Ubud City Tour II: Monkey Forest, Palace, Art Market, and Rice Terrace

Ubud City Tour II packs macaques, Balinese royal buildings, market stalls, a photo-friendly swing, and rice terraces into one private outing. The strongest parts are Ubud Monkey Forest and the view across Tegalalang Rice Terrace, while the palace is a short, less impressive stop.

I like the ease of hotel pickup, included admission, and a private car for $65 per person. I also like the choice at Tegalalang: take photos from the roadside viewpoint or pay the farmer donation and walk among the paddies. The main catch is that the driver may be more chauffeur than full cultural guide, so the quality of explanation can depend on who you get.

Key points to know before booking

• Monkey Forest is the star stop: Expect about an hour among temple grounds, trees, and roughly 340 crab-eating macaques.
• Tegalalang gives you the best scenery: You can keep it simple with photos or add a walk by making a donation to the farmer.
• The Palace visit is brief: The stop lasts about 15 minutes and may feel underwhelming beside the forest and rice terraces.
• The art market is useful for shopping: You will find silver jewelry, batik, sarongs, wood carvings, bags, and other souvenirs.
• Happy Swing Bali adds a paid-style photo stop: The scheduled visit lasts about 90 minutes and focuses on swinging above the natural setting.
• Private transport is the real convenience: Pickup and drop-off are provided, with many Ubud and south Bali addresses covered.

Why the Monkey Forest deserves the first look

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary combines a nature reserve with a temple complex important to Balinese religious life. You are not simply walking into a small animal enclosure. The setting includes temple structures, thick greenery, and winding paths where macaques move freely around the grounds.

The sanctuary is home to about 340 crab-eating macaques, so you should expect to see monkeys during the one-hour visit. That does not mean every animal will pose neatly for a photograph. The appeal is the setting itself, where the animals and temple grounds share the same space.

I would treat the monkeys with care and keep your attention on your belongings. The tour information highlights the chance to get close and take photographs, but it does not promise a particular animal encounter. Your driver or local staff may provide directions on how to behave, yet it is sensible to avoid reaching toward the macaques or treating them like tame pets.

This is the part of the day with the most character. The palace is compact and the market is commercial, but the Monkey Forest gives you a stronger sense of Ubud as a place where religious life, nature, and daily activity overlap.

The included admission matters here. You do not need to arrange a separate ticket, and the private driver gets you to the entrance without the usual fuss of organizing local transport.

Ubud Palace is a quick taste of royal Ubud

Puri Saren, usually called Ubud Palace, sits in the center of Ubud Village. Its central location makes it easy to combine with the traditional art market, which is one reason the stop works well in a tightly planned day.

You get about 15 minutes at the palace, and admission is included. That timing tells you what to expect: this is a brief look, not a long architectural visit or an in-depth study of Balinese royalty.

I would keep your expectations modest. The palace gives you a useful cultural marker and a chance to see one of Ubud’s best-known places, but it is unlikely to be the highlight of the tour. Several comments about the day describe the palace as ordinary compared with the Monkey Forest and rice terraces.

That does not make the stop pointless. If this is your first time in Ubud, seeing the palace helps you understand the town’s royal identity and central layout. If you have already spent time around Ubud or care more about scenery than landmarks, the short visit may feel like a box being checked.

The schedule is sensible for a half-day-style outing. You are not spending hours at a site that may not hold your attention, and the central location pairs naturally with the market next door.

The art market is best for browsing and bargaining

Ubud Traditional Art Market gives the tour a practical shopping stop. The stalls carry silver jewelry, precious stones, batik, T-shirts, beach sarongs, wood carvings, and cane-work bags. The range is broad, so you can browse for a small souvenir or spend much longer comparing items.

The scheduled time is one hour. That is enough for a look around, though your real pace will depend on how interested you are in shopping. If you dislike browsing markets, this may feel long. If you want gifts, clothing, or decorative pieces, it is one of the more useful stops.

I would not assume every item is a one-of-a-kind piece made in the immediate area. The market is a shopping venue, and you will need to judge quality and price stall by stall. Take your time, compare similar goods, and remember that the first price is not necessarily the final one.

The market also gives you a chance to buy something more tangible than a photograph. A sarong, carving, bag, or piece of jewelry can carry more memory than another rushed snapshot, but only if you choose carefully.

Because the palace and market are both in central Ubud, this part of the route is efficient. You do not lose a large block of time traveling between nearby sights. That is one of the quiet advantages of a private itinerary.

Happy Swing Bali changes the pace

Happy Swing Bali is scheduled for about 90 minutes and adds a more staged, photo-focused activity to the day. The attraction centers on swinging from a cliff area above a natural setting, combining a little thrill with wide views.

This stop will appeal most if you want dramatic photographs and a fun break from temples and shopping. It is also a useful choice for families or groups with mixed interests, since not everyone wants a full day of cultural sites.

The supplied details do not explain the number of swings, height, queue arrangements, or any extra charges, so I would not build your expectations around a specific setup. The tour includes the entrance ticket, but you should still follow the site’s instructions and ask your driver if you need clarification about the activity.

At 90 minutes, the stop is not just a quick roadside photograph. It takes a meaningful part of the day. If your priority is Balinese culture, you may prefer more time at a temple, village, or rice-field walk. On the other hand, if you want a relaxed mix of sightseeing and playful photo stops, Happy Swing Bali helps break up the route.

Tegalalang offers the day’s best view

Tegalalang Rice Terrace is the other major highlight. From the higher roadside position, the rice paddies spread down across the valley and up the slopes opposite. The setting is described as cool and breezy, which can be a welcome change from Ubud’s busier central streets.

You have about an hour here. The simplest option is to enjoy the viewpoint and take photographs. If you want to see more than the overlook, you can walk through the rice terrace, but a donation to the farmer is not included and must be paid by you.

