Ubud offers an opportunity for some lush, scenic Bali countryside running. Run along trekking paths and past rice paddies, where there’s a combination of gentler and more challenging, hilly trail running. Our recommendations on the best places to run in Ubud (with help from the wonderful guide, Almost Landing Bali)
Photo: Nanci Weinberger
Campuhan Ridge Walk. Popular path set along a hillside. Lush, jungle-like scenery, with some views of the volcanoes that you wouldn’t get in town. Can get very crowded once the tour buses arrive — go early! The heart of the run goes from the Blanco Museum or the Ibah Villas to the Karsa Kafe for 2km, but can continue along a path/road for another 0.5 km, making for a 5k out and back! The first 1.2 km is uphill and the surface is a concrete tile of sorts about 18 inches square with 1 to 4 inches between tiles — be careful with footing! After this first patch, the surface is more brick with some concrete all the way to the asphalt road. Hilly (286 foot gain). MAP
Rice Fields. Walking within the rice fields and by rice terraces is one of the reasons people visit Ubud. Our favorite is the Kajeng Rice Field. Start on Jl. Kaking, run for just shy of 1 km to the smaller road, turn left, and do a loop around the unnamed roads, which are more like paths. Generally stay west of Jl. Suweta. MAP
Tjampuhan’s Sacred Hills. This is a ~12 mile walking/hiking trail amid green woods, valleys, and rivers — with great mountain and rice terrace views. Overlaps with some parts of Campuhan Ridge Walk.
Good Roads for Running in Ubud. Jl. Bisma from center to Monkey Forest 1.5 km; Monkey Forest Rd., early morning – it’s 1.5 km south from Ubud Palace; Road to Sunset Hill (Jl. Bangkiang Sidem); North of Ubud, Elephant Park Rd. and some of the quieter roads around there are flat, passing by rice fields.
Video Excerpt: Rice Fields of Ubud (14 min.)
Ubud offers an opportunity for some lush, scenic Bali countryside running. Run along trekking paths and past rice paddies, where there’s a combination of gentler and more challenging, hilly trail running. Our recommendations on the best places to run in Ubud (with help from the wonderful guide, Almost Landing Bali)
Photo: Nanci Weinberger
Campuhan Ridge Walk. Popular path set along a hillside. Lush, jungle-like scenery, with some views of the volcanoes that you wouldn’t get in town. Can get very crowded once the tour buses arrive — go early! The heart of the run goes from the Blanco Museum or the Ibah Villas to the Karsa Kafe for 2km, but can continue along a path/road for another 0.5 km, making for a 5k out and back! The first 1.2 km is uphill and the surface is a concrete tile of sorts about 18 inches square with 1 to 4 inches between tiles — be careful with footing! After this first patch, the surface is more brick with some concrete all the way to the asphalt road. Hilly (286 foot gain). MAP
Rice Fields. Walking within the rice fields and by rice terraces is one of the reasons people visit Ubud. Our favorite is the Kajeng Rice Field. Start on Jl. Kaking, run for just shy of 1 km to the smaller road, turn left, and do a loop around the unnamed roads, which are more like paths. Generally stay west of Jl. Suweta. MAP
Tjampuhan’s Sacred Hills. This is a ~12 mile walking/hiking trail amid green woods, valleys, and rivers — with great mountain and rice terrace views. Overlaps with some parts of Campuhan Ridge Walk.
Good Roads for Running in Ubud. Jl. Bisma from center to Monkey Forest 1.5 km; Monkey Forest Rd., early morning – it’s 1.5 km south from Ubud Palace; Road to Sunset Hill (Jl. Bangkiang Sidem); North of Ubud, Elephant Park Rd. and some of the quieter roads around there are flat, passing by rice fields.
Capital of Bali and gateway to the island. The best spot for running in Denpasar is the Lapangan Renon Park, which surrounds the Bajra Sandhi Monument. The smaller Lapangan Puputan Badung has a jogging track and fields.
Some of the best options for running in Bali. The beach is very runnable and extends for several km north or south. A paved boardwalk path runs for 2.5 km to Jerman Beach, with great water views. The road north to Seminyak is also runnable.
This increasingly popular beach town north of Kuta and Seminyak is a good place to create your own route to view the terraced rice paddies of Bali. Use the small roads and paths, such as off Jl. Babadan.
Not a heavily visited spot but fantastic for running, and only 15-20 mins. from Denpasar/Kuta/Sanur. Great for longer, waterside runs on quiet gravel roads. We've mapped loops of the western & eastern sides, with opportunities to combine.
The fishing towns and coastal resorts offer some excellent running options. We recommend the 4 km long Jimbaran Beach, hill running on quieter roads just inland, and for a unique running experience, the grounds of GWK Culture Park.
Quiet village located in southeastern Bali, dotted with colorful fishing boats, galleries, restaurants & an old temple. The best bet for running is the 6 km paved beachfront path that goes south to Mertasari Beach and north to Matahari Terbit Beach.
High-end resort area on Bali's east coast has great hotels, shopping, convention center, & golf resort. Best places to run are along Nusa Dua Beach, and on some of the tree-lined resort area roads, which have good paths.
For those visiting Bali, the three Gili Islands are a popular excursion and also great for running, featuuring a perimeter road/path with beach and water views under swaying palms. Gili Trawangan is a 6.7 loop, while Gili Meno and Gili Air are each 5 km.
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