# Where should you stay in Ubud? > Where to stay in Ubud: central Ubud to walk to the palace and Monkey Forest, Penestanan for rice fields, Sayan for valley views, Tegallalang for quiet. 5 areas. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-ubud - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-06-11 **For a first visit without a scooter, stay in central Ubud, within walking distance of the palace on the main crossroads.** The royal palace and its evening dances, the market, the Sacred Monkey Forest and the start of the Campuhan Ridge Walk are then all on foot. If you want the rice fields outside your door and accept arranging transport, stay in Penestanan just west of the center; for a valley-view villa, Sayan; for real quiet, the villages north toward Tegallalang. We spent 5 days in Ubud in late May 2023, in the middle of an 18-day Bali loop, after Munduk and before Kintamani. ## Quick pick by traveler type • **First visit, no scooter:** central Ubud, around Jalan Raya Ubud, Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Hanoman. • **Rice-field views within reach of town:** Penestanan, or the lanes off Jalan Bisma. • **Romantic, splurge:** Sayan and Kedewatan, above the Ayung River valley. • **Families:** central Ubud or Nyuh Kuning, for walkable streets and the Monkey Forest next door, with a pool. • **Quiet and remote:** the villages north toward Tegallalang. • **Budget:** homestays in central Ubud's side lanes, and around Peliatan to the east. • **Nightlife:** Ubud has little; central Ubud's bars and dance performances are about it. ## Central Ubud: the best base for most visitors **What it's like:** the town around the palace crossroads, with Puri Saren Ubud, the market, restaurants and warungs along Jalan Raya Ubud, Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Hanoman, and the Sacred Monkey Forest at the southern end. Our [Ubud guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/ubud) recommends the center for walking access to the palace, the market, the ridge walk and most temples. **Who it suits:** first-timers, families and anyone who does not ride a scooter. You can watch a Barong dance at the palace in the evening and walk the Campuhan Ridge at sunrise without arranging a car. See our [Monkey Forest guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/ubud-monkey-forest-tips-tickets-safety-guide) for its hours and rules. **Downside:** traffic on the main roads is heavy in the day, sidewalks are narrow or missing in places, and rooms on the main streets hear it. Homestays and hotels set back down a gang (lane) are noticeably quieter. ## Penestanan and Campuhan: rice fields on the edge of town **What it's like:** the village just west of the center, across the Campuhan bridge, with guesthouses and villas among rice fields, reached by steep steps and footpaths as well as a road. The Campuhan Ridge Walk starts nearby. **Who it suits:** couples and longer stays who want green views and quiet evenings while still being able to walk into town for dinner. **Downside:** some places are only reachable on foot along paddy paths, which is lovely in daylight and harder with luggage or after rain. Our [how many days in Ubud](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-ubud) guide notes these quieter edges need more transport planning; choose by the walking route, not straight-line distance. ## Sayan and Kedewatan: the Ayung valley **What it's like:** villages along the rim of the Ayung River gorge, a few kilometers west of the center, with resort hotels and villas looking over jungle and rice terraces. River rafting on the Ayung runs below. **Who it suits:** honeymoons and splurge stays where the hotel and its pool are a large part of the trip. **Downside:** you need a driver or a hotel shuttle for every trip into town, and evenings revolve around the hotel's restaurant. For a short stay focused on sights, that time adds up. ## Nyuh Kuning and the south: quiet but walkable **What it's like:** a small village just south of the Sacred Monkey Forest, with guesthouses, yoga studios and family homes, connected to Monkey Forest Road through the forest area. **Who it suits:** families and slower travelers who want calm streets and still want to walk into town. **Downside:** fewer restaurants, and the walk into the center is longer than it looks on a map in the midday heat. Further south, Pengosekan and Mas are known for woodcarving and painting, but are a drive rather than a walk from the palace. ## North toward Tegallalang: quiet villages **What it's like:** villas and small resorts among the villages on the road north toward the Tegallalang rice terraces, with terrace and valley views and very little else. **Who it suits:** travelers who want to be at Tegallalang at opening time, before the heat and tour buses, and who plan to stay in at night. **Downside:** central Ubud is a drive away, longer at busy times, and app-based taxis are restricted from picking up in some parts of Ubud, so you depend on your hotel for transport. ## Booking advice for Ubud **Transport decides the area.** Outside the center, you will use a driver, the hotel shuttle or a scooter. Bali tightened rules on online taxis in 2025, and app drivers may not pick up in some parts of Ubud, so ask your accommodation how guests usually get into town. If you plan to ride, read our [Bali scooter rules guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/bali-scooter-rental-rules-police-checkpoints-license-guide) on the motorcycle licence requirement first. **Seasons.** April to October is the dry season and the easiest time for the ridge walk and terrace paths; July and August are the busiest months. The wet season, November to March, makes the terraces greenest but adds afternoon downpours. Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, shuts the island for a day; see our [Nyepi guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/nyepi-2027-bali-date-airport-closure-travel-guide). **Paperwork and money.** Sort the e-VOA and pay the IDR 150,000 Bali tourist levy before you arrive; see our [Bali e-VOA guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/indonesia-e-voa-online-bali-evisa-how-to-apply-guide). For drivers and warungs, our [Bali tipping guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/tipping-in-indonesia-bali-etiquette-warungs-drivers-guide) covers what is customary. ## How many nights, and where Ubud fits Plan **3 to 4 nights**: the center and Monkey Forest, the terraces and water temples, the ridge walk, and a spare day for a ceremony or rain. Add a night if you do the Mount Batur sunrise trek from Ubud. Our [how many days in Ubud](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-ubud) and [day trips from Ubud](https://clevertourists.com/resources/day-trips-from-ubud) guides have the detail, and [what to eat in Bali](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-eat-in-bali) covers babi guling and nasi campur. Ubud sits in the middle of the island, which is why our [18-day Bali route](https://clevertourists.com/resources/bali-itinerary-our-18-day-route-seminyak-munduk-ubud-sidemen) used it as the central stop between Munduk in the northern highlands and Kintamani on the Batur caldera. On a loop like that, a central base pays off; a remote villa suits the last stop of a trip better than the middle. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best area to stay in Ubud for first-timers? Central Ubud, around Jalan Raya Ubud, Monkey Forest Road and Jalan Hanoman. The palace, market, Monkey Forest and the Campuhan Ridge Walk are on foot. ### Is it better to stay in central Ubud or outside? Central Ubud if you do not ride a scooter. Penestanan, Sayan or the villages toward Tegallalang give rice-field and valley views but need a driver, shuttle or scooter for most trips. ### Where should couples stay in Ubud? Sayan and Kedewatan above the Ayung River valley for a splurge, or Penestanan for rice-field views within walking distance of town. ### Can you use Grab in Ubud? Partly. App drivers may not pick up in some parts of Ubud after Bali tightened its rules in 2025, so ask your accommodation how guests get into town. ### How many nights should I stay in Ubud? Three to four for most travelers. We spent 5 days in late May 2023 in the middle of an 18-day Bali loop.