Bali Travel Guide
Bali Temples Explained
Why Bali has so many temples, how a temple is laid out, the six great directional sanctuaries, what to wear and how to behave, the rules introduced for visitors in 2025, and which temples to prioritise.
Bali is often called the island of a thousand temples, which undersells it: there are many thousands, from the great state sanctuaries on mountain slopes and sea cliffs to the village temples in every community and the family shrines in every household compound. Temples are not museums but living places of worship, used daily, and understanding a little about them makes every visit richer and helps you avoid causing offence.
Balinese Hinduism in brief. Most Balinese follow a form of Hinduism that blends Indian traditions with older Austronesian beliefs in ancestors and nature spirits. Central ideas include Tri Hita Karana, harmony between people, nature and the divine, and the balance between good and evil forces. Daily life is woven with ritual: the small palm-leaf offerings called canang sari, filled with flowers, rice and incense, are placed on shrines, doorsteps and pavements every morning, and larger ceremonies mark births, tooth-filings, weddings, cremations and the temple anniversaries known as odalan.
How a temple is laid out. A Balinese temple, or pura, is an open-air compound of walled courtyards rather than a single building. Visitors usually enter the outer courtyard through a split gateway, the candi bentar, like the famous gate at Lempuyang. A middle courtyard holds pavilions used for preparing offerings and music, and the innermost courtyard, entered through a roofed gateway, contains the most sacred shrines, including the tiered meru towers with their stacked thatched roofs. Under the provincial rules for visitors, the middle and inner courtyards are reserved for worshippers in traditional dress, so tourists generally stay in the outer areas, which still offer plenty to see.
The great temples. Six sanctuaries, the sad kahyangan, are traditionally believed to protect the island, though lists vary; they include Uluwatu on its sea cliff in the south-west, Lempuyang in the east and the mother temple of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung. The sea temples of Tanah Lot and Uluwatu are associated with the sixteenth-century priest Dang Hyang Nirartha. The water temples, including Tirta Empul with its purification pools and Ulun Danu Beratan on its highland lake, are central to the subak irrigation system recognised by UNESCO.
What to wear. Cover your shoulders and knees, and wear a sarong and sash, which are required at temples and usually lent or rented at the entrance; carrying your own is convenient. Avoid revealing clothes and beachwear. For bathing at Tirta Empul, you must wear the special bathing sarong provided.
How to behave. Walk quietly and respectfully, and switch phones to silent. Never climb on shrines, walls, statues or sacred trees, and do not sit higher than a priest or the offerings. Do not step on offerings, including the small ones on pavements; walk around them. Do not point your feet at shrines. If a ceremony is in progress, keep to the edges, give way to processions, ask before photographing people and never use flash. Women who are menstruating traditionally do not enter temples, and people with open wounds or in mourning may also be asked to stay out. Donations are welcome where there is no fixed fee.
The rules for visitors. The provincial circular issued in 2025 formalised many of these customs into rules for foreign tourists: respect sacred places and ceremonies, wear appropriate clothing, do not enter the inner temple zones unless you are a worshipper, do not climb sacred trees or monuments, and do not take inappropriate or nude photographs at holy sites. Recent incidents, from naked photos on sacred mountains to misbehaviour at temples, have led to deportations and to purification ceremonies paid for by the offenders, so the rules are taken seriously. A certified local guide, recommended at many cultural sites, will explain what you see and help you avoid mistakes.
Photography. Many temples, especially Lempuyang, Tanah Lot and Ulun Danu Beratan, are hugely popular for photographs. Be patient, follow staff instructions in queues, and keep your poses respectful. Drones are restricted at many sites and should not be flown over temples or ceremonies without permission.
Which temples to prioritise. For a first visit: Tirta Empul for its living ritual, Uluwatu for its setting and the Kecak dance, Tanah Lot for sunset, and Ulun Danu Beratan for serenity. If you have more time and a head for queues or stairs, Lempuyang. In Ubud, the temples within the Sacred Monkey Forest and the lotus-pond temple of Saraswati are easy to reach on foot. Besakih, the mother temple, is impressive but can involve persistent guides; agree terms clearly.
Offerings and the daily rhythm. Even if you never enter a great temple, you will see Balinese religion everywhere: women placing canang sari on shrines, shop counters, car dashboards and road junctions each morning, sprinkling holy water and wafting incense; small offerings on the ground for the lower spirits; and village temples alive with gamelan practice in the evenings. Watch quietly, step around the offerings and do not move them. If you are invited into a family compound, the household shrine stands in the most sacred corner, toward the mountains; treat it with the same respect as a temple.
Ceremonies worth seeing. If you are lucky enough to encounter an odalan, a temple anniversary, you will see villagers in white and gold carrying towering offerings of fruit and cakes on their heads, gamelan orchestras and dances. Galungan and Kuningan bring penjor poles to every street. Cremation ceremonies, ngaben, are joyful public events in which visitors are often welcome to watch respectfully. Ask your hotel or driver what is happening locally during your stay.