Locate the spot

Ubud Monkey Forest: the sanctuary's own rules, hours and temples

One-line answer

The Ubud Monkey Forest is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with the last entrance at 5:00 PM, and the sanctuary lists an adult fee of IDR 130,000.

Fee and troop

  • Child fee is IDR 100,0001
  • About 1,054 macaques in 7 groups2
  • No food or drinks inside5

Show all 17 Ubud stops on the map

Palace, forest, ridge, terraces and springs around Ubud

Choose a map view, then press a pin or a place name for its note and a Google Maps link.

Map of central Ubud with the Monkey Forest sanctuary, Ubud Palace, the art market, Pura Taman Saraswati, Museum Puri Lukisan, Campuhan Ridge Walk and Puri Agung Peliatan

  1. Open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, last entrance 5:00 PM, with an adult fee of IDR 130,000.

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  2. The official residence of the Ubud royal family, where traditional dance is often held in the courtyard at night.

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  3. Sells Balinese souvenirs, handicrafts, jewelry and clothing, and prices are often negotiable.

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  4. Known for the lotus pond at the front of the temple; listed as free, open 07.00 to 17.00 WITA.

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  5. Called the oldest art museum in Bali, established in 1956.

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  6. A free path open 24 hours, about 15 to 20 minutes to the peak over 2 kilometers.

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  7. A palace founded in the 17th century that often hosts Legong and gamelan.

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The Ubud Monkey Forest is a nature reserve, a temple complex and a village asset in one. This guide reads its official pages for hours, tickets, house rules and the troops.

Editorial team, ubuddaytour.quest · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time: about 9 minutes

The short version of the day

  • HoursDaily 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with entry closing at 5:00 PM.1
  • Gate priceAn adult pays IDR 130,000 and a child IDR 100,000, per the sanctuary.1
  • Troop sizeThe sanctuary counts about 1,054 macaques in 7 groups.2
  • Temples3 temples stand inside, and they are for prayer only.3,4
  • Food ruleFood and drinks are prohibited inside; keep snacks zipped in a bag.5

A 12.5-hectare forest with a village behind it

The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary stands on Jalan Monkey Forest in Padangtegal, in the middle of Ubud, and visitors enter through a lobby that handles ticketing and information.6 The sanctuary puts the forest at around 12.5 hectares.7 That is a small patch of land to cross on foot, yet it behaves like a full ecosystem, with banyan roots over the paths, moss on the statues and a canopy that cools the walkways.

Trees are part of the story. The sanctuary says it worked with Udayana University in Denpasar to identify 115 separate species of trees, while its visit page counts 186 species in the same forest.8,9 The two pages do not explain the gap. Read both numbers as a long list of tree species, and expect a dense canopy rather than a tidy park. Wide roots and hanging vines are the visual signature of the place, and they make the shaded paths feel old.

The forest is not an old, untouched block either. The sanctuary says a new forest was established in the 1990s to give the growing monkey population more space.10 When you walk the far edges you may be standing in that planted extension. The village treats the whole site as a spiritual, economic, educational and conservation center, a view the visit page states in its own words.11 Walk it slowly and you will notice the difference between mature trunks near the temples and younger growth at the edges.

Past the lobby

The three temples at a glance

TempleWhereWhat it is for
Principal templeSouthwestWorship of Shiva, the Transformer
Holy Spring (Beji)NorthwestPurification before ceremonies; melukat
PrajapatiNortheastCremation temple beside the cemetery

Positions and purposes are the sanctuary's own descriptions on its visit page; every one of them is for prayer only.19,20,4

How many monkeys? Counts that do not match

Ask how many macaques live here and you get different answers, even from official pages. The sanctuary's FAQ says approximately 1,054 monkeys, divided into 7 groups named Cemetery, Central, Michelin, East, Temple, South and New Forest.2 Its home page says over 1054 long-tailed macaques, and its visit page says around 1,030.13,9 Those three sit close together, and a troop of this kind will never hold still at one number.

The tourism ministry's pages give very different figures. One Indonesia.Travel article says around 340 long-tailed macaques, and another says some 700.14,15 Neither gives a date or a counting method. The chart below sets the counts side by side so you can see the spread; quote the sanctuary's own 1,054, the figure that comes with a breakdown by group.2 Treat any figure as a snapshot of a moving population, because births and group movements change the picture from year to year.

