# Goa Gajah, Bali > Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, is an ancient sanctuary 5 km from central Ubud. Its entrance is carved into the rock as a huge demon's mouth; inside are a Ganesha statue and lingams, and outside an 11th-century bathing pool and a jungle path. Foreigners pay about IDR 50,000 with a sarong, and it's open roughly 8:00–17:00. An hour is enough. Web page: https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-gajah - City: [Bali](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali), Indonesia - YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: ≈ IDR 50,000 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entrance fee: ≈ IDR 50,000 foreign adult; sarong included - Opening hours: Daily, roughly 8:00–17:00 (some sources say 18:00) - Stairs: Steep steps lead down to the cave — and back up - Inside: The cave is small, dark and smoky with incense - Location: Bedulu; ≈ 5 km from Ubud, ≈ 35 km from Kuta - Coordinates: -8.52339, 115.28633 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **'Elephant Cave'** — the meaning of Goa Gajah (source: English Wikipedia) - **11th century** — the likely date of the sanctuary, judging by its style (source: English Wikipedia) - **1365** — Goa Gajah is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana (source: English Wikipedia) - **1923** — Dutch archaeologists rediscovered the cave (source: English Wikipedia) - **1954** — the bathing pool and fountains were excavated (source: English Wikipedia) - **Ganesha** — a statue of the elephant-headed god stands inside the cave (source: English Wikipedia) - **2 faiths** — the site has both Hindu and Buddhist imagery (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 5 km** — to Ubud Palace (source: OSRM route) ## Goa Gajah entrance fee and hours There's no official price list online. Most 2026 guides quote **IDR 50,000** for a foreign adult, sarong included. Parking costs a few thousand rupiah. Pay cash at the ticket booth. It's open to visitors roughly **8:00–17:00**, with some sources saying 18:00; for worshippers the sanctuary is open around the clock. ## What is Goa Gajah? **Goa Gajah** is an ancient sanctuary in the village of Bedulu, 5 km from central Ubud. The name means **'Elephant Cave'**. Its origins are uncertain: the carving style suggests the **11th century**, while legend says the giant Kebo Iwa scratched it out with a fingernail. It was most likely a place of meditation. It's mentioned in a Javanese poem of **1365** but was later forgotten; Dutch archaeologists rediscovered the cave in **1923**, and the bathing pool wasn't excavated until **1954**. **Hindu and Buddhist** imagery sit side by side: Shiva's symbols and a **Ganesha** statue in the cave, carved stupas by the stream. ## What's inside the Elephant Cave A steep **stairway** leads down from the ticket booth into the courtyard. On the left is the **bathing pool**, fed by water pouring from jars held by female figures said to represent India's holy rivers. On the right is the main sight: the **cave entrance**, carved into the rock as a vast grimacing face with bulging eyes, thought to ward off evil spirits. Inside, the T-shaped cave is shallow: **Ganesha** in one niche, three **lingams** in another, the air hazy with incense. Beyond the pool, a path drops into the **jungle** to a stream, a small waterfall and fragments of Buddhist reliefs — quieter and prettier than the courtyard suggests. > **Dress code and etiquette** A sarong is handed out with your ticket — no need to buy one from the stalls. As at all Balinese temples, women who are menstruating and anyone with an open wound shouldn't enter the sanctuary. The cave is cramped: don't linger at the niches, let worshippers through and don't touch the statues. ## Things to see at Goa Gajah - **The cave entrance** — a carved demon's mouth. - **Ganesha and the lingams** in the cave niches. - **The bathing pool** with its water-bearing female figures. - **The jungle path** down to a stream and small waterfall. - **Buddhist reliefs** by the stream. - **Huge trees** with hanging aerial roots in the courtyard. ## How to get to Goa Gajah 1. **From central Ubud** — about 5 km south-east, 10–15 minutes by taxi, Grab, Gojek or scooter. 2. **From Sanur** — about 25 km; **from Kuta or Seminyak** — about 35 km, 1–1.5 hours in normal traffic. 3. **From Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS)** — about 38 km. 4. The ticket booth and car park are on Jl. Raya Goa Gajah; from there it's stairs down. 5. Tegenungan Waterfall is 8 km away and Tirta Empul 14 km. ## When to go and how long to stay The cave, pool and path take **about an hour**. Arrive at opening time: by 10 am tour groups arrive and the cave gets crowded. After rain the steps and path are slippery, so wear decent shoes. Goa Gajah makes an easy short stop near Ubud: the cave in the morning, then **Tegenungan Waterfall** or **Tirta Empul**, and back in town for lunch. ## Is Goa Gajah worth visiting? Yes, if you're staying in Ubud: it's one of the island's oldest and most unusual sanctuaries, close to town and inexpensive. The demon's face over the entrance is impressive in person. YesGo's take: the cave itself is tiny, and