Pura Luhur Batukaru was one of our favorite hidden gems in Bali – an important Hindu temple that is truly immersed in nature, surrounded by lush forests, stone carvings covered in moss, and built on the slopes of Mount Batukaru (a currently inactive volcano and the second most prominent peak on Bali). It’s somewhat off the beaten track, making it a great attraction to visit while escaping the crowds found at other temples. 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 Pura Luhur Batukaru. The temple’s close proximity to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces makes it easy to combine both attractions on a day trip from Ubud or elsewhere.
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You might also be interested in these pages (coming soon):
Best Things to See and Do in Bali
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The Perfect Three-Week Bali Itinerary
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Pura Luhur Batukaru: Temple Location & Map
Pura Luhur Batukaru is located in Bali’s Tabanan regency, northwest of Ubud (link to Google Maps). There is a car park right next to the temple.
How to get to Pura Luhur Batukaru
Drive times can be highly variable depending on the traffic conditions.
Distance from Ubud: 35 km // Average Drive Time: 1h – 1h20
Distance from Kuta: 50 km // Average Drive Time: 1h20 – 1h50
Distance from Canggu: 40 km // Average Drive Time: 1h – 1h20
Distance from Sanur: 50 km // Average Drive Time: 1h30 – 2h
Distance from Sidemen: 65 km // Average Drive Time 2h – 2h30 minutes
In our opinion, the three best transport options to reach the Pura Luhur Batukaru 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 How to Best Get Around Bali guide.
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 Pura Luhur Batukaru Waterfall 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 is this great tour option that can pick you up in multiple towns and visit places including Pura Luhur Batukaru:
Pura Luhur Batukaru – Temple Ticket Price and Operating Hours
Temple Entrance Fee
The entrance fee for Pura Luhur Batukaru Temple is 40,000 IDR per person (2025), which roughly amounts to 2.50 US$/€. This fee helps maintain the temple and its surrounding grounds.
Modest additional costs are required for parking: 5,000 IDR for scooters and 10,000 IDR for cars.
Having the exact change or small bills to pay for all costs is preferable as the majority of waterfall sites don’t accept credit cards and they may not have enough change for large bills. To our knowledge, there are no nearby ATMs.
Temple Opening Hours
Pura Luhur Batukaru’s opening hours vary throughout the year. It typically opens at 6 am to visitors, but the closing time varies, often at noon during the rainy season and 6 pm during the dry season.
Temple Facilities
Toilets are available near the ticket kiosk where the entrance fee is paid.
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.
About Pura Luhur Batukaru Temple and its History
Pura Luhur Batukaru is a Hindu temple, originally built in the 11th Century, making it one of Bali’s oldest and most significant temples. It was originally built as a place of worship for the Balinese kings of Tabanan and dedicated to their ancestors. However, Pura Luhur Batukaru was unfortunately destroyed in 1604 during a siege by the Buleleng Kingdom and stayed in ruins until 1959 when it was rebuilt.
Today Pura Luhur Batukaru is one of the “six sanctuaries of the world”, which are among the holiest places of worship in Bali. According to Balinese beliefs, they are the pivotal points of the island and are meant to provide spiritual balance to Bali.
Pura Luhur Batukaru is also one of the nine directional temples of Bali, which mark the eight cardinal directions (along with a central point); Batukaru temple marks the west direction. Built at strategic locations, the directional temples are meant to protect the island and its people from evil spirits. These temples belong to every Balinese on the island (as opposed to the other temples, which are the property of the village or town in which they sit).
The most important shrine at Pura Luhur Batukaru is the 7-tiered Meru Tower. It was built to honor Mahadewa, the God of Gunung Batukaru — Gunung Batukaru is one of Bali’s most sacred volcanoes, whose southern slopes are home to the Pura Luhur Batukaru temple complex.
