The Bali Guideline
White split gate of Pura Lempuyang framing Mount Agung above the clouds, a woman in a red dress between

Amed · Temple

Pura Lempuyang: A Visitor’s Guide to Bali’s Gates of Heaven

Bali’s most queued-for photo, and a 1,700-step pilgrimage most visitors never start.

By The Bali Guideline Editorial TeamUpdated 16 October 2026

Overview

Pura Lempuyang, before you go.

Pura Lempuyang is a chain of seven Hindu temples on Mount Lempuyang in East Bali, about 40 minutes from Amed. Its lowest temple has the split gate that frames Mount Agung, the “Gates of Heaven” photo, which now means a numbered ticket and often a 2 to 4-hour wait. It is worth it on a clear morning if you catch the first shuttle, or if you climb on to the summit temple.

Pura Lempuyang is not one temple but seven, strung up the slopes of Mount Lempuyang, which Balinese also call Gamongan, in Karangasem regency. The summit temple, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, at about 1,060 m, is one of the island’s nine directional temples, the sanctuary that guards the east. It honors Hyang Gni Jaya, identified with the god Iswara, and Indonesia’s tourism board says the complex is believed to date from the 11th century. The name is usually read as lampu (light) and hyang (god): the light of God.

The famous gate belongs to the lowest of the seven, Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang, at about 600 m. It is a candi bentar, the split gate that marks the entrance to many Balinese temples, here painted white, with Mount Agung, 14 km to the west-north-west, filling the gap. Behind you, three white portals rise above staircases lined with naga serpents into the middle and inner courtyards. The temple was restored in 2001. Visitors call the gate the Gates of Heaven; for worshippers it is simply the way into the outer courtyard.

Popularity changed the visit. Until 2022 entry was by donation. That year brought a fixed fee of IDR 55,000 and a shuttle from a car park below the temple, and by early 2023 foreigners paid IDR 100,000. After a group of foreigners tried to enter free with Balinese ID cards in March 2023, guides confirmed that foreign visitors pay even when they come to pray. Today you park at the terminal, ride a minibus up the hill, buy a ticket with a sarong included and receive a number. Staff call numbers by megaphone in groups, and when yours comes up you get about a minute and three poses at the gate. On a busy morning that minute costs 2 to 4 hours of waiting.

Know what the photo is. There is no lake or pool in front of the gate. The “reflection” in the pictures is a small mirror held just under your phone’s lens by a local photographer, who takes the shot for you. Mount Agung is not guaranteed either: by mid-morning cloud often hides it, and in the wet season it can stay hidden all day.

The visit can be more than a photo. Beyond the gate, a lane and then a stairway of about 1,700 steps climb through forest past five smaller temples to Lempuyang Luhur, a 3 to 4-hour round trip shared with Balinese pilgrims carrying offerings, and with long-tailed macaques that snatch drinks. Few photo visitors go past the first courtyard. Come for the first shuttle on a clear dry-season morning, look at the naga stairs while you wait, and decide on the day whether you have the legs for the climb. Locals ask one thing of those who do: don’t complain on the way up.

Opening hours
Visitors about 7 am–5 pm; first shuttle about 5:30 am (checked Oct 2026)
Ticket
IDR 100,000 foreigners + IDR 50,000 shuttle, cash (checked Oct 2026)
Time needed
1–4 hours at the gate, mostly queuing; add 3–4 hours to climb
Best time
First shuttle on a clear April–October morning
Dress code
Sarong and sash included with the ticket; shoulders covered
Location
Mount Lempuyang, 16 km south of Amed (about 40 min)

Banjar Purwayu, Tri Buana, Abang, Karangasem Regency, Bali 80852, Indonesia

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What to See

What to see at Pura Lempuyang.

  1. 01

    The Gates of Heaven photo queue

    Your ticket comes with a number. Staff call numbers by megaphone in groups of five or ten, and when your group is called you hand your phone to the photographer and step into the gap between the two halves of the gate. You get about a minute and three poses. Yoga and leg-raised poses are not allowed, and neither is kissing. The view through the gate looks west to Mount Agung, so stand still and let the mountain do the work.

  2. 02

    The mirror trick, explained

    The water-like reflection in Lempuyang photos is made with a small mirror, or sometimes a second phone screen, held flat just below your camera lens, which doubles the gate and the sky in the bottom of the frame. There is no water at the gate at all. The photos are free with your ticket, though a tip of IDR 10,000 to 20,000 for the photographer is customary. Ask for a few shots without the mirror too; they show the place as it is.

  3. 03

    The naga staircases of Penataran Agung

    Turn your back on the gate and the temple’s finest architecture is behind you: three white paduraksa portals above staircases flanked by naga serpents, with statues of Mahabharata heroes such as Arjuna, Bima and Yudhistira and a figure of Krishna at the top. The left passage is for entering and the right for leaving; the central door opens only for the temple festival. There is no queue to look at them, so this is the place to spend your wait.

  4. 04

    Mount Agung through the gate

    Mount Agung, Bali’s highest volcano at 3,031 m, stands about 14 km west-north-west of the gate. At sunrise the sun comes up behind you and lights the mountain’s eastern face, often above a layer of cloud in the valley. By late morning the cloud usually climbs over the summit. If the queue is long, the back