Ubud is the kid-friendliest base in Bali. Cooler than the coast, fewer crowds than Seminyak, and the activities are spread across short driving distances (5-30 min). Here’s the list of what actually works.
The ranking
| # | Activity | Score | Best ages | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tegalalang Rice Terrace + swing | 10/10 | 4+ | 2 hrs |
| 2 | Sacred Monkey Forest | 9/10 | 5+ | 1.5 hrs |
| 3 | Tegenungan Waterfall swim | 9/10 | 6+ | half day |
| 4 | Tirta Empul Temple | 8/10 | 7+ | 2 hrs |
| 5 | Ubud Art Market | 8/10 | 6+ | 1 hr |
| 6 | Cooking class (kid-friendly) | 9/10 | 8+ | 4 hrs |
| 7 | Bali Bird Park (Singapadu) | 8/10 | 3-10 | 3 hrs |
| 8 | Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) | 6/10 | 7+ | 1 hr |
| 9 | Sunrise Mt Batur hike | 6/10 | 12+ | 8 hrs |
| 10 | Ubud Palace + sunset Legong dance | 7/10 | 7+ | 2 hrs |
The full list
1. Tegalalang Rice Terrace + the swing — 10/10
The iconic green-stepped rice paddies 15 min north of Ubud. Walk the wooden paths between paddies (1-2 km loop, mostly easy). The swing rentals (€10/person) let kids “swing over” the paddies — instant Instagram + huge memory. Most kids 4+ love it.
Tip: go at 7-8 AM. By 10 AM tour buses arrive and the paths get jammed. €2 entry fee at the gate.
2. Sacred Monkey Forest — 9/10
Inside Ubud town. ~200 Balinese long-tailed macaques live in a banyan-forest temple complex. Kids 5+ are entranced by monkeys close-up. Rule: don’t carry food or shiny objects. Hide phones in zipped pockets — monkeys will grab.
€7/adult, €5/child, 1.5 hours plenty.
3. Tegenungan Waterfall — 9/10
20-min drive from Ubud. Walk down 200 stairs to a waterfall pool you can swim in. Wear swimsuits + water shoes (rocks are slippery). Best 2-4 hours: morning crowd is light, midday gets busy.
€2 entry. Bring a towel — there are basic changing rooms.
4. Tirta Empul Temple — 8/10
The holy springs purification temple, 30 min north of Ubud. Locals + visitors stand in a row under spring-water spouts for blessing. Kids 7+ enjoy participating; younger ones may find the wet clothes / queue overwhelming.
Required: sarong rental at entry (€2). Pack a change of dry clothes — you WILL get soaked if you do the purification.
5. Ubud Art Market — 8/10
Central Ubud, near the Palace. Stalls selling textiles, wood carvings, sarongs, dream catchers, small souvenirs. Kids love this for the bargaining game — let them haggle (start at 30-40% of the asking price). Most stallholders are patient with kids and find it funny.
Free entry. 60-90 min. Mornings are best.
6. Cooking class (kid-friendly version) — 9/10
Several Ubud cooking schools run kid-version classes (smaller knives, more games, shorter duration). Paon Bali Cooking School is the most kid-accommodating.
Cost: $35-50/adult, $20-25/child. Includes market visit, hands-on cooking 4-5 Balinese dishes, eating what you made.
Book Bali cooking class on GetYourGuide.
7. Bali Bird Park (Singapadu) — 8/10
15 min south of Ubud. Walk-through aviary with 250+ bird species, parrot shows, hands-on macaw photos. Especially great for kids 3-10. Half day easily.
€25/adult, €13/child.
8. Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) — 6/10
10 min east of Ubud. Hindu-Buddhist cave temple from the 11th century with carved demon-mouth entrance. Kids 7+ find the carved face memorable; younger ones may be bored.
€5 entry. 45-60 min.
9. Sunrise Mt Batur volcano hike — 6/10 (with kids 12+ only)
The famous Mt Batur sunrise hike. 2 AM pickup, 2-hour climb up an active volcano in the dark with headlamps, sunrise at the rim, breakfast cooked by volcanic steam, descent by 8 AM.
Only attempt with kids 12+ who hike regularly. Total day: ~12 hours including transport.
Book Mt Batur sunrise hike — $40-60/person with breakfast.
10. Ubud Palace + sunset Legong dance — 7/10
Central Ubud. The royal palace (Puri Saren Agung) hosts a sunset Legong traditional dance performance every evening — 60 min, dancers in elaborate gold costumes, live gamelan orchestra.
Kids 7+ engage. Younger ones drift in attention but the costumes still hold them for 30 min.
€8/adult, €4/child. Show starts 7:30 PM.
What to skip in Ubud (with kids)
| Skip | Why |
|---|---|
| Multi-temple “Bali in a day” tours | 6 hours in a van, kids fried by lunch |
| Bukit Campuhan ridge walk | No shade, exposed midday — fine for adults, brutal with kids |
| Coffee plantation Luwak coffee tasting | Of zero interest to kids under 12 |
| Yoga classes at Yoga Barn | Adults-only vibe, kids feel out of place |
A perfect 4-day Ubud family itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Denpasar, drive to Ubud (1.5 hrs), check in, pool. Sunset walk to Ubud Palace + Legong dance.
Day 2: 7 AM Tegalalang rice terrace + swing. Lunch in town. Afternoon Monkey Forest. Massage in evening (yes, kids love foot massages).
Day 3: Tegenungan Waterfall morning. Cooking class afternoon (kids cook lunch they actually eat).
Day 4: Bali Bird Park morning. Tirta Empul afternoon (purify + change). Ubud Art Market shopping. Last dinner overlooking rice paddies.
Then drive to Sanur or Nusa Dua for the beach portion of the trip.
Where to stay (family-friendly Ubud)
For under $150/night: family villas with private pools in the rice-paddy outskirts (Sayan, Penestanan neighborhoods).
For $80-120/night: family rooms at boutique hotels in central Ubud.
Browse Ubud family villas on Booking or see our full Bali 10-day plan for specific named hotel recommendations.
Related reading
- Bali for first-time family travelers: the 10-day Ubud + Sanur plan
- 6 destinations at half the price of the obvious ones
Verified May 2026. Most prices charged in Indonesian rupiah; we’ve converted at IDR 16,000 = $1 USD. Affiliate disclosure: /disclosure.