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From the mountain to the sea.

The sun setting over the Indian Ocean with a path of orange light on the water, and Uluwatu Temple on its sheer cliff at the right edge.

Cliffs, surf and the sun going down

Uluwatu and the Bukit

A limestone peninsula ringed by cliffs and famous surf, and a temple at the edge.

Altitude
70 m, Uluwatu Temple
How long to stay
One to three nights
Best time of day
Late afternoon to dusk

The place, in short

The Bukit is a limestone peninsula at Bali's southern tip, ringed by cliffs and known for its surf. At its south-western end the temple of Uluwatu stands about 70 m above the Indian Ocean, and the sun sets over it every evening.

The temple stands on a cliff about 70 m above the sea.

Who it suits

  • Surfers, and anyone who likes to watch them
  • Sunset people: the Kecak at 18:00 is the day's high point
  • Travellers who want cliffs and beaches rather than rice terraces

Not for: Anyone who wants shade, greenery or walkable villages. The Bukit is dry and spread out.

What to do

  1. Watch the Kecak at the temple

    Performed daily at 18:00 in an open-air amphitheatre against the sunset, for about an hour. We reconfirm the time on the day.

  2. Walk the cliff path

    A path runs along the edge beside the temple. Keep to it, keep your hand on your phone and glasses, and wear a sarong and sash where the temple asks.

  3. Watch the surf, or ride it

    Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin and the Impossibles are a string of breaks that have drawn travelling surfers since the 1970s. Watching from the cliff is a good afternoon.

  4. Learn the temple's story

    Pura Luhur Uluwatu was built in the 11th century by the Javanese sage Empu Kuturan and extended by the priest Dang Hyang Nirartha. Ask your guide what a sea temple is for.

How long, and when

How long to stay: one to three nights

The Kecak and the cliffs fit one evening. The beaches and the surf deserve three nights.

The best time of day: late afternoon to dusk

Be at the temple by about 17:00 to walk the cliff before the 18:00 Kecak. The light is at its best in the hour before sunset.

In the year. The dry season, roughly April to October, brings clearer sunsets and the bigger surf. In the wet season skies cloud over, though the Kecak still goes ahead.

Good to know

Each fact was checked on the web on the date shown. Where one source stands alone, we say so. Advice, such as how long to stay, is ours.

The temple
Stands on a cliff about 70 m above the sea; built in the 11th century by Empu Kuturan and extended by Dang Hyang NirarthaChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Uluwatu Temple and Uluwatu, Bali
Kecak
18:00 daily, about an hourChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Uluwatu Temple; Bali Holiday Secrets
Rock and surf
The Bukit is a limestone peninsula unlike the volcanic rest of the island; its breaks (Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin, Impossibles) have drawn surfers since the 1970sChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Bali Holiday Secrets; Finn's Beach Club Bukit guide (agreeing)

Photograph credits are on the credits page.

Photograph 1 of 2

Two canang sari offerings of flowers and a biscuit in small palm-leaf trays on dark pebbles, with incense sticks laid beside them.

Two canang sari offerings of flowers and a biscuit in small palm-leaf trays on dark pebbles, with incense sticks laid beside them.

A day that starts here

  • The sun setting over the Indian Ocean with a path of orange light on the water, and Uluwatu Temple on its sheer cliff at the right edge.

    Culture

    Kecak at Uluwatu, with the cliff walk

    The temple on the edge at golden hour, then a hundred voices as the light goes.

    Time
    Half day
    Group
    Small group, up to 10
    Fitness
    Easy
    Meeting
    Hotel pick-up, or meet at the temple

    fromUS$48per person

Nearby

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