# Tanah Lot Temple, Bali

> Tanah Lot is a Hindu sea temple on a rock in the surf, 11 km from Canggu on Bali's south-west coast. At low tide you can walk across to the base, but only worshippers climb to the shrine. Foreigners pay IDR 75,000 (children IDR 40,000); it's open daily from about 7:00 to 19:00. Allow 1.5 hours and come two hours before sunset.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tanah-lot

- City: [Bali](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali), Indonesia
- YesGo score: 26/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 30 min
- Entry: IDR 75,000
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entrance fee: IDR 75,000 foreign adult, IDR 40,000 child 5–10; under 5 free
- Opening hours: Daily, roughly 7:00–19:00
- Tides: You can reach the rock only at low tide; at high tide it's cut off by the sea
- Inside the temple: Worshippers only
- Parking: ≈ IDR 5,000 car, ≈ IDR 3,000 scooter
- Location: Beraban, Tabanan; ≈ 11 km from Canggu, ≈ 23 km from Kuta
- Coordinates: -8.62114, 115.08675
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **'Land in the sea'** — the meaning of Tanah Lot in Balinese (source: English Wikipedia)
- **16th century** — the temple is credited to the sage Dang Hyang Nirartha, who spent a night here (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1 of 7** — main sea temples on Bali's south-west coast (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Sea god** — the temple's main deity is Dewa Baruna, or Bhatara Segara (source: English Wikipedia)
- **> ⅓** — of the 'rock' is artificial, added when it was stabilised in the 1980s–90s (source: English Wikipedia)
- **IDR 75,000** — foreign adult fee; a rise to IDR 100,000 has been postponed (source: temple management via The Bali Sun, 31 Mar 2026)
- **Low tide** — the only time you can walk out to the rock (source: English Wikipedia)
- **≈ 11 km** — to Canggu (source: OSRM route)

## Tanah Lot entrance fee

Foreign visitors pay **IDR 75,000 per adult** and **IDR 40,000 per child** aged 5–10; under-fives are free. A rise to IDR 100,000 was planned for April 2026, but the temple management **postponed it**, a spokesperson said at the end of March 2026 — worth double-checking before you go.

Pay at the booth by the car park; there's no online ticketing, so bring **rupiah cash**. Parking is extra, roughly IDR 5,000 for a car and IDR 3,000 for a scooter. Your ticket covers the whole site: the rock at low tide, the clifftop viewpoints and the neighbouring temple on a natural rock arch.

## What is Tanah Lot?

**Tanah Lot** is a Balinese Hindu temple on a separate rock in the surf near the village of Beraban, in Tabanan Regency. The name means **'land in the sea'**. It's one of the **seven main sea temples** strung along the south-west coast, each within sight of the next, guarding the island from the ocean side.

It's credited to the **16th-century** sage **Dang Hyang Nirartha**, who is said to have spent a night on the rock and asked for a shrine to be built. The main deity is the **sea god** Dewa Baruna. When the rock began to crumble in the 1980s, it was stabilised with a Japanese loan — according to Wikipedia, more than a third of what you see today is cleverly disguised artificial rock.

> **Check the tide before you go** You can only reach the base of the rock at low tide, across wet stones and shallow water. At high tide Tanah Lot is cut off and the guards close the crossing. The waves here are powerful: don't go further than you're allowed, and never stand on the edge of the rocks with your back to the sea. Shoes you don't mind soaking beat flip-flops.

## What you can see at Tanah Lot

From the car park, a lane of **souvenir stalls** leads down to the sea — about a 10-minute walk. Then the shore opens up: black sand, dark rocks and, out in the water, **the temple rock**, green with trees and topped with tiered meru roofs. The classic shots are from the beach opposite and the clifftops to the left.

**Only worshippers** climb up to the shrines. At low tide visitors walk to the base, where a **freshwater spring** rises inside the rock; temple attendants sprinkle you with its water and tie a blessing thread around your wrist for a donation. In the caves on the shore opposite live what locals call **holy sea snakes**, shown for a small fee.

> **Dress code and etiquette** Normal clothes are fine for the grounds, but cover shoulders and knees near the shrines and the spring — bring a sarong or use the one handed out at the spring. As at all Balinese temples, women who are menstruating and anyone with an open wound shouldn't enter the sacred areas. Watch your step around the small offerings on the rocks.

## Things to see at Tanah Lot

- **The temple rock** — from the beach opposite and from the clifftops.
- **The base of the rock at low tide** and the freshwater spring.
- **Pura Batu Bolong**, a temple on a natural rock arch a few minutes along the cliffs.
- **Sunset** — the sun drops into the sea behind the temple.
- **The holy snake caves**, if you're curious.
- **Clifftop cafés** facing the temple at sunset.