anyone expecting a grand temple may be underwhelmed. The best part is the path down to the stream, which many people skip. It's not worth a special trip from Kuta on its own. ## Bali temples compared Temples on Bali rated by YesGo. - [Saraswati Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/pura-taman-saraswati) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free; dance ≈ IDR 100,000 - [Ubud Monkey Forest](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/ubud-monkey-forest) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · IDR 130,000 - [Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-gajah) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 50,000 - [Batuan Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/batuan-temple) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · donation or ≈ IDR 30,000–50,000 - [Tanah Lot Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tanah-lot) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · IDR 75,000 - [Taman Ayun Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/taman-ayun) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 30,000–50,000 - [Gunung Kawi](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/gunung-kawi) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ IDR 50,000 - [Tirta Empul Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tirta-empul) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000 - [Ulun Danu Batur Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/ulun-danu-batur) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 35,000 - [Goa Lawah Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-lawah) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ IDR 30,000 - [Uluwatu Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/uluwatu-temple) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 50,000–60,000 - [Ulun Danu Beratan Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/ulun-danu-bratan) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · IDR 100,000 - [Besakih Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/besakih) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · IDR 150,000 - [Lempuyang Temple (Gates of Heaven)](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/lempuyang) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 100,000 + shuttle - [Geger Beach](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/geger-beach) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · free or ≈ IDR 5,000–10,000 ## A morning around Ubud Ubud Palace in town, then Goa Gajah and Tegenungan Waterfall. Add it to your trip — YesGo will set the timings and transfers. 1. [Ubud Palace (Puri Saren Agung)](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/ubud-palace) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 2. [Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-gajah) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 50,000 3. [Tegenungan Waterfall](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tegenungan-waterfall) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 20,000–30,000 ## Tips - Skip the sarong sellers — one comes with your ticket. - Take the path past the pool down to the stream — it's the best part. - After rain, wear shoes with grip: the steps get slippery. - Arrive at opening, before the cave fills up. - [Tegenungan Waterfall](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tegenungan-waterfall) is about 8 km away. ## Questions ### How much is the Goa Gajah entrance fee? About IDR 50,000 for a foreign adult, sarong included. ### Why is it called the Elephant Cave? The carved face over the entrance was once thought to be an elephant; another explanation is the Ganesha statue inside. ### What's inside Goa Gajah? A Ganesha statue and three lingams in niches; the cave is small and dark. ### What are Goa Gajah's opening hours? Roughly 8:00–17:00, with some sources saying 18:00. ### How far is Goa Gajah from Ubud? About 5 km — 10–15 minutes by taxi, Grab, Gojek or scooter. ### How long do you need at Goa Gajah? About an hour, including the pool and the path to the stream. ### Is Goa Gajah worth visiting? Yes if you're in Ubud — it's old and atmospheric; the cave itself is small. ### Do I need a sarong at Goa Gajah? Yes, one is provided with your ticket. ## How we checked The name, dating, legend, iconography, the 1365 mention and discovery dates are from English Wikipedia; in line with YesGo policy we don't mention damage to one of the statues. The IDR 50,000 fee with a sarong is the most common figure in 2026 guides; IDR 75,000 and 30,000 (probably for locals) also appear, so it's marked unconfirmed. Hours are 8:00–17:00 or 8:00–18:00. Distances are OSRM routes without traffic from Ubud (5 km), Sanur (25 km), Kuta (35 km) and the airport (38 km), and to Tegenungan (8 km) and Tirta Empul (14 km). ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Goa Gajah: name, dating, Kebo Iwa, Ganesha and lingams, Buddhist reliefs, 1365, 1923 and 1954 - baliholidaysecrets.com, balicheapesttours.com, balibuddies.com (2026) — fee, sarong, hours, parking (unofficial) - Wikidata Q2037360 — coordinates; OSRM routing — distances --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.