Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung): How to Enjoy It by Day and by Night

Directly across from Ubud Market stands Puri Saren Agung — a palace still inhabited by the extended royal family of Ubud. Most visitors stop for five minutes, photograph the carved gate, and move on. Yet enjoying it properly takes two visits in a single day: daytime for the free architecture, night-time for the dance.

Daytime: free, and worth slowing down for

The front courtyard is open to the public daily from around 08.00 to 18.00 with no entrance fee. The family's living quarters remain private, so respect the boundary markers.

• Arrive before 09.00 — the light is still soft and the tour buses have not landed.
• Look closely at the candi bentar split gate, the paras stone statues and the timber carving on the pavilions — much of it work by the legendary sculptor I Gusti Nyoman Lempad.
• Dress modestly with shoulders covered; sarongs can be rented nearby for around IDR 25,000–50,000.

Why this palace matters to Ubud

In the early 1900s, Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati opened the palace doors to foreign artists such as Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet. Those encounters produced the Pita Maha association and turned Ubud from a farming village into Bali's centre of art.

Night-time: dance in the palace courtyard

Every evening from 19.30 the courtyard becomes a stage with live gamelan, running about 1 to 1.5 hours. The repertoire rotates by day — Legong, Barong, the Ramayana Ballet and Legong Mahabharata. Tickets cost around IDR 100,000–150,000 per person.

• Buy at the ticket booth in front of the palace in the afternoon, or from official sellers on Jalan Raya Ubud — make sure the ticket is stamped.
• Arrive 18.45–19.00 if you want the first three rows: seats are unnumbered and first come, first served.
• Bring a fan and drinking water; the courtyard is open-air with no air conditioning.

Practical Info & Reservations

• Location: Jalan Raya Ubud, directly opposite Ubud Market — View on Google Maps
• Opening hours: courtyard daily around 08.00–18.00 (free); dance performances start at 19.30.
• Price range: entry free; dance tickets IDR 100,000–150,000 per person; car parking IDR 5,000–10,000, motorbikes free.
• How to get tickets: walk in at the palace booth from late afternoon, buy from official sellers on Jalan Raya Ubud, or book online via Traveloka/Klook.
• Access & parking: park near Ubud Market or Monkey Forest and walk 3–5 minutes; Jalan Raya Ubud is congested between 17.00 and 20.00.
• Instagram: search on Instagram

Staying near central Ubud makes this day-and-night plan far easier — compare and book your hotel voucher on AccessiaPass.