Discover the unique style of Balinese art at the island’s oldest art museum, established by a Dutch painter and the former prince of Ubud.

Set amongst tropical gardens in the centre of Ubud, Puri Lukisan is the oldest art museum in Bali. This museum has an impressive range of traditional Balinese paintings, woodcarvings and contemporary Balinese artworks. The name Puri Lukisan means “palace of painting”.

Much of the work at the museum focuses on Balinese art, culture and history. The museum also showcases art by European expats, including Walter Spies from Germany and Rudolf Bonnet from The Netherlands.

In 1936, Bonnet established the Pita Maha, a co-operative to support the development of Balinese artists. With the help of the Ubud prince Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, Bonnet created the Puri Lukisan Museum in 1954. Bonnet became the museum’s first curator. Both men died in 1978, but their legacy lives on.

Visit the museum’s original gallery, named Pitamaha, to see paintings by influential European artists in Bali and the works by their students. I Gusti Nyoman Lempad was one of them he painted the mural outside, a replica of the original depiction of local rice paddies.

In other galleries, browse post-World War II Balinese art and see examples of the classical Kamasan style, originating in Java. There is also a collection of works focusing on traditional Balinese scenes and styles. Keep an eye out for the woodcarvings throughout the grounds.

Take your time and spend a few hours in the complex, which includes a bookstore, a gift shop and a balé (coffee shop) for refreshments. The museum also hosts guided tours, shows and workshops, which include painting, dancing, music, woodcarving and batik, a method of dyeing cloth. Check the museum’s website for prices and programmes.

Museum Puri Lukisan is located along the main street in Ubud. There is free parking. The museum is open daily, except major public holidays. There is a small admission fee for those above 15 years of age. Flash photography and tripods are prohibited. Most artworks have signs in English.

Plan a trip to see Puri Lukisan Museum

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Sanctoo Suites and Villas

₹83,136

per person

6 Oct - 13 Oct

found 18 hours ago

Return direct flight included

Mumbai (BOM) to Denpasar (DPS)

9/10 Wonderful! (40 reviews)

Sanctoo villas is beautiful accommodation and the people there are wonderful. We stayed for three nights in total and stayed in the “llama room”. I’m not sure what classification of room this is as it’s not actually what we booked. Word of caution. We booked a family suite and included the ages of the children in the booking (6 and 9) and were charged as such. When we arrived the suite has one bed and we were expected to sleep in one bed with the four of us. There was a sofa they offered to put a sheet onto at an extra charge but this wasn’t suitable. We paid to upgrade our room in the end but this would have been a real problem if that wasn’t available. Other than that, the zoo is great, the pool is lovely and the grounds are beautiful and well kept. The lemur apartments were a real treat. They are in the zoo so you are right in with exotic birds, lemurs and a wallaby. A real treat (be prepared for an 0600 wake up call though from the animals. This room specifically) The chef is awesome. The food was beautiful. Everything we ate was of high quality and there are a good few children’s options. The serving and reception staff are a credit to the hotel and our girls loved talking with them. It’s billed as a 5 star hotel and there are some minor bits that stop that. Can’t charge to room, they do a 3for2 beer offer, we ordered two but didn’t see the offer and they didn’t make us aware charging for 2 with no third. In room drinks average etc.

Reviewed on 7 Aug 2026