Ubud · Nature
Tegenungan Waterfall: Visitor Guide
A wide, powerful fall 200 steps below the rim, half an hour south of Ubud
By the Baligasm editors · Updated 29 October 2026 · Photo by @taramichellebrose
Overview
Tegenungan Waterfall: before you go
Tegenungan is a broad, thundering waterfall on the Petanu River at Kemenuh, 11 km south of central Ubud and an hour to 90 minutes by road from the airport. Instead of a trek, you descend roughly 200 steps to a wide pool. Families, first-time visitors and anyone on a tight schedule get good value from it. Give it one to two hours, go early, and accept that swimming stops whenever the river is high.
Kemenuh village, in Sukawati district, occupies the flatter country that separates Ubud from the southern coast. Here the Petanu, roughly 47 km from source to sea, tumbles off one rock shelf into a broad pool fringed with smooth stones. Quoted heights fall somewhere between 15 and 17 m, so read any figure loosely. The real impact comes from how wide the curtain is and how much water it carries, most of all during the rains.
Sitting halfway between the southern resorts and Ubud, the falls became a standard stop on day tours, usually bundled with the Barong performance at Batubulan, Tegallalang and the Monkey Forest. Pre-pandemic, the site's managers reported somewhere between 700 and 1,000 visitors daily. A company owned by the customary village operates it and had 70 local staff in 2022. Villagers also still use a spring shrine close by, Pura Pancoran 11, both for melukat purification and as a source of drinking water.
The place looks different from a few years ago. Foreigners paid IDR 20,000 in 2022 and now pay IDR 30,000. Viewing platforms and cafés crowd the top of the gorge, and Omma Day Club has added pools and loungers overlooking the water from the Kemenuh bank. Since 11 November 2022 the Bali Glass Bridge has spanned the gorge a little further downstream, with separate entrances and an entry price around eight times that of the falls. On the opposite bank, at Blangsinga in Saba village, another entrance offers nests and swings.
Easy access brings the usual drawbacks. Between about 10 am and 3 pm the pool and every photo spot are crowded, and the stairs out are hot and steep. When it rains in the hills the river goes brown and the staff stop swimming, a frequent event between November and March. Swimmers after peace and quiet should try Tibumana, about 35 minutes to the east, or Kanto Lampo, around 25 to 30 minutes' drive.
- Opening hours
- Open daily 6:30 am–6:30 pm, except Nyepi
- Ticket
- Adults IDR 30,000, children IDR 15,000 (cash)
- Time needed
- One to two hours
- Best time
- Ahead of 9 am in the April–October dry season
- Dress code
- Swimwear if you plan to swim; grippy footwear for the stairs
- Location
- Kemenuh, Sukawati, 11 km south of Ubud centre (25–40 min)
Ir. Sutami Road, Kemenuh, Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali 80581
Open in Google Maps ↗Read it on the Blog →What to see
What to see at Tegenungan Waterfall
The pool and stone bank
At the foot of the stairs a wide beach of rounded river stones faces the fall, usually decorated with balanced stone towers, and the mist hits you well before you reach the water. Below the ledge the pool spreads from bank to bank. If staff give the go-ahead, wading and swimming are allowed inside the marked area. Stay away from the turbulent patch beneath the fall itself, where the pull is fiercest.
The stairs and rim viewpoints
Around 200 concrete steps separate the car park at the top from the riverbank, roughly ten minutes in each direction. For anyone who would rather avoid stairs, the decks and cafés along the top offer the postcard view with no effort at all. Climbing back out is the hard part, so keep a bottle of water in reserve and pace yourself if it is the middle of the day.
Swimming when the river is calm
When the current is gentle, staff allow swimming in set zones, and they close the pool the moment it strengthens. Because the Petanu collects water from a long valley, a storm in the hills can swell it while your own sky stays blue. Do what the staff say, keep a hand on young children, and never leap off the rocks beside the fall, no matter what social media suggests.
