Tukad Cepung Waterfall – Bali’s Most Magical Waterfall

While Bali is filled with some of Indonesia’s most beautiful waterfall, there might be only one that is truly  magical, the Tukad Cepung waterfall. Hidden deep in the lush jungles of Bali, you will have to walk through streams of water and caves, but you will be rewarded with one of the most stunning sights: a waterfall lit up by golden sun rays. The Tukad Cepung is a waterfall that should be on everyone’s Bali itinerary, especially the ones that love adventures. So keep on reading the read everything you need to know about visiting the Tukad Cepung waterfall near Ubud, Bali.

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Where is Ubud

North of Bali’s capital Denpasar you can find the cultural capital of Bali, Ubud. A city filled with markets, restaurants, temples and surrounded by beautiful waterfalls it is a place that must be on your Bali itinerary. You can easily reach the city within an hour by taxi from some of the coastal towns in Kuta such as Canggu or Seminyak. Explore rice fields, or the monkey forest, there are so many things to do in Ubud. To give you a better idea, check the map below to see where Ubud is located!

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Where to stay in Ubud

With Ubud being one of Bali’s most popular tourist destination there is a large amount of accommodation available. From budget homestays to luxury resorts, there is something for everyone’s liking, all depending on your personal preferences and your travel budget for Bali. Read our recommendations below!

Puri Garden Hostel – Hostels are the way to go for solo backpackers and budget travellers, keep the cost of your travels low and have the opportunity to meet loads of new travellers while staying in comfortable dorms. One of the most popular hostels in Ubud is Puri Garden Hostel, and when we visited a friend staying there we sure understood why. Centrally located, a lovely pool and a great vibe, a great place for solo travellers to meet and hangout with fellow travellers!

Kapu Kapu Ubud – During our last visit to Ubud we decided to stay a bit out of Ubud away from the hustle and bustle and closer to the beautiful nature that Ubud is so well known for and Kapu Kapu Ubud has exactly that. A short 10 min ride from Ubud you will find yourself in a beautiful and tranquil neighbourhood, a perfect place to wind down after a day of exploring. The rooms at Kapu Kapu are spacious, comfortable and have a great view over the sun rising over the palm trees and rice fields, a perfect place to say for couples or friends who are planning on riding a scooter!

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How to get to the Tukad Cepung Waterfall

Now that we have covered your accommodation in Ubud, it is time to figure out how to get to the Tukad Cepung Waterfall. As public transportation is scarce in Bali, and quite unpractical, it will leave you with two options on how to get to the Tukad Cepung Waterfall. We have listed both options below:

Option 1 – for the adventurers and budget backpackers: If you are on a budget, or prefer to arrange and visit all the sights on your own we would highly recommend renting a motorbike or scooter. Renting a motorbike or scooter in Bali is common for tourists and backpackers, and it is one of the most convenient ways to get around Bali. However, we would only recommend renting a motorbike or scooter in Bali if you have experience driving one and feel confident enough to drive under Bali circumstances; the roads are busier, can be full with potholes, and sometimes there just seem to be no rules. We have rented multiple motorbikes and it is our preferred method of transportation. With the motorbike it will take you roughly 45 min to 1 hour from Ubud to get to the waterfall.
Estimated cost: depending on the length of rental and cc’s of the motorbike prices range from 30K IDR to 100K IDR per day in Ubud. For example, we rented a 150CC motorbike for 26 days and paid 55K a day. 

Option 2 – hire a driver: as there is a lack of public transportation in Bali, and not everyone wants to rent a motorbike, there is a large supply of taxi drivers available. It is very common to rent taxi drivers for a half or a full day tour. You can often discuss to visit multiple locations with them and negotiate on a price that works best for the both of you. You can easily book taxi drivers in the centre of Ubud or often with your guesthouse or accommodation.
Estimated cost: depending on the amount of activities, distance, and choosing a full or half day tour expect to pay between 350K and 1 Million IDR.

