If there’s a more magical waterfall experience in Bali than the cave waterfall at Tukad Cepung, we haven’t found it yet. A huge waterfall, that cascades into a deep canyon with swirling walls, that look like they’ve been perfectly sculpted, yet are entirely natural. Add to this scene ethereal light rays and you have one of the most spectacular sights on the island.
However, the light rays aren’t there all the time, and the beauty of Tukad Cepung is no longer a secret, so you’ll need to plan your visit carefully.
We’re sharing everything you need to know to ensure you have a great trip.
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
The walk to get there
Distance: 1.1km return
Elevation gain: 60m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
As with most Bali waterfalls, the walk to Tukad Cepung involves heading quite steeply downhill on the way and then you have a bit of a climb on the way back up.
The path is concrete and in good condition until you get down to the river. Although steep in parts, there are often handrails on any bits that might get slippery, and it’s a pretty easy descent.
Now that it’s become popular the first point you’ll come to on the trail is a ticket stand.
Strangely this is not where you pay, but merely where you are handed a ticket - you’ll see by your number how many people have already been down to the falls that day.
A little past the ticket stand you’ll come to the official booth where you pay your entry fee.
From here there is a small amount more flat track before you start heading relatively steeply downhill. You’ll pass plenty of small warungs as you make your way down towards the river.
After 150m descending you’ll reach the irrigation channel and begin heading alongside it on a flat path.
Just 250m later you’ll see the final staircases down to the river. These are more damp and uneven than the earlier stairs, but there are handrails in place.
At the bottom of the staircase you head left for Tukad Cepung Waterfall, or right to head to a smaller waterfall downstream.
The small waterfall is just a couple of minutes walk away and worth stopping by after you’ve been to Tukad Cepung.
Heading to Tukad Cepung
From the staircase it gets a little more adventurous, even though you’re actually only 80m from the falls. You’ll step into the canyon itself and from here wet feet are guaranteed.
Although you can walk on the sandy banks or rocks at first, there’s not really any point because you have to walk in the water later, so you may as well just embrace it.
Although you could go barefoot, it’s easier to wear some kind of water shoes, or shoes you don’t mind getting soaked, as it’s pretty rocky and can be painful underfoot.
The water isn’t deep - around ankle height or lower - although it could be a different story in rainy season. (If visiting in rainy season check the forecast carefully as flash flooding in canyons can be incredibly dangerous).
The point where you enter the canyon is where the walk becomes especially stunning.
The canyon walls keep it shady and it’s incredibly atmospheric. There’s just a few minutes of walking through the wider part of the canyon before you round the corner, and you’ll get your first glimpse of some light rays (hopefully!).
You can squeeze through the little gap between the canyon wall and a large boulder and then you’ll be able to see the waterfall just ahead of you.
Before that you will see some giant boulders surrounded by jungle which are bathed in golden light from several spectacular light rays. It makes for some incredible photos.
The light ray boulders photo spot
The light rays over the boulders are magical and unsurprisingly it’s become a popular photo spot.
You can stand on top of the boulder surrounded by golden beams, but it’s equally beautiful as a landscape photo if you’re not into ‘Instagrammy’ style pics.
The boulder you stand on is huge, but happily just behind it you’ll see that someone has installed a ladder.
It’s fairly rustic, and a few rungs are a little bent and worse for wear, but it still felt really sturdy and makes getting up so much easier!
Once you’re off the ladder there are a few ridges in the rock for footholds and then you’re up.
It looks like it would be pretty slippery as it’s damp and a little muddy, but it was actually not too bad at all - just go carefully incase we got lucky with the conditions.
The space where you stand on top of the boulder is really big and doesn’t feel precarious in any way - unless you suffer from vertigo!
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
Just 30 seconds beyond the light ray boulder you’ll see the cave waterfall itself. It’s such a phenomenal sight that even without light rays it’s still my favourite waterfall in Bali. Light rays are the icing on the cake.
The gap at the top of the cave is so small that it remains dark and mysterious, no matter what time of day you visit. That is until the beams shine through and it becomes ethereal.
Although the pool at the base of the falls is very shallow, you can go for a wade, and the closer you get to the falls, the wetter you’ll get from the spray. It’s truly sensational.
Tukad Cepung light rays
Tukad Cepung is so beautiful that you don’t need to see the light rays to appreciate it, but if you can time it right it makes the experience all the more magical.
The first thing you need to make sure is that you choose a clear sunny day. If any cloud is blocking the sun, then you won’t see the rays.
We use this weather report which is usually accurate although none are 100% reliable.
The second factor is time of day. The general consensus is that the light rays are most often visible between 9 and 11am.
However, it’s not an exact science. We saw them at 8.30am and I am sure they can be seen at other times too, but if you’re really keen to see them, then it makes sense to visit during the optimum time.
If you had a good forecast, but it clouds over when you’re there, it’s worth waiting around for a bit and seeing if it clears.
They disappeared for around half an hour on our most recent visit, but returned a couple of times, showing that a bit of patience can pay off.
The best time to visit Tukad Cepung Waterfall
The best time for the light rays (as mentioned) is generally thought to be between 9am and 11am. However, because this is what everyone online (plus all drivers etc) will tell you, it’s also the busiest time to visit Tukad Cepung.
For this reason I’d recommend coming a little earlier than 9am. You may get lucky and see them before the crowds turn up, but if not you can just wait around.
If you don’t mind about the rays, then I would recommend visiting Tukad Cepung very early in the morning, or towards the very end of the day. This should avoid the worst of the crowds.
Unfortunately, though the cave is relatively large, it does feel busy with just a few people, and it can be hard to take photos. Sometimes a queue will form, but sometimes it’s a free for all, and you never know what you’re going to get.
If you love the idea of a cave waterfall but hate the idea of the crowds, then you could also try nearby Goa Raja Waterfall. It’s not quite as spectacular, but it’s still a fabulous waterfall and getting it to yourself is a dream. There’s even a few light rays there too!
Tukad Cepung entry fee
It sort of blows my mind that despite its mega popularity the entry fee is just 15,000 IDR (USD $1). They could charge many times this and it would barely affect the visitor numbers.
It’s also wonderful that they have not brought in a mandatory guide scheme either. It makes a visit here so much more relaxing.
Parking is also free and abundant.
How to get to Tukad Cepung Waterfall
The road to Tukad Cepung is paved all the way and not steep and windy like you’ll find around Munduk.
It’s easy enough to come by scooter or you can hire a driver. It’s around an hour from Ubud, 40 minutes from Sidemen and 1 hour 20 from Kuta.
It is well marked on google maps, just click on this link to find the location.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support!
