A trip to the spectacular Tegalalang Rice Fields is a part of most visitors’ Bali itinerary. Our guide includes everything you need to know before you go, including entrance fees, opening hours, and the exact location.
What’s in our guide to visiting the Ubud Tegalalang Rice Terrace?The Tegalalang Rice Field outside Ubud is world famous.
If you’ve been researching your Bali trip on Instagram, you’ve most likely already seen the spectacular pictures, like this one:
Tegalalang is the perfect spot for you to take stunning photos to make everyone back home jealous of the amazing trip you are having.
But Tegalalang in Ubud is also a chance to experience the fascinating rice farming culture that has almost a thousand-year history in Bali.
These beautiful rice terraces are linked together by the Subak system, which is the traditional Balinese rice irrigation system. This complex system of weirs and canals has been passed down generation to generation since the eighth century!
If you can get over the tourist-trap vibe surrounding Tegalalang, these rice terraces are worth a visit for the spectacular views and the insight into Bali’s rich history of rice farming.
Read on to discover…
You’ll love these Bali posts too:What to do at the Tegalalang Rice Fields
The best thing to do is just wander the terraces. If you wear good shoes that will give you some grip on the slippery mud tracks, you can wander far enough into the terraces to get away from the crowds near the entrance.
As with any major tourist attraction, you don’t have to walk very far before you have the place pretty much to yourself.
[Related: Can you backpack Bali on a budget? Find out here!] →
Appreciate the hard work that goes into the rice terraces
Once you’ve wandered and snapped some amazing photos, take a little time to put your camera away and look closely at what is going on around you.
Listen to the sounds and smell the earth. Imagine the people who carved these terraces out of the hillside centuries ago.
Watch the men and women working the fields, planting and harvesting the rice, and think about what backbreaking work they undertake every single day.
You also see some empty fields that have been recently turned over [by hand!] and are waiting for the next planting. Finally, there will be fields of rice waving in the wind, soon to be harvested.
Swing on a star plank
Like most Instagrammable spots in Bali these days there are swings at the rice fields so you can swing out over the terraces as they drop away below you.
Tegalalang swings cost about 50K IDR [$4 USD] per person, but you can definitely haggle if you think they’re overcharging you!
People seem to have a blast on the swings and it sure looks like fun.
Personally, Bali swings are on my list of risks that just aren’t worth the payoff.
There is no safety regulation on the swings and they don’t look particularly well-maintained. These swings would not be allowed in any playground in Canada, that’s for sure!
On a sad note, while we were in Bali, a man died while he was pushing his son on a swing — he didn’t let go soon enough and fell into a ravine.
Not a good Bali experience!
If you’re braver and a little more reckless than us, ride a swing and let us know how fun it was in the comments below.
Taking a Tegalalang Rice Terrace Tour
A Tegalalang rice terrace tour is easy to arrange at your guest house or at any of the small travel agencies in Bali.
Just ask around and you’ll find that everybody will want to take you! A tour will likely include a few other stops, like the Sekumpul Waterfall, local coffee plantations, or an Ubud craft village.
Recommended Tegalalang Tours
If you want to arrange a tour ahead of time, try one of these.
Instagram Tour of BaliThis Instagram tour of Bali will take you to temples, rice terraces, and other Instagrammable spots in Bali. You won’t only get great pictures, but you’ll learn interesting facts and the history of the places you visit.
eBike Tour from Ubud to TegalalangPhoto via Ubud Electric Bicycle Tours
For a little more adventure, join an eBike tour from Ubud to Tegalalang. This tour sounds great! It takes you through the backroads of Bali, along rice fields, and through jungle areas. Then they take you to a less-visited section of the Tegalalang Rice Fields.
You’ll get all the beauty of Bali, without so many tourists!
How to Get to the Tegalalang Rice Field
It’s easy to go to Tegalalang independently, especially if you’re already in Ubud.
The Tegalalang Rice Fields are roughly 9 km from the centre of Ubud, and the drive takes 20–30 minutes.
If you are in Denpasar or anywhere in southern Bali, the Tegalalang Rice Terrace is about 35 km away, and can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5+ hours to get there, depending on traffic.
By scooter
If you have a scooter this is an easy journey and the roads are well maintained. Just head out of Ubud on Jalan Raya Andong, which turns into Jalan Raya Tegalalang.
You’ll know when you get there because of the cluster of restaurants and cafes and all the tourists milling around!
Just make sure to read our guide before you get all excited about renting a scooter in Bali.
Hire a car and driver
You can also rent a car and driver to take you to the rice terrace. Daily rates for a car can run anywhere from 250K–600K IDR [$17–40 USD] depending on your bargaining skills. Ask around for a few quotes before you settle on a driver.
Tegalalang Rice Terrace map
Here’s a map of the exact location of the rice terraces.
How Much Time do You Need at the Tegalalang Rice Fields?