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The Tukad Cepung Waterfall

Once you have arrived at the parking area of the Tukad Cepung Waterfall the adventure can begin. At the beginning of the path you can buy a ticket to enter the waterfall, the price in Oct ’18 was 15K IDR (less then 1USD) per person. From here you can find a well maintained path, with steep concrete steps down. After the first set of concrete steps you will have to follow a path along a small creek, until you reach the second and last pair of concrete steps. Once you reach the bottom you will have to walk through a stream of water and caves to actually reach the waterfall. Keep following the signs and within 3 minutes you will reach the Tukad Cepung Waterfall! Note: be careful, coconuts are following from above the cave down to the ground with quite the force, you don’t want one of those to fall on your head!

Once you reach the waterfall the awing can begin. Golden rays of sunlight shine through the opening of the top of the waterfall, filling the cave with light, a magical and unique experience. The force of the waterfall is incredibly strong, and as the water can bring down small rocks, twigs and many other things we would strongly recommend not to “shower” in the waterfall. Simply enjoy the cold and refreshing water and don’t forget to take some photos, this is one of those Bali bucket list items you don’t want to forget!

Personal story: We had taken all our photos at the waterfall and saw other people arriving at 8am in the morning, which was a sign for us to pack up and leave and let the next couple of people enjoy the waterfall to themselves. When we were about to leave we actually realized who the people that just arrived were: Sam Kolder and Chelsea Yamase (known as @chelseakauai on instagram). We instantly recognized them and had the opportunity to not only have a small chat with them, but also to see them work, shooting video at the waterfall. They were honestly so kind and friendly and made our day at the waterfall even more special! If you haven’t heard of them be sure to check Chelsea out here, and Sam here on Instagram! Oh, and the fan girl that I am, I had to take a photo with them…

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Tukad Cepung Waterfall – Know before you go

So now that we have covered accommodation in Ubud, how to get to the Tukad Cepung Waterfall and the actual details of the Tukad Cepung Waterfall itself and what to expect at the waterfall we have briefly gathered a view details and tips of things you should know before going to the Tukad Cepung Waterfall:

• Bring sandals or shoes that you can walk through the water with, there is no way of walking around it and the rocks in the water are quite sharp.
• The entry fee for the Tukad Cepung Waterfall was 15K IDR in October 2018.
• Expect to get wet, there is a large force of mist coming from the waterfall, so either bring swim clothes or a set of dry clothes for later!
• Planning on taking photos? Bring a lens cloth to remove the fine and misty water spray from your lens to be sure your photos will stay in focus.
• The best time to visit the Tukad Cepung Waterfall depends on what you prefer: the light rays or an empty waterfall. While the famous sun rays shining through the top of the waterfall are apparently the most beautiful between 11am and 2pm we would recommend going earlier (as this is also the busiest time). We arrived at 7.30am and had the waterfall to ourselves for about an hour!
• Watch out for coconuts falling from the trees up top.
• Bring a bottle of water to the waterfall, there are small shops at the top, but none below and you might get thirsty!
• Leave only footprints; be sure to bring everything that you are taking down to the waterfall also up again and deposit your trash in the nearest bin. We all want this magical waterfall to stay magical.

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Chasing Waterfalls in Bali

Tukad Cepung sure might be the most magical and unique waterfall of Ubud, but there are many other beautiful and lush waterfalls out there that deserve a spot on your Bali itinerary! To be sure you don’t miss out on the most amazing waterfalls, check out our complete Bali waterfall guide or check out the detailed guides of some of Bali’s most beautiful waterfalls:

• Sekumpul Waterfall – Bali’s Most Beautiful Waterfall
• The Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall – Bali’s Best Kept Secret
• Complete Guide to the The Dusun Kuning Waterfall 
• The Banyumala Twin Waterfalls – Paradise in Northern Bali
• Tibumana Waterfall in Ubud – Bali’s Hidden Gem
• Leke Leke Waterfall in Bali – Everything You Need to Know

And there you have it, everything you need to know about visiting the Tukad Cepung Waterfall. Any questions left? Be sure to leave them in the comments down below so we can do our best to answer all of them for you! Oh, and don’t forget to pin it for later…