REVIEW · KINTAMANI VOLCANO TOURS
Private Tour – Ubud Kintamani Tours
Book on Viator →Operated by Giri Dara Bali Tours · Bookable on Viator
A private day in Bali moves at your pace. This Ubud Kintamani tour is built around classic sights with a guide like Ketut Legawa to keep it smooth and stress-free. You get a day that mixes dance, craft villages, and a highland panorama, with time boxed into a manageable 8 to 10 hours.
I love how the schedule packs in clear, meaningful stops instead of random photo pull-offs. Admission tickets are included for most major sights, so you’re not hunting for counters mid-day. I also like that the pickup is set up, and the driver is English-speaking, which makes navigating Bali much easier when your day is already full.
One thing to keep in mind: traffic can affect how many destinations you actually fit. The plan includes multiple villages and viewpoints, but the operator notes the number of stops can shrink depending on road conditions.
In This Review
- Quick hits you’ll feel in the day
- The real value: a private route between Ubud and Kintamani
- How the day flows (and why timing matters)
- Start with Barong & Kris: a 40-minute story of good vs evil
- Celuk Village for gold and silver: craft you can see up close
- Batuan’s painting art: where myth and religion shaped art
- Tegallalang Rice Terrace: viewpoints plus artisan color
- Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary: quick access in the heart of Ubud
- Kintamani highlands and Mount Batur: the hour that makes the trip feel big
- Price and value: what $70 per person really buys you
- The guide factor: why Ketut-style hosting changes the whole day
- Group discounts, mobile tickets, and private touring details
- Who this tour is for (and who should pick something else)
- What to do before you go (so the day stays smooth)
- Should you book Private Tour – Ubud Kintamani Tours?
- FAQ
- How long is the Ubud Kintamani private tour?
- What does the tour price include?
- Are meals included?
- Is pickup included?
- Are the stops’ admission tickets included?
- Are young children free?
Quick hits you’ll feel in the day

- Private, not shared: only your group goes on the route, so you can move quickly or slow down
- English-speaking driver: easier explanations and smoother timing between stops
- Tickets and fees included (mostly): Barong & Kris, Celuk, Tegallalang, and Monkey Forest include admission
- A/C car + petrol included: fewer hassles, especially during the hotter parts of the day
- Kintamani’s Mount Batur view: an included 1-hour highland stop with big panorama time
- Traffic-dependent routing: the tour can be shorter on stops even if the day length is similar
The real value: a private route between Ubud and Kintamani

This is the kind of tour that makes sense on Bali because the distances add up fast. When you’re aiming for Ubud plus Kintamani in one day, a private car with an English-speaking driver is what turns it from a stressful logistics puzzle into a simple plan.
The core value is also practical: you’re paying for time, transport, and included entry fees for several stops. At $70 per person for a full-day style outing (8 to 10 hours), it’s not cheap, but it can be good value once you consider how much of your day would otherwise disappear in ticket lines, figuring out entrances, and negotiating your own route.
Where this tour shines is pace control. Your driver can shape the day around what’s open, how long you want at each place, and what the roads are doing.
Other Ubud tours we have reviewed in Bali
How the day flows (and why timing matters)
The tour is designed around a set of signature stops, with each place getting a specific amount of time. Barong & Kris is 40 minutes, the craft and art villages are about 30 minutes each, Monkey Forest is about 30 minutes, and Kintamani is roughly 1 hour.
At the same time, the operator’s note about traffic is important. The itinerary lists several destinations, but the day can end up with up to about four places when conditions are slow. So you should go in with the mindset of flexible priorities, not a checklist of six stops.
That flexibility is where private touring earns its keep. If you care most about the dance, the art villages, or the volcano viewpoint, tell your driver at the start. The day will usually feel better when you’re steering it, even slightly.
Start with Barong & Kris: a 40-minute story of good vs evil

The day opens at the Barong & Kris dance, usually your first “wow” moment because it’s so central to Balinese performance. This is a storytelling dance focused on the fight between good and evil, so it’s not just movement. You’re watching a cultural narrative unfold through costuming, characters, and dramatic staging.
Timing helps here. With only 40 minutes, you get the experience without it swallowing the whole morning. And since admission ticket is included, you can focus on watching rather than managing logistics.
