Set on Ubud’s main street, Jalan Raya Ubud, Museum Puri Lukisan is easy enough to visit independently—the collection is well-labeled and easy to navigate. The east building features classical Ubud art, including 16th-century cloth paintings, ink drawings by the master I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, and art by 1930s expats star in the north building. Colorful contemporary paintings adorn the west building, including works by Dutch-born Indonesian artist Arie Smit. The south building is mainly used for exhibitions.
Museum Puri Lukisan is a popular stop on Ubud coach tours. To get the most out of the gallery, though, it’s worth choosing a dedicated art or cultural tour.
Art buffs will appreciate Museum Puri Lukisan’s art bookshop, one of the best on Bali.
The gardens have rice fields and a lotus pond, while there is also a café and restaurant on-site.
With 500 years’ worth of art, this is one of the most comprehensive collections in Bali.
Set in the heart of downtown Ubud, the Puri Lukisan museum is walkable from most Ubud accommodations. The Kura-Kura Bus from Sanur stops literally at the door. Rather than brave the hectic traffic and limited parking in Ubud, many travelers from Kuta and south Bali choose to join a tour or hire a private driver for the day.
Open year-round, with the exception of the Nyepi "Day of Silence" holiday, Puri Lukisan Museum is generally best visited in the mornings. It’s a popular afternoon stop for large coach parties. As some of the charm is in the garden, it’s best visited on a dry day, which are more frequent during Bali’s dry season (roughly March to September).
From commercial art galleries to large-scale institutions and, of course, the traditional art market, Ubud is known as Bali’s art capital for a reason. The three Balinese art galleries that culturally minded visitors won’t want to miss are the Puri Lukisan Museum, the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), and the Neka Art Museum.