South
Uluwatu mud ride
Bukit peninsula, 2 hours
- Age12 to drive alone
- Rating4.77 from 435
- Pricefrom $37
Group cost, Ubud
Quad bike Bali: pick the region before you pick the ride
Quick reply from us
Quad bike rides in Bali run in the Ubud hills, on Mount Batur, at Uluwatu, in Munduk and on Lembongan, and a buggy is a different machine with a steering wheel and pedals.
Machine and licence
Weigh 4 rides
Cost of a ride for your party
Enter the headcount and compare four regions
- Ubud Gorilla Cave2 hours, lunch · per head, from $29
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View - Mount Batur lavaPrivate ride of 1.5 hours · per head, from $20
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View - Uluwatu mudLasts 2 hours · per head, from $37
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View - Lembongan buggyLasts 8 to 9 hours · per head, from $46
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View
Lowest listed prices converted at the ECB reference rate; the exact total appears on the booking page.
A Bali quad bike tour can mean jungle mud, black volcanic sand or a clifftop road, and the word buggy hides a different machine. Here is the island mapped by what each listing actually offers.
Editorial team, ubudatvride.click · Updated November 2, 2026 · A read of about 7 minutes
Key facts here
- Jungle and lunchThis site's Ubud ride is a 2-hour Gorilla Cave outing with lunch, from $29.
- VolcanoA Mount Batur sunrise ride lasts 40 minutes and picks up in the Ubud area at 3:30 AM.
- CoastAn Uluwatu mud ride lasts 2 hours, and riders must be 12 to drive alone.
- BuggyThe Lembongan buggy day swaps to an open truck if no buggy is free.
- LicenceSmartraveller says Australians need an Indonesian licence or an IDP to drive in Indonesia.1
What a Bali booking page calls a quad
Listings use ATV, quad, quad bike and buggy almost as synonyms, and the title of a ride is not a reliable guide to the machine. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission pins the terms down: in the commission's terms an ATV rides on three or more low-pressure tires, is straddled by its operator like a saddle and is steered with handlebars.2 A quad bike is an ATV by that definition, and so is the vehicle in most Bali rides.
A buggy is the other family. Side-by-side vehicles have seating abreast and automotive-type controls, a steering wheel and pedals, and recreational off-highway models also carry rollover protective structures and seatbelts.3,4 An ATV by definition does not carry seatbelts.5 When a listing says buggy, check the photos and the description for a steering wheel before assuming the ride is the quad kind.
One Bali listing shows why the check matters. A Lembongan day built around a buggy states that if the buggy is not available, the operator will change it to an open truck. That is a different vehicle by the commission's terms and a different experience in the mud, so a guest who booked specifically for a steering wheel should ask what happens if the substitute is used. So the question of ATV or buggy in Bali is really a question about seats and controls.
Island areas weighed
Six rides across the island
| Area | What the listing offers | Time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubud | Gorilla Cave, waterfalls, lunch | Lasts 2 hours | $29 |
| Mount Batur, dawn | Lava fields, sunrise, hot spring | Lasts 40 minutes riding | $21 |
| Mount Batur, day | Private black lava ride | Lasts 1.5 hours | $20 |
| Uluwatu | Mud track with a swing view | Lasts 2 hours | $37 |
| Munduk | Waterfalls and a cooking class | Lasts 2 to 8 hours | $36 |
| Lembongan | Buggy, ferry and kayaking | Lasts 8 to 9 hours | $46 |
All prices are from prices, and the time column mixes riding time and whole-day time as each listing states it.
Ubud: jungle tracks and a long lunch
The hills north and east of Ubud are where most Bali quad rides begin. This site's own ride is a Viator listing for the Gorilla Cave: it lasts 2 hours, names hidden waterfalls, jungle trails, rice fields and river crossings, offers single or tandem seats, and ends with lunch at a base restaurant overlooking rice terraces. It starts from $29, rated 4.82 from 2,202 reviews.
Other Ubud rides state their riding time apart from the whole outing. A guided jungle ride with lunch lists a quad ride of 1.5 hours, rated 4.81 from 6,489 reviews and starting from $22. The two numbers differ because the first counts the whole activity and the second the riding alone, so compare the way each listing counts before you compare the prices.
Ubud is also the easiest base for the rest of the island. Mount Batur is 1 hour from Ubud by the Batur listings' own statement, and the Ayung River where rafting sits is about 20 minutes away by the tourism ministry's.6 A quad ride in the hills fits comfortably into a day that also holds a swing, a waterfall or a rice terrace.