If you’re wondering whether dance is worth a spot on your itinerary, this is the kind of performance that gives you context for the rest of the day. The villages and art stops later on connect back to the same world of myths, symbols, and religious storytelling.
Celuk Village for gold and silver: craft you can see up close
Next is Celuk Village, a well-known center for gold and silver art. The pitch here is simple: you’re going to a place where local residents are active, innovative, and deeply involved in metalwork. It’s one of those stops where the value is in seeing the work process and the level of detail.
You get about 30 minutes here, and admission ticket is included. That means you’ll have time to look, ask questions, and understand what makes the village a hub for this craft without turning the day into a workshop marathon.
A practical tip for this kind of stop: if you’re even slightly curious about how artisan goods are made, give yourself time to slow down. The quick glance photo routine doesn’t do gold and silver work justice, especially when the pieces depend on fine finishing.
Batuan’s painting art: where myth and religion shaped art
Batuan is the painting stop, with about 30 minutes on the agenda. The focus is on how Ubud’s art evolved—from traditional ways of expressing religious and mythological ideas into the paintings that visitors come to see today.
Admission is described as free for this specific stop, which is a nice budget perk in a day that already includes many ticketed entries. You can treat Batuan as a calmer, more observational stop after the energy of dance and the craft village.
Here’s what I think makes Batuan worth your time: it helps you connect the dots between the performance you saw at the start and the artistic themes you’ll keep noticing around Ubud. Even when you don’t know every symbol, you’ll likely feel the consistency in how stories show up in art.
Other Kintamani volcano tours in Bali
Tegallalang Rice Terrace: viewpoints plus artisan color
Tegallalang Rice Terrace is one of the best-known stops on a Ubud route, and it’s scheduled for about 30 minutes. The time is short enough to keep it moving, but long enough that you’re not just passing by a sign. You’ll get a chance to take in the rice terrace setting and the scale of the valley view.
Admission ticket is included here too, which removes a hassle factor when you’re trying to keep momentum. And the area around Tegallalang is known for woodcarvings nearby, including colorful designs featuring flowers and animals.
What to watch for at a place like this is the “why” behind the photos. Sure, you’ll take pictures, but the better use of your 30 minutes is to look from different angles and notice how the terraces step down.
Also, since this is a timed stop, you’ll want to decide early where you want your main viewpoint. Waiting until the last minutes to choose a spot can make the end of the stop feel rushed.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary: quick access in the heart of Ubud
The itinerary then shifts back to Ubud’s center with Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, scheduled at about 30 minutes. This stop is described as easy to find because it’s located in the heart of Ubud Village.
Admission ticket is included, which is helpful because monkey forest-type sites often add cost on top of the base tour price. The time is also set so you can fit it without losing the rest of the day.
Keep expectations practical. Thirty minutes is enough for a look and some wandering, but it isn’t a long, slow nature day. If you want more time for photos or a deeper walk, you might need extra hours later, which the operator notes cost 10% of the full-day tour price.
If you’re traveling with mixed interests, this is a good compromise stop. It adds variety—something different from craft, painting, and dance—while still keeping the day on track.
Kintamani highlands and Mount Batur: the hour that makes the trip feel big
Then comes the payoff: Kintamani. This part is scheduled for about 1 hour, with admission included, and it’s built around wide panorama time.
The description is specific about what you’ll see: views from Kintamani out toward the active volcano Mount Batur and across the broad lake. Even with just an hour, it’s a strong contrast from the dense feeling of Ubud streets and village lanes.
This is also where a private driver helps again. Kintamani sits in hill country, and road conditions can change how fast you reach the viewpoint. Having an English-speaking driver with local route knowledge keeps the day from turning into guesswork.
What to do with your hour? Don’t treat it like a drive-by. Choose a viewpoint area, take a few photos, then spend the rest of the time simply looking. Volcano and lake views can look similar in pictures, but in person you’ll notice depth and scale more clearly.
Price and value: what $70 per person really buys you
Let’s talk money like adults. The price is $70 per person for a private day, lasting roughly 8 to 10 hours. That’s based on what you’re getting: air-conditioned car or bus, an English-speaking driver, petrol/gasoline, and all fees and taxes.
