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Besakih Temple in Bali, the island's sacred mother temple.
Land Tour

Besakih Mother Temple

Bali's most important temple, on the shoulder of Mount Agung

Duration
10 hours door to door
Group
Private car, up to 5 guests
Difficulty
Easy to moderate · steps
Dress
Sarong and sash provided

The trip

What You're Signing Up For

Besakih is not one temple, it is a complex of more than twenty, stacked up the southern slope of Mount Agung at around a thousand metres. It has been the most important place of worship on the island for a thousand years, and when Agung erupted in 1963 the lava split around it and left it standing.

It has a reputation for pushy guides and unofficial fees, which is fair, and which is exactly what a driver who knows the place is for. The official guide is included in your price, the sarong is included, and nothing else is payable at the gate.

Highlights

Why People Pick This One

  • The mother temple of Bali, on the slope of the island's highest volcano
  • Official guide included, so nobody at the gate is negotiating with you
  • Entrance and sarong hire covered, with no extras payable on site
  • The road up through Sidemen and Rendang, which is a good drive
  • Clear weather permitting, Agung itself standing over the whole complex

Full description

The Whole Thing

Besakih has been in continuous use for over a thousand years and predates Hinduism's arrival in Bali; the site was sacred before the temples were built on it. Twenty-three separate temples share the complex, arranged in terraces up the mountain.

Itinerary

The Trip, Stop By Stop

Timings are typical, not fixed. Your guide reshapes the day around your pace and the conditions.

  1. Hotel pickup

    Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud

    Your driver confirms the time by message the evening before. Early is better for the mountain views.

    Included

  2. Drive to Rendang

    About ninety minutes through Sidemen and the eastern rice country, climbing the whole way.

  3. Besakih

    Sarong on, official guide met at the gate. Roughly two hours walking the terraces and courtyards.

  4. Lunch with a view

    A warung on the ridge road looking back down the valley.

  5. Optional stop

    Sidemen valley or a waterfall on the way back, your choice, no extra charge for the car.

  6. Back to your hotel

    Same car, same driver.

    Included
Trip stop Pickup area Pickup is from your own accommodation inside these areas. Route is indicative, not the exact road taken.

The price covers

What's Included, And What Isn't

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off across South Bali, Ubud and Canggu
  • Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver
  • Fuel, parking, tolls and the driver's day
  • The compulsory official local guide
  • Sarong and sash hire
  • An optional Sidemen or waterfall stop on the way back

Not included

  • Lunch on the ridge road
  • Donations inside the complex, which are never compulsory
  • Personal spending, tips and anything you buy on the day
  • Entrance tickets, parking charges and anything else paid on site

Before you book

Who This Trip Isn’t For

We would rather talk you out of the wrong trip than take your money for it. If any of these apply, message us and we’ll suggest something that fits better.

Anyone who dislikes guided visits

A local guide is compulsory here. We include the official one, but you cannot walk the complex alone.

Anyone with limited mobility

The complex is built up terraces and the only way round it is steps.

Anyone going in the afternoon

Cloud swallows Mount Agung by lunchtime. Go late and you lose half of what you came for.

Come prepared

What To Bring

A sarong and sash

Both are lent at the entrance, but bringing your own means you skip the queue for them.

Covered shoulders

Besakih is Bali's most important temple and it is strict. A t-shirt is fine; a vest top is not.

A sun hat and water

The complex climbs a long flight of open steps with almost no shade anywhere on it.

Cash for the donation

There is a donation box at the inner gate, and small notes for the parking attendants.

On the trip

What It Looks Like

Tap a photo to enlarge

Before you book

Questions About This Trip

Anything not covered here? Message us. We'd rather answer first than have you book the wrong trip.

Do we have to take a guide?

Yes, Besakih requires a local guide and we include the official one in the price. This is the single most complained-about thing at Besakih and including it removes the problem entirely.

Will there be extra fees at the gate?

Not with us. Entrance, guide and sarong are all covered. If anyone asks you for money on site, tell your driver.

Can we go inside the temples?

Into the complex and around the courtyards, yes. The innermost shrines are for worshippers, which is the case at every active temple in Bali.

How much walking?

A steady climb up the terraces and back, maybe two hours in total with stops. Not hard, but it is uphill and it is usually warm.

Is Mount Agung visible?

In the morning, usually. By early afternoon cloud builds and the mountain disappears. That is why we start early.

Pairs well with

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Ready When You Are

Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We'll confirm availability, pickup time and the total, usually within the hour.