That choice is important. The tour gives you flexibility without forcing everyone into a walk. You can take the easy option if you have limited mobility, tired children, or a full day of sightseeing behind you. You can also make the donation and walk if you want closer contact with the paddies.

Do not confuse this with a long rural trek. The scheduled time is one hour, and the tour has several other stops. You will get a strong view and possibly a short walk rather than an extended hike through the countryside.

I would save some energy for this stop. The forest and swing are visually engaging, but Tegalalang gives you the broadest sense of Ubud’s agricultural setting. It also provides a welcome contrast to the market’s stalls and the palace’s formal setting.

A private car makes the packed route easier

The price is $65 per person, with private transport, hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking driver, entrance tickets, service tax, and government tax included. Meals are not included, and the farmer donation is extra if you walk through the rice terrace.

For a private tour, the value is reasonable if you are traveling with at least two people and want to see several Ubud sights without arranging separate rides. You are paying for convenience as much as admission. There is no need to move between the Monkey Forest, central Ubud, the swing attraction, and Tegalalang on your own.

The private format also means only your group participates. That gives you more control over photo stops, shopping pace, and how long you linger within the planned schedule. It does not necessarily mean every stop can be extended freely, since the day still has several appointments.

Pickup is offered from Ubud and many addresses in south Bali. The stated start time is 9:00 in the morning. The published duration is approximately eight hours, but one description of the day reports leaving at 9:00 and returning around 3:00, or about six hours. I would allow a broad window rather than book a tight evening reservation.

Traffic and pickup location can affect the timing. If you are staying outside central Ubud, confirm that your address is covered and keep the rest of your day flexible. The direct return is especially useful if you do not want to navigate Bali transport after several stops.

The driver may shape your cultural experience

The tour includes an English-speaking driver, but the information does not promise a separate licensed guide. That distinction matters.

Some drivers add considerable value during the drive. Mera is praised for sharing details about the sights, and Irwan is noted for explaining Balinese culture along the way. Wena is described as professional, friendly, attentive, and respectful, though the experience with him felt more like transport than guided sightseeing.

I would book this with the expectation of a good driver and possible local commentary, not a guaranteed formal tour lecture. If cultural explanation is central to your plans, ask questions during the drive and make clear that you want context about the temples, village life, ceremonies, and rice farming.

The clean car and punctual service are also meaningful benefits. Ubud sightseeing involves several transfers, and a well-kept vehicle makes the day more comfortable. The private setup is especially helpful if you are carrying shopping from the market or prefer not to join a larger group.

Who gets the most from this Ubud day

This tour suits you if you have limited time in Bali and want a broad first look at Ubud. It covers wildlife, a royal site, shopping, a swing attraction, and rice terraces without requiring you to plan the route yourself.

It is also a good fit if you value hotel pickup and a private vehicle. Families, couples, and small groups can avoid the awkwardness of meeting a larger party at several locations.

You may want another option if you want a slow cultural day. The schedule moves through five stops, and the palace visit is very short. You will see a lot, but you will not spend long at any single site.

The tour is less ideal if you want a serious walking route through the rice fields. Tegalalang includes the option to trek, but the planned stop is only one hour, and the donation is extra. Likewise, anyone expecting a dedicated historian or cultural specialist should confirm the guiding arrangement before booking.

The rating is 4.6 from 17 ratings, with 94 percent recommending the experience. That points to a strong overall service record, but the variation in driver commentary is worth remembering. The day’s quality can depend on whether your driver simply handles the route or also brings the sights to life.

Practical ways to make the day better

Start by wearing comfortable shoes. You may walk through the Monkey Forest, browse the market, and choose to walk at Tegalalang, even though the tour is conducted by car.

Bring spending money if you want market goods or plan to make the farmer donation. Those costs are separate from the tour price. Meals are also not included, so plan around that during the day.

Keep your phone or camera ready at the forest, swing attraction, and rice terrace. These are the stops most likely to reward photographs. At the same time, do not let the search for a monkey selfie distract you from keeping a respectful distance from the animals.

Ask your driver for more explanation early in the day. Drivers such as Mera and Irwan have provided useful cultural background, but you should not assume every driver will automatically give the same level of commentary.

Use the private format to set a comfortable pace, but remember that five scheduled stops require some discipline. If you spend the full hour shopping and the full 90 minutes at the swing, the later part of the day may feel more compressed.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book Ubud City Tour II?

Book it if you want an efficient private introduction to Ubud, especially if the Monkey Forest and Tegalalang Rice Terrace are at the top of your list. The included tickets, direct transport, and flexible private setup make $65 a fair price for a group that wants convenience.

Go in knowing that the palace is brief, the market is mainly for shopping, and the driver may not function as a full guide. The strongest version of this day comes when you get a driver who explains Balinese culture, so ask for that kind of interaction from the start.

For a first visit or a tight schedule, I would choose this tour. For a slower, more detailed cultural experience, I would look for a tour with longer site visits and a dedicated guide.

FAQ

How long does Ubud City Tour II last?

The tour is listed as approximately eight hours. The stated start time is 9:00 in the morning, though one description of the day gives a return around 3:00 in the afternoon. Allow flexibility for traffic and pickup time.

What sights are included?

The route includes Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud Palace, Ubud Traditional Art Market, Happy Swing Bali, and Tegalalang Rice Terrace.

Is hotel pickup provided?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are provided from Ubud and many addresses in south Bali.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

What is included in the $65 price?

The price includes private tour service, hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking driver, entrance tickets, service tax, and government tax.

Are meals included?

No. Meals are not included in the tour price.

Do I have to pay extra to walk in the rice terrace?

Yes. A donation to the farmer is required at your own expense if you choose to trek in the rice terrace.