How long you actually ride
Listed ride or activity time, in minutes
- Batur sunrise ride40
- Uluwatu with temple60
- Batur black lava90
- North Bali hill90
- Uluwatu mud ride120
- Gorilla Cave ride120
The Gorilla Cave and Uluwatu mud figures are whole-activity times, the others are the riding alone.
Mount Batur: black lava, dawn and a hot spring
Mount Batur is the volcano option. The sunrise ride lists a quad ride of 40 minutes through the black lava fields, then a sunrise viewpoint stop of 1 hour, with breakfast and a hot spring to follow, from $21. Pickup in the Ubud area is at 3:30 AM, and the listing recommends booking the hotel pickup because the mountain is 1 hour from Ubud.
A daytime alternative is private. The black lava ride lasts 1.5 hours on the west side of Mount Batur, 1 hour from the center of Ubud, and some pickups start as early as 7:00 AM. It starts from $20, rated 5.00 from 25 reviews, so the rating rests on few voices. Its terms say no prior experience is needed.
The long Batur day is a different product. A 2.5-hour quad stop is followed by a 2-hour hot spring session, the minimum age is 16, and the listing asks for a booking 48 hours ahead, from $88. It is worth the extra only if the springs are the point of the day; for the riding alone, the sunrise and the black lava rides cost less.
Pick by taste
Which Bali ride suits you
Name the scenery you want first
If I want jungle and rice terraces
Ubud
This site's ride names jungle trails, rice fields and a Gorilla Cave.
If I want a volcano at dawn
Mount Batur sunrise
A 40-minute ride, a sunrise viewpoint and a hot spring.
If My base is the Bukit
Uluwatu
A 2-hour mud ride, or a day with a temple and Kecak.
If I want a steering wheel
Lembongan buggy
The buggy day, with a truck as the fallback.
If I want a quiet north coast day
Munduk
Waterfalls, a plantation and a cooking class.
Regions worth booking
A ride from each corner of the island
Volcano
Black lava ride
West side of the volcano
- LengthLasts 1.5 hours
- Rating5.00 from 25
- Pricefrom $20
Buggy
Island buggy day
Lembongan by ferry
- LengthLasts 8 to 9 hours
- Rating4.58 from 44
- Pricefrom $46
Uluwatu: mud on the Bukit and a temple at dusk
The southern tip of Bali has its own quad scene. The Uluwatu mud ride lasts 2 hours, requires riders to be 12 to drive alone, and needs no prior ATV experience; its 435 reviews average 4.77, and it starts from $37. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the start, and wear closed-toe shoes.
A combination day also exists. It lists a 1-hour quad ride, a 1-hour guided visit to Uluwatu Temple and a 1-hour Kecak dance show, with transfers of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 1 hour between them, from $21. Its rating is 4.13 from 16 reviews, which is thin evidence.
The listing warns that monkeys at the temple go for small items and that Kecak seating is limited, so arrive early and secure your belongings. Treat Uluwatu as the choice when your base is on the Bukit or in the south, not a substitute for the Ubud rice-and-jungle ride, because the landscape and the track are different.
A volcano morning
The Batur sunrise ride, hour by hour
3:30 AM
Pickup in the Ubud area
Hotel pickup is recommended because the mountain is 1 hour away.
Pre-dawn
Drive to the mountain
The ride starts 1 hour from Ubud.
Across the black sand
40 minutes on the quad
The ride crosses the black lava fields of Mount Batur.
Sunrise
1 hour at the viewpoint
The viewpoint looks over Lake Batur and the surrounding valley.
Afterwards
Breakfast and the springs
A simple breakfast and a natural hot spring close the outing.
Munduk, Lovina and Lembongan: the far-flung rides
The north has quieter options. A Munduk day pairs a jungle quad ride with waterfalls, a coffee plantation with hydrangea flowers and a hands-on Balinese cooking class, from $36, rated 4.92 from 65 reviews. The listing sells the Munduk area as the peaceful and less crowded side of North Bali.
Another north coast day starts with dolphin watching at Lovina Beach, then a 1.5-hour quad ride at Wanagiri Hidden Hill and a stop at Banyumala Waterfalls, from $31, rated 4.88 from 148 reviews. The transfers run 2 hours each way, so this is a long day, and the listing says dolphin sightings cannot be guaranteed.