Allow about 10 minutes to find a place to park and wander along the busy street to the rice terrace entrance.
Once you’re inside, you can make your visit to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace as long or as short as you’d like.
We recommend at least 30 minutes if you just want to take a short walk and get a few good pictures.
If you really want to get the most from your experience, wander away from the entrance into parts of the terraces where most people don’t go. Give yourself 60–90 minutes for this mini-adventure.
Be prepared to walk on some challenging ground though — these are working rice terraces and the paths can be muddy and slick.
When is the Best Time to Go?
It’s best to go to Tegalalang early in the morning, before the tour busses and vans arrive. You can even go for sunrise to get the place mostly to yourself.
The Tegalalang Rice Terrace opening hours aren’t set in stone. This is Bali, so things like opening hours are casual. If you go anytime between sunrise and sunset, you’ll be able to visit the rice fields.
Tegalalang Rice Terrace Entrance Fee
In 2018 an official entrance fee was instituted for the Tegalalang rice field. When we visited in July 2018 the price was 10K IDR [$0.70 USD] per person, and there is a ticket booth in the parking lot.
On top of the entrance ticket you will have to pay a car parking fee of 5K IDR [$0.35 USD].
But that’s not all you will have to pay…
Once you start wandering the Ubud Tegalalang Rice Terrace and taking pictures, enterprising locals will ask you for donations.
You’ll also come across bamboo gates that block the path, where owners of individual terraces will ask you to pay a few IDR for them to open so you can continue on your way.
You can pay them anything from 1K–10K IDR [$0.07–$0.70] at each “donation point”. Unless you’re on a very strict budget, donate 10K IDR at each gate – yes, you can afford it!
The entire time we were there we ended up only donating 30K IDR, so all in all it’s not a lot of extra expense.
Pro Travel Tip: Make sure you bring small bills with you because they won’t offer you any change!
What to Bring to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces
The rice terraces are quite exposed to the sun, so make sure you bring:
- Your [refillable] water bottle
- A hat & sunglasses
- Sunscreen
To get the best photos you’ll also need:
- Your travel camera
- Small bills for
What to Avoid on Your Visit to Tegalalang
If you visit the Tegalalang Rice Terrace with a tour group or guide, it’s likely you’ll be taken to visit a coffee roaster on the way back to Ubud.
These touristy stops offer you free coffee tastings, as well as yet another opportunity to get on a giant swing and swing out over the valley below.
We stopped at one of these locations and were immediately face to face with two luwaks living in a small cage.
Luwaks, also known as civets, are famous these days for eating coffee beans and pooping them out. People roast the beans to make Kopi Luwak, or Luwak coffee. Once upon a time the luwaks did this naturally, in the wild.
These days they live in terrible conditions, packed into cages not too dissimilar to the way chickens are battery-farmed — and they are force-fed coffee beans.
The coffee shops that line the road back to Ubud are part of this awful industry and the people who shop there are supporting cruelty to luwaks.
Plus, the coffee is not very good!
If you want to try learn more about local coffee — and taste some truly delicious brew — we recommend a stop in Ubud instead.
Seniman Coffee
St. Sriwedari No 5, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia 80581
Third wave coffee is the term used to describe what happened in coffee consuming countries over the past 10 years.
At Seniman Coffee they are on the fourth wave – a speciality coffee roaster who is located in a coffee-producing country and works with local coffee beans.
Seniman is a great spot to sit and enjoy locally grown and roasted coffee.
Their coffee is top notch — and I don’t say that very often. They also offer tours of their roasters, do cuppings [coffee tastings], and will teach you how to make better coffee at home.
Where to Stay Near Tegalalang Rice Fields
If you’d like to spend a day or two near Tegalalang, to really soak up the beauty of the rice fields, then we recommend a stay at one of these properties.
Tunjung Putih Villa
This gorgeous property has rice field views and an outdoor pool for those hot Bali days. Accommodation is in private villas and there is a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook and meet your fellow travellers.
Padi Bali Ubud Eco Retreat
The bungalows at this eco retreat are in a stunning location amidst rice fields. With bamboo walls, wood floors, and panoramic glass walls, you’ll feel like you’re sleeping outside in the middle of nature [with a few more amenities!] Guests love this little paradise near the Tagalalang Rice Fields.
Uma Nandhi Natural Cottages
Kick back in your own bamboo bungalow, with grass roof and semi-outdoor bathroom. Another nature-lovers’ paradise, these cottages are perfect if you have an adventurous travel style and a tight budget. Plus, an exceptional breakfast will set you up for the day!
I hope you liked this quick guide to visiting the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. Though it’s not a vital part of your Bali itinerary, it can be a fun way to spend a few hours while learning about rice production. And, of course, it’s a good way to get some great travel photos!
♥ Happy mindful adventures, Jane & Stephen
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