Bali guide › North and east Bali
Are Lempuyang's Gates of Heaven worth it, and when to go?
It is the photo everyone has seen: a huge split stone gate framing Mount Agung, with a “reflection” that looks like a lake. There is no lake: the temple photographers place a mirror under the lens to create the effect. The gate belongs to Pura Penataran Agung, the first of the seven temples of the Lempuyang complex, one of the holiest on the island.
Practicalities:
- Entry: about 50,000 to 70,000 IDR ($3 to $4), with a compulsory sarong. An official shuttle runs up to the entrance.
- The wait: after 10 am, expect 2 to 3 hours in the queue for the photo. Before 7 am there is practically nobody.
- Opening hours: from about 6.30 or 7 am to late afternoon.
- Time needed: 2 to 4 hours on site, depending on the queue.
Verdict: worth it, as long as you arrive at opening. Otherwise you risk two hours in a queue for a posed photo. And if your legs are up to it, the real temple is higher: Pura Lempuyang Luhur, at the summit, is reached by 1,700 steps through the forest, a walk of 1.5 to 2 hours each way.
Half an hour's drive away, Tirta Gangga is a water palace built in 1947 by Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut, the last raja of the kingdom of Karangasem (one of the nine kingdoms mentioned in the Ubud section). The 1963 eruption of Agung damaged it, and it was then rebuilt. Across about 12,000 m² (3 acres), you will see:
- pools, fountains and statues;
- a path of stepping stones above the water;
- koi carp (bags of food are sold at the entrance).
You can swim in some of the pools, so bring swimwear and a towel. Entry costs 50,000 to 75,000 IDR ($3 to $4.50) and the site is open from 7 am to 7 pm. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours, and avoid the middle of the day, when the groups arrive.
Tip: combine the two in the same day: Lempuyang at dawn, Tirta Gangga afterwards.
Prices and hours checked in October 2026; confirm before you go.
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