Tukad Cepung is one of Bali‘s most popular waterfalls – to the point where it gets ridiculously busy and long waiting lines can form to take pictures with the falls. This is because the falls are located in a partial cave, meaning that you can’t really see the falls until you are in the cave itself. For this reason, Tukad Cepung was probably our least favorite waterfall to visit in Bali. Fortunately, the walk to reach the waterfalls was adventurous and pleasant, first through a lush jungle and then wading through ankle-deep water in a narrow canyon. There is also a second, smaller waterfall less than 500 feet from the main waterfall that is very beautiful in its own right, and there’s also a small manmade pool for those wanting a refreshing dip during their visit. At just over an hour’s drive from Ubud, it’s one of several waterfalls you can visit in the area, including Yeh Bulan and Goa Raja, making it easy to combine all three as a day trip from Ubud. To help you plan your visit and get the most out of your time here, we put together this visiting guide for Bali’s Tukad Cepung waterfall.
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You might also be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best Things to See and Do in Bali
Best Things to See and Do in the Gili Islands
The Perfect Three-Week Bali Itinerary
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Bali
Tukad Cepung Waterfall Location & Map
Tukad Cepung is located in Bali’s Bangli regency (southeastern region of central Bali), relatively close to Sidemen and not too far from Ubud (link to Google Maps).
How to get to Tukad Cepung Waterfall
The Tukad Cepung Waterfall car park is located here (Link to Google Maps), a short walk from the waterfalls.
Distance from Ubud: 30 km // Average Drive Time: 60 – 70 minutes
Distance from Kuta: 50 km // Average Drive Time: 1h30 – 1h50
Distance from Canggu: 50 km // Average Drive Time: 1h40 – 2h
Distance from Sanur: 25 km // Average Drive Time: 1h15 – 1h30
Distance from Sidemen: 20 km // Average Drive Time 50 – 60 minutes
In our opinion, the three best transport options to reach the Tukad Cepung Waterfall are: renting a scooter (moped), joining a group tour that hits several nearby attractions within a day or a half-day, or hiring a car and driver (which really isn’t as expensive as it sounds).
You can also use Bali ride-hailing apps such as Gojek or Grab, and make use of local taxis, but these options will typically cost more, especially if you plan on visiting several sites and attractions on the same day. Also, Gojek or Grab are not authorized to pick up people in certain locations where local taxi unions limit their services, including Canggu, Sanur, and Ubud. For more information on getting around the island and the different available options, check out our How to Best Get Around Bali guide.
Regardless of your chosen transportation method, you are likely to enjoy the ride there. The road leading to the waterfall is very scenic. You will pass small villages and beautiful rice fields.
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Getting to Tukad Cepung Waterfall by Scooter: Once you get to Bali, you’ll quickly realize that scooter rental operators are everywhere. Although most street-side vendors will regularly be the cheapest option, they come short in several other aspects compared with more reliable and established vendors. For instance, most won’t offer roadside assistance or insurance that covers theft, nor do they regularly sanitize the helmets or have their scooters undergo regular maintenance. For this reason, we highly recommend using Bikago for your scooter rentals. Renting from them might be slightly more expensive (but still can be rented for as low as 12-15 US$/€ per day) but you get great peace of mind as among many other perks, all scooters undergo extensive quality checks.
What you get with your Bikago rental:
-Helmets
-Full tank of petrol and unlimited mileage
-Free Delivery and Collection at your Hotel
-24/7 Roadside Assistance and First Aid Medical Kit
-Charging Mobile Phone Holder
By Car and Driver hire: Hiring a car and driver to explore Bali can be a practical and cost-efficient way to experience a full day of sightseeing. Although this option is more expensive than renting a scooter (typically 40-60 US$/€ per day), you don’t have to worry about navigating the Bali roads and traffic, Also, most cars are modern and air-conditioned, which is welcome in Bali’s humid heat, and the local drivers always know the best routes to take and can optimize your ideal itinerary. Here are some of the best options to choose from:
By Group Tour: Group tours can be a great option to lower costs and reduce the hassle of having to plan an efficient itinerary. Their main downside is they might not exactly be tailored to your specific interests and preferences. But if you are mostly interested in hitting the main sights and attractions, there is this great tour option departing from nearby Ubud that visits Tukad Cepung waterfall:
Tukad Cepung Waterfall – Ticket Price and Operating Hours
Waterfall Entrance Fee
The entrance fee for Tukad Cepung Waterfall is 30,000 IDR per person (2025), which roughly amounts to 1.75 US$/€.
As of 2025, parking is free at Tukad Cepung.
Having the exact change or small bills to pay for all costs is preferable as the majority of waterfall sites don’t accept credit cards and they may not have enough change for large bills. To our knowledge, there are no nearby ATMs.
Waterfall Opening Hours
The Tukad Cepung Waterfall is typically open daily from 7 am to 6 pm – though it may close for the day during important Hindu holidays, such as Nyepi, the “Day of Silence”.
Waterfall Facilities
Unlike most other waterfalls we visited, there are no toilets or changing rooms near the falls. Nor were there any lockers you could rent to store your belongings. Although there are toilets near the car park, they are in pretty bad shape and appear somewhat unsanitary.
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On the plus side, if you are looking for a great spot to relax while enjoying some drinks or a meal, there are several beautifully decorated snack bars and restaurants around the halfway mark of the walk between the car park and the waterfalls.
