Out of all of the Bali waterfalls, the Tukad Cepung waterfall is definitely one of my favorites. It’s unique thanks to the cave it’s in, which gives beautiful surrounding rock formations. The rocks directly in front of the waterfall resemble a flame, and gives a beautiful contrast of the elements water and fire.
If you arrive at the right time, you’ll also be able to witness the epic sun rays hitting both the waterfall and the rocks. Considered a hidden gem by many, this waterfall is quickly gaining popularity. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know when visiting Tukad Cepung in Bali including how to get there, entrance fees, best time to go, and things to do nearby.
Location
Tukad Cepung Waterfall is located right outside of Sideman, almost right in the middle of Bali. It’s about an hour drive from Ubud and an hour and a half from Canggu. The roads are paved the entire way and by using Google Maps or Maps.me you’ll be able to find the entrance easily. When you arrive, there’ll be a giant sign pointing to the parking lot. Bathrooms, water, and snacks are all available in the parking lot before the official entrance.
Getting to Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Getting to Tukad Cepung Waterfall from Ubud or from Canggu is quite simple. You can either rent a motorbike and drive yourself, or if you’re not comfortable with that you can hire a driver. When hiring a driver, it makes sense to hire him for the full day and check out a few other nearby spots (listed below). You can hire a driver for around 500,000 Rupiah a day (8 hours) or you can rent a motorbike starting around 50,000 Rupiah.
There are also tours that can take you but you don’t actually need a tour guide as the path is quite straight-forward. But if you prefer, you can easily find a tour anywhere in Ubud.
Entrance Fee
Depending on the time you arrive, you’ll have to pay a small parking fee of 2,000 Rupiah and then an additional 15,000 Rupiah for the actual entrance fee to the waterfall itself.
Money saving tip: If you get there early enough, you won’t have to pay parking fees! We got there just before 8 and were able to park for free. Apparently if you get there by 7:30am you can avoid the waterfall entrance fee as well.
The Walk
From the entrance it should take you around 15 minutes to reach the waterfalls and is quite an easy path.
You’ll first go down a few steps and see some surprisingly “modern” restaurants. After a few more stairs you’ll get to the main path, which you’ll follow for about 5 minutes before reaching the second, wooden staircase. At the bottom of these steps (about 100 stairs) you’ll have reached water!
There are actually 2 waterfalls in the area. You can see the first one from the bottom of the steps to the right. It’s nothing spectacular, but a solid flow of water.
To the left of the staircase, you’ll have to “wade” through the water in a cave to reach the main waterfall. We went during rainy season and it only slightly covered our feet, but there was some water falling from the roof so be careful of anything that might get damaged by water! We wore flip flops and were fine – no need for water shoes.
After about a minute you’ll reach these GIANT rock formations covered in moss that almost look like they’re blocking the entire path, but to the left there is a small opening you can walk through.
You can actually get on top of these huge rocks quite easily since there is a ladder on the backside. This is one of the “Instagram” spots and looks quite beautiful when the sun rays are hitting it just right.
Just past the rocks you’ll then see a pool of water and the main Tukad Cepung waterfall! If you get there early enough you might be lucky to get the entire spot to yourself. We went at around 8am and there was just one other person. However, by 9am there was a proper line to get photos.
Best time to Visit
The best time to visit Tukad Cepung depends on what your priorities are: avoiding the crowds or seeing the sun rays. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to get both especially as this waterfall continues to rise in popularity.
The best time to visit to see the sun rays is around 10 am.
At around 10 am the spectacular light rays appear (if it’s sunny!). We can confirm that the light rays don’t appear on a rainy day. They will appear beautifully right next to the waterfall, and will shine directly onto the giant rocks you pass! While sunny days are great, the best weather will be slightly foggy/misty to really create a dramatic effect.
The best time to visit to avoid the crowds is as early as possible, no later than 8am!
We arrived just before 8am and were greeted by a few others. The parking lot and shop vendors were all still setting up, but the entrance fee booth was fully operational. We were able to get the waterfall to ourselves for about 3 minutes, then it slowly started to become more and more popular. By 8:30 there was a mini line forming, and by 9am it was a full line of people waiting to take a photo and only getting longer.
Things to do Nearby
A lot of people will stop here as part of a full-day tour as there are a few other things close by. Most photographers will head this way after visiting the Tegallalang Rice Fields in the early morning as it’s only 40 minutes away.
On the way back to Ubud, you’ll also pass the Tibumana waterfall, Goa Rang Reng waterfall, and Kanto Lampo waterfall (all within 10 minutes of each other) if you’re looking for more waterfall action! These are definitely some of the best (and most popular) waterfalls close to Ubud.
If you’re not in the mood for more waterfalls, the nearby town of Sideman is absolutely gorgeous and has some amazing views and beautiful rice fields! It’s definitely worth checking out!
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