Guide to the Famous Ubud Art Market from Eat Pray Love
The brand new Ubud Art Market just opened in the center of town after a few long years of tourists waiting to visit the market where Julia Roberts fell in Love in Eat Pray Love. While it was under construction, two more copycat art markets opened up, called the Arjuna Art Market, and the Ubud Market – My local tip is Arjuna Art Market is the closest to the original.
✔️Ubud Art Market Quick Guide
📍 Location: The New Ubud Art Market is located in the center of town, right at the intersection of Jl. Raya Ubud and Jl. Raya Monkeyforest Road.
⏰ Hours: There are no set hours for the market, but you can expect normal working times from around 10 AM to 5 PM.
💰 Entry Cost: The Ubud Art Market is free to enter.
Shopping at the Ubud Art Market
The Ubud Art Market, known to locals as the Pasar Seni Ubud, sells all types of handmade goods that are made locally in Ubud. The Art Market (unfortunately) also sells a lot of mass-produced stuff marketed to tourists. Sometimes at the same stall, you’ll find beautiful handmade linen pants, right next to the iconic mass-produced “Elephant Pants” every backpacker in Asia has been wearing since 2004. (Full disclosure, I love my Elephant Pants).
🍿 🎥 Eat Pray Love in Ubud: The Ubud Art Market was featured in the 2010 movie Eat Pray Love, (spoiler, Julia Roberts falls in love in the Ubud Art Market!), and since then has been an iconic landmark.
About The Different Ubud Art Markets
Technically, there are three Ubud Art Markets; the Ubud Art Market, the Arjuna Art Market, and the Ubud Market. Confusing? I think so too. The reason there are now three markets is because the original Ubud Art Market was so popular that when it went under construction in 2021 copycats opened up. The new Ubud Art Market is in a massive building in the center of town. In my opinion, it’s a bit sterile and commercial.
Arjuna Art Market: I recommend the Arjuna Art Market which is most similar to the vibe of the original that was featured in the famous movie, “Eat Pray Love”.
The Three Main Markets in Ubud:
- The Main Ubud Art Market is in the center of town, it’s a huge complex you can’t miss.
- The “Ubud Market” – Not to be confused with the Ubud Art Market, although they all sell the same thing.
- 🏆 The Arjuna Ubud Art Market – This market is located a few streets from the main market and it’s the one I would recommend tourists visit because it still has the “tiny market” vibe, even though all three sell the same thing!
How to Get to the Arjuna Art Market
In 2021 when the square that used to house both the Ubud Morning Market and the Ubud Art Market went under renovation, a new art market opened up in Ubud. In the absence of the main Ubud Art Market, a new one called the “Arjuna Art Market” opened up – it’s located along Jl. Arjuna Alley, you can use “Tinos Warung” as the Google Maps market for it since they don’t have one set up yet. 📍Arjuna Art Market Address: Jl. Arjuna, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
The Brand New Ubud Art Market
The new Ubud Art Market is finally open for business! Right in the center of town, you won’t be able to miss the new market plaza. It’s one of the largest buildings in town! Inside the new market’s building, you’ll find rows and rows of the same stuff being sold all over Ubud, some of it is artisan-made and shipped in from surrounding villages and factories in the greater Gianyar Regency, and some of it is mass-produced 💩.
Do I think the Art Market is the best shopping in Ubud? NO! In fact, I could barely find anything I liked there. If you want an “Art Market” experience, I recommend shopping a few streets down at the Arjuna Art Market. The shopping experience at the NEW Ubud Art Market isn’t a good one. I picked up a sun visor on my last trip there (a really cheaply made one) and I was chased down by the vendor who, at first, wanted 250 IDR ($17), then as I walked away lowered the price to 150, 100, and then 50!
The name of the game at the art market is “buy low, sell high” (to stupid tourists), it’s more an emporium of random stuff than an artisan market. If you’re looking for deals on home goods, I recommend going straight to artisan shops on Jl. Raya Tegalalang (the street I currently live on that’s also home to Cretya Ubud), where they have whole stores devoted to one type of item – keep reading to find out more!
My Top Tips for Shopping in the Ubud Art Market
✔️ Haggle! I wrote a complete guide to haggling here, but basically, if you’re buying something in Ubud they expect you to haggle the price. Even if there’s a price tag on the item. The only exception to this is if you’re in a nice boutique.
✔️ All the stalls sell the same thing: That amazing wooden bowl your mom would love? Yeah, you can find that same bowl on every shop corner. All of the stalls/and shops sell the same products, mostly bought wholesale from factories or craftsmen directly. So, don’t worry if the shop you’re at doesn’t carry your size or preferred color, you’ll most likely be able to find the same thing at a different stall!
✔️ There are no artisans at the “Art Market”: Unless you see it being made in front of you, or talk to the designer yourself, the stalls and shops in Ubud most likely source their products from a factory or neighboring villages. That doesn’t mean that the products aren’t handmade!
8 Things You Can Buy At The Ubud Art Market
1. Clothes
You can find all types of clothes in the Ubud Art Market, but the most common styles are the types associated with tourists. Oversized rompers, sarongs, and harem pants of every color line the market stalls, as well as linen shorts and crochet crop tops.
2. Statues and figurines
You’ll be able to find endless little figurines in all different types of materials at the Ubud Art Market. Some of the figures are icons from the Balinese Hindu religion, and there are also a ton of Buddha figurines.
3. Leather goods
The Ubud Art Market has become known for its handmade leather goods! You can find anything made of leather, from bags and belts to knife sheaths at the market.
4. Woven bags
You’ll see woven circular bags, the kind they sell for like $200 at J. Crew, for sale all over the Ubud Art Market! Hand-made rattan bags are a huge industry in Bali.
5. Jewelry
There’s lots of jewelry for sale at the Ubud Art Market. The most common pieces are puka shell necklaces, bracelets, and anklets.
6. Bingtang-Branded Products
Bintang is the Indonesian equivalent to the Dutch beer Heineken, and it’s not just a beer in Bali – it’s a total lifestyle brand! You can find anything branded with the Bintang logo (I’ve even seen baby onesies!).
7. Sarongs
A necessity for visiting Balinese temples, you can buy a sarong in any color at the Ubud Art Market.
8. Penis statues
Haha, yes, I said penis statues – Nowadays, the schlong statuettes you’ll see everywhere in Bali are just comical souvenirs, but they’re descended from the ancient Hindu “Lingga” which is a fertility talisman. Allegedly, the Willie statues are also considered good luck charms. So, you’ll find lots of statues and souvenirs like keyrings and bottle openers fashioned into the shape of a penis.
