Lempuyang Temple & the Gates of Heaven

Pura Lempuyang Luhur is one of the oldest and most sacred temples in Bali, one of the six directional sanctuaries of the island, guarding the east from the slopes of Mount Lempuyang in Karangasem regency. It is not a single temple but a series of shrines climbing the mountain, linked by long flights of stone steps through the forest. Most visitors come for the first of them, Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang, where a tall split gateway, a candi bentar, stands at the top of a stairway guarded by dragon statues and frames Mount Agung, Bali's highest and holiest volcano, perfectly in its gap. On a clear morning the view is breathtaking, and it has become one of the most photographed scenes in Indonesia under the name Gates of Heaven. The famous pictures come with a twist: the shimmering reflection that makes it look as though the gate stands above a lake is created by a photographer holding a small mirror under the phone lens. There is no water, just a stone courtyard. Behind the gate are three ornate dragon stairways leading to the inner temple, which is reserved for worshippers. The experience of visiting today is shaped by the gate's popularity: you park at a terminal below the temple, take a compulsory shuttle up the steep road, rent or borrow a sarong, and receive a number for the photo queue, which local staff call in groups. Waits of two to four hours are common, longer after mid-morning. The rest of the mountain is the other Lempuyang: about 1,700 steps lead up past several further temples to the summit shrine, a three-to-four-hour round trip through forest, with monkeys, pilgrims, offerings and views, and almost none of the queue.

Planning your visit: arrive as early as you can, ideally when the first shuttles start soon after dawn, both for the shortest queue and for the best chance of seeing Agung, which is often wrapped in cloud by late morning, especially in the wet season. Expect to pay an entrance ticket of around one hundred thousand rupiah plus a separate charge for the return shuttle, in cash; there is no online booking for the entrance itself. Tips for the volunteers who take the photograph are customary. The temple is open to visitors from early morning until late afternoon.

Etiquette: shoulders and knees must be covered, a sarong is required, and the usual temple rules apply, including that women who are menstruating do not enter. Be patient and respectful in the queue, do not pose provocatively, and remember that this is a functioning temple where people come to pray; the provincial rules for visitors ban inappropriate photographs at sacred sites. If you make the full climb, carry at least a litre and a half of water, wear proper shoes and go slowly on the steep sections.

Getting there: Lempuyang is in the far east of Bali, about two to two and a half hours from Ubud and longer from the south coast, so it is a full-day outing. Combine it with the water palace of Tirta Gangga nearby, the royal water garden of Taman Ujung, or the mother temple of Besakih on the slopes of Agung. The Tiqets tours handle the long drive: a day with Besakih and Lempuyang with transfers, a sunrise Lempuyang and Tibumana waterfall private tour, and an Ubud village and Gates of Heaven private tour.