Ubud, Tegallalang & Jungle Swing
Start from$55 / car
View Itinerary
Land Tour
Monkey Forest & Ubud Palace
Six hundred macaques and the town they have taken over
- Duration
- 8 hours door to door
- Group
- Private car, up to 5 guests
- Walking
- Easy · about 3 km in total
- Residents
- About 1,200 macaques, 13 troops
The trip
What You're Signing Up For
The Sacred Monkey Forest is twelve hectares of old-growth jungle in the middle of Ubud with three fourteenth-century temples in it and roughly twelve hundred long-tailed macaques living on top of them. It is a nature reserve run by the village of Padangtegal, not an attraction somebody built.
The rest of the day is Ubud on foot: the palace, the art market, the water temple at Saraswati with its lotus pond, and lunch somewhere your driver rates. He parks and waits while you walk, which in Ubud traffic is worth more than it sounds.
Highlights
Why People Pick This One
- Twelve hectares of jungle and three 14th-century temples inside the town
- Monkey Forest entrance included for everyone in the car
- The palace, the art market and the Saraswati lotus temple on foot
- A driver parked and waiting, which beats hunting for a space in Ubud
- An honest steer on which of the free stops are actually worth it
Full description
The Whole Thing
The monkeys are wild and they are not shy. They will take sunglasses, water bottles, phones and anything in an open bag, and they are quick enough that you will not see it happen. Staff carry catapults for a reason.
That said, they mostly ignore people who ignore them. The rule that actually works is: nothing loose, nothing in your hands, no eye contact, and do not smile with your teeth at a macaque. It reads as a threat.
The three temples inside are still used. Pura Dalem Agung has the Rangda carvings on the stairway, and the bathing temple down in the ravine is one of the quietest corners of Ubud, because most visitors never walk that far down.
Ubud Palace is free and takes fifteen minutes. The Saraswati water temple next door is free, takes ten, and is the better photograph. We tell you that because plenty of tours charge for a circuit of things that cost nothing to enter.
Itinerary
The Trip, Stop By Stop
Timings are typical, not fixed. Your guide reshapes the day around your pace and the conditions.
-
Hotel pickup
Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud
The forest opens at nine and the monkeys are liveliest early, before the heat.
Included -
Sacred Monkey Forest
About ninety minutes. Three temples, a ravine, a bridge and twelve hundred macaques.
-
Ubud Palace
Fifteen minutes and free. Still the home of the Ubud royal family.
-
Saraswati water temple
The lotus pond and the carved gate, ten minutes and also free.
-
Ubud art market
Behind the palace. Haggle, or do not, but start at about a third.
-
Lunch
Your driver knows the warungs that Balinese eat in rather than the ones on the main road.
-
Back to your hotel
Or stay on in Ubud and we come back for you later.
Included
Trip stop
Pickup area
Pickup is from your own accommodation inside these areas. Route is indicative, not the exact road taken.
The price covers
What's Included, And What Isn't
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off across South Bali, Ubud and Canggu
- Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver
- Fuel, parking, tolls and the driver's day
- The palace, the water temple and the art market, all of which are free
- A driver waiting while you walk, not a fixed rendezvous time
- Bottled water in the car
Not included
- Lunch, which is a few dollars at the warungs your driver suggests
- Anything you buy at the art market
- Bananas sold at the forest gate, which we would rather you did not buy
- Entrance tickets, parking charges and anything else paid on site
Before you book
Who This Trip Isn’t For
We would rather talk you out of the wrong trip than take your money for it. If any of these apply, message us and we’ll suggest something that fits better.
Anyone nervous around animals
These are wild macaques at close range and they climb on people. If that sounds stressful, it will be.
Anyone carrying loose valuables
Sunglasses and phones get taken. There are lockers at the entrance and you should use them.
Anyone with a baby in arms
The staff advise against it and so do we. Macaques are curious about small children in a way parents do not enjoy.
Come prepared
What To Bring
A bag that closes properly
Zips, not a tote. A macaque will have its hand in an open bag before you have noticed it is next to you.
Nothing loose on your head or face
Sunglasses, hats and hair clips all get pulled off. Put them away before you go through the gate.
A sarong or long shorts
The three temples inside the forest keep temple dress rules, and sarongs are lent at the entrance if you need one.
Cash in small notes
The art market, the warungs and the parking are all cash, and stallholders rarely have change for a big note.
On the trip
What It Looks Like
Tap a photo to enlarge
Before you book
Questions About This Trip
Anything not covered here? Message us. We'd rather answer first than have you book the wrong trip.
Will the monkeys bite?
Rarely, and almost always when somebody is holding food or has grabbed at one. Keep your hands empty and it is a non-event.
Should we buy bananas?
We would rather you did not. It changes how the troop behaves towards everyone else in the forest that day, and the reserve does not need the monkeys fed.
Is the entrance included?
Yes, for everyone in the car. The palace, the water temple and the market are all free anyway.
How long do we get in Ubud?
As long as you like within the day. Your driver waits rather than holding you to a pickup time.
What if we want to stay on for dinner?
Tell your driver in the morning. He will drop you back in the evening instead, and the price does not change unless you go past ten hours.
Pairs well with
Other Trips Guests Interested In
Tirta Empul & Melukat Purification
Start from$69 / person
View Itinerary
Balinese Cooking Class & Market Visit
Start from$59 / person
View ItineraryReady When You Are
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We'll confirm availability, pickup time and the total, usually within the hour.