Ubud villa guide
Private pool villas in Ubud
Ubud is the valley-villa capital of Bali: villas cantilevered over the Ayung gorge, pools facing jungle instead of ocean, and mornings that start with mist in the valley. Four villas here have their own private pool and a verified price, from $140 a night at Kupu Kupu Barong to $2,500 at Four Seasons Sayan. This is the Ubud-only guide; the cross-island comparison, including Uluwatu clifftop villas, is on our private pool villas page.
The four villas at a glance
| Villa | Area | Villa size | Pool | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons Sayan | Sayan | One-Bedroom Villa 350 sqm | Private heated plunge pool | 3 | $1,000-2,500 |
| Hanging Gardens of Bali | Buahan, Payangan | Riverside Pool Villa 100 sqm | Private heated infinity pool | 2 (4 in two-bedroom) | $400-1,100 |
| Viceroy Bali | Petulu | 150 sqm (Pool Suite, Terrace Villa) to 400 sqm (Viceroy Villa) | Private heated pool; infinity in Deluxe Terrace | 2-5 | $600-1,400 |
| Kupu Kupu Barong | Kedewatan | Not published | Private pool | 2 (two-bedroom villas available) | $140-300 |
Sizes are the resorts' own published figures, indoor plus outdoor space combined unless noted. Kupu Kupu Barong does not publish villa sizes. Prices are approximate nightly rates found on booking sites and guides, and vary by season, room type, and availability.
The villas
The resort in the jungle above the Ayung valley. Photo: SvG, via Wikimedia Commons.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Every one of the 42 villas has a private heated plunge pool, and the One-Bedroom Villa runs 350 sqm of indoor plus outdoor space, cantilevered over the Ayung gorge. The Riverfront One-Bedroom Villa is 340 sqm, the Sayan Villa 480 sqm, and the Two-Bedroom Villa 1,320 sqm. The one-bedroom sleeps 3, so the per-person cost at the entry rate is about $333 a night before tax and service. The shared elliptical infinity pool appears to float above the jungle canopy, and the Sacred River Spa sits down by the water. This is the definitive Ubud villa stay, and the priciest on this page by a wide margin.
Best for: the definitive gorge villa, and the one to book if you only stay in one Ubud villa.
Read reviews on Google → Official site →
A villa plunge pool at Hanging Gardens of Bali. Photo: Robin Queen of Travel, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
Hanging Gardens of Bali
All 44 private villas have their own heated private infinity pool. The Panoramic and Riverside Pool Villas run 100 sqm and sleep 2; the Signature Pool Villa is 160 sqm; the Family and Two-Bedroom Pool Villas are 160 sqm and sleep 4. A funicular connects reception to the villas on the steep hillside. The shared two-tiered pool above the Ayung valley was named World's Best Swimming Pool by Conde Nast Traveler, but the villa pools are the reason to stay here: at $400 to $1,100 for two, the per-person cost runs $200 to $550 a night. The Hidden Palace, a 2,000 sqm five-bedroom villa with a 24-hour butler, is the top of the range.
Best for: the most photographed pool in Bali, with a private infinity pool in every villa.
Read reviews on Google → Official site →
The valley-edge infinity pool at Viceroy Bali at dusk. Photo: Daria, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (photographed 2009).
Viceroy Bali
All 40 villas have a private pool, and there is no non-pool room to book by mistake. The Pool Suite and Terrace Villa run 150 sqm with a private heated pool; the Deluxe Terrace Villa adds a heated infinity pool, a marble terrace, and a freestanding bathtub. The Vice Regal Villa is a 240 sqm two-bedroom with a heated pool, and the Viceroy Villa is a 400 sqm two-bedroom with a 15-metre heated pool and room for 5. The resort sits on a ridge above the Valley of the Kings, about 5 minutes from central Ubud, with a complimentary shuttle into town. At $600 to $1,400 for two, the per-person cost runs $300 to $700 a night, for villas half as large again as the Hanging Gardens entry villa.
Best for: couples who want a private-pool villa without the Four Seasons price.
Read reviews on Google → Official site →Kupu Kupu Barong Villas and Tree Spa
The cheapest way into a five-star Ubud villa. The resort holds 39 luxury villas in 3 hectares of gardens above the Ayung River valley, each with a private pool, and the Two-Bedroom Spa Pool Villa adds an in-villa spa treatment. Breakfast arrives on a floating tray in your pool, and the Mango Tree Spa looks over the river. Private butlers serve the villas. At $140 to $300 for two, the per-person cost runs $70 to $150 a night. No freely licensed photo of the resort exists, so this listing has none.
Best for: the cheapest five-star villa in Ubud.
Read reviews on Google → Official site →Per-person math: what a villa actually costs
A villa rate covers the whole villa, so the per-person cost falls as the group grows. The table below divides each villa's published nightly range by the guests its entry villa sleeps. All figures are before the 11 to 21 percent tax and service most Bali rates add at checkout.
| Villa | Nightly range | Guests | Per person per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kupu Kupu Barong | $140-300 | 2 | $70-150 |
| Hanging Gardens of Bali | $400-1,100 | 2 | $200-550 |
| Viceroy Bali | $600-1,400 | 2 | $300-700 |
| Four Seasons Sayan | $1,000-2,500 | 3 | $333-833 |
A two-bedroom villa changes the math again: the Hanging Gardens Family villa sleeps 4, and the Viceroy Villa sleeps 5, so a group of four or five splits the top-end rate four or five ways. The full comparison of villas against hotel rooms is on our villa vs hotel page.
Which Ubud villa for which trip
Honeymoon. Viceroy Bali, for the price: every villa has a private heated pool, the Deluxe Terrace Villa adds a heated infinity pool over the valley, and the resort sits 5 minutes from town. Four Seasons Sayan is the splurge, with a private plunge pool in every villa over the Ayung gorge.
Family. Hanging Gardens of Bali: the Family and Two-Bedroom Pool Villas sleep 4 in 160 sqm, and the funicular is a ride in itself for kids. The Viceroy Villa sleeps 5. Four Seasons Sayan's one-bedroom sleeps 3, so a family of four needs the two-bedroom villa.
Wellness. Kupu Kupu Barong, for the Mango Tree Spa over the river and the in-villa spa treatment in the Two-Bedroom Spa Pool Villa. Four Seasons Sayan's Sacred River Spa sits down by the Ayung River.
Budget. Kupu Kupu Barong is the only five-star villa on this page under $300 a night, and the only one where the per-person cost tops out at $150.
Getting around from a valley villa
Ubud's villas sit in the valley, not in town. Four Seasons Sayan is 3.7 miles west of central Ubud; Hanging Gardens is 30 minutes north; Viceroy Bali is about 5 minutes away and runs a complimentary shuttle into town. Kupu Kupu Barong sits in Kedewatan, south of the centre. Valley villas arrange drivers and airport transfers; book the transfer in advance, and do not walk the valley roads at night. The drive from the airport runs 75 to 120 minutes, so a late arrival is better spent near the airport than on the road to Ubud. See our first night guide for the arrival playbook.
What the rate leaves out
Three add-ons change the total. First, tax and service: most Bali rates add 11 to 21 percent at checkout, so a $400 villa bills as $444 to $484. Second, the tourist levy: IDR 150,000 per person (about $10), once per trip. Third, breakfast: check whether your rate includes it, because a villa breakfast for two can add $30 or more a day. Peak-season villas often require a five to seven night minimum stay.
More planning
See the private pool villas guide for the cross-island comparison, the Ubud area guide for the full hotel list, and the honeymoon guide for split-stay plans that pair a valley villa with a beach leg. The private pool villas in Seminyak guide covers the beachfront alternative. The private pool villas in Canggu guide covers the surf coast. The private pool villas in Uluwatu guide covers the clifftop villas. The villa vs hotel page has the full per-person math, and prices by area shows what Ubud costs against the rest of the island.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private pool villa cost in Ubud?
From $140 a night at Kupu Kupu Barong Villas and Tree Spa to $2,500 at Four Seasons Sayan. Viceroy Bali runs $600 to $1,400 and Hanging Gardens of Bali $400 to $1,100. All four villas on this page have their own private pool, and rates add 11 to 21 percent tax and service at checkout.
Which Ubud villa is best for a honeymoon?
Viceroy Bali, for the price: every one of its 40 villas has a private heated pool, and the Deluxe Terrace Villa adds a heated infinity pool over the valley from about $600 a night. Four Seasons Sayan is the splurge pick, with a private plunge pool in every villa over the Ayung gorge.
How far are Ubud villas from the centre?
Four Seasons Sayan is 3.7 miles west of central Ubud, Hanging Gardens is 30 minutes north, and Viceroy Bali is about 5 minutes away with a complimentary shuttle into town. Kupu Kupu Barong sits in Kedewatan, south of the centre. Valley villas run shuttles or arrange drivers; the valley roads are not for walking at night.
Prices are approximate nightly rates found on booking sites and guides, and vary by season, room type, and availability. Many Bali rates add about 21 percent tax and service. The Bali tourist levy (IDR 150,000, about $10 per person, once per trip) applies to all visitors. Always confirm the current rate before you book.