The sanctuary also describes what the animals are: Macaca fascicularis, the Balinese long-tailed macaque.16 Females average 2.5 to 5.7 kg and males 3.5 to 8 kg.17 The sanctuary lists the species as Endangered, most recently assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2022.18 A conservation label sits oddly beside a tourist photo stop, yet the two coexist here every day. Watching a mother carry an infant along a wall makes the Red List label feel concrete.

One troop, many numbers

How many macaques the pages claim

  • Ministry, one pageabout 340
  • Ministry, anothersome 700
  • Sanctuary visit pagearound 1,030
  • Sanctuary FAQabout 1,054

The two ministry figures and the two sanctuary figures come from different pages.14,15,9,2

Three temples you look at from the path

Inside the forest there are 3 temples: Pura Dalem, the Holy Water Temple and the Cremation Temple.3 The main temple stands in the southwest, where people worship Hyang Widhi as Shiva.23 The visit page places the Holy Spring Temple, also called Beji, in the northwest, where it is frequently used for melukat, spiritual and physical cleansing.19 The pale stone, moss and statues that line the approach are worth a slow look even though you stay outside the gates.

The third temple, Prajapati, stands in the northeast next to the cemetery.24 The cemetery is used temporarily as a waiting place until the mass cremation that is held every 5 years.20 The sanctuary's culture page describes the cremation ceremony as Ngaben, and repeats the five-year rhythm.25 If you visit in a year when preparations are under way, expect villagers rather than tourists to be the main business of the day.

You cannot walk into any of them. The sanctuary's FAQ says the temples are only for prayer in the Balinese traditional way.4 Dress as if you were visiting a place of worship: revealing clothing is discouraged in this sacred area.26 By the sanctuary's reckoning the temples were built in the 14th century, some 600 to 700 years back.27 A good plan is to treat the forest as one long approach to places you admire from the outside. The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud asks you to treat all three as places of worship, not as scenery.

Matching you to the forest

Pick the visit that fits your hours

Match the way you like to travel with what the sanctuary and listings state.

  • If I want music with the monkeys

    A Saturday or Sunday

    Dance runs at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM on both days.12

  • If I only have the late afternoon

    Get in before 5:00 PM

    The last entrance is at 5:00 PM and the gate closes at 6:00 PM.1

  • If I am worried about the monkeys

    Go with a guide or read the rules

    The sanctuary says to avoid eye contact and never feed them.21,22

  • If I want the forest plus other Ubud stops

    Take the full-day private tour

    Its stops run in order, with the forest first at 60 minutes.

  • If I want only the forest

    A ticket and guided walk

    That listing gives the forest 1 hour and starts from $16.

Three ways to do the forest

A tour, a day trip or a guided ticket

Our own full day

The full Ubud day

Forest is stop 1 of 7

  • Time in forest60 minutes allotted
  • Pricefrom $59
  • Rating4.98
Three side by side

Longer private day

The forest and a waterfall

Private option offered

  • Time in forestRoughly 1 hour on the stop
  • Pricefrom $20
  • Rating4.92
Three side by side

Shortest

Ticket and guided walk

Forest only

  • Time in forestRoughly 1 hour on the stop
  • Pricefrom $16
  • Rating4.85
Three side by side

House rules for keeping your sunglasses

Start with the monkeys' side of the bargain. The sanctuary asks you not to touch them or try to pick them up, to keep a respectful distance, and not to feed or interact with them unless a trained staff member is supervising.22 Looking a monkey straight in the eyes may be read as a sign of aggression, so look at the tree beside it instead.21 These are not pets: the sanctuary calls them a large group of long-tailed macaques living in a semi-wild environment, not domesticated pets.45

Food is the usual trigger. Visitors may not carry food or drink into the forest, the monkeys may grab anything edible, and whatever you carry should stay zipped in your bags.5 The same page warns that small objects such as toys, jewellery, beads or anything resembling peanuts draw the animals, and that they should stay out of sight.46 Sunglasses on your head and a water bottle in a net pocket are the classic donations.