The Blangsinga bank
The east bank has its own entrance in Blangsinga, part of Saba village, leading to D'Tukad River Club: hanging nests, swings and river views for a smaller outlay than the day club across the water. Tickets for one side are not valid on the other, so choose a bank unless paying twice does not bother you. Kids more interested in swinging than swimming often like this side better.
Bali Glass Bridge
A short way downstream, a footbridge with a glass floor has crossed the Petanu gorge since 11 November 2022, connecting Kemenuh with Saba. It runs as its own attraction, entered from either bank, with adults paying around IDR 250,000 and children half that. Fabric covers go over your shoes, and the bridge shuts when it rains. Its length is quoted at 188 to 200 m, and you cannot actually see the waterfall from it.
Omma Day Club and the rim cafés
To watch the falls over a drink, Omma Day Club on the Kemenuh bank offers pools, loungers and day beds aimed at the water, from 7:30 am until 9 pm. Lounges for three begin at IDR 1.5 million, the bulk of which comes back as credit to spend on food and drinks. A plain café beside the top step costs far less.
Seasons
Best time to visit Tegenungan Waterfall
Aim to arrive ahead of 9 am, when the light is gentle, the pool is calm and nobody is queuing for photos. Crowds peak from roughly 11 am until 3 pm, as tour groups shuttle between the south coast and Ubud. Domestic visitors swell the numbers at weekends and on public holidays, mainly after lunch.
April to October is the time to go: the water runs clearer and the pool is open on more days. In the November to March rains the fall becomes larger and noisier, yet the river often turns muddy and fast and swimming is banned. Annual rainfall in Ubud is around 2,240 mm, ranging from about 325 mm in January, the wettest month, to about 90 mm in August, the driest.
Stay away while heavy rain is falling and shortly afterwards, when the water can surge and every step and rock is slick. Should the river look muddy and quick when you get there, admire it from above and keep your swimsuit packed.
Getting there
How to get to Tegenungan Waterfall
Ubud centre25–40 min
Drive or ride 11 km south. Leave a margin while traffic adapts to Ubud's one-way loop, introduced in September 2026.
Sanur30–45 min
A short drive, so Sanur is the simplest beach base for an early arrival.
Kuta or Seminyak60–90 min
Book a driver and make the falls your first stop of a day around Ubud. Departing by 7:30 am keeps you ahead of the tour groups.
Canggu60–90 min
Car or scooter through Denpasar, with traffic the deciding factor.
Ngurah Rai airport (DPS)60–90 min
A car or pre-arranged transfer. It fits neatly at the start or end of a stay in Ubud.
Nusa Dua or Uluwatu1.5–2 hours
By road, the longest of the common journeys here; start early.
| From | Time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ubud centre | 25–40 min | Drive or ride 11 km south. Leave a margin while traffic adapts to Ubud's one-way loop, introduced in September 2026. |
| Sanur | 30–45 min | A short drive, so Sanur is the simplest beach base for an early arrival. |
| Kuta or Seminyak | 60–90 min | Book a driver and make the falls your first stop of a day around Ubud. Departing by 7:30 am keeps you ahead of the tour groups. |
| Canggu | 60–90 min | Car or scooter through Denpasar, with traffic the deciding factor. |
| Ngurah Rai airport (DPS) | 60–90 min | A car or pre-arranged transfer. It fits neatly at the start or end of a stay in Ubud. |
| Nusa Dua or Uluwatu | 1.5–2 hours | By road, the longest of the common journeys here; start early. |
Know before you go
Tips for your visit
- 01Entry is cash at the Kemenuh gate: IDR 30,000 per adult and IDR 15,000 per child.
- 02Parking above the stairs runs to about IDR 5,000 or comes free, so have a few small notes ready.
- 03Get there before nine and you will have the pool almost to yourself.
- 04Put swimwear on before you leave; there are toilets and changing rooms if you forget.
- 05Choose sandals or shoes that grip, as the lowest steps and the stones are slick.
- 06Swim only in the zones staff open, and keep out from directly under the falling water.
- 07Use a dry bag for your phone; spray drenches anything near the base.
