Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring is easily one of our favorite temples in Bali, if not our favorite (though it’s hard to pick just one). Gunung Kawi is several attractions rolled into one: a beautiful temple complex, and huge archeological site that includes royal tombs, and a series of stunning rice terraces, all of which are surrounded by lush green vegetation and crisscrossed by the scenic Pakerisan River (which also flows through the nearby Pura Tirta Empul and Pura Mengening temples). As you can imagine it’s a larger temple complex than most, so you can easily spend a lot of time here, particularly because the area as a whole is incredibly scenic. To help you plan your visit and get the most out of your time here, we put together this Temple Visiting Guide for Bali’s Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring.
Note that Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring is a distinct temple from Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu, which shares a similar name. Both temples are very close to one another, which further adds to the confusion.
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You might also be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best Things to See and Do in Bali
Best Things to See and Do in the Gili Islands
The Perfect Three-Week Bali Itinerary
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Bali
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring: Temple Location & Map
Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu is located in Bali’s Gianyar regency (link to Google Maps), northeast of Ubud and near the Tegalalang Rice Terrasse. There is a small parking lot next to the temple.
How to get to Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
Drive times can be highly variable depending on the traffic conditions.
Distance from Ubud: 15 km // Average Drive Time: 30-40 min
Distance from Kuta: 50 km // Average Drive Time: 1h35 – 1h50
Distance from Canggu: 45 km // Average Drive Time: 1h45 – 2h
Distance from Sanur: 40 km // Average Drive Time: 1h30 – 1h45
Distance from Sidemen: 40 km // Average Drive Time 1h15-1h30
In our opinion, the three best transport options to reach Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring are: renting a scooter (moped), joining a group tour that hits several nearby attractions within a day or a half-day, or hiring a car and driver (which really isn’t as expensive as it sounds).
You can also use Bali ride-hailing apps such as Gojek or Grab, and make use of local taxis, but these options will typically cost more, especially if you plan on visiting several sites and attractions on the same day. Also, Gojek or Grab are not authorized to pick up people in certain locations where local taxi unions limit their services, including Canggu, Sanur, and Ubud. For more information on getting around the island and the different available options, check out our guide on How to Best Get Around Bali.
Regardless of your chosen transportation method, you are likely to enjoy the ride there. The road leading to the waterfall is very scenic. You will pass small villages and beautiful rice fields.
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Getting to Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring by Scooter: Once you get to Bali, you’ll quickly realize that scooter rental operators are everywhere. Although most street-side vendors will regularly be the cheapest option, they come short in several other aspects compared with more reliable and established vendors. For instance, most won’t offer roadside assistance or insurance that covers theft, nor do they regularly sanitize the helmets or have their scooters undergo regular maintenance. For this reason, we highly recommend using Bikago for your scooter rentals. Renting from them might be slightly more expensive (but still can be rented for as low as 12-15 US$/€ per day) but you get great peace of mind as among many other perks, all scooters undergo extensive quality checks.
What you get with your Bikago rental:
-Helmets
-Full tank of petrol and unlimited mileage
-Free Delivery and Collection at your Hotel
-24/7 Roadside Assistance and First Aid Medical Kit
-Charging Mobile Phone Holder
By Car and Driver hire: Hiring a car and driver to explore Bali can be a practical and cost-efficient way to experience a full day of sightseeing. Although this option is more expensive than renting a scooter (typically 40-60 US$/€ per day), you don’t have to worry about navigating the Bali roads and traffic, Also, most cars are modern and air-conditioned, which is welcome in Bali’s humid heat, and the local drivers always know the best routes to take and can optimize your ideal itinerary. Here are some of the best options to choose from:
By Group Tour: Group tours can be a great option to lower costs and reduce the hassle of having to plan an efficient itinerary. Their main downside is they might not exactly be tailored to your specific interests and preferences. But if you are mostly interested in hitting the main sights and attractions, there are these great tour options that can pick you up in multiple towns and visit places including Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring:
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring – Temple Ticket Price and Operating Hours
Temple Entrance Fee
The Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring entrance fee is 50,000 IDR per person (2025), which roughly amounts to 3.00 US$/€. This fee helps maintain the temple and its surrounding grounds.
Modest additional costs are required for parking: 2,000 IDR for scooters and 5,000 IDR for cars.
Having the exact change or small bills to pay for all costs is preferable as many temple sites don’t accept credit cards and they may not have enough change for large bills (there are a few ATMs in the town of Tampaksiring).
Temple Opening Hours
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.
Temple Facilities
Toilets are available along the path down to the temple.
There are also several cafes along the same path.
Temple Dress Code
As with all Balinese temples, it’s important to dress modestly and to ensure your shoulders and knees are covered. The entrance fee includes a sarong (a traditional wrap-around cloth) and sash (belt) rental if you don’t have your own.
Additional activities
There are swings you can enjoy (with fantastic views) on your way to the temple (located along the walking path between the car park and the temple). Though we didn’t try it ourselves, you can also bypass the long staircase down to the temple by ziplining your way there. Neither activity is included with the temple entrance fee, however.
About Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring and its History
Gunung Kawi Temple, also often referred to as The Valley of The Balinese Kings, was built in the 11th-century temple and served as a funerary complex that is spread across both sides of the Pakerisan River. One of its notable features are the 10 rock-cut shrines that are carved into some 7-metre-high (23 feet) sheltered niches into the cliff face.
