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
Prices are directional estimates from public listings and research at the time of writing, not live quotes. Most prices are charged in Indonesian rupiah and shown here converted at roughly IDR 16,000 = $1 USD; verify current prices and rates before booking. Affiliate disclosure: /disclosure.