Wondering which are the best temples in Bali? With so many Bali temples to pick from, it’s understandable.
In this post, we created a list of the most beautiful temples in Bali to help you plan your itinerary. Note that you may want to read our tips about visiting Bali temples including what to wear.
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Taman Ayun Temple
The Taman Ayun Temple (‘Garden Temple in the Water’) is a very popular and highly serene Balinese temple complex located in Mengwi Village in the Badung Regency of Bali.
Built between 1632 and 1634, it is one of six royal temples in Bali, constructed as a nearby site of worship for the peoples of Mengwi and to serve as a symbol of unity between the people and Mengwi royalty.
The temple is surrounded by a moat filled with fish, intended to look as though it’s floating on the water, as well as various expanses of beautiful gardens and courtyards. Visitors can access the temple complex for IDR 50.000 per person for foreigners, while Indonesian citizens can visit for IDR 15.000.
Goa Gajah
Goa Gajah (or Elephant Cave) is a significant temple and Balinese archaeological site dating back to the 11th Century, located near the town of Ubud.
Surrounded by a courtyard and a holy pond, the temple itself is located within a cave, the opening of which is carved into a menacing face to ward off demons.
The cave is thought to have been created as a sanctuary or hermitage for Hindu priests, though the temple complex contains both Hindu and Buddhist imagery, so is thought to have been a place of significance for early Balinese Buddhists as well.
Admission to the temple is IDR 15.000 for adults and 7.500 for children.
Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
The Ulun Danu Bratan Temple is a major Hindu water temple located in the Tabanan Regency, near Lake Bratan.
This temple was built in 1633 to honor Dewi Danu, a lake and river goddess associated with Lake Bratan, a very significant lake formed 30,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption.
Ulun Nabu Bratan Temple features some gorgeous traditional Balinese architecture and has been constructed to look as though it’s floating on the lake.
Admission to the temple is IDR 50.000, which provides access to the temple and its grounds, and there are even paddle boats available to explore the lake itself.
Goa Lawah Temple
The Goa Lawah Temple (‘Bat Cave Temple’) is one of the most famous temples in Bali and often regarded as one of the Sad Kahyangan Jagad (the six holiest places of worship in Bali), located in the village of Pesinggahan in Klungkung.
This sea temple was established in the 11th Century by early Balinese Hindu priests, located within a cave inhabited by thousands of nectar bats.
The bats are a major attraction of this temple, creating a spectacle of their own at dusk when the hoards fly out of the caves. The entrance to the temple is IDR 15.000 per person.
Tirta Empul Temple
Tirta Empul Temple (‘Holy Spring Temple’) is a Balinese water temple located near Tampaksiring in central Bali.
Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the temple was constructed around a water spring in 962 AD during the Warmadewa dynasty, and the site remains a popular place for Balinese Hindus to practice a purification ritual known as ‘melukat’ in the temple’s holy spring.
The temple complex is large and it’s recommended that visitors set aside an hour to explore its three courtyards. Tickets to Tirta Empul Temple are IDR 50.000 for adults and 25.000 for children.
Gunung Kawi Temple
Gunung Kawi Temple is one of Bali’s largest ancient temple complexes, located northeast of Ubud in the town of Tampaksiring and overlooking the Pakerisan River.
The temple consists of funeral monuments thought to be constructed in the 11th Century by King Anak Wungsu and dedicated to past Balinese kings and rulers, while others theorize that the whole complex was dedicated to Anak.
The entrance fee for Gunung Kawi Temple is IDR 50.000 for international tourists and IDR 30.000 for domestic tourists.
Lempuyang Temple
Lempuyang Temple is one of Bali’s most significant temple complexes, also one of the Sad Kahyangan Jagad, located on Mount Lempuyang in the eastern region of Bali.
One of the best Bali temples to visit, the complex is thought to predate the majority of other Hindu temples on the island and is the location of the famous Gates of Heaven, considered to be a boundary between the people and the gods.
There is no entrance fee for Lempuyang Temple, but small donations may be collected by local villagers in order to maintain the temple.
Goa Giri Putri Temple
Goa Giri Putri Temple is a large cave temple located in the village of Suana on the island of Nusa Penida, just off the southeastern coast of Bali.
The temple is thought to have been dedicated to the female manifestation of a goddess that protects and nurtures human beings.
Within the cave temple is a spring and various water channels, which Hindus believe is powerful enough to cure disease and is often used in purification rituals within the temple. There is no entrance fee for Goa Giri Putri Temple, but donations are welcome.
Besakih Temple
Undoubtedly one of the best temples in Bali to visit, Besakih Temple is the largest and most important Balinese Hindu temple complex, located in the village of Besakih on Mount Agung.
Known as Bali’s ‘Mother Temple’, the complex itself comprises 23 separate but interrelated temples, the most significant of which is Pura Penataran Agung.
The site has been regarded as holy since prehistoric times, and the temple remains a highly popular place of pilgrimage for the Balinese people. Entrance to Besakih Temple is IDR 60.000 for adults, and 30.000 for children.
Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple is one of the Sad Kahyangan Jagad, located in Uluwatu in South Kuta on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Thought to have begun as a smaller temple, Uluwatu Temple was expanded in the 11th Century by a Javanese sage and is believed to be the final worshipping place of Dhang Hyang Dwijendra, who reached the highest point of unity with the gods and disappeared with a strike of lightning.
The temple is inhabited by Macaque monkeys, believed to be guarding the temple, but who are also known for stealing visitors’ belongings and exhibiting bartering behaviors. Entrance to the temple costs IDR 30.000 for foreigners and IDR 15.000 for domestic tourists.
Uluwatu Temple is also known to be one of the most romantic activities to do in Bali.