It is believed that each temple served as a memorial to a deified royalty because they are shaped like the burial towers (Candis) found throughout Central Java (though those in Java are free-standing however and not carved into cliff faces as seen in Guning Kawi). The shrines are divided into two sections on either side of the river.
These funeral monuments are believed to be dedicated to King Anak Wungsu of the Udayana dynasty and his favourite queens. In particular, it is believed that the 5 shrines on the east side of the river were built for him and his four wives who would have ceremonially committed suicide after his death.
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring – What to Expect
From the car park, you have to descend a long staircase (about 300 steps) into the valley floor where the temple complex is located. As we mentioned earlier, there are several cafes and souvenir shops along the way, along with some swing and zipline activities as well.
Along the way, there are also several spots from which you can enjoy the views of the stunning rice fields and jungle vegetation below.
Once you reach the bottom of the staircase, you’ll have the option to go right or left. Left will take you to a smaller portion of the temple complex, where you will find the first colossal rock-cut shrines, each standing at an impressive 7 meters.
After you’ve finished admiring the giant stone carvings, head back towards the staircase but continue past them to cross a small stone bridge over the river to explore the rest of the complex.
Once you’ve crossed the bridge, you again will have the option to go left or right. Heading right will take you through a series of standard Balinese shrines that you typically see in most temples.
We don’t know if this is a regular occurrence, but during our visit, many locals were working within an open pavilion and making large quantities of prayer offering baskets and various other items.
On the left side of the bridge is where you will find the second row of giant ancient royal tombs.
The temple complex becomes, if you can believe it, even more scenic as you continue onwards into the jungle with the peaceful Pakerisan river running by you to your left.
And then eventually you will reach a proper surprise, a wonderful (but short) trail through an incredibly beautiful rice terrace. It probably won’t take you more than 5 minutes to complete the short loop trail, but it is incredibly scenic and peaceful. We had the place to ourselves during our visit as few people venture out this far.
Why You Should Visit Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
– Very Large Temple Complex: Gunung Kawi is one of the largest temples we visited, with plenty to see and do and without the crowds of some of the more popular temples.
– Unique Stone Carvings: Explore the intricately carved and giant rock-cut shrines, a distinctive feature of this ancient site.
– The natural beauty of the site: The area around the river is just so serene and peaceful, a beautiful place to enjoy the sounds of nature.
– Scenic Rice Terraces: Although the terraces weren’t as expansive as other places in Bali, they are incredibly scenic and a surprise addition to your temple visit.
Why You Might Not Want To Visit
– Lots of steps: If you have bad knees, you might not enjoy the long descent towards the temple complex.
How Long Do You Need at Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring is one of the largest temples that we visited in Bali. We recommend planning at least 45 minutes here, especially if you want to enjoy a scenic walk through the rice fields.
Best Time to Visit Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
Best Time of the Year
Although we visited during the dry season, there’s no bad time of year to visit the temple. There’s a higher risk of rain during the wet season (November-April), but that shouldn’t discourage you as there are likely to be fewer other tourists around.
Consider off-peak months like May-June or September-October for a more personal experience with fewer crowds.
Best Time of Day
Although we have read reports of Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring being busy at times, this definitely wasn’t our experience. Also, since it’s a very large site, visitors can spread out a lot more than in other places.
We generally recommend trying to arrive at temples as early as possible to minimize the impacts of crowds on your visit, but if you plan on also visiting Tirta Empul while in the area, we would definitely start there, as that temple definitely gets crowded quickly by mid-morning.
Other Nearby Temples
Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring is located near a cluster of several other temples. Just a few town blocks away are two other temples: Pura Mengening (a hidden gem) and Tirta Empul (a very popular temple). In the next town over to the west is Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu, a scenic temple complex that is also filled with ponds and bathing pools
To discover more of Bali’s temples, be sure to check out our guide on Bali’s Best Temples to Visit.
Other Sights and Attractions near Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
Other than the three temples mentioned above, the nearest attraction is the Tegallalang Rice Terrace (Ceking Rice Terrace), less than a 10-minute drive south of Pura Tirta Empul.
A 25-minute drive east is Penglipuran Village, a famous tourist destination and traditional village that offers a unique and well-preserved blend of culture, history and nature. Slightly east of Penglipuran, you’ll find other attractions such as Pura Kehen and three fantastic waterfalls: Tukad Cepung, Yeh Bulan, and Goa Raja.
For a more complete list of attractions that you can visit from Ubud, check out our guide on the Best Day Trips from Ubud.
Where to Stay Near Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
In our opinion, the best place to stay is in Ubud, whose location makes it a great base from which to explore several nearby temples including Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring. All of the following are some of the best mid-range hotel accommodations located within walking distance from the city center:
Komaneka at Rasa Sayang Ubud Hotel
Planning a Trip to Bali?
You might be interested in these pages: (coming soon)
Best Things to See and Do in Bali
Best Things to See and Do in the Gili Islands
The Perfect Three-Week Bali Itinerary
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Bali
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Bali: The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide
Lonely Planet Bali, Lombok & Nusa Tenggara
Photography Gear
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Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
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Car Rentals
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Transfer from Airport
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Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our guide on Bali’s Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring and that it will prove useful for planning your trip.
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