- 08Omma Day Club, the glass bridge and the Blangsinga bank all have separate charges.
- 09Ask your driver to wait or fix a pickup time, since ride-hailing cars back from Kemenuh are hard to count on.
- 10Goa Gajah is 20 minutes away, and the Bangli waterfalls lie further east, if you want to extend the day.
FAQ
Tegenungan Waterfall questions, answered
What does it cost to visit Tegenungan?
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At the Kemenuh entrance adults pay IDR 30,000 and children IDR 15,000, in cash. Parking adds a few thousand rupiah or nothing at all. The waterfall ticket is not valid for the Blangsinga bank, the Bali Glass Bridge or Omma Day Club, which all charge separately, so work out beforehand which parts of the gorge you want.
When is Tegenungan open?
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Every day from 6:30 am until 6:30 pm, apart from Nyepi, Bali's annual day of silence, when all activity on the island stops. For the calmest pool, be there at opening time or at least before nine; between roughly 11 am and 3 pm it is at its busiest.
Is swimming allowed at Tegenungan?
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Usually, as long as the flow is gentle. Staff open designated swimming areas and close them when the current picks up, which often happens after rain and for much of the wet season. Keep away from the area right below the fall, do not jump off the rocks, and stay next to children. Your best odds of an open pool are between April and October.
Should Tegenungan be on my list?
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It should if you are after a large, powerful waterfall close to Ubud with no hiking involved. The drive from central Ubud is about half an hour, and the walk from the top to the pool takes ten minutes. Compared with the Bangli falls it is busier and more built up, so arrive early, or pick Tibumana if a peaceful swim is the priority.
How many stairs lead down to the falls?
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Around 200, which works out at about ten minutes each way from the top to the water. Heading down is simple; heading back up is a steep, sweaty effort around noon, so take water. Near the bottom the steps are permanently damp. If stairs are a problem, the platforms at the top give a perfectly good view.
Is the glass bridge at the waterfall itself?
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Not quite. The Bali Glass Bridge, opened on 11 November 2022, spans the Petanu gorge a little way downstream and connects Kemenuh with Saba. It has separate entrances, charges adults roughly IDR 250,000 and closes in wet weather. You will not see the waterfall from its deck, so treat it as a different outing.
How high is the waterfall?
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Around 15 m, though some put it at up to 17 m; published heights do not agree, so take them as estimates. Tegenungan impresses through its width and the volume of water rather than its height, and it is most forceful during the wet season, when the Petanu is in full flow.
How far is it from Ubud?
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The falls are 11 km south of central Ubud, which takes 25 to 40 minutes by car depending on the traffic. They lie on the Petanu River in Kemenuh village, Sukawati district. From Canggu, Kuta or Seminyak budget 60 to 90 minutes; from Sanur, 30 to 45.
Can I visit safely during the wet season?
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The upper viewpoints are fine; the water frequently is not. From November to March the river often runs muddy and fast after rain upstream, and the pool is closed. Steps and rocks become slippery as well. Go in the morning, before afternoon storms arrive, and stay up top if the river looks swollen.
What other waterfalls pair well with Tegenungan?
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Kanto Lampo, 25 to 30 minutes to the east, and Tibumana, 35 to 40 minutes away, turn it into a simple three-waterfall morning. Tukad Cepung in Bangli is roughly an hour's drive. Visit Tegenungan first, right at opening, because it gets crowded sooner than the others.
Nearby
Pair it with
Goa Gajah
About 20 min by car. The Elephant Cave from the 11th century, with old bathing pools and stairs down to the Petanu.
Kanto Lampo Waterfall
25–30 min by car. Water fans out across stepped rock for about 15 m; go before nine to avoid the photo line.
Tibumana Waterfall
35–40 min by car. One curtain of water into a circular pool, a calmer place to swim than Tegenungan.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
25–35 min by car. Ubud's forest temple complex and its long-tailed macaques, handy on the return north.
Celuk silver village
About 20 min by car. Silver workshops along the southern road, a few running short classes where you make a ring.
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