Reviewed · SPIRITUAL CLEANSING RITUALS
Discover Ubud: Exotism Ubud and Optional Meet the Bali Shaman
Healer talks and temple water, all in one day. This tour is built around private transportation with Wi‑Fi, so you’re not bouncing between random stops all day. You start in the rice terraces of Tegalalang, then move into the sacred spring rituals at Tirta Empul, before shifting into the calm (and curiosity) of Ubud.
In This Review
- Two things you’ll like right away
- One heads-up before you book
- Key highlights at a glance
- Private Ubud transportation that keeps your day on track
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace: the rice that runs the show (and the photos)
- Tirta Empul Temple: purifying holy spring water in a real religious setting
- Tampaksiring and Cok Rai: palm reading for questions about work, relationships, and finances
- Ubud Art Village: shopping without the hard sell
- Monkey Forest and the coffee plantation that made the rounds
- Price and value: $85 for a long private day
- What to plan for: clothing, questions, and timing reality
- Who should book this tour (and who might skip it)
- Should you book Discover Ubud with the optional Bali Shaman session?
- FAQ
- How long is the tour?
- Is this a private tour?
- Where can pickup and drop-off happen?
- What’s included in the price?
- What is not included?
- Do I need a sarong for the temple?
- What does the healer session involve?
- Is there a cost if I do the Bali shaman session?
- What’s the cancellation policy?
Two things you’ll like right away

I like the way the day stays comfortable and efficient thanks to door-to-door private pickup in many Bali areas. You also get a genuinely unusual balance: culture and ceremonies at Tirta Empul, plus a hands-on-feeling moment with Balinese healer Cok Rai, either observing or paying for a personal session.
Melukat water blessings and healer visits around Ubud.
- Tirta Empul: Temple Tour with Optional Spiritual Cleansing★ 4.9 · 1,257 reviews
- Ubud: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary Ticket and Guided Tour★ 4.8 · 675 reviews
- Taman Beji Griya Waterfall: Holy Bathing/Soul Retreat Ritual★ 4.8 · 634 reviews
- Ubud Tour – Balinese Healing By Shaman And Self Purification★ 5.0 · 236 reviews
One heads-up before you book
If you choose the optional healer session, the schedule can feel tight. The healer speaks English, but demand can shorten your allotted time, and the format is an open forum, so you may overhear other people’s questions.
Key highlights at a glance

- Private ride with Wi‑Fi from pickup to drop-off so the day feels less stressful
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace (1 hour) to see how rice shapes Balinese life
- Tirta Empul Temple (1 hour) centered on purifying holy spring water
- Tampaksiring healer session with Cok Rai where you can observe or ask life questions via palm reading
- Ubud Art Village (2 hours) for local crafts and relaxed shopping time
- Monkey Forest plus a coffee plantation to round out the day with Bali “bucket list” flavor
Private Ubud transportation that keeps your day on track

This is a full-day plan designed to cut down on the usual Bali headache: waiting, regrouping, and losing time to traffic while you hunt for meeting points. The tour includes end-to-end private transportation with complimentary Wi‑Fi, which is a big deal if you hate spending your day checking maps.
Pickup is available from a long list of areas, including Benoa Harbour, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Sanur, Denpasar, Ubud, Canggu, and Seminyak. That flexibility matters because many Ubud-area tours either start in the middle of the action or require you to travel across town first.
The tour is also private in the sense that only your group participates. So if you’re traveling with friends or family (and want a slower pace for photos or questions), this setup tends to feel more natural than crowded group tours.
You’ll want to be ready for a long day at around 10 hours total. With multiple stops, it works best if you’re okay with a steady rhythm: short sacred-site visits, then breaks for shopping and a couple of “classic Bali” stops.
Tegalalang Rice Terrace: the rice that runs the show (and the photos)