The buggy option is across the water. The Lembongan day takes a ferry of 45 minutes each way, covers viewpoints and Devil's Tears by buggy and ends with kayaking, from $46, rated 4.58 from 44 reviews. It is the right pick for a guest who wants a steering wheel and a boat ride, not the right pick for someone chasing mud.
Video
Extreme ATV adventures in Bali
Murray Wilkinson (Muzza) in Bali, YouTube · The video loads from YouTube only after you tap play.
Check that your licence or permit is appropriate for the type of vehicle you're driving, including motorbikes and mopeds.
Before you lock it in
Island ride checklist
Check the machine and the rules4
- Look for handlebars or a steering wheel in the photos
- Confirm the minimum age to drive alone
- Read your policy for the words quad and off-road
- Ask what the substitute vehicle is if the first is unavailable
Build the day around it4
- Allow the pickup time for a dawn ride
- Count the transfer hours on a far-flung day
- Pack a change of clothes for mud
- Carry cash for tips and extras
Licence, insurance and who runs the track
Guided quad rides in the listings do not ask for a driving licence, and none of them mentions one, but the wider rules matter if you ever rent a vehicle. Smartraveller says an Australian who drives in Indonesia needs either a licence issued in Indonesia or an International Driving Permit alongside the home licence, and that the licence must suit the type of vehicle, motorbikes and mopeds included.1,7
Insurance deserves a minute. Smartraveller advises making sure working safety equipment is available and that your travel insurance covers adventure activities, and warns against assuming that it does.8,9 Read your own policy for the words ATV, quad or off-road before you travel, because an exclusion costs far more than the ride.
Finally, choose the operator with care. The same advice notes that Indonesian businesses, adventure providers included, may not meet Australian safety or maintenance standards, and tells travelers to research providers carefully, follow all safety instructions and choose activities suited to their abilities.10,11 The CPSC's own advice is to get hands-on training from a qualified instructor, which every guided ride in the listings builds in as a briefing.12
How to choose the region and the ride
Begin with the hotel you are booked into. A base in Ubud puts the jungle ride at your door and the volcano 1 hour away, so the choice is about landscape: jungle and rice fields for this site's ride, black sand for Batur. A base on the Bukit puts the Uluwatu mud ride and the temple day closest.
Then choose the shape of the day. A short block of riding with lunch suits a morning in Ubud. A dawn start suits a traveler who wakes easily and has a spare afternoon. A combination with a temple or a cooking class suits the guest who wants a theme, not just a ride, and the listings above show where those combinations exist.
Finally, check the small print that matters to you: age, tandem, pickup and what is included. This site's own ride lists free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and a no-transfer option for guests who meet at the base, which makes it an easy first booking before you plan the remainder of your stay.
FAQ
The things riders ask first.
Where in Bali can you ride a quad bike?
Ubud, Mount Batur and Uluwatu are the main areas.
The listings here cover Ubud jungle tracks, Batur lava fields, an Uluwatu mud track, Munduk and a Lembongan buggy day.
Is a buggy the same as a quad in Bali?
Can a 12 year old drive a quad in Bali?
On one Uluwatu listing, yes.
The Uluwatu mud ride sets a minimum age of 12 to ride by yourself.
Do I need a licence for a guided quad ride?
None of these listings mentions one.
Smartraveller's licence rule concerns driving in Indonesia in general.1
How early is a Mount Batur sunrise quad pickup?
3:30 AM in the Ubud area.
The listing gives 3:30 AM for Ubud and 2:30 AM for the south coast.
Which Bali quad ride has a buggy?
A Lembongan day.
That day swaps to an open truck if the buggy is not available.
Does travel insurance cover quad biking?
Do not assume it does.
Smartraveller warns not to assume insurance covers adventure or high-risk activities.9
Sources
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission · 2024 report on deaths and injuries from off-highway vehicles with over two wheels ↩
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission · 2024 report on deaths and injuries from off-highway vehicles with over two wheels ↩
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission · 2024 report on deaths and injuries from off-highway vehicles with over two wheels ↩
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission · 2024 report on deaths and injuries from off-highway vehicles with over two wheels ↩
- Indonesia Travel (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia) · 5 reasons visitors enjoy rafting the Ayung River near Ubud ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- Smartraveller (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) · Indonesia travel advice ↩
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission · ATV Safety Information Centre ↩
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