TemplesPrivate car
Tanah Lot, Batukaru & Jatiluwih Day Tour
- Jatiluwih
- Pura Luhur Batukaru
- Tanah Lot sunset
$70 / personDetails
Pura Batukaru, Bali
One of Bali's six great temples, in cool forest on the slopes of Mount Batukaru above Jatiluwih — mossy, quiet, and usually yours.
What is Pura Luhur Batukaru like, and how do you get there?
Batukaru is the temple of the west: a large, old complex of moss-covered shrines and thatched meru at 700 metres, in a forest clearing on the mountain's flank, with a lake-like pool and the sound of water everywhere. It's ten minutes up the road from Jatiluwih's terraces, so it fits naturally into the same morning. Few visitors come, sarongs are lent at the gate, and the atmosphere is the point — there's no view, just trees, stone and quiet.
- RegionCentral Bali · Tabanan highlands
- Best forA quiet temple, forest air
- From JatiluwihAbout 10 minutes
- How long45 minutes
- Best timeMorning; ceremonies at full moon
- CrowdsLight
On the ground
Cool and damp. You cross a stream, pass through a split gate under huge trees, and enter courtyards where the shrines are green with moss and the seven-tiered meru of the mountain god stands at the back. A pool to one side with a shrine on an island; incense; usually a family or two praying.
It's a working temple and a serious one — one of the six directional temples that protect the island — so the inner courtyard is for worshippers and the dress rules are kept. The outer courtyards are open and there's plenty to see.
Because it's off the coach circuit and the road is narrow, you're likely to be alone with the caretakers. That's its gift. Combine it with the terraces below.
What to see at Batukaru
The inner courtyard
Seen from the gate: the great meru and the mossy shrines under the forest canopy.
The pool and island shrine
To the east of the main courtyard — the calmest corner.
Jatiluwih rice terraces
Ten minutes below; the two together make a morning.
Angseri hot springs, 30 minutes
Warm pools in a valley south of the temple for the afternoon.
Entrance fees are in the price of our set routes; on a car + driver day they are paid at the gate, and your driver tells you the amounts the evening before.
What to do
Set routes that stop at Pura Batukaru
1 of our routes passes through.
Or make it a driver day
Pura Batukaru plus wherever else you like, at your pace — up to ten hours, priced per car, your route.
Before you go
How long should you stay? Forty-five minutes. It's paired with Jatiluwih on our west-Bali route and easy to add to the north-Bali day.
Best time to visit. Morning, before the afternoon cloud comes over the mountain. Full-moon ceremonies fill it with worshippers and colour.
| Tickets | Donation per person; sarong included |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Daylight |
| Dress | Sarong and sash (lent); covered shoulders |
| Walking | Easy; flat paths, a few steps, a stream crossing |
| Food | Warungs at Jatiluwih below |
| Toilets | At the car park |
| Weather | Cool and often wet; a layer and a rain jacket |
Photos
Pura Batukaru in photos
Questions
Asked in the car
Can we go inside?
The outer and middle courtyards, yes. The inner one with the great meru is for worshippers; you see it clearly from the gate.
Is it worth it if we've seen Ulun Danu?
Different: no lake, no crowd, all forest and moss. If Ulun Danu was too busy, Batukaru is the antidote.
Can we climb the mountain?
Mount Batukaru is a serious 8–10-hour hike with a guide from the temple; not something to add to a tour day, but ask and we arrange it.
Nearby, with our photos
Terraces and the forest temple
Take the Tanah Lot, Batukaru & Jatiluwih route, or add the temple to any highland day.