Ubud & Ayung River: White Water Rafting, Monkey Forest, Art Market

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.99 (166 reviews) 99% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/10

Duration8h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Ayung river rafting thrills plus ubud’s wild monkeys and colorful markets

You’ll paddle through Bali’s Ayung River rapids with a local guide, share lunch overlooking rice fields, wander Ubud’s sacred Monkey Forest with its cheeky residents, shop at the art market, and pause by Tegenungan Waterfall—all with pickup and entry fees sorted for you. Expect to laugh (and maybe shriek) more than once.

Step-by-step itinerary

Rafting and Ubud sightseeing

White water rafting on Ayung River
Visit Ubud Monkey Forest
Explore Ubud Art Market
See Ubud Palace from outside
Visit Tegenungan Waterfall

The Experience

“Don’t worry, just lean in—river will do the rest,” our rafting guide Wayan grinned as we fumbled with helmets near the muddy edge of the Ayung River. He’d clearly done this a thousand times. I could smell wet earth and something sweet from the jungle as we slid into the raft—honestly, my heart was pounding louder than the water. The first splash hit colder than I expected. My friend shrieked (I might’ve too), but after that first wild drop, it was just laughter echoing off mossy cliffs and Wayan shouting out which way to paddle. There were carvings along the rocks—he pointed them out between rapids, said they were hundreds of years old. I barely caught half his stories over the roar but that’s part of it.

Lunch after rafting tasted way better than it probably should’ve—rice, spicy chicken, vegetables, all warm and steamy while we dried off in the sun. Then we headed into Ubud itself. The Monkey Forest was next; honestly, I thought it’d be touristy but it’s kind of magical under those giant fig trees. Monkeys everywhere—one tried to grab my water bottle (no shame at all). Our local guide Komang knew every shortcut and temple; he stopped to show us how locals leave little offerings tucked into roots or on stone steps. There was incense in the air and these tiny yellow flowers everywhere—I still think about that mix of smells.

The Ubud Art Market was chaos in a good way: colors everywhere, women haggling over batik scarves, someone playing gamelan somewhere nearby. I tried bargaining for a carved mask—Komang gave me this look like “good luck” (I did not get a deal). We ended at Ubud Palace where kids were practicing dance moves in front of their parents—it felt like stumbling into someone’s family moment instead of a “site.” Tegenungan Waterfall was last; by then my legs were tired but standing above that green pool with mist on my face felt worth it. So yeah, if you want an actual day trip from Ubud that’s more than just ticking boxes…this is it.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Ubud or nearby areas, all entry fees for attractions like Monkey Forest and Tegenungan Waterfall, bottled water in the car to keep you cool between stops, all safety gear plus a professional rafting guide on the river, locker access for your things while you paddle, time to shower and change after rafting—and a buffet lunch before heading into town together.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Hire Bali Driver