Bali Airport to Ubud: Taxi, Grab or Transfer — Real Prices and Drive Times
Short answer
Ubud is 35 km from the airport and usually 60–90 minutes away, up to three hours in afternoon traffic. In our dated check a standard Grab, Gojek or Bluebird car cost Rp338,000–378,000. For a daytime arrival with normal luggage, an app car is fine; after dark, with children or with lots of bags, a pre-booked driver who waits in arrivals is worth the extra.
- Distance
- 35 km
- Drive
- 60–90 min, peak up to 3 h
- App car (10 May 2026)
- Rp338k–378k
- Toll
- None on this route
What it costs
| App | Standard car | Bigger or nicer car | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyBluebird (taxi) | Rp351k fixed (meter estimate Rp269k–368k) | — | — |
| Grab | Rp338.5kGrabCar Airport | Rp356kPlus | Rp574.5k |
| Gojek | Rp378kGoCar | Rp505kComfort | Rp592kLuxe |
Quotes from the airport to Ubud Palace, taken in the apps on 10 May 2026, 07:02–07:20 Bali time — early morning, no rain. Grab showed a Rp20,000 promo already applied; the normal Grab price was Rp20,000 higher. Peak hours, rain and holidays push app prices up.
Show the three app screenshots
On this route the three apps were within Rp40,000 of each other, and Bluebird’s fixed price sat in the middle. Premium categories cost Rp574,000–592,000 — at that level a pre-booked private transfer is usually comparable and the driver waits for you.
How long it takes
There is no toll road and no real shortcut: the drive runs through the edge of Denpasar and a chain of Gianyar villages. These are estimates from route data and recent traveller reports:
| When you leave the airport | Expect |
|---|---|
| Before 11:00 | 60–80 minutes |
| 11:00–15:00 | 75–100 minutes |
| 15:00–19:00 and Friday evenings | 90 minutes to 3 hours |
| After 21:00 | 60–75 minutes, but dark roads and fewer cars on the app |
If your flight lands mid-afternoon, assume you arrive in Ubud after dark.
Which option fits
App car (Grab or Gojek). Fine for two people with two suitcases in daylight. Choose a GrabCar Airport or GoCar; the airport categories are cars only, and GrabCar Airport is rated for up to four passengers and 60 kg of luggage. The driver may need to drop you at the edge of a pedestrian lane — many Ubud guesthouses sit along footpaths through rice fields, so check how the last 100 metres work before you land.
Airport taxi counter. Fixed price by destination zone, no app needed. Current counter prices are not published, so ask before paying and compare with the app.
Pre-booked driver. The strongest option for this route when you land after about 18:00, travel with children, have more than two big bags or want to stop for food on the way. The driver tracks your flight, so a 90-minute immigration queue is his problem, not yours.
Coming back from Ubud
Leaving Ubud is where people get caught out. Local transport groups in central Ubud discourage — and sometimes block — Grab and Gojek pickups. Drivers may ask you to walk to a pickup point outside the centre or cancel the booking. The apps remain legal; the problem is local.
What works:
- Ask your accommodation to arrange the airport ride. Most do, at a fixed price.
- If you use an app, set the pickup a short walk away from the main streets and message the driver.
- Leave for the airport at least three and a half hours before an international flight in the afternoon.
Arriving late
After a late landing, Ubud is the destination where a first night near the airport makes most sense. The airport guide covers the options within walking distance of the terminal, and a morning drive to Ubud takes barely more than an hour.
Sources
- Grab — Ngurah Rai International Airport rides
- Gojek — booking GoCar from the airport
- Bali Holiday Secrets — Ubud transport and pickup restrictions — updated April 2026
- The Bali Sun — Bali online taxi apps remain legal island-wide — February 2026
- OpenStreetMap / OSRM road distance, airport to Ubud Palace — accessed 4 Nov 2026