# Goa Lawah Temple, Bali > Goa Lawah is east Bali's 'bat cave temple', right on the main road 29 km from Ubud. Its shrines sit at the mouth of a cave whose ceiling is covered in thousands of bats, and it's one of Bali's six holiest sanctuaries. Entry is about IDR 30,000 with a sarong, open roughly 8:00–18:00. Allow 30–45 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-lawah - City: [Bali](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali), Indonesia - YesGo score: 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: ≈ IDR 30,000 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entrance fee: ≈ IDR 30,000; sarong provided - Opening hours: Daily, roughly 8:00–18:00; open to worshippers around the clock - Inside: You don't enter the cave — you view it from the courtyard shrines - Smell: Expect a whiff of bat droppings near the cave - Location: Pesinggahan, Klungkung; ≈ 29 km from Ubud, ≈ 45 km from Kuta - Coordinates: -8.55160, 115.46890 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **'Bat cave'** — the meaning of Goa Lawah (source: English Wikipedia) - **11th century** — the priest Mpu Kuturan founded the temple (source: English Wikipedia) - **1 of 6** — Sad Kahyangan, Bali's six sanctuaries of the world, on many lists (source: English Wikipedia) - **Thousands** — of bats roost in the cave behind the shrines (source: English Wikipedia) - **Porcelain** — plates decorated the shrines in the early 20th century (source: English Wikipedia) - **Beach** — the temple faces the shore across the road, used for ceremonies (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 15 km** — to the Sidemen Valley (source: OSRM route) - **≈ 29 km** — to Ubud (source: OSRM route) ## Goa Lawah entrance fee and hours There's no official price list online. According to guides, visitors pay **about IDR 30,000**, with a sarong provided, plus a couple of thousand for parking. It's **cash only**. Visiting hours are roughly **8:00–18:00**; worshippers come around the clock, and access may be limited during big ceremonies. ## What is Pura Goa Lawah? **Pura Goa Lawah** — the 'bat cave temple' — stands in the village of Pesinggahan in east Bali. It was founded in the **11th century** by **Mpu Kuturan**, one of the priests credited with bringing Hinduism to Bali, probably first as a place of meditation. Many lists count it among the **Sad Kahyangan**, Bali's six sanctuaries of the world that keep the island in spiritual balance. The star is the **cave** itself: **thousands of bats** hang and shuffle on its ceiling, while shrines under yellow and white parasols stand at its mouth. Local legend says the cave runs deep underground and that a sacred snake lives in its depths. ## What you'll see Through the split gate, the courtyard leads to the **cave mouth** — a dark grotto in vine-covered rock with altars in front. Look closely and the ceiling moves: those are the bats. Visitors don't go into the cave; you watch from beside the shrines, where **ceremonies** with offerings and gamelan music are frequent. Dark stone meru shrines stand in the courtyard. Across the road is a black-sand **beach** where Balinese take offerings to the sea after ceremonies. Unofficially, traditional sea-salt making still goes on along the nearby Kusamba coast. > **Dress code and etiquette** A sarong and sash are required and handed out at the entrance. As at all Balinese temples, women who are menstruating and anyone with an open wound shouldn't enter the shrines. During ceremonies, stand aside, don't walk in front of worshippers, and skip the flash — it disturbs both people and bats. ## Things to see at Goa Lawah - **The cave mouth** with shrines under parasols. - **The bats** clustered on the grotto ceiling. - **Dark stone meru shrines** in the courtyard. - **Ceremonies** — they happen often here. - **The beach across the road**, where offerings go to the sea. ## How to get to Goa Lawah 1. **From Ubud** — about 29 km east, 25 minutes on paper, usually 45. 2. **From Sanur** — about 34 km; **from Kuta or Seminyak** — about 45 km, 1–1.5 hours on the coast road. 3. **From Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS)** — about 49 km. 4. The temple is right on the main Jl. Raya Goa Lawah road east, with parking at the gate. No public transport: taxi, Grab, Gojek or a hired driver. 5. The Sidemen Valley is 15 km away and Besakih 31 km. ## When to go and what to combine Goa Lawah is a **stop on the way** rather than a destination: to Sidemen, Besakih, Padang Bai, Amed or Tirta Gangga. **30–45 minutes** is enough. Mornings and festival days bring Balinese families with offerings — the liveliest time to visit. At midday the courtyard bakes and there's little shade. ## Is Goa Lawah worth visiting? Yes, as a short stop: a living cave with thousands of bats above the altars is an unusual sight, and the temple matters to the Balinese. YesGo's take: don't make a special trip — the temple is small, you can't enter the cave, and it smells of guano at the entrance. If you're driving east anyway, half an hour here is worth it. If bats make you nervous, stay back in the courtyard. ## 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 - [Goa Lawah Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-lawah) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ IDR 30,000 - [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 - [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 ## East Bali in a day Besakih in the morning, the Sidemen Valley rice fields at midday, and Goa Lawah on the way back. Add it to your trip — YesGo will set the timings and transfers. 1. [Besakih Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/besakih) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · IDR 150,000 2. [Sidemen Valley](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/sidemen) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · free 3. [Goa Lawah Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/goa-lawah) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ IDR 30,000 ## Tips - Stop on the drive east — no need for a separate trip. - Bring rupiah cash: cards aren't accepted. - No flash near the cave. - Walk across to the beach to see offerings to the sea. - Next: the rice fields of [Sidemen](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/sidemen), 15 km away. ## Questions ### How much is the Goa Lawah entrance fee? About IDR 30,000 according to guides, sarong provided; cash only. ### Why is Goa Lawah called the bat cave temple? Its shrines stand at the mouth of a cave where thousands of bats roost. ### Can you go inside the Goa Lawah cave? No, visitors view the cave from the courtyard shrines. ### What are Goa Lawah's opening hours? Roughly 8:00–18:00 for visitors; worshippers come around the clock. ### Where is Goa Lawah Temple? In east Bali, in Pesinggahan village, Klungkung, on the main road east. ### How far is Goa Lawah from Ubud? About 29 km — around 45 minutes by car, taxi or scooter. ### How long do you need at Goa Lawah? 30–45 minutes. ### Is Goa Lawah worth visiting? As a short stop on the way east, yes; not worth a special trip on its own. ## How we checked The name, founding by Mpu Kuturan in the 11th century, Sad Kahyangan status, the bats, the porcelain decoration and the beachside setting are from English Wikipedia; in line with YesGo policy we don't describe the events of 1849. The snake and tunnel legend is local lore from guides. The fee of about IDR 30,000 is from undated guides, with IDR 10,000–15,000 also quoted, so it's marked unconfirmed. Hours are 8:00–18:00 or dawn to dusk. Kusamba salt-making is unofficial. Distances are OSRM routes without traffic from Ubud (29 km), Sanur (34 km), Kuta (45 km) and the airport (49 km), and to Sidemen (15 km) and Besakih (31 km). ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Pura Goa Lawah: name, Mpu Kuturan, 11th century, Sad Kahyangan, bats, porcelain decoration, beach - baliholidaysecrets.com, nashaplaneta.net — fee, parking, cash payment (unofficial) - Wikidata Q4845403 — 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.