Bali’s Most Impressive Temples Are Easy To Explore On Vacation Day Trips

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Bali is a destination famed for its culture and spirituality. It’s also a destination synonymous with big resorts, beach clubs, and international dining.

Tourists traveling to Bali in 2026 are clear that they want to experience the best of both worlds while on vacation. Thankfully, Bali’s most impressive temples are easy to visit from the island’s top tourism resorts.

Once upon a time, it was postcards that inspired tourists to travel; now it is social media. Whether it’s the latest TikTok travel trend, an Instagram tours hack, or even a YouTube destination deep dive, social media influences so much of traveler behaviour.

Instagram played a huge role in taking Bali from a popular backpackers’ hotspot and family vacation resort to TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best Tourism Destinations in the World in 2026. 

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It just so happens that Bali’s most impressive temples are also the most Instagrammable. From Ulun Danu Beratan in Bedugul to Uluwatu Temple perched upon the cliffs of the Bukit Peninsula, the most photogenic temples on the island are amongst the most spiritually significant, which is why culture-loving tourists make sure to organise as many day trips as possible during their beachside vacations. 

Talk to anyone in Bali to ask about the most impressive temples on the island, and they will quickly list off six for you.

The first is Besakih Temple, which is the most spiritually significant temple on the island, also known as The Mother Temple. The second is the Tirta Empul Temple, which is famous for its holy waters where both local community members and tourists can participate in a traditional Melukat water cleansing ritual. 

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Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, which is also known as the Floating Temple, has earned its place amongst the top cultural landmarks on the island for tourist visits. In fact, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is considered to be so photogenic that it actually appears on the Indonesian IDR 50,000 banknotes. 

Uluwatu Temple is an unmissable spot for tourists visiting the Bukit Peninsula. The temple sits 70m above the ocean and offers unrivalled views of the Indian Ocean. Tourists visiting Uluwatu Temple can also encounter the troop of wild monkeys who live within the temple complex and stay late into the evening to catch a live performance of the fiery kecak dance at the Uluwatu Temple amphitheatre. 

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That takes us to the fifth most recommended and most famous temple in Bali, though these aren’t being ranked for preference; they are each unique and unmissable for their own reasons.

The fifth is Tanah Lot Temple. Another of Bali’s sea temples, Tanah Lot, is located in Tabanan Regency and makes for the perfect destination-daytrip-duo with Jatiluwih Rice Terraces.

The final, most famous temple in Bali is perhaps the most Instagrammable of all, and that is Pura Luhur Lempuyang, also known as the Gates of Heaven Temple.

Located in East Bali, it’s important to set the alarm clock early for a visit to this world-famous landmark. It’s also important to arrive as early as possible, as tourists have been known to have to queue for upwards of four hours just to get their photo taken between the iconic gates. 

The joy of all of these temples and Bali’s most famous cultural landmarks is that they can be reached easily within a day trip of all the major tourism resorts in the central south of the island, including Canggu, Uluwatu, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Legian, and Kuta.

It should be noted, though, that some of these day trip destinations make more sense than others. 

For example, it’s easier to visit Tirta Empul Temple, Pura Luhur Lempuyang, and Besakih Temple from Ubud.

At the same time, it makes more sense to visit Tanah Lot Temple, Ulun Danu Beratan, and Uluwatu Temple if staying anywhere along the Badung coast, from Uluwatu all the way through to Canggu.