Do The Campuhan Ridge Walk
When in Ubud there are many fantastic things to do. There are some really nice walks, be it through the village, through rice fields or just a beautiful nature walk. The Campuhan Ridge walk is definitely at the top of the list of must do walks when in Ubud. It is a beautiful walk which is filled with greenery and hills. It’s more of a jungle or forest walk so if you wanted to only see rice fields and terraces there are other walks you can do. We have been doing this walk every year since 2015, and although it gets busier each year, it’s still such a beautiful experience.
See our Ubud field guide to plan the best trip to Ubud.
Contents
Campuhan Ridge Walk Video
What To Expect
When To Go: What Is The Best Time To Visit The Campuhan Ridge Walk?
How Long Does It Take To Do The Campuhan Ridge Walk?
How To Get To The Campuhan Ridge Walk
Campuhan Ridge Walk Route Map
What To Bring
Campuhan Ridge Walk Video
What To Expect
This is a beautiful paved walk along the Campuhan Ridge. This walk definitely showcases the natural side to Ubud. Many trees and hills, the Campuhan Ridge Walk has the scenery of a jungle or forest rather than that of rice terraces and fields.
There are rice fields further along the walk near Karsa Kafe but there are other rice terraces and fields that require less walking to get to and are closer to Ubud centre like the Kajeng rice fields walk. There are also more impressive and popular rice terraces such as Tegalalang or Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (although Tegalalang has changed so much and become much more touristy, not quite the experience it once was).
Read More: The Best Walks In Ubud
When To Go: What Is The Best Time To Visit The Campuhan Ridge Walk?
We always try to start the walk as early as we can around sunrise. The walk is pretty exposed to the elements and gets hot quickly. Start between 6-7:30 in order not to melt too much. At this time you may also bump into a few locals on their morning walk before the sun rises. Unfortunately, the walk has become very popular so it is now much busier than when we first did it in 2015. So if you’d rather have a more peaceful walk, the earlier the better.
We recently did the walk just before sunset, and although it was quite hot when we started, it was actually a beautiful temperature by the end which is nice. Again, it was pretty busy but still enjoyable.
We probably wouldn’t recommend doing the Campuhan Ridge Walk in the afternoon or at night. During the day it’s most likely going to be pretty hot and less enjoyable, as there is not a lot of cover from the sun. And at night there is no lighting so you would miss all the beauty and it would make it a lot harder to do.
So when is the best time to do the Campuhan Ridge Walk? Either early morning or late afternoon, sunrise or sunset is when to do the Campuhan Ridge Walk.
Read More: Our Ubud Field Guide
How Long Does It Take To Do The Campuhan Ridge Walk?
Campuhan Ridge Walk Timings And Distance
From the Warwick Ibah to the end of the Ridge is about 20 – 25 minutes one direction if you are walking without stopping. You can walk further to Karsa Kafe and other warungs in the area which will take another 5 – 10 minutes. Obviously, you will need to double these times as you need to turn back to get back to the beginning. And if you stop to take it all in or take photos, it may take a fair bit longer. So to add the walk into your day, you should expect to need 1 to 2 hours.
So how far is the Campuhan Ridge Walk? We used an app on our last walk to time the distance, and we got 1.22 km from the Warwick Ibah to the end of the ridge itself, one direction. So with the return trip, you are looking at about 2.5km, more if you walk further to Karsa Kafe.
Is There A Loop Walk?
You might be wondering, as we did, if there is a loop walk you can do rather then having to double back. The simple answer is no. However, technically you can continue on the walk until you come to the road Jalan RSI Markandya II, just before Jungle Fish, and turn left onto this road. Then you follow this around until you can turn left onto Jalan Raya Sanggingan. You then follow this road until it turns into Jalan Raya Ubud and it will take you back past the start of the walk. But this will take a lot longer then if you were to double back. According to Google Maps, doing this loop would be 1 hour 40 minutes and 7.7 km.
How to Get To The Campuhan Ridge Walk
Obviously this will depend on where you are staying in Ubud. If you are staying in Ubud Village you can just walk to the start of the Campuhan Ridge Walk at the Warwick Ibah and continue. But if you are staying in the outskirts of Ubud, you can park your scooter in the parking just down the hill from the Warwick Ibah sign.
Here are the walking directions. Let’s start from the Ubud Traditional Markets on the Corner of Jl. Monkey Forest and Jl. Raya Ubud. Head towards the bridge or Warwick Ibah.
From the markets, you walk along Jalan Raya Ubud past Saraswati Temple direction and you walk here (photo below). Once you walk through the section below, you are almost at your turnoff.
Just before the bridge, you will see signs to the Warwick IBAH villas and spa.
Turn into that driveway area and you will see another IBAH sign at a fork in the road. Below the IBAH sign, you will see a small sign saying “Going To The Hill” and you will see an arrow telling you to Go Left.
At the bottom of the hill, you will get to a bridge and stairs. The first time we did this walk there was no sign but now it’s easy to know where to go. You will see the sign saying “This Way Trekking Campuhan Ridge ‘Karsa Kafe’ 2 Kilometres” Head right down the stairs.
From here you will walk around the walls of the Pura Gunung Lebah Temple, a great example of how beautiful Balinese Temples are.
Your last turn until you’re in the clear and cruising along the Campuhan Ridge Walk now has a sign and a fence. Basically, as you follow the Temple around you will be given the choice of following the temple (now with a fence/gate) or heading off to the right. Head off to the Right to begin this great walk in Ubud.
By the time you get to the ‘end’ you will most likely be parched and in need of a refresh. The ‘Karsa Kafe‘ which all the signs refer to is actually quite a nice setting for exactly that. We enjoyed a juice in one of the huts out in the ponds, filled with Lotus Flowers. We did not try their food but it was quite nice to get the feet up and cool down after the walk and prepare for the walk back.
Karsa Kafe or 5 mins past is a good point to collect yourself and either stop or head back. There are now a few other places to eat around Karsa Kafe too. We have also heard that you can get a local driver to take you to Karsa Kafe, so you can just walk the one direction of the Campuhan Ridge Walk back to Ubud. This would be a great option if you are doing the walk with kids.
One of my favourite views of the Campuhan Ridge Walk Ubud is on the walk back…
Campuhan Ridge Walk Route Map
What To Bring
There are places to buy food and drink at the beginning and end of the Campuhan Ridge Walk, and there is now one small place to buy drinks along the way. But we would still definitely recommend bringing a water bottle, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and insect repellent on your walk with you, as it can be pretty exposed to the elements. Of course, you can bring a camera as well. As for footwear, we like wearing joggers, but it’s definitely doable with flip-flops too. Take a look at our favourite things to pack for Bali here.
The Campuhan Ridge walk is, in our opinion, a must-do if you enjoy an early morning or late afternoon walk, or just want to see another beautiful side of nature in Ubud & Bali.
This amazing walk is one of the few walks we show you guys (with a map) in our Ubud Field Guide. You can find out more about our Ubud Field Guide here, and our other Bali travel guides here.
Read More:
Ubud Accommodation Guide: Where To Stay In Ubud Bali
Ubud Monkey Forest Bali: Things To Know Before You Go
Best Coffee In Ubud Bali: 14 Best Coffee Shops + Cafes
What Did You Think Of The Campuhan Ridge Walk? Let Us Know In The Comments…
This post was originally posted on February 1st, 2016 and last updated on March 5th, 2020.
