10 Most Beautiful Temples in Bali You Have to Visit

Remember the good old days of playing Temple Run on your first smartphone? Or watching Julia Roberts do some soul-searching in Eat, Pray, Love? Whether you’ve done both or the other, Bali’s beautiful temples are feasts to the eyes! 

Get ready to marvel at the most incredible, jaw-dropping, and unearthly sites on the planet! From the sacred springs of Tirta Empul to the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple, you’ll get the feel of the true Bali spirit when you visit these 10 divine temples.

Ready to set off? So are we! But before we can fly out to Indonesia, make sure that you read this travel guide to Bali:

Legend has it that the Hindu god, Varuna, and his army of sea serpents protect the Pura Tanah Lot from evil sea spirits. Whether this is true or not, they certainly did a swell job as the temple proudly stands atop a large coral rock right by the sea today! 

With its unique setup, the Pura Tanah Lot is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Tourists love to flock to this holy place because of its spectacular sunset view over the wide coastline and the gentle breeze that flows through the air. Isn’t it romantic? During high tide, the temple looks even more magical as it gives off the illusion of floating on top of the waters. 

Klook Tip: One thing to note when you visit Pura Tanah Lot is that it gets really crowded, especially at noontime. Being one of the best temples in Bali, Pura Tanah Lot welcomes at least 500,000 visitors a year, so it’s best to head out early if you want to avoid crowds. 

Journeying south to the Bukit Peninsula, you’ll come face to face with the awe-inspiring Pura Lahur Uluwatu—or Uluwatu Temple, for short. 

The Uluwatu Temple is perched on top of a staggeringly steep cliff as tall as 70 meters above the Indian Ocean, which makes it a great place to watch the crashing waves or even catch legendary surf breaking down its shores. Consequently, it’s also one of the six pillars of Hindu temples in Bali. Here, you can take part in worship ceremonies, including the Kecak fire dance, chanting, and heaps of exciting to-do’s. 

If there’s one place in Bali where you can cool off (aside from the beaches, of course), the Saraswati Temple would be it. This spectacular temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Sarasvati, as its grounds are decorated with tropical huts, lotus ponds, and water gardens to help calm the mind.

The temple’s surrounding area also has a monkey forest and a coffee plantation for you to explore in case you’re looking for a change of scenery. And here comes the best part yet: entrance is completely FREE! Save for visitors who want to watch a traditional Bali dance performance (costs about 80,000 IDP or $8), you can stroll around the water palace and temple free of charge! 

Our next temple is one that’s teeming with bats. The Goa Lawah Temple in Klungkung features a complex built around a cave opening inhabited by a thousand tail bats. Its name directly translates to “bat cave.” At the mouth of the cave, you’ll find several Shivaite shrines and altars, where the local villagers gather to place fruit offerings to the gods. 

This Hindu temple remains a hidden gem, favored by locals and adventurous wanderers. 

Klook tip: When visiting this temple, keep in mind the dress codes. Bali temples aren’t just beautiful backdrops for your Instagram feed, but they’re sacred places for the Balinese. In some temples, you’ll be asked to wrap a sarong around your waist to cover your legs. Luckily, there are kiosks that offer affordable sarong rentals. 

Ask us what’s the most Instagrammable place in Bali, and the answer is the Lempuyang Temple, famous for its Gates of Heaven. And you’ve probably seen some amazing shots of the place too. After all, it’s regarded as the gateway to the Western world and one of the six temples that make up the pillars of Bali. 

You can climb up the infinite staircase of the temple that leads to incredible panoramic views of Mount Agung towering over the jungles of Bali. Fun fact: It takes more than 1,500 steps to get to the top!

One of the unmissable things to do in Bali is to cleanse your soul at Tirta Empul. Dubbed the “Holy Spring Water Temple” in Bali, the Tirta Empul is another unique destination where you can bathe, soak in natural springs, and purify your soul from evil. 

Experience the spiritual Balinese purification ritual known as the “melukat” by dipping your head under the gushing water coming out of the temple. It is said to free your mind, soul, and body in order to get closer to Nirvana. 

Continuing southeast, you’ll reach the deep ravines of Pura Gunung Kawi. This Bali temple has a fascinating collection of ancient shrines carved into cliffs, tiered rice paddies, and stone pathways that lead to the Valley of Kings. 

With inscriptions that date as far back as the 11th century, it’s a mysterious site that honors the Balinese kings and queens—and a place where only the adventurous wanderers venture off. 

On a hunt for more hidden gems in Bali to explore? No worries, we did your homework! Here are the other 7 best tours on the island!

For those who don’t want to stray too far from the city, the Taman Ayun Temple is one of the easiest and most accessible temples in Bali. No need to climb up an infinite staircase or wander into caves, you can just stroll around the Taman Ayun Temple and be charmed by the flowers. 

Best for morning walks and scenic strolls, this charming temple will feed your eyes with beautiful shrines and traditional Balinese architecture.

Another gem you need to visit on your temple-tripping tour is the Pura Alun Danu Bratan—aka the Floating Temple. Set in the highlands of the mountainous Bedugul, Bali, this temple will mesmerize you with its seaside shrines, stunning lake, and well-manicured gardens. Popular activities include wedding shoots and relaxing boat rides. 

Bonus points: it’s not as sweltering hot as the other regions in Bali! Although it’s still warm and sunny, this region is cool enough for strawberries to be grown. 

Finally, we saved the best for last! The Besakih Temple, sitting on the slippery slopes of Mount Agung, is the largest, holiest, and most important temple in Bali. The site dates back as far as prehistoric times and is actually made up of a grand total of 86 temples inside. 

Interestingly, each temple in the complex represents different Hindu principles, such as the Hindu Trinity (Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu) and their different forms.