The Tegalalang Rice Terrace, an agricultural icon on the cliffs of a traditional Balinese village, make for an ideal place to spend a morning or afternoon absorbing the natural peace of remote island life. Many guided day tours from Ubud include a visit to the rice terrace along with stops at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud Palace, Balinese temples, the Ubud craft villages, Sekumpul Waterfall, a coffee plantation, or the active volcanic landscape of Kintamani.
The Tegalalang Rice Terrace is a must-see for photographers and first-time visitors to Bali.
Don’t forget to bring sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water—Bali can get quite hot and humid.
A full-day tour that visits a number of sites from Ubud can last upwards of 10 hours.
If not visiting the terraces with a tour guide, one of the best ways to get there is by scooter. It is about a 25-minute drive from Ubud, and parking can be found right on the edge of the fields.
If you want to snap some photos of the rice paddies without other visitors getting in the way, plan to visit first thing in the morning. The terraces are often at their most beautiful just after planting, when the small green shoots are just emerging from the glassy pools.
Near Tegalalang you will find a small café and several souvenir shops, including villagers selling hats made from woven coconut leaves. You can purchase wooden carvings from the nearby village of Pakudui.