If a monkey jumps on you, the guidance is to stay calm and walk slowly; it will likely move on after a moment.47 The Indonesia.Travel guide to Ubud adds the same advice from outside: secure your belongings from the monkeys' reach.48 Finally, the sanctuary asks everyone not to bring plastic into the forest.49 Leave the carrier bag at the hotel and bring one small zipped bag. Keep your hands low and your bag closed, and let the animal lose interest by itself rather than waving it off.

The forest hour by hour

A visit that fits inside the opening times

  1. Opens 9:00 AM

    Forest gates open

    The sanctuary lists 9:00 AM as opening time.1

  2. Dance 11:00 AM

    Weekend dance, first slot

    On Saturday and Sunday the open stage runs a performance at 11:00 AM.12

  3. An hour or so

    A typical stop on a tour

    The site's day tour lists 60 minutes at the Sacred Monkey Forest.

  4. Dance 4:00 PM

    Weekend dance, second slot

    A second weekend performance starts at 4:00 PM on the open stage.12

  5. Last entry 5:00 PM

    Last entrance

    Nobody is admitted after 5:00 PM, one hour before closing.1

  6. Closes 6:00 PM

    Gates shut

    The sanctuary closes at 6:00 PM.1

The weekend dance and the monkey diet

Saturday and Sunday add a stage show. On its open stage the sanctuary puts on Balinese dance each Saturday and Sunday, at 11:00 AM and again at 4:00 PM.12 The culture page names the Lubdaka dance for Saturday and the Frog Dance, Tari Katak, for Sunday, each at 11 am and 4 pm.50,51,52 Build your visit around one of those slots if you want music with the monkeys. Arrive a little early to find a seat near the stage, and expect the paths to be livelier around those times than on a quiet weekday.

Feeding time is a quiet part of the day that visitors rarely plan for. Per the sanctuary the staple is sweet potato, handed out at least 9 times daily, and banana, papaya leaf, corn, cucumber, coconut and other local fruit join it each day.53 The animals are fed on a schedule, and you have no reason to offer anything yourself. Peanuts are expressly out; the FAQ says feeding them is forbidden for the monkeys' health.54

The sanctuary also keeps facilities for the animals: an animal clinic sits alongside the first aid clinic, exhibition room and open stage.55 That list is worth reading before you decide how much time to give the place. It describes a managed reserve with infrastructure rather than a wild trail, and the managed feel is part of why a short, calm visit works well. Knowing that staff and clinics are on site is reassuring if a child gets a scratch or a monkey needs attention.

Video

Ubud and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

NowGetThere Travel on YouTube · YouTube loads only after you press play.

Do not touch the monkeys or try to pick them up. Always keep a respectful distance
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website)22

Packed for the macaques

Gear and manners for the forest

Stays in your room3

  • Food, drinks, plastic bags and loose snacks
  • Toys, beads and small shiny things in view
  • Sunglasses perched on your head

Bring in a zipped bag4

  • A small zipped bag for phone and keys
  • Light clothes for a humid forest
  • Rupiah cash for the lobby ticket
  • Shoes that grip a wet stone path

While on the trail4

  • Keep your distance and do not touch
  • Look away from a monkey's eyes
  • Walk slowly if one climbs on you
  • Admire the temples from outside

Hours, ticket and what the lobby sells

Its page gives the opening hours as 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and no one is admitted after 5:00 PM.1 On the same page an adult ticket is IDR 130,000 and a child's is IDR 100,000.1 Those are the sanctuary's own figures in rupiah, and this page does not convert them. Check the lobby board on the day; fees can change. A morning arrival gives the cooler air, softer light and quieter paths that make the walk pleasant, and it leaves room for a second stop afterwards.

The lobby is where you buy the ticket, collect information and, if you wish, buy souvenirs; the sanctuary's page also mentions the Wenara cafe in the lobby, serving drinks, coffee and snacks.56 Build in time at the lobby on busy mornings. The ticket itself carries tips, and the listing for one guided tour asks visitors to read the tips on the entry ticket before going in. Keep the ticket handy, since it carries the same short list of dos and don'ts that the sanctuary prints on its website.

Humidity is another planning point. One guided-tour listing says the sanctuary can reach 97 percent humidity, so dress as comfortably as possible. Wear light fabric, shoes that grip a wet path, and keep a spare layer in your bag. The forest closes at 6:00 PM and the last entrance is at 5:00 PM, which leaves late arrivals a short window to walk through.1 Showers can sweep through the forest, so a light rain layer weighs less than the regret of being soaked on an hour-long walk. In short, the Monkey Forest, Ubud, is a ticketed sanctuary with posted hours and posted rules.

