# Tirta Empul Temple, Bali > Tirta Empul is a holy spring temple in Tampaksiring, 19 km north of Ubud. Balinese come for melukat, a purification under carved stone spouts, and visitors can join in. Entry is about IDR 50,000–75,000, with a sarong provided. It's open daily from roughly 8:00 to 18:00. Allow an hour to look around, or about two to bathe. Web page: https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tirta-empul - City: [Bali](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali), Indonesia - YesGo score: 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - Entry: ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entrance fee: ≈ IDR 50,000–75,000 adult, less for children; under 5 free - Opening hours: Daily, roughly 8:00–18:00 - Purification: No separate fee; budget for a bathing sarong, locker and donation - Dress code: Sarong and sash everywhere — handed out at the entrance - Bring: Dry clothes, a small towel, a bag for wet things - Location: Tampaksiring, ≈ 19 km from Ubud, ≈ 49 km from Kuta - Coordinates: -8.41639, 115.31500 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **962 AD** — the temple was founded around the spring under the Warmadewa dynasty (source: English Wikipedia) - **'Holy spring'** — the meaning of Tirta Empul (source: English Wikipedia) - **Vishnu** — the deity the temple is dedicated to (source: English Wikipedia) - **Melukat** — the purification ritual under the spring-fed spouts (source: English Wikipedia) - **3 courtyards** — outer, central with the bathing pools, and inner (source: English Wikipedia) - **Pakerisan** — the river that rises from this spring (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 2 km** — to the Gunung Kawi rock shrines (source: OSRM route) - **≈ 19 km** — to Ubud (source: OSRM route) ## Tirta Empul entrance fee and hours 2026 sources disagree. Indonesia's official tourism portal and some guides list **IDR 50,000** for adults and IDR 25,000 for children; others give **IDR 75,000 and 50,000**. Under-fives are free. Bring rupiah cash, with extra for a locker, bathing sarong and donation. The temple is open **every day**, most often listed as **8:00–18:00**, sometimes from 7:00. On Balinese holidays and ceremony days the pools fill with locals or are partly closed to visitors. ## How to do the Tirta Empul purification ritual Visitors can step into the water alongside Balinese worshippers. There's no fee for the ritual itself, but you'll need a **green bathing sarong** (provided or rented on site), a **locker**, and a small **offering and donation**. Wear swimwear under the sarong; you can't enter bare-chested or in swimwear alone. People usually start at the **left-hand pool** and move spout by spout: palms together, a small bow, wash your face, then let the water run over your head. According to guides, a couple of spouts are reserved for funeral rites — staff will tell you which to skip. The water is cold, so you'll want dry clothes afterwards. > **Dress code and etiquette** A sarong and sash are required throughout the temple 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 temple or pools — signs say so. Don't swim or splash, don't hold up the queue for selfies under the spout, and don't drink the water. ## What is Tirta Empul? **Pura Tirta Empul** is a water temple built around a large spring in Tampaksiring, Gianyar Regency. The name means **'holy water bubbling from the ground'**: the spring rises in a pond in the inner courtyard and its water is considered amrita, sacred. It's the source of the **Pakerisan River**. The temple dates from around **962 AD**, under the **Warmadewa** dynasty, and is dedicated to **Vishnu**. It has three courtyards: the outer Jaba Pura, the central Jaba Tengah with its bathing pools, and the inner Jeroan with its shrines. Balinese come here for **melukat**, a cleansing ritual of standing in the water and bowing beneath the stone spouts. ## Things to see at Tirta Empul - **The bathing pools** with their carved stone spouts — the heart of the temple. - **The spring pond** in the inner courtyard, sand stirring where the water rises. - **Split gateways** and carved pavilions. - **The koi pond** near the exit. - **The hilltop residence** built for President Sukarno's visit in 1954 (closed to the public). ## How to get to Tirta Empul 1. **From Ubud** — about 19 km north, 15–20 minutes on a clear road, usually half an hour. 2. **From Sanur** — about 40 km; **from Kuta or Seminyak** — about 49 km, 1.5–2 hours in normal traffic. 3. **From Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS)** — about 52 km. 4. No public transport: taxi, Grab, Gojek, scooter or a hired driver. 5. Gunung Kawi is 2 km away and the Tegallalang rice terraces 7 km. ## Best time to visit Tirta Empul Arrive **at opening time**: by 10 am tour groups from Ubud arrive and queues form at the spouts. In the morning the sun lights the pools and the water looks clearer. Tirta Empul pairs easily with **Gunung Kawi** (2 km) and **Tegallalang** (7 km) for a relaxed half day north of Ubud. If you want the same ritual with fewer people, guides suggest nearby Pura Mengening. ## Is Tirta Empul worth visiting? Yes: it's one of the few places on Bali where you don't just look at a temple but take part in a living ritual alongside locals. YesGo's take: by late morning it's crowded and the queue at the spouts can feel like a photo shoot. If the bathing doesn't interest you, the temple itself is fairly small. Go early and treat the ritual with respect, and it's a different experience. ## Before you go - [ ] Swimwear under my clothes - [ ] Dry clothes, towel and a bag for wet things - [ ] Cash for entry, locker and donation - [ ] Arriving at opening time - [ ] Gunung Kawi and Tegallalang next ## 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 ## Half a day north of Ubud Purification at Tirta Empul in the morning, then the Gunung Kawi rock shrines and the Tegallalang rice terraces by lunchtime. Add it to your trip — YesGo will set the timings and transfers. 1. [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 2. [Gunung Kawi](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/gunung-kawi) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ IDR 50,000 3. [Tegallalang Rice Terraces](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/tegallalang) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ IDR 15,000–50,000 ## Tips - Get there at opening — by 10 am there's a queue at the spouts. - Put your swimwear on beforehand: the changing rooms are cramped. - Carry small notes for the donation and locker. - Don't drink the spring water. - Next stop: [Gunung Kawi](https://yesgo.io/indonesia/bali/gunung-kawi), 2 km away. ## Questions ### How much is the Tirta Empul entrance fee? About IDR 50,000–75,000 per adult — 2026 sources disagree; under-fives are free. ### Can tourists bathe at Tirta Empul? Yes, visitors can do the melukat purification alongside Balinese, wearing a bathing sarong. ### What should I bring to Tirta Empul? Swimwear, dry clothes, a towel, a bag for wet things and cash. ### Is there a fee for the purification ritual? No separate fee; you pay for a bathing sarong and locker and leave a donation. ### What are Tirta Empul's opening hours? Daily, roughly 8:00–18:00; some sources say it opens at 7:00. ### How far is Tirta Empul from Ubud? About 19 km north — around half an hour by taxi, Grab, Gojek or scooter. ### Can I visit Tirta Empul on my period? No — as at all Balinese temples, women who are menstruating don't enter the temple or pools. ### How long do you need at Tirta Empul? About an hour to look around, about two if you take part in the ritual. ### Is Tirta Empul worth it? Yes, especially early in the morning and if you join the ritual; later in the day it's crowded. ## How we checked History, deity, courtyard layout, melukat, the Pakerisan River and the 1954 residence are from English Wikipedia. Fees disagree: IDR 50,000 / 25,000 from Indonesia.travel and a January 2026 guide, IDR 75,000 / 50,000 from other 2026 guides — we show a range and mark it unconfirmed. Opening is 7:00 or 8:00 and closing 17:30 or 18:00 depending on the source. The ritual order and the spouts reserved for funeral rites come from guides, not an official source. Earlier reports about water quality weren't verified, which is why we advise against drinking it. Distances are OSRM routes without traffic from Ubud (19 km), Sanur (40 km), Kuta (49 km) and the airport (52 km), and to Gunung Kawi (2 km) and Tegallalang (7 km). ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Tirta Empul: founding in 962, Warmadewa dynasty, Vishnu, melukat, courtyards, Pakerisan River, 1954 residence - Indonesia.travel — IDR 50,000 / 25,000 fees and parking - 2026 travel guides (baliholidaysecrets.com, balicheapesttours.com, pickyourtrail.com) — fees, hours, ritual steps (unofficial) - Wikidata Q7809287 — 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.