Driver, no guide
Car and driver
Route is yours
- Pricefrom $40
- Limit3 or 5 per car
- LanguageEnglish
Group total, from
Ubud private tour guides: driver, guide or both
One-line answer
Ubud private tour guides come in three forms: a car with an English-speaking driver, a live guide, or a full private day with both, and the listed starting prices differ widely.
Booking checks list
- The Bali governor's circular says tourists must be accompanied by certified guides at cultural or natural sites1
- One charter's car takes 3 people with luggage or 5 without
- Confirm whether a price is per traveler or per vehicle
Line up 4 days
What a private day costs your group
Choose a day type and how many travel, and the starting price appears; the unit is confirmed at checkout.
- The site's private day10 hours, lunch · apiece, from $59
≈
View - Customized dayUp to 5 stops · apiece, from $16
≈
View - Guided semi-custom day5 to 8 hours out · apiece, from $23
≈
View - Car and driver6 to 10 hours out · apiece, from $40
≈
View
Prices are the lowest listed ones, converted with the ECB's rate of the day; for the exact figure, open the booking page.
Ubud private tour guides come in three shapes: a driver with a car, a live guide, or one private day that bundles both. This guide sets the listings side by side, with their limits, languages and prices.
Editorial team, ubuddaytour.quest · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time: about 6 minutes
The short version of the day
- Three jobsA driver with a car, a live guide, or a private day that includes both.
- LicensingThe governor's circular says certified guides at cultural and natural sites.1
- Our featured dayTen hours, lunch, a guide in English, groups up to 15.
- Car limitsOne charter's car seats 3 with bags or 5 without.
- Spread of pricesListed from $13 to $59; the unit differs.
A driver, a guide or both: three different jobs
People who search for Ubud private tour guides land on three different products. The first is a car charter: a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver for 6 to 10 hours, listed from $40, where a driver rather than a guide is the person you travel with. The second is a guided day: a live guide in English, Indonesian and Korean who leads a half or full day, listed from $23.
The third is the full private day this site sells: 10 hours with lunch, a live guide in English and a maximum group size of 15, listed from $59 with 9,225 reviews rated 4.98. Its provider is listed as Hire Bali Driver. A customized private tour sits between the first two: a car for up to 5 guests, an English-speaking driver and a live guide in English, listed from $16.
Which job you need depends on what you want from the day. A driver gives you a vehicle and a route you set. A guide gives you explanation at each stop, which matters at a temple where customs apply, such as the kamen and shawl required before the pool at Tirta Empul.2 When one listing sells both in a single booking, read its languages line before its price line.
Six kinds of day
Who goes with you, in which language, within what limit
| Kind of day | Who leads | Languages | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| The site's private day | Guide on the day | English | Groups to 15 |
| Customized private day | Driver plus guide | English | Room for five guests, no more |
| Semi-customized day | Guide on the day | English, Indonesian, Korean | 3 or 5 places |
| Chartered car | Driver | English | 3 or 5 per car |
| All-inclusive private | Guide on the day | English and Indonesian | No one else added |
| Photographer's day | Guide with a photographer | English and Indonesian | Two packages |
Each row restates one listing's own limits; the lines are written from the listings' labels.
What the Bali circular says about licensed guides
Governor Wayan Koster's Circular Letter Number 7 of 2025, announced on March 24, 2025, sets guidelines for foreign tourists on the island.3 One of its points concerns guides: when exploring cultural or natural sites, tourists must be accompanied by certified guides who understand local traditions and natural conditions.1 The text sits on the Bali Provincial Tourism Office's site, and it is the one official statement about guides that this page can quote.
The same circular asks tourists to respect sacred sites, to wear modest and respectful clothing at temples and attractions, and to pay the tourist levy electronically.4 A guide who knows the customs makes those points concrete. At Goa Gajah, for example, visitors must wear a sarong and sash, which can be rented on site, and a guide can tell you that before you reach the gate.5
The circular does not describe how a traveler can check a guide's certificate. The practical step is therefore a question to the operator before you pay: how is the guide certified, and can the guide show it on the day? Australia's travel advice adds that tour operators and adventure providers in Indonesia may not meet Australian safety or maintenance standards, so providers are worth researching with care.6
From-prices lined up
What eight private and guided days start at
- The 9-hour day$13
- Low-priced private$14
- Customized day$16
- A day with a guide$23
- Chartered car$40
- Photographer's day$46
- All-inclusive$49
- The site's day$59
Starting prices from the listings; whether a price covers one traveler or a vehicle differs by listing.
