Jatiluwih Rice Terrace: how to visit this stunning UNESCO site

Jatiluwih is an expansive area of tall rice terraces and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The rice terraces stretch as far as the eye can see and it is a really impressive sight. The site is much more vast than the Tegalalang Rice Terraces in Ubud, though we definitely recommend visiting both if you have the time. 

The other great thing is that fewer people visit Jatiluwih. We visited in the middle of the day and only saw a handful of people.


Jatiluwih Rice Terrace

Jatiluwih is not far from from Bedugul and sits under the gaze of Bratan (a nearby volcano) giving it an even more dramatic feel. We visited on route between Munduk and Ubud which was the perfect journey breaker, but you could easily combine it with a trip to Nungnung or Leke Leke Waterfall.

There are five self guided walking tracks you can take through the terraces. They range from around 1.5 to 5km. We only did the short trail which was flat and very easy, perfect for the hot day we visited on.

You get very close to the terraces, though you don't walk on them as you do at Tegalalang. Despite being a short trail, it's perfect for admiring this incredible feat of engineering.


Jatiluwih lookout

The best place to start is at the lookout just before the entrance to the rice terrace.

This offers one of the best views of Jatiluwih Rice Terrace and gives a great idea of the scale of the place. 


Jatiluwih Rice Terrace Entrance Fee

The entrance fee for Jatiluwih Rice Terrace is 40,000 Rupiah per person (about $3 USD) and an extra 5,000 Rupiah (35c USD) for the car park.


Jatiluwih vs Tegalalang

Jatiluwih and Tegalalang are quite different and which one to see depends on how much time you have. It makes sense to do Tegalalang if you are short on time as it is so close to Ubud, but if you have the time a day trip including Jatiluwih, Nungnung Waterfall and Leke Leke Waterfall would be a day well spent! 

We would recommend doing both rice terraces if you can as Jatiluwih is a huge open landscape, whereas Tegalalang is a smaller, more intimate but steeper set of rice terraces. The rice stems (I'm sure this isn't the technical term!) are much longer at Jatiluwih so at ground level they look less obviously terraced than at Tegalalang. 

If you are an instagrammer then the terrace of choice would be Tegalalang, especially at sunrise, when you can wander along the terraces themselves bathed in a golden light. 

Another popular spot: The Bali Swing


Best time to visit Jatiluwih

Jatiluwih is pretty exposed so it can get incredibly hot in the middle of the day. We would recommend the early morning or late afternoon to avoid suffering from the heat.

We visited in April when the terraces were lush and green, but were told it wouldn't be long before the harvest. They won't be as green at this time, though we were told you will see pickers, which would be an interesting experience.  

Other places you may like to see near Munduk: Sekumpul Waterfall, Munduk Waterfall, Banyumala Waterfall & The Lake Temple


Getting to Jatiluwih

We chose to hire a driver to take us to Jatiluwih on a journey between Munduk and Ubud, but you could do this as part of a day trip from either location. You can hire a scooter and drive yourself, especially If it is a day trip and you don't need to worry about luggage. 

Jatiluwih is about 1 hour from Bedugul and about 1.5 hours from Ubud.

Places you may want to visit near Ubud: Tukad Cepung Waterfall and Tibumana Waterfall


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