Bali water temples are a different experience from the temples inside Ubud itself — they’re built around a spring or a lake rather than a courtyard, and two of the best examples aren’t in Ubud at all. Tirta Empul, with its holy spring and purification ritual, sits about 30–40 minutes north of Ubud. Ulun Danu Beratan, the “floating temple” on Lake Beratan, is a longer 1.5–2 hour drive up into the misty highlands of Bedugul.
Both get called “must-visit” constantly, which tells you nothing about whether they’re actually worth your day. This guide covers what each Bali water temple actually involves — the purification ceremony at Tirta Empul, the photo-versus-substance trade-off at Ulun Danu Beratan, current entrance fees, and which one fits better into a day trip from Ubud.
If you’ve already done the temples inside Ubud itself, these two Bali water temples are the natural next stop, and they’re different enough from each other that visiting both (on separate days) makes sense rather than feeling repetitive.
Quick Facts
- Tirta Empul: ~30–40 min from Ubud, Tampaksiring, entrance ~IDR 75,000, open 8am–6pm daily
- Ulun Danu Beratan: ~1.5–2 hours from Ubud, Bedugul, entrance ~IDR 75,000, open 7am–7pm daily
- Melukat purification ritual (Tirta Empul only): requires a separate bathing sarong rental, best done as a guided package
- Best visiting window: before 10am for both, to beat tour groups (Tirta Empul) and afternoon fog (Ulun Danu Beratan)
- Dress code: sarong and sash required at both; menstruating visitors are traditionally asked not to enter
Tirta Empul: The One With the Purification Ritual
Tirta Empul is the Bali water temple most people mean when someone says “the holy spring temple” — a working Hindu site in Manukaya village, Tampaksiring, built around a spring believed since ancient legend to have healing properties. The entrance fee, currently around IDR 75,000 for adults and IDR 50,000 for children, covers the temple grounds and courtyards, and a sarong and sash come included or on loan at the gate.
Here’s the distinction that trips people up: the standard entrance ticket lets you walk the grounds and admire the carved stone architecture, but it does not include the melukat purification ritual itself. If you want to actually stand under the fountains, you need to separately arrange a bathing sarong and locker, and it’s genuinely not something to attempt without guidance — the ritual has a specific order and etiquette that a guide will walk you through. Guided melukat packages bundle the entrance fee, offerings, sarong, locker, and an English-speaking guide, and are the easiest way to do this properly.
Give yourself 30–45 minutes if you’re just walking the grounds, or 1.5–2 hours if you’re doing the full ritual. Arrive before 10am or after 4pm — midday brings tour buses and school groups in numbers that make the fountains feel more like a queue than a sacred space. One practical note: this is the only reliable ATM in the immediate area, so bring enough cash before you arrive rather than counting on withdrawing there.
Ulun Danu Beratan: The Postcard Bali Water Temple
If Tirta Empul is about participation, Ulun Danu Beratan is about the view. Set on the shore of Lake Beratan at 1,200 metres elevation in the cool Bedugul highlands, this is the temple that shows up on Indonesia’s 50,000 rupiah note and in half the “Bali” image searches online — an eleven-tiered meru shrine that appears to float on the water when the lake level is high.
The honest trade-off: it’s a longer drive, 1.5–2 hours and roughly 45 km from Ubud, and once you’re there, you’re mostly looking rather than participating. Unlike Tirta Empul, most of the complex isn’t an active worship area you enter, so the usual strict dress code is relaxed somewhat — though modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) is still expected, and sarong rental is available if you want the fuller cultural look for photos. Entrance runs about IDR 75,000 for adults, open 7am to 7pm.
Fog is the real enemy here, more than crowds. This is one of Bali’s rainiest regions, and the lake mist typically rolls in by early afternoon and can swallow the view entirely. Visit between 9am and 2pm for the clearest shot at seeing the temple and mountains without a wall of grey mist behind them, and bring a light jacket — Bedugul’s elevation makes it noticeably cooler than Ubud.
Which One Should You Actually Visit?
If you only have time for one, let the kind of experience you want decide it. Tirta Empul is the pick if you want something participatory and spiritually grounded, even if that just means walking the grounds respectfully rather than joining the ritual. Ulun Danu Beratan is the pick if you want the classic Bali photograph and don’t mind a longer drive for a shorter, more visual stop.
If you’re building a full highland day, the two don’t pair naturally into one loop — Tirta Empul sits closer to Ubud on the way toward Kintamani, while Ulun Danu Beratan is further northwest toward Bedugul and the north coast. Trying to cram both into a single day usually means rushing one of them, so pick based on what else is on your route that day.
FAQ
What are the main Bali water temples outside Ubud?
The two best known are Tirta Empul, famous for its holy spring and melukat purification ritual, and Ulun Danu Beratan, the lakeside temple in the Bedugul highlands often called Bali’s “floating temple.”
Do I need to join the purification ritual at Tirta Empul?
No. The standard entrance ticket only covers walking the grounds. Joining the melukat ritual requires a separate sarong rental and is best done as part of a guided package so you follow the correct etiquette.
How far is Ulun Danu Beratan from Ubud?
About 1.5–2 hours by car, roughly 45 km, climbing into the cooler Bedugul highlands.
What should I wear to visit these Bali water temples?
A sarong and sash, which are provided or available to rent at both sites. Shoulders and knees should be covered even in areas where a sarong isn’t strictly required.
When is the best time to visit to avoid crowds or fog?
For Tirta Empul, before 10am or after 4pm avoids the tour bus crowds. For Ulun Danu Beratan, visit between 9am and 2pm before the afternoon fog typically rolls in over the lake.
Final Thought
Both of these Bali water temples get called overhyped by someone, usually because they arrived at noon with a busload of other people and never came back to try it differently. Time your visit right and both are genuinely worth the drive — just don’t expect either to feel like a quiet discovery. For temple etiquette basics before you go, see our guide on what to wear at a Balinese temple, and if you haven’t covered the temples inside Ubud itself yet, our Temples in Ubud guide is the natural starting point before venturing further out.