Culture · Nature
Water temples and the highland lakes
A private day on the trail of one idea: that water is sacred, and everything below it depends on it.
The day, in short
A private day by car with a guide, from the purification pools at Tirta Empul to Lake Batur and Pura Ulun Danu Batur, the island's supreme water temple. You can take part in a purification ceremony if you wish, or watch from the edge.
- Tirta Empul's sacred spring pools
- Lake Batur and the caldera viewpoint
- Pura Ulun Danu Batur, a UNESCO-listed water temple
Who it suits
Anyone curious about how Balinese religion and farming fit together. All ages. We take real care over what is and is not appropriate for visitors at each place.
How demanding
Mostly short walks and steps, with a lot of time in the car. The temples involve stairs and wet stone; wear shoes you can slip off.
What happens
- 08:00
Pick-up and the road to Tampaksiring
North of Ubud, along the ridges the Pakerisan river has cut.
- 08:45
Tirta Empul
A water temple built around a sacred spring, more than a thousand years old. Pilgrims move along a row of spouts to cleanse body and mind in an order. You may join if you wish, in a sarong, after making an offering. Your guide will show you what to do and how, and you can equally watch from the side.
- 11:15
Up to the caldera rim
The road climbs to Kintamani. Lake Batur, Bali's largest lake, fills the caldera of an active volcano.
- 12:00
Lunch with a view
At a restaurant on the rim, looking across the caldera.
- 13:30
Pura Ulun Danu Batur
The island's supreme water temple, dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake, and one of the five components of the UNESCO-listed subak landscape. Water from this lake, and from the highland springs like it, runs down through the subaks to the terraces below.
- 15:00
Back down
A slow drive back, with a stop for coffee if you ask.
- 17:00
Back at your hotel
Included and not
Included
- Included: Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver
- Included: A knowledgeable local guide
- Included: Entry fees and donations at the temples
- Included: Sarong and sash
- Included: Lunch with a caldera view
- Included: Water
Not included
- Not included: Tips for your driver and guide
- Not included: Offerings you might wish to buy for the purification (small)
- Not included: Travel insurance
Bring and wear
Tick things off as you pack. The ticks stay on this device.
Where we meet
Hotel pick-up in Ubud, Sanur, Seminyak or Canggu.
Private vehicle with a driver and guide. From the coast, add an hour each way.
Pick-up around 08:00
At sacred water
- Wear a sarong and sash, and cover shoulders and knees. Both are provided.
- Taking part in the purification at Tirta Empul is optional. If you do, follow your guide's lead, stay quiet and serious, and do not photograph other people bathing.
- Menstruating women are asked, in line with Balinese Hindu custom, not to enter the temple grounds or the pools. Tell us when you enquire if you would like another plan for the day.
- Never step over offerings, never sit higher than a shrine, and keep your phone away during ceremonies.
When it works best
Works all year. Kintamani can be cool, damp and cloudy at any time, and the caldera view is the thing most often lost to cloud. We would rather tell you on the morning than promise it.
Cancellation. Sample policy: free changes or cancellation up to 48 hours before. Temples close for ceremonies; if one does we will swap the stop and tell you why.
Good to know
Each fact was checked on the web on the date shown. Where a fact comes from one source only, we say so.
- Tirta Empul
- Founded in 962 CE, in the Warmadewa dynasty, around a spring Balinese Hindus consider holyChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Tirta Empul
- Lake Batur
- Surface elevation 1,031 m; Bali's largest lake, in the caldera of an active volcanoChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Lake Batur
- Pura Ulun Danu Batur
- The island's supreme water temple, dedicated to Dewi Danu and Vishnu, and one of the five UNESCO subak componentsChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia; Bali.com; UNESCO summaries
- UNESCO's five components
- Pura Ulun Danu Batur, Lake Batur, the Pakerisan watershed, Catur Angga Batukaru and Pura Taman Ayun. The Beratan lake temple is not one of them.Checked 6 Oct 2026. Source: UNESCO summaries via All About World Heritage and SEI
- Dress and etiquette at Tirta Empul
- Sarong and sash for everyone, shoulders and knees covered, and menstruating women asked not to enterChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Bali Holiday Secrets, Gobaligo, Ubud Center
Sample price for a private party of two, per person. More guests lower it. Includes the vehicle, guide, fees and sarongs.
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