How much of an Ubud day the forest deserves

Tours give the forest an hour or a bit more. The site's own Viator day tour lists the Sacred Monkey Forest as its first stop at 60 minutes, followed by Tegalalang rice terrace and a jungle restaurant with a swing. A GetYourGuide full-day listing gives the sanctuary 75 minutes, and a guided ticket listing gives it 1 hour. An hour is a workable length for the walk, the temples from outside and a sit by the pond.

The forest also pairs naturally with the rest of Ubud on foot. Indonesia.Travel suggests exploring the Tegalalang rice fields early in the morning and then heading to the Monkey Forest.57 The other half of the central circuit, the palace, the art market and the Saraswati temple, is a short stroll from here, which the map lays out. The pairing works well because the forest is shaded and the terraces are open, so one half of the morning cools you for the other.

If you book a day with a driver, ask for the forest at a quiet hour: opening time, or the last two hours of the day. The site's day tour is described as a private tour with a maximum group size of 15, and it costs from $59. If you only want the forest, a ticket and guided-walk listing starts from $16. The comparison cards below set the options out. Tell your driver the hour you prefer and ask them to plan around it.

FAQ

Short questions, short replies.

What are the Ubud Monkey Forest opening hours?
Open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Doors open at 9:00 AM and shut at 6:00 PM; nobody is let in after 5:00 PM.1

How much does Ubud Monkey Forest cost?
Adults pay IDR 130,000.

A child's ticket is IDR 100,000 against IDR 130,000 for an adult, per the sanctuary.1

How many monkeys live in the Monkey Forest?
About 1,054, says the sanctuary.

Its FAQ says approximately 1,054 in 7 groups; the ministry's pages say around 340 and some 700.2,14,15

Can I take food into the Monkey Forest?
No, it is prohibited.

The sanctuary prohibits food and drinks inside, and monkeys may grab anything edible.5

Can visitors go inside the temples?
No, they are for prayer only.

The sanctuary says the temples are only for prayer in the Balinese traditional way.4

What should I do if a monkey jumps on me?
Stay calm and walk slowly.

The sanctuary says not to panic or run; the monkey will likely move on after a moment.47

Is there a show at the Monkey Forest?
Yes, on Saturdays and Sundays.

Balinese dance performances run at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM on both days at the open stage.12

Sources

  1. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  2. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  3. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  4. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  5. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  6. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  7. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  8. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Background, purpose and protection work ↩
  9. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  10. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  11. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  12. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  13. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Home ↩
  14. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots ↩
  15. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · How about a holiday in Ubud? Catch a glimpse here! ↩
  16. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  17. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Long-Tailed Macaque ↩
  18. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Long-Tailed Macaque ↩
  19. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  20. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  21. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  22. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  23. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  24. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  25. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Balinese Culture ↩
  26. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  27. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  28. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Istana Ubud, official residence of the royal family (Indonesian text)
  29. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Istana Ubud, official residence of the royal family (Indonesian text)
  30. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots
  31. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · 8 Free Attractions in Bali for a More Affordable Getaway
  32. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Museum Puri Lukisan
  33. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Museum Puri Lukisan
  34. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · 8 Free Attractions in Bali for a More Affordable Getaway
  35. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots
  36. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Puri Agung Peliatan (Indonesian text)
  37. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Puri Agung Peliatan (Indonesian text)
  38. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots
  39. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Tegallalang Rice Terrace: green steps above Ubud
  40. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · 8 Free Attractions in Bali for a More Affordable Getaway
  41. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Tegallalang Rice Terrace: green steps above Ubud
  42. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots
  43. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots
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  45. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
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  48. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · How about a holiday in Ubud? Catch a glimpse here! ↩
  49. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
  50. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Balinese Culture ↩
  51. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Balinese Culture ↩
  52. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Balinese Culture ↩
  53. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Long-Tailed Macaque ↩
  54. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Guidelines & FAQ ↩
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  56. Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ubud (official website) · Hours and getting-there maps ↩
  57. Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · How about a holiday in Ubud? Catch a glimpse here! ↩

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