The day begins at Tegalalang Rice Terrace for about 1 hour, with admission included. This stop isn’t just for postcard views. It’s a chance to see rice farming up close and understand why rice is so central to Balinese culture and the local economy.
What makes this part worthwhile is the way the terrace landscape explains everyday life. You’ll see farmers working in the fields, and it’s easier to connect the food on your plate to the rituals and community structure around it. If you care about food, agriculture, or just how places actually function, this is a strong first stop.
A practical note: rice terraces usually involve uneven ground and stair-like paths. The tour calls for moderate physical fitness, so wear grippy shoes and plan for some walking even though the stop is only an hour.
Tirta Empul Temple: purifying holy spring water in a real religious setting

Next up is Tirta Empul Temple, also around 1 hour, with admission included. This temple is famous for its holy spring water, believed to have purifying properties, and the temple complex is dedicated to Vishnu.
This is one of those stops where you’ll feel the difference between a tourist attraction and a living religious place. Even if you’re not trying to participate in the water ritual, you’re still observing people moving through the experience as part of their beliefs. That gives the site more weight than a typical photo stop.
The tour includes a sarong to enter the temple, which saves you from the common scramble of trying to buy one at the last second. Bring modest clothing in general, but having the sarong handled is a real convenience.
The only consideration here is emotional tone. Tirta Empul can feel busy and active, because it’s a sacred site with visitors and locals. If you prefer silence and slow contemplation, you may want to treat this as a “watch first, then decide” stop rather than forcing yourself to do everything quickly.
Tampaksiring and Cok Rai: palm reading for questions about work, relationships, and finances