The Trail to Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Although it’s only about a 700 m walk from the car park to the falls, it takes slightly longer to reach them than most other falls (about 12-15 minutes from most people). This is because there are a lot of steep staircases and you’ll be slowed down during the final section wading through the shallow canyon river.
The first half of the walk tackles most of the descending concrete staircases. The path is well-manicured and maintained, but the steps can be slippery when wet so proper footwear is recommended. Expect a good workout on the way back up!
Most of the second half of the walk is spent walking along an irrigation canal that twists and turns through the jungle.
Eventually, you will reach a final short staircase that takes you down into the final canyon.
The Canyon River Walk and the Tukad Cepung Waterfalls
Once you reach the canyon, you can either go left or right. The left takes you to the main and famous Tukad Cepung waterfall, and the right takes you to a second, smaller waterfall and a small manmade pool.
Regardless of the direction you take, you will have to wade through the river, which is mostly ankle-deep but can occasionally be up to knee-depth in certain spots. Since the riverbed is quite rocky, we highly recommend wearing water shoes, which will protect your feet and help prevent slipping on slick rocks. These water shoes will come in handy at several other falls as well, such as Kanto Lampo and Yeh Bulan.
If you go right, you’ll only need to traverse about 50 meters before you reach the second waterfall and pool. Despite not being the main draw, it’s quite a photogenic waterfall backdropped by beautiful lush vegetation.
The pool provides a great view of the waterfalls and is a great spot to cool off from the Bali heat.
When you go left, you’ll have about 100 m to reach the main waterfall, and you’ll have to go through an even narrower portion of the canyon and have to climb over and around a few large boulders. It should be pretty easy for most, but it shouldn’t be rushed due to the slippery nature of the rocks.
One of the reasons Tukad Cepung is so popular is due to its somewhat unique setting. It’s set in a deep partially open cave where beautiful sun beams can create an almost magical atmosphere for a short period in the morning.
We normally like to arrive at waterfalls (and other attractions) as early as possible, especially when they are very popular like Tukad Cepung, but if you want to shoot the waterfalls with those “magical sunbeams”, you have to aim to be there around 10-11 am. We made the mistake of prioritizing the sunbeams instead of coming early to enjoy a peaceful ambiance without the crowds and arrived only to see a ridiculously long lineup, even though there were signs indicating that lines weren’t allowed.
The line was moving very slowly, so we decided to not stick around since we still got to enjoy the walk and had a fun time in the canyon. We also made this decision since we had previously visited a very similar waterfall, Goa Raja, and experienced it with beautiful sunbeams WITHOUT the crowds.
Can You Swim at Tukad Cepung?
For those looking to enjoy a swim near a waterfall, unfortunately, Tukad Cepung is not the place to do that. The stream that flows from the falls is generally at most knee-deep and the manmade pool near the falls is only about 3 feet deep and isn’t particularly large either – it’s best used for a quick plunge to cool off or to sit and relax while admiring the view of the falls. Some of the best Bali waterfalls where you can swim by the falls are Taman Sari, Suwat and Tibumana.
How Long Do You Need at Tukad Cepung
If you come early and just want to enjoy the view and take a few pictures, you probably won’t need more than 50 minutes to visit the Tukad Cepung waterfall (about a 15-minute walk each way + 20 minutes at the falls). But if you don’t come before 8 am, expect to have to stay longer to see the waterfalls due to the long line-ups.
Best Time to Visit Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Best Time of the Year
Although we visited during the dry season, there’s no bad time of year the visit the falls. There’s a higher risk of rain during the wet season (November-April), but that shouldn’t discourage you as the falls might be even more powerful and striking. The water in the river might have a slightly stronger current, but it shouldn’t present a problem (the waterfall is open to visitors year-round).
Best Time of Day
We already touched on this above. If you want to see the falls without the crowds, try to get here before 8 am. If you want to see the falls with those beautiful sun rays, come for 10 – 11 am, but expect to wait quite a while for your turn to see the falls.
Other Nearby Waterfalls
Although there are many nearby waterfalls (Bali is full of them!), there are two in particular that we consider worthy of a visit, both of which are at most 20 minutes from Tukad Cepung.
Yeh Bulan waterfall
(coming soon)
Goa Raja waterfall
(coming soon)
Where to Stay Near Tukad Cepung Waterfall
In our opinion, the best place to stay in the area is in Ubud, whose location makes it a great base from which to explore several nearby waterfalls and temples. All of the following are some of the best mid-range hotel accommodations located within walking distance from the city center:
Komaneka at Rasa Sayang Ubud Hotel
Other Sights and Attractions near Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Apart from the two waterfalls listed above, Tukad Cepung is also near Pura Kehen, a small but neat temple to visit, and the fascinating Penglipuran Village.
But if you don’t mind driving just over 30 minutes west, you’ll reach an area that is home to not just one but rather 4 fantastic temples: Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu, Pura Tirta Empul, Pura Mengening, and Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring.
For a more complete list of attractions that you can visit from Ubud, check out our guide on the Best Day Trips from Ubud.
Planning a Trip to Bali?
You might be interested in these pages: (coming soon)
Best Things to See and Do in Bali
Best Things to See and Do in the Gili Islands
The Perfect Three-Week Bali Itinerary
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Bali
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Bali: The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide
Lonely Planet Bali, Lombok & Nusa Tenggara
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
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Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our guide on Bali’s Tukad Cepung Waterfall and that it will prove useful for planning your trip.
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