Ubud: Tour Monkey Forest, Goa Gajah, Balinese Puppet Museum

Explore Ubud's Monkey Forest, the Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets, and the Archaeological Museum on a day trip. Visit the Temple Yeh Pulu and Goa Gajah, and enjoy a local lunch.
Begin your day with a pick up from your hotel or villa and and enter the shady Ubud Monkey Forest. As morning light filters through towering banyan trees, stroll down moss-covered pathways where playful monkeys leap gracefully between stone ruins and sacred temples.

From the quiet rustle of the forest, step into the Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets in Sukawati. Set within tranquil traditional Javanese wooden houses surrounded by lush gardens, the museum displays an extraordinary collection of over 1,300 masks and 5,700 puppets from across the archipelago and beyond.

Be amazed by intricate Balinese dance masks, wayang kulit (shadow puppets crafted from buffalo leather), and three-dimensional wayang golek (wooden rod puppets) portraying legendary tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

When midday arrives, pause to savor the island’s legendary flavors. Your driver will lead you to a handpicked local eatery nestled along the day’s scenic route, where you can unwind over authentic Balinese cuisine at your own pace (meals are at your own expense).

Visit the Archaeological Museum (Gedong Arca) located in Bedulu, Gianyar. It's a tranquil, open-air cultural site set amidst lush gardens. A tour through its pavilions takes about 20 to 40 minutes, offering a glimpse into ancient and prehistoric Balinese history. The collection features prehistoric stone sarcophagi, Paleolithic tools and blades, Old Javanese inscriptions, ancient Chinese coins, and stone carvings of Hindu deities dating from the 8th to 13th centuries. On-site museum staff are known for being exceptionally welcoming, often guiding visitors through the exhibits to share context on local heritage.

Discover Temple Yeh Pulu, a peaceful walk through an archaeological site surrounded by rice fields featuring a 25-meter-long cliff-face rock carving.

Visit Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave), an extraordinary 9th-century archaeological site set within a lush, misty valley. The centerpiece is its iconic cave mouth— a menacing face carved directly into the rock face with giant wide eyes and a wide, gaping mouth that forms the entrance to a T-shaped inner cavern housing ancient Hindu shrines. Outside the main cave, you will find large stone-carved bathing pools lined with statues of water spouting angels (apsaras), as well as serene, jungle-covered stone pathways leading down into the surrounding ravine.

Beyond its primary Hindu shrines, the southern grounds of Goa Gajah feature a distinct, quiet Buddhist section. Down by the river and ravine, you can explore ruins containing ancient stone stupas and carved relief fragments of Buddha.

This tour is ideal for family and friends, and expats who want to learn more about their adopted island paradise.

• Culture & Storytelling Enthusiasts
• Photographers & Artists
• First-Time Visitors
• History & Archeology Lovers

Sit back and relax during your scenic ride home. We look forward to sharing our beautiful island with you!

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.