After temples and terraces, the tour shifts into a more personal, question-based experience at Tampaksiring. You meet Balinese healer Cok Rai for about 1 hour. The session can be structured so you either observe or pay for a personal session.
The palm reading format is meant to help you frame questions and look at answers from a different perspective. The kinds of topics you can bring include your carrier, personal relation, financial issue, and similar life concerns. Even if you’re not sure what to ask, having those categories in mind helps you get beyond small talk.
One important detail: you’re not in a private booth. It’s an open forum, so you may hear other people’s conversations while you’re waiting or listening. That can be awkward if you expect full privacy, but it also gives the session a communal, public feel that matches the setting.
Another reality check: the healer speaks English, which makes communication easier. Still, due to high demand, the time allotted might not feel long enough for deep conversation. If you want to ask multiple questions, I’d go in with a short list, not a long essay.
And yes, there’s a cost option. The Bali Shaman Donation is USD 25 per person. If you’re watching and not doing the personal session, you’ll still have access to the experience in that observer mode, which can be a good way to see if it fits your style.
Ubud Art Village: shopping without the hard sell
Then you head into Ubud for about 2 hours at Ubud Art Village. Admission is free here, and the idea is simple: browse local crafts, sample food, and soak up the atmosphere of one of Bali’s known art areas.
I like this stop because it’s not just temples and rituals. It gives you a chance to spend some time at your own pace and pick up small souvenirs that feel tied to local makers rather than generic tourist goods. If you’re even slightly into handmade items, this is usually a better use of time than rushing through a market with zero patience.
The downside is also common for places like this: it can be more of a shopping environment than a quiet cultural one. If you’d rather do fewer shops and more nature time, consider using this time strictly for browsing and one planned purchase, then moving on.
Monkey Forest and the coffee plantation that made the rounds
Even though the core itinerary lists the first four stops clearly, the tour rounds out the day with Monkey Forest and a coffee plantation. That’s part of why this works well as a “mix and match” Bali day: you’ll have sacred sites, then living wildlife energy, then coffee culture.
Monkey Forest can be a memorable change of pace. It’s active and unpredictable in a way that makes it feel like real nature rather than a staged attraction. The main thing is to be smart: keep your belongings secured and don’t approach monkeys for close contact.
Then you finish with the coffee plantation featured in The Bucket List. The value here isn’t just the brand connection. Coffee plantations in Bali often bring you into the process of tasting and learning how the island grows and prepares its coffee-style offerings. If you’re a coffee person (or a tea person), this tends to land better than you expect.
Because timing isn’t spelled out stop-by-stop for Monkey Forest and coffee, plan for a day that runs on a schedule rather than a totally relaxed wander. Wear comfortable shoes again, since these stops usually involve some walking.
Price and value: $85 for a long private day
At $85 for roughly 10 hours, the value depends on what you’re optimizing for.
If you want comfort, this tour is built for it. Private transport with Wi‑Fi, hotel pickup and drop-off in many areas, mineral water, and all entrance tickets already included means fewer “surprise” costs during the day. You also get the sarong for temple entry, which is one less thing to think about.
If you only care about one or two of the stops, it may feel like a lot of money for the full schedule. But if you like variety—rice terraces, a major temple, a healer experience, plus monkey and coffee—this price can actually feel efficient.
Budget for what’s not included:
- Lunch: about US$10–15 per person
- Personal expenses
- Shaman donation: USD 25 per person if you do the personal session
Group discounts are mentioned, which can help if you’re booking with friends and can coordinate your timing. Still, since it’s private for your group, I’d treat the tour as “paying for convenience and time,” not as the cheapest way to hit Bali’s highlights.
What to plan for: clothing, questions, and timing reality
A few things will make this day smoother.
First, dress for temple rules and walking. The sarong is provided for temple entry, but you’ll still want modest, comfortable clothes for the heat and the short hops between stops.
Second, bring a simple game plan for Cok Rai. Because the session can be time-limited during busy periods, it helps to arrive with a small list of questions. If you’re unsure what to ask, think in terms of your carrier/work path, relationships, and finances, since those are specifically referenced as areas people bring up in the palm reading.
Third, expect a schedule with short visits. Each major stop is roughly an hour or two, so this is not a slow “stay all day at one place” tour. It’s ideal if you like checking boxes with meaning and then moving on.
Finally, consider your comfort level with an open forum. The healer style is described as a setup where conversations can be heard. If privacy matters to you, you can still choose to observe rather than doing the personal session.
Who should book this tour (and who might skip it)
This tour fits you if:
- you want private transport with Wi‑Fi and a smooth, long day plan
- you’re interested in Balinese culture beyond the beach
- you like a mix of sights: terrace agriculture, a major temple, monkey time, and coffee tasting
- you’re curious about meeting a healer and having a guided palm reading option
You might skip it if:
- you want complete privacy during a spiritual session
- you hate scheduled days and prefer long stays in one location
- you only want the most famous single stop (like just Ubud or just temples)
Should you book Discover Ubud with the optional Bali Shaman session?
I’d book it if you’re after a practical Ubud day that covers the essentials without the hassle of public transport or group chaos. The private ride, Wi‑Fi, included entrance tickets, sarong, and mineral water are the kind of small conveniences that add up when you’re out for about 10 hours.
Choose the optional healer session if you’re ready for an English-friendly open-forum style and you can focus your questions quickly. If you care more about quiet or privacy, you can still consider observing and keeping your expectations realistic about time.
If your ideal Bali day is organized, varied, and culturally respectful, this tour is a strong fit. If you want total control over pacing or private spiritual time, you may want a different format.
FAQ
How long is the tour?
It’s approximately 10 hours.
Is this a private tour?
Yes. Only your group participates.
Where can pickup and drop-off happen?
Pickup and drop-off are available in Benoa Harbour, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Sanur, Denpasar, Ubud, Canggu, and Seminyak.
What’s included in the price?
Mineral water, sarong to enter the temple, hotel pickup and drop-off (selected areas only), and all entrance tickets.
What is not included?
Lunch is not included (about US$10–15 per person), personal expenses are not included, and the Bali Shaman donation is USD 25 per person.
Do I need a sarong for the temple?
A sarong is included for temple entry.
What does the healer session involve?
You can observe or pay for a personal session. It includes palm reading and focusing on life’s questions, such as career, personal relations, financial issues, and related topics. The healer speaks English.
Is there a cost if I do the Bali shaman session?
Yes. The Bali Shaman donation is USD 25 per person.
What’s the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Canceling less than 24 hours before the start time is not refunded.
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