Pura Luhur Batukaru Temple – What to Expect
As soon as you arrive, you will quickly notice how Pura Luhur Batukaru looks and just feels different from most of Bali’s other temples. The temple complex is set deep into the jungle on the slopes of a volcano, with many structures and paths partially covered in moss, giving it an eerie and mystical atmosphere, one that is often magnified by the presence of mist and low clouds during the early morning.
It’s a beautiful complex to visit for nature lovers, with verdant trees and lush vegetation growing all over and around the complex, a great example of how Balinese architecture can often harmoniously blend with its natural surroundings. Given its somewhat remote location in central Bali, it is also far less crowded than other popular Balinese temples, allowing you to develop a true sense of tranquillity during your visit.
It’s important to note that while the temple is open to tourists, it remains an extremely sacred site for Bali’s Hindu population and an active place of worship. Much of the complex’s grounds remain off-limits to visitors for various ceremonies and events throughout the year. In particular, there is a tiny island shrine in the centre where only the priests of Pura Luhur Batukaru can enter.
There are three main courtyards, each of which is composed of several shrines, pavilions, and merus towers, most of which are adorned with intricate stone carvings and moss-covered walls. The central shrine, the 7-tiered meru tower dedicated to Mahadewa, stands out with its distinctive black palm fibre roofs, a hallmark of Balinese temple architecture.
There’s a smaller shrine located further up the mountain. You can reach it (but not enter it) by climbing a long staircase located at the northern end of the temple complex.
East of the complete, another shorter staircase heads downhill towards the artificial lake surrounded by holy fountains where people leave offerings and is filled with koi carp.
Why You Should Visit Pura Luhur Batukaru
– A temple immersed in nature: few temples in Bali can provide visitors with such a unique mixture of beautiful architecture and lush vegetation all around. Other Balinese temples that are also beautifully surrounded by nature include Pura Mengening, Pura Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring, and Goa Gajah.
– Relaxed atmosphere: Pura Luhur Batukaru gets a fraction of the visitors that other temples get, not because it is not worth it but rather because of its more remote location. At times we felt alone when visiting this spectacular temple.
– Mountain Breeze: Being higher up in elevation than most Balinese temples and surrounded by dense forests, you are likely to find the air much cooler around Batukaru temple, which will no doubt be a welcome respite in the Bali heat.
– Cultural Significance: Pura Luhur Batukaru is both one of the six sanctuaries of the world and one of the nine directional temples.
How Long Do You Need at Pura Luhur Batukaru
Although larger than most, the Batukaru temple complex doesn’t take very long to cover on foot – you could probably walk around the grounds in 10-15 minutes. However, we do recommend planning for at least 30 minutes on-site to allow yourself ample time to see and appreciate the temple and its surroundings without feeling rushed.
Best Time to Visit Pura Luhur Batukaru
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 may be even fewer other tourists around.
Best Time of Day
We generally prefer to visit temples as early as possible to enjoy the sites in a peaceful setting before the crowds roll in. However, given the temple’s remote location, it rarely gets very busy – in fact, we visited around midday and there were only a few other people there.
We were told during our visit that early morning or late afternoon visits can be particularly magical, as the temple complex is often shrouded in mist enhancing the overall atmosphere.
Where to Stay Near Pura Luhur Batukaru
In our opinion, the best place to stay in the area is in Ubud, whose location makes it a great base from which to explore several nearby temples including Pura Luhur Batukaru. 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
Other Sights and Attractions near Pura Luhur Batukaru Temple
The nearest attraction is the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. Although only 3 km away as the crow flies, it’s a 10 km and 25 min drive away.
The nearest major temple is Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, the floating island temple by Lake Beratan.
Other nearby attractions include the Bayan Ancient Tree and Leke Leke Waterfall.
For a more complete list of attractions that you can visit from Ubud, check out our guide on the Best Day Trips from Ubud.
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
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
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
Other Travel Essentials
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Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
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
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our guide on Bali’s Pura Luhur Batukaru and that it will prove useful for planning your trip.
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