Most reviewedToekad with lunch
The trip this site books
- On the river
- 2 hours
- Lunch
- 30-minute buffet
- Ages
- 5 to 65
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Guide · Trips compared
Best rafting in Ubud: the Ayung trips compared
Every rafting day near Ubud runs on the same river, so the differences hide in the small print: pickup, lunch, hours on the water, age limits and the steps down to the gorge.
Check availabilityfrom $26 · cancel for free
Editorial team, rafting-ubud.comUpdated October 24, 20267-minute read13 sources
The short version
- 01Most reviewed
- The trip this site books, with lunch, showers and towels, from $26.
- 02Lowest price
- A Bali Bintang run from $18, with 2.5 hours on the river.
- 03Premium
- Pickup included and 5 hours door to door, from $58.
One river, many rafting bases
Search for the best rafting in Ubud and you meet a crowd of listings with near-identical photos: red rafts, orange helmets, a waterfall in a green gorge. That is not a coincidence. The listings on this page all run the same river, the Ayung, which Wikipedia describes as the longest river on Bali, flowing 68.5 km from the northern mountains to the Badung Strait at Sanur.2
Indonesia Travel, the site of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism, places Ayung rafting at Kedewatan, on the western edge of Ubud, and puts the river about 20 minutes by car from the town.15 Drive along Jalan Raya Kedewatan and you pass one rafting base after another: Ayung Dewata, Green Bali Rafting, Bali Bintang and the Infinity Building, where the trip this site books meets its guests.
Since the water is shared, comparing trips is mostly about what happens around it. Who collects you from your hotel, how long the drive is, how many minutes you actually spend paddling, whether lunch, towels and showers are included, which ages are accepted, and how many steps stand between the road and the river. Those are the points this page lines up, listing by listing, using only what each listing states.
The most reviewed Ayung trip
The trip this site books is run by Bali Toekad Experience and carries 2,435 reviews with an average of 4.74, the most of any rafting-only listing in this comparison. You choose a starting time between 9 AM and 1 PM, add pickup if you want it, and the operator confirms the pickup time after you book.
The listed day is simple: a 10-minute drive, 2 hours of rafting on the Ayung, another short drive, then a 30-minute buffet lunch at Toekad Rafting. The price includes rafting equipment, a professional guide, drinking water, insurance, showers with fresh towels and changing rooms, and pickup if you choose that option.
Two points deserve attention before you book. The listing accepts ages 5 to 65 and warns of a large number of steps down to the river and back up, asking for good physical condition and water shoes. A family listing that starts from the same Toekad base puts numbers on it: 300 steps down and 400 up. It starts from $26, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Hours on the water
How long each listing keeps you on the river
hrs
Side by side
Ayung listings on the points that differ
| Listing | From | On the river | Ages | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toekad, with lunch | $26 | 2 hours | 5 to 65 | 2,435 |
| Bali Bintang run | $18 | 2.5 hours | Not stated | 287 |
| Ayung Dewata base | $21 | 2 hours | Not stated | 127 |
| Premium Ayung trip | $58 | Not stated | 5 to 65 | 116 |
| Bali Bintang base camp | $64 | 2.5 hours | 5 to 65 | 8 |
| Rafting and swing | $42 | Around 2 hours | Not stated | 74 |
| Batur and rafting | $45 | 3 hours | From 10 | 197 |
Figures copied from each listing on GetYourGuide; every price is where that trip starts, not a final quote.
Three ways to raft
Most reviewed, lowest price, premium
Most reviewed
Lowest priceBali Bintang run
Ayung with lunch
- On the river
- 2.5 hours
- Drive
- 1 hour each way
- Rapids
- Class II and III
PremiumDecision helper
Which Ayung listing fits your day?
Match the line that sounds like you
Toekad, with lunch
2,435 reviews averaging 4.74, lunch, showers and towels included.
Bali Bintang run
From $18, with 2.5 hours on the river and optional pickup.
Premium Ayung trip
Pickup included and 5 hours door to door, from $58.
Rafting with a swing
A jungle swing after around 2 hours on the river, pickup included.
Batur and rafting
A 4:00 AM hike, then 3 hours of rafting; suggested minimum age 10.
But do read carefully and be advised by the terms and conditions aplied by each of the rafting organizers, because they might not be the same as to age limit and safety rules.
Cheaper runs from other Kedewatan bases
If price comes first, a handful of listings undercut the most reviewed trip. The Bali Bintang listing starts from $18 and gives 2.5 hours of rafting, with a 1-hour drive each way when you take its pickup. It describes beginner-friendly class II and III rapids and carries 287 reviews averaging 4.82.
Ayung Dewata Rafting starts and ends at its own base on Jalan Raya Kedewatan, from $21. Its itinerary shows a short drive, 2 hours on the river and a drive back, and its notes are frank: there is walking down to the river and stairs up afterwards, boats are shared with other guests up to 5 or 6 per raft, and an alternative day is offered when the weather turns bad.
Green Bali Rafting lists a 2-hour trip from $22, with a helmet and life jacket handed out after a safety briefing and a guide with over 5 years of experience. Bring an ID card, which that listing says is needed for the insurance. With only 9 reviews, it is a newer and less proven choice.
Checklist
Before you choose a listing
01
Read in the small print
- The age range and the not-suitable list
- How many steps lead down to the river
- Whether pickup is included or optional
- Whether lunch, towels and showers are included
02
Decide for your group
- Morning or later start
- Shared raft or a private group
- Free cancellation window
Calculator
What your group pays
Pick a listing and the number of rafters
People
Total from$52
from, per person $26
Check availabilityfree cancellationTotals take each listing's lowest GetYourGuide price times the number of rafters, turned into your currency at today's European Central Bank rate; the figure at checkout is the one that counts.
Video
What white water rafting on the Ayung in Ubud is really like
The video loads only when you tap play.
Premium and private choices
At the other end sits a premium Ayung trip from $58, with pickup included and 5 hours from door to door. Its listing gives class II and III rapids, ages 5 to 65, and an operator that says it has over 30 years in adventure tours; its 116 reviews average 4.87.
If you would rather not share a raft with strangers, two listings mention private or small groups. Bali Bintang's own base-camp trip, from $64, lists 2.5 hours on the water and the same age range of 5 to 65. The trip this site books also states that private or small groups are available, so ask about that option when you check dates.
A higher price buys comfort around the river rather than a different river. The rapids, the gorge and the waterfalls are the same for everyone on the Ayung on a given day. What changes is the vehicle, the privacy in the raft, the lunch and the size of the group at the base, so decide which of those matters before you pay twice as much.
Rafting with something else in the day
Several listings pair the river with a second activity. A rafting tour in Ubud with a jungle swing, pickup included, starts from $42 and gives around 2 hours on the river on grade I to III rapids. Another adds a zip line and the Uma Ceking rice terraces, from $18, with 98 reviews averaging 4.94.
For an early riser there is a long day that starts on Mount Batur: the hike begins at 4:00 AM, takes about 2 hours to the summit, and is followed by a 1-hour drive to the Ayung and 3 hours of rafting. It starts from $45, and its minimum suggested age is 10.
Tubing is the gentler cousin: one listing from the same Infinity Building meeting point gives about 3 hours on the water in a tube, for ages 12 to 65, from $39. Days that combine the river with a quad bike ride are compared on our page about adding an ATV, and the full range of those combinations belongs to a specialist ATV guide.
What stays the same whichever trip you pick
Some things do not change from one listing to the next, and it helps to know them before you compare prices. Indonesia Travel describes every Ayung raft as carrying safety gear, with a short training on basic strokes before the start and an experienced guide on board.6 The scenery is shared as well: rainforest, rice fields, carved stone walls and waterfalls line the gorge whichever base you set out from.7
The grade of the water is the river's, not the operator's. Indonesia Travel classes the Ayung as II and III in the dry season and as IV in the rainy season, when the water rises.89 A cheaper listing does not give you gentler rapids, and a premium one does not make them wilder; the season and the level of the river decide that on the day.
Photos are another constant. When the water allows, some guides pull over so you can take pictures, and a morning start gives the best light in the gorge, by Indonesia Travel's account.1011 Some operators, Sobek among them, photograph rafters and sell the pictures at the finish as an option.12 Leave your phone in the dry bag unless you have a waterproof case and a strap.
How to pick your Ayung trip
Start with your knees. Every base sits above the gorge, and Indonesia Travel advises checking each operator's start and finish points to see how far you will walk up or down.4 If stairs worry you, choose a base whose listing describes the climb, and ask before you book rather than at the top of the steps.
Then look at the clock. Pickup from Kuta, Seminyak or Canggu turns a short river run into a half-day outing, while meeting at a Kedewatan base from Ubud keeps the drive short. Indonesia Travel puts the river about one hour from most tourist centres.5 The trip this site books lists 13 drop-off areas, from Tegalalang to Nusa Dua Beach.
Finally, read the rules. Indonesia Travel warns that each operator sets its own terms on age limits and safety, and they may not match.3 Children, pregnant travelers and anyone with a heart or back condition should check the not-suitable list of the exact listing. A good choice is the one whose small print fits your group, not the one with the shiniest raft.
Your morning
The Ayung is running. Pick your start.
Choose a time between 9 AM and 1 PM, add pickup if you like, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
Which Ayung rafting listing has the most reviews?
The trip this site books. Bali Toekad Experience's guided trip with lunch has 2,435 reviews averaging 4.74.
What is the cheapest rafting trip near Ubud in this comparison?
The Bali Bintang listing. It starts from $18 and includes 2.5 hours of rafting on the Ayung, with pickup as an option.
Do all Ubud rafting trips use the same river?
Yes, the Ayung. The listings here raft the Ayung near Kedewatan; the Telaga Waja in east Bali is a separate river.113
How long are you actually on the water?
Usually 2 to 2.5 hours. Most listings give 2 or 2.5 hours on the river; one Batur combination gives 3.
Is lunch included on Ubud rafting trips?
On the ones compared here, yes. The trip this site books includes a 30-minute buffet lunch at Toekad Rafting after the river.
Can I book a private raft on the Ayung?
Some listings offer it. Private or small groups are listed by Bali Bintang's base-camp trip and by the trip this site books.
Are there many steps down to the Ayung?
At most bases, yes. One listing from the Toekad base counts 300 steps down and 400 back up after the rafting.
Sources
Evidence for this guide
- 1Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 2WikipediaAyung River↩
- 3Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 4Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 5Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 6Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 7Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 8Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 9Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 10Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 11Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
- 12Sobek Bali AdventuresSobek Rafting Ayung↩
- 13Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia)5 Reasons Travelers Love Water Rafting at Ayung River in Ubud↩