You also get admission tickets included for several key stops: Barong & Kris dance, Celuk Village, Tegallalang Rice Terrace, and Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Batuan’s painting art stop is listed as free for admission. So the included entry costs matter.
Food and drinks are not included. That means your real total cost depends on how you handle lunch or snacks. I’d plan your spending for that at the start, not at the end, so you aren’t forced into an expensive last-minute decision.
Another cost consideration: the tour can run longer if you add extra hours, and those are charged at 10% of the full-day tour price. If you suspect you’ll want to linger at Kintamani or slow down for shopping, ask your driver about what extra time would realistically buy you.
The guide factor: why Ketut-style hosting changes the whole day
The standout theme from the provided feedback is the driver experience—especially Ketut (including Ketut Legawa). People describe him as punctual, polite, professional, and knowledgeable about Bali.
That matters more than it sounds. A good driver doesn’t just drive. He helps shape the day so it feels stress-free, and he can offer practical suggestions if you want to adjust what you do. One review also highlights that Ketut helped with boat ticket booking and itinerary organization, which shows he’s the kind of person who can handle real-life travel problems quickly.
For you, the goal is simple: you want the itinerary to run without friction. When your driver is organized and communicative, you spend your time at the destinations instead of trying to solve logistics in between.
Group discounts, mobile tickets, and private touring details
This is described as a private tour/activity, so it’s your group only. That alone is valuable if you’re trying to keep a pace that fits your interests.
Group discounts are offered, so if you’re traveling with friends or a small family group, you may be able to reduce the per-person cost. The tour also uses a mobile ticket, which can make day-of access easier.
Pickup is offered, and the car or bus is air-conditioned. In Bali heat, those two details can make the difference between feeling fresh at the first stop and already tired before the first ticket check.
Who this tour is for (and who should pick something else)
This tour fits best if you want a big cultural day without spending your time planning routes. It’s good for first-time Bali visitors, couples, and groups who want Ubud plus Kintamani in one shot.
It also works well if you like having structure. The time boxes are clear, and many entries are included, so you can enjoy the variety without constantly checking what’s paid and what isn’t.
You might consider a different option if you hate the idea of a day being traffic-dependent. The operator notes that the number of destinations can be limited by road conditions, even if the day runs up to 10 hours. If you’re the type who needs every stop on a strict list, you’ll want to communicate priorities early.
What to do before you go (so the day stays smooth)
Because food and drinks aren’t included, plan your own meal and snack strategy. If you don’t want to rely on last-minute choices, bring a simple backup like snacks that travel well or plan a budget for lunch stops along the route.
Also, think about the order of your preferences. If you care most about Kintamani views, treat it as your anchor. If Barong & Kris is the must-see, make sure the timing works with your morning arrival and pickup.
Finally, set expectations about time. With 30 minutes at several stops, you don’t get long, slow museum pacing. You’ll enjoy this tour most if you’re comfortable with a “see it well, then move on” style day.
Should you book Private Tour – Ubud Kintamani Tours?
Book it if you want a private day that connects Bali’s performance and artisan traditions with a volcano-and-lake viewpoint, all wrapped in a smooth transport plan with English-speaking driving. The included tickets for multiple stops make it feel more “all-in” than many cheaper-looking options.
Skip it or choose a different approach if you need a guaranteed number of stops regardless of traffic. Since the route can shift based on road conditions, you’ll get the best day when you go in with priorities and trust your driver to adjust.
If you do book, message your must-haves before the start of the day. Ask your driver to shape the route around what matters most, and you’ll turn a full day into a genuinely satisfying one.
FAQ
How long is the Ubud Kintamani private tour?
It runs up to 10 hours, with the listed stops totaling a set schedule. The exact number of destinations can depend on traffic during that time.
What does the tour price include?
The price includes an air-conditioned car or bus, an English-speaking driver, petrol/gasoline, and all fees and taxes. Admission tickets are included for most listed stops.
Are meals included?
No. Food and drinks are not included in the tour price.
Is pickup included?
Pickup is offered, and the tour is set up around your group’s private itinerary.
Are the stops’ admission tickets included?
Admission tickets are included for Barong & Kris dance, Celuk Village, Tegallalang Rice Terrace, and Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Batuan’s painting art stop is listed as admission ticket free.
Are young children free?
Children under 2 years have free entrance.



