## How to get to Tanah Lot

1. **From Canggu** — about 11 km, 17 minutes on a clear road; the route is busy before sunset.
2. **From Seminyak** — about 20 km; **from Kuta** — about 23 km, half an hour on paper, usually an hour in practice.
3. **From Ubud** — about 35 km, typically 1–1.5 hours.
4. **From Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS)** — about 27 km. There's no public transport: taxi, Grab, Gojek, scooter or a hired driver.
5. Taman Ayun Temple is about 18 km away, an easy pairing on the same day.

## Best time to visit Tanah Lot

**Sunset** is the most beautiful and the busiest time — tour buses roll in from about 5 pm. To reach the rock and catch the sunset, check the **low-tide time** for that day (any free tide app covers Bali) and arrive 1.5–2 hours before the sun goes down.

Before 9 am it's quiet, the light is soft and the clifftop views are clear. If you're also heading to Taman Ayun or Jatiluwih, mornings work well: inland temples in the day, Canggu's beaches in the evening.

## Is Tanah Lot worth visiting?

Yes: a temple on a rock in the surf is one of Bali's defining images, and it's more striking in person, especially at low tide and sunset.

YesGo's take: the walk to the sea is lined with souvenir shops, sunset gets crowded and you can't go up into the temple. If you've seen Uluwatu, Tanah Lot is still different — here the temple stands in the water rather than on a cliff. Just expect company.

## Before you go

- [ ] Low-tide time checked
- [ ] Rupiah cash for entry and a donation
- [ ] Sarong or knee-length clothes
- [ ] Shoes that can get wet
- [ ] Arriving 1.5–2 hours before sunset

## 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

## West Bali in a day

Jatiluwih rice terraces in the morning, Taman Ayun Temple at midday, Tanah Lot for sunset. Add it to your trip — YesGo will set the timings and transfers.

1. [Jatiluwih Rice Terraces](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/jatiluwih) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000
2. [Taman Ayun Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/taman-ayun) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ IDR 30,000–50,000
3. [Tanah Lot Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tanah-lot) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · IDR 75,000

## Don't mix them up

Pura Batu Bolong is the rock-arch temple next to Tanah Lot, on the same ticket. Batu Bolong Beach is a different place, in Canggu.

## Tips

- Check the tide — it decides whether you can walk out to the rock.
- The best photos are from the clifftops to the left of the temple as you face the sea.
- Carry small notes for the blessing at the spring.
- Leave straight after sunset or wait out the traffic at a clifftop café.
- Start the day at [Taman Ayun Temple](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/taman-ayun), 18 km away.

## Questions

### How much is the Tanah Lot entrance fee?

IDR 75,000 for a foreign adult and IDR 40,000 for a child aged 5–10; a planned increase has been postponed.

### Can you go inside Tanah Lot Temple?

No, only worshippers climb to the shrines. Visitors can walk to the base of the rock at low tide.

### When is low tide at Tanah Lot?

It changes daily — check a tide table for south-west Bali for your date.

### What are Tanah Lot's opening hours?

Roughly 7:00–19:00 daily; some sources say it opens at 6:00.

### Is Tanah Lot worth visiting?

Yes for the view of a temple in the surf, especially at sunset — but it's busy and the temple itself is off-limits.

### How do I get to Tanah Lot from Canggu?

It's about 11 km by taxi, Grab, Gojek or scooter, around 20–30 minutes.

### When is the best time to visit Tanah Lot?

1.5–2 hours before sunset on a low-tide day; mornings are quietest.

### How long do you need at Tanah Lot?

About 1.5 hours, or 2–3 with sunset and a drink on the cliffs.

### What does Tanah Lot mean?

'Land in the sea' in Balinese.

## How we checked

History, name, sea-temple status, the sea god, the artificial rock facing and low-tide access are from English Wikipedia. Fees of IDR 75,000 / 40,000 and parking come from a Tanah Lot management spokesperson quoted by The Bali Sun on 31 March 2026: the rise to IDR 100,000 / 60,000 from 1 April 2026 (heybali.info) was postponed. It isn't a price list from the temple itself, so it's marked unconfirmed. Opening time is 6:00 or 7:00 depending on the source. The spring and snakes are from travel guides, with no figures. Distances are OSRM routes without traffic from Canggu (11 km), Seminyak (20 km), Kuta (23 km), Ubud (35 km), the airport (27 km) and Taman Ayun (18 km).

## Sources

- English Wikipedia — Tanah Lot: name, Nirartha, sea temples, sea god, rock stabilisation, low-tide access
- The Bali Sun, 31 March 2026 — temple management on postponing the price rise; current fees and parking
- heybali.info — the planned 2026 fee increase
- Wikidata Q515253 — coordinates; OSRM routing — distances

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