Ubud Palace & Ubud Art Market

Puri Saren Agung / Pasar Seni Ubud

The palace of the Ubud royal family and the handicraft market across the road form the heart of the town. Shop for batik and woodcarvings by day, haggling over prices, and watch Legong dance in the palace courtyard by night.

Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung) was built around 1800 and is still the residence of the Ubud royal family. It sits at the intersection of Jalan Raya Ubud and Monkey Forest Road, making it the geographic and cultural center of the town. The front courtyard and inner courtyards are open to visitors free of charge, where you can see traditional Balinese carved stone gateways, gilded wooden door panels, and pavilions. In the 1930s, German painter Walter Spies, with royal support, helped make Ubud a gathering place for artists. Every evening at 19:30, traditional Balinese dances, Legong and Barong performed in rotation, take place in the palace courtyard. The show lasts about 1.5 hours, and tickets cost IDR 100,000, sold at the venue or by street sellers. Arrive before 19:00 to secure front-row seats. Across the road is Pasar Seni Ubud (Ubud Art Market), rebuilt as a two-story building in 2021. Upstairs and in the surrounding alleys, you'll find batik fabric, rattan bags, woodcarvings, silver jewelry, incense, and sarongs. From 6 to 9 a.m., the ground floor is a local fruit and vegetable market, after which it becomes a tourist market. Bargaining usually starts at about one-third of the asking price. Nearby, you can walk to Pura Taman Saraswati (the Lotus Pond Temple, free to enter, with evening dance performances), as well as Ubud's galleries and cafés. Heading south along Monkey Forest Road takes about 15 minutes to reach the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, and walking west takes you to the Campuhan Ridge Walk for sunset (about 2 km). Visiting tips: stay in Ubud for 2–3 nights with the palace as your base. Spend the morning at the market and the Lotus Pond Temple, the late afternoon on the ridge walk, and the evening at the dance performance. Getting there: a hired car from Kuta or Seminyak takes about 1–1.5 hours. Grab works, but local drivers have a no-go zone in central Ubud, so your pickup point may be a short walk away. Tips: you can buy dance tickets in advance during the day. Watch your phone and wallet in the market, and parts of the palace close during royal events.

Ubud Palace & Ubud Art Market

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby