Where you stay in Ubud decides how you get around more than what you see. Central Ubud is the only area where, as Get Lost in Bali puts it, you can manage without a scooter. Almost everywhere else needs a driver, a scooter or a shuttle. So ask first how much you want to walk, then how much quiet you'll trade for it.
By Laurence TuchinPublished October 5, 202613 sourcesHow we research
Nobody on this team has stayed at any of these places. Nine of the ten hotels we checked publish no nightly price on their own sites, so the prices below are Honeycombers' starting rates, which move with season and dates. Use them to compare, not as a quote.
Ratings are a Google snapshot, each carrying the date it was collected. We filter to 4.0+ with a review floor, then cut and order the list ourselves — the numbers are positions in that list, not scores. How we pick →
Central Ubud on Jl Bisma, walkable to the Palace, the market and most restaurants. Honeycombers lists it from IDR 3,500,000 a night. Its site publishes no rate.Bisma EightHoneycombers
Five-room, adults-only boutique hotel on Jl Kajeng, about a ten-minute walk from town (its own estimate), near rice paddies. Honeycombers lists it from IDR 2,100,000 a night. Oyster gives about 200 with no currency, so we aren't quoting it.11 on KajengHoneycombersOyster
In the Campuhan valley, close to the Monkey Forest and Ubud Palace. Its site publishes no nightly rate, and we found no third-party starting price.Tejaprana BismaGet Lost in BaliBali Untold
In Penestanan Kelod, a 15-minute walk from the centre (its own estimate). New luxury villas were due in July 2026. It publishes no nightly rate, and we found no third-party price.Sri Ratih CottagesGet Lost in BaliLes Boutique Hotels
On Jl Tirta Tawar in Kutuh Kaja, north of the centre, so you'll want transport. Honeycombers lists it from IDR 5,000,000 a night. Its site shows direct-booking offers but no standard rate.Stone HouseHoneycombersBali Untold
On the Ayung gorge in Sayan: quiet, high-end and not walkable, so you're choosing seclusion over convenience. Honeycombers lists it from IDR 6,480,000 a night, the highest of the six here. Its site publishes no rate.Bambu IndahHoneycombers
The hub around Jl Bisma and Monkey Forest Road. Get Lost in Bali says it's the only area where you can manage without a scooter, Insight Bali recommends it for couples and first-timers with limited time, and Bali Untold calls it the most affordable. The trade is traffic: Get Lost in Bali calls it bad, and Bali Untold adds one-way systems and says it's less scenic. If you dislike crowds or want quiet, look elsewhere.
South of the Monkey Forest. Get Lost in Bali says South Ubud is quieter than the centre, about 2 km away, and suits couples and art lovers. Insight Bali calls Nyuh Kuning a quiet, walkable village with low traffic and some budget options, suited to families, seniors and honeymooners, not nightlife. Honeycombers lists Ubud Village Resort there from IDR 3,700,000 a night, a boutique price, not a budget one.
West of the centre, with valley views. Get Lost in Bali calls it charming, luxury-focused and expensive, so don't expect budget prices. Insight Bali describes peaceful walking paths for nature lovers and creatives, reached mainly by pedestrian and motorbike paths, which is awkward with heavy luggage or limited mobility.
SourcesGet Lost in BaliInsight Bali
In the Ayung valley to the west. Bali Untold and Insight Bali agree it's very quiet, high-end and not walkable, with shuttles typically provided. Bali Untold calls it expensive and remote, and Insight Bali says it doesn't suit budget travellers or anyone needing urban convenience. Honeycombers names Four Seasons Sayan here.
Bali Untold describes iconic terraces and jungle clubs 20 to 30 minutes' drive from central Ubud, busy around the main terraces at peak times and mid to high price. Insight Bali says it's cooler and very quiet but recommends six nights or more. Tirta Tawar and Suweta, just north of the centre, are quieter rice-paddy areas that need a scooter, and Get Lost in Bali calls them more affordable than the centre.
Get Lost in Bali calls Peliatan quiet and in need of transport, with hotel rates from about USD 30 to 40 a night, the only numeric area price we found. Insight Bali calls Peliatan and Pengosekan arts-focused, moderately walkable and budget to mid-range.
SourcesGet Lost in BaliInsight Bali
None of the guides we could read covers Petulu or Lodtunduh, even though Apéritif and Locavore NXT are there, so we haven't written those areas up. We also couldn't read Lonely Planet or Condé Nast Traveller directly, so hotels they list reached us only through search snippets. We left those out unless two other independent guides named the same hotel.
SourcesGet Lost in BaliHoneycombers
Your Ubud trip, in order
Weeks before
Cover that includes surfing
Read the surfing and motorbike clauses before you buy.
SafetyWingFrom ~$56 / 4 weeks
Check cover →While dates are soft
A bed you can cancel
Free cancellation on most villas and guesthouses.
Booking.comFrom ~$25/night
Search stays →The night before
On a flat day
Something for the flat days
Day trips, temple runs and airport transfers, with upfront prices.
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Central Ubud: Get Lost in Bali says it's the only area where you can manage without a scooter, and Insight Bali recommends it for couples and first-timers with limited time. The cost is traffic and noise.Get Lost in BaliInsight Bali
In the centre, yes. Guides rate central Ubud as highly walkable, but Sayan, Tegallalang and the northern rice-paddy areas need a scooter, driver or hotel shuttle.Get Lost in BaliBali UntoldInsight Bali
Hotel sites mostly don't publish rates. Honeycombers gives starting prices of IDR 2,100,000 a night (11 on Kajeng), IDR 3,500,000 (Bisma Eight) and IDR 5,000,000 (Stone House). Get Lost in Bali says Peliatan hotels start at about USD 30 to 40. Prices change with season, so check dates.HoneycombersGet Lost in Bali
Where to Eat
Ubud Restaurants (2026): Warungs, Mid-Range and Tasting Menus
Ubud restaurants named by independent guides, from a babi guling warung to tasting menus: published prices, hours and how to book, and which popular places the guides skip.
Things to Do
Things to Do in Ubud (2026): Temples, Terraces, Monkeys and Day Trips
What to do in Ubud with published prices and hours: the Monkey Forest, Campuhan Ridge, Ubud Palace and dance, Goa Gajah, plus day trips to Tegallalang, Tirta Empul and Mount Batur.
Back to the full Ubud guide — surf breaks, costs, and where to base yourself.
Who wrote this
Laurence Tuchin
Founder, SurfSpotGuide
Laurence founded SurfSpotGuide and built its directory of surf schools and shops across the United States, alongside a surf guide of more than 130 articles. These destination guides are researched rather than reminisced: every price, rule and rating on them is either sourced and dated or marked as an estimate, and the pages say plainly which places nobody here has been to.
Found something out of date or plain wrong? Tell me and I'll fix it.
Every price, rule, and rating on this page traces to one of these. Dates are when we last read the source — things change fast here, so check anything you're about to spend money on.
PublicationInsight BaliRead 2026-10-05
PublicationGet Lost in BaliRead 2026-10-05
PublicationBali UntoldRead 2026-10-05
PublicationHoneycombersRead 2026-10-05
PublicationHoneycombersRead 2026-10-05
PublicationOysterRead 2026-10-05
PublicationLes Boutique HotelsRead 2026-10-05
Official11 on KajengRead 2026-10-05
OfficialStone HouseRead 2026-10-05
OfficialSri Ratih CottagesRead 2026-10-05
OfficialBisma EightRead 2026-10-05
OfficialTejaprana BismaRead 2026-10-05
OfficialBambu IndahRead 2026-10-05