Group size and vehicle limits in the listings
On one charter the car seats 3 passengers with luggage or 5 with none, and the van seats 8 with luggage or 14 with none. A full-day charter is a maximum of 10 hours and a half-day a maximum of 6 hours. The same listing names extra per-car charges for pickups far from its base, so a hotel on the far side of the island changes the total.
The customized private tour carries up to 5 guests in an air-conditioned vehicle and lets you pick up to 5 stops, and the listing says guests may visit 4 to 5 attractions depending on distance and traffic. The semi-customized guided tour lets you choose up to 3 destinations for a half day or 5 for a full day. The site tour's group is capped at 15.
One all-inclusive private listing states that no other guests are added to your booking. Others say a private group is available, which leaves a shared option on the same page, so confirm at checkout that the private Ubud tour you pick is really the private option. A private group of 2 and a private group of 15 pay very different amounts for the same ride, which is why the unit matters more than the headline price.
Match the day to the need
Which kind of help fits your trip?
Start from what you want the person beside you to do.
If I want a car and quiet
A car charter
It lists a driver, not a guide, and a car for up to 5 without luggage.
If I want explaining at every stop
One live guide
The day we feature has an English-speaking live guide for all 7 stops.
If I want to pick the stops
A customized day
It takes up to 5 stops chosen by you.
If I want nobody else on board
An all-inclusive private day
The listing says no other guests are added.
If I want photos of us
The photo tour
It pairs a guide with a professional photographer.
Three ways to travel
A driver, a guide, or a private bubble
Guided
Guide and car
Pick 3 or 5 places
- Pricefrom $23
- Length5 to 8 hours out
- LanguageEnglish, Indonesian, Korean
Private
Nobody else aboard
Nobody else joins your group
- Pricefrom $49
- Length8 to 10 hours out
- LanguageEnglish and Indonesian
Prices side by side, and the extras they leave out
Starting prices run wide, and a low number is not a verdict on the day. A private tour with a live guide in English, French and Dutch is listed from $14 and a nine-hour full-day tour from $13, while the car charter is listed from $40, the all-inclusive private tour from $49 and the photo tour from $46. The site's own day is listed from $59.
The unit behind each number differs, and listings often leave it unsaid: a price may stand for one traveler or a whole vehicle. The site tour's listing does not state which, so confirm the unit at checkout before you compare it with any other. The photo tour comes in two packages, and the Standard package does not include entrance tickets while the Premium package does.
Ratings put the prices in context. The car charter has 933 reviews rated 4.87, the customized private tour has 1,175 reviews rated 4.95, and the semi-customized guided tour has 365 reviews rated 4.85. The site tour has 9,225 reviews rated 4.98. A review count measures the size of the evidence, not a promise about the guide you will get, so read the languages and limits too.
From booking to return
How a private day unfolds
At checkout time
Choose the kind of day
Driver, guide or both: the languages line of the listing tells you which.
A day or more ahead
Free exit if plans shift
The site tour allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a full refund.
Start of the day
Meet your driver or guide
The site tour's guide speaks English and the group is capped at 15.
Between the stops
Follow the listed times
Seven stops carry listed times of 30 to 60 minutes each.
The last hour
Settle tips and extras
Ask at the start which extras the booking does not cover, so none is a surprise at the end.
Languages a guide can lead in
The site tour's live guide speaks English. The customized private tour lists English as well. The low-priced private day lists English, French and Dutch. Others list English and Indonesian, and one adds Korean; a half-day listing names English, Malay, Indonesian and Korean. The line is a label on the listing rather than a promise about every guide, so ask which language the explanations will be given in before you pay.
A language line is the language of the live guide or host in that product, and a driver-only listing says Driver: English, which is a different job from a guide. If your party needs another language, look at the booking page's option list rather than the title, because a listing can sell several options under one name, and the option you pick may differ from the one in the headline. Message the operator in your own language if the page leaves any doubt.
Photographers are a third kind of helper. A private photo tour pairs a guide with a professional photographer, in English and Indonesian, listed from $46 for 6 to 10 hours. It suits a couple or a family that wants the terraces and the swing recorded, and it is a different purchase from a general guide. Ask how the hours are split between stops before you book one for a tight schedule.
Video
What to see around Ubud with a car charter, driver or guide
Bali With Krisna on YouTube · YouTube loads only after you press play.
When exploring cultural or natural sites, tourists must be accompanied by certified guides who understand local traditions and natural conditions
First, ask
What to Take it up with the tour operator
Ask about the guide3
- How is the guide certified, and can they show it?
- Which language will the guide use all day?
- Is the guide with us at every stop?
Ask about the price4
- Is the price per traveler or per vehicle?
- Which entrance tickets are in it?
- What does a far pickup add?
- Is the swing fee part of it?
Keep your options2
- Choose free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Compare two listings with the same stops
Is a guide worth having here at all?
Within the town, feet, a rented bicycle or a motorbike all work, but the ground is hilly.7 The terraces at Tegallalang are a short 20-minute drive north of Ubud, or about a two-hour walk.8 That is the gap a driver fills: the town is walkable, the circuit around it is not. A driver also keeps the order of stops in your hands, which matters when a stop runs long or the weather turns.
Street-hailed taxis carry a risk. Australia's travel advice says scams and overcharging occur, and it recommends licensed, metered taxis from official ranks, by phone, through your hotel or reputable rideshare apps.9,10 Driving yourself needs a valid international or national driver's license, and a helmet on a motorbike, under the governor's circular.11
A guided private day removes those choices and puts a person beside you who can say what each stop is. For a first visit, the 10-hour day this site sells gives you 7 listed stops with their times; for a return visit, a customized day with 5 chosen stops may suit better. The calculator above prices both for your group at their starting rates.
FAQ
Short questions, short replies.
How much does a private tour guide in Ubud cost?
From $13 to $59 in the listings read.
Units differ between listings, so the checkout shows the real total for your group.
Do tour guides in Ubud need a license?
The circular says certified guides.
The governor's circular says tourists must be accompanied by certified guides at cultural or natural sites.1
How many people fit in a private car in Bali?
3 with luggage, 5 without.
That is the car of one charter listing; its van seats 8 with bags or 14 without.
Is the day tour this site sells private?
Yes, your group has the guide and car to itself.
The listing describes a 10-hour private tour with lunch and a maximum group size of 15.
Which languages do Ubud guides speak?
English, often with Indonesian.
Some listings add French, Dutch, Korean or Malay; the site tour's guide speaks English.
Can I choose my own stops on a private tour?
Yes, on customized tours.
One tour takes up to 5 stops, and another lets you pick up to 3 or 5 destinations.
Should I hire a driver or hail a taxi?
A booked driver, not a street taxi.
Australia's travel advice says scams and overcharging occur with street-hailed taxis.9
Sources
- Bali Provincial Tourism Office (disparda.baliprov.go.id) · Bali Cracks Down on Unruly Tourists: Governor Koster Issues New Regulations ↩
- Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism) · Pura Tirta Empul ↩
- Bali Provincial Tourism Office (disparda.baliprov.go.id) · Bali Cracks Down on Unruly Tourists: Governor Koster Issues New Regulations ↩
- Bali Provincial Tourism Office (disparda.baliprov.go.id) · Bali Cracks Down on Unruly Tourists: Governor Koster Issues New Regulations ↩
- Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Enchanting Gems of Ubud, Bali: Top 10 Must-Experience Spots ↩
- Smartraveller, Australian Government · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · How about a holiday in Ubud? Catch a glimpse here! ↩
- Indonesia.Travel (Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia) · Tegallalang Rice Terrace: green steps above Ubud ↩
- Smartraveller, Australian Government · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller, Australian Government · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Bali Provincial Tourism Office (disparda.baliprov.go.id) · Bali Cracks Down on Unruly Tourists: Governor Koster Issues New Regulations ↩
Keep reading