visited in Bali. There’s something in the air, and while it might not be the sound of the waves or the bass from the crazy parties of Canggu, it embodies everything that comes to mind when I think of Bali: easy, healthy, spiritual living, surrounded by some of the most stunning landscapes I’ve ever seen. It’s one of the few places I visited on my travels where I could genuinely see myself setting up camp and living for quite some time.
Unfortunately, I only had 3 days in Ubud, but I can’t wait to go back.
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