Most people book an ATV ride in Bali without knowing that the five track areas are genuinely different landscapes rather than five names for the same jungle loop. Picking the wrong one is how you end up dusty when you wanted mud, or an hour and a half up a mountain road when there was a track twenty minutes from your hotel.
The five areas, and what each is like
Ubud is the classic. The private tracks north-east of town run along the bunds between working rice fields, drop into a jungle valley, cross a shallow river with water over the footwells, and finish at a mud puddle deep enough to swallow a wheel. It is the muddiest ride in Bali and the one that produces the photographs.
Sukawati, twenty minutes south of Ubud, has the feature none of the others do: a cave tunnel wide enough to ride an ATV through, lit only by your headlights. Its clay climb out of the river valley is the most technical section on any of these tracks.
Kintamani is the outlier. You ride on the black lava field left by Mount Batur, inside the caldera — rock, ash and low scrub, with the caldera wall above you and Lake Batur below. At roughly 1,000 metres it is six to eight degrees cooler than Ubud, and the surface is loose rather than slippery.
Uluwatu is limestone. Rain drains straight through the rock on the Bukit peninsula, so there is no deep mud — instead you get hard white track, quarry cuts with vertical walls, dry scrub and ocean horizon views. It is also the only track within half an hour of the southern surf beaches.
Jatiluwih is the quiet one, threading the edges of the UNESCO-listed rice terraces below Mount Batukaru in Tabanan. It is the gentlest route, the cheapest, and the most scenic.
What an ATV ride costs in Bali
| Track | Location | Duration | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATV + Jungle Tour | Jatiluwih, Tabanan | 90 minutes | IDR 400,000 |
| Single ATV, private track | Ubud, Gianyar | 90 minutes | IDR 500,000 |
| Barong Cave ATV | Sukawati, Gianyar | 90 minutes | IDR 550,000 |
| ATV Adventure Kintamani | Kintamani, Bangli | 2 hours | IDR 600,000 |
| ATV Adventure Uluwatu | Uluwatu, Badung | 90 minutes | IDR 600,000 |
| Tandem ATV, private track | Ubud, Gianyar | 90 minutes | IDR 650,000 per machine |
The tandem price is the one that catches people out. IDR 650,000 buys the machine, not the seat — two people sharing works out at IDR 325,000 each, which is the cheapest way per person to ride in Ubud.
How to choose
- You want mud and the photographs that come with it: Ubud, or Sukawati if you also want the cave.
- You want scenery over dirt: Kintamani for volcanic landscape, Jatiluwih for rice terraces.
- You are staying in the south and do not want a long drive: Uluwatu.
- You are travelling with children under 12: the Ubud tandem, where they ride behind an adult.
- You want the lowest price: Jatiluwih at IDR 400,000.
What to expect on the day
Every ride starts the same way: a briefing, full safety gear — helmet, riding boots, gloves and a body protector — and a practice lap on flat ground before the track begins. The machines are automatic, so there are no gears to change, and the guide sets the pace to the slowest rider in the group rather than the fastest. No driving licence is required, because these are private tracks rather than public roads.
Bring clothes you do not mind ruining and a full change for afterwards. The bases have showers, soap and a changing area, but not towels.
Questions
Which ATV track in Bali is the best?
There is no single best ATV track in Bali — they suit different things. Ubud is the muddiest and most photographed, Kintamani has the most dramatic landscape on the Mount Batur lava field, Uluwatu is closest to the southern beaches, and Jatiluwih is the cheapest and most scenic.
How much does an ATV ride cost in Bali?
An ATV ride in Bali costs between IDR 400,000 and IDR 650,000 per person depending on the track, for 90 minutes to two hours including a guide, helmet, boots, gloves and a body protector.
Do you need a licence to ride an ATV in Bali?
No driving licence is required to ride an ATV in Bali on a private track. Riders get a safety briefing and a practice lap on flat ground before the tour starts.
Last updated . Prices quoted are in Indonesian rupiah and current at that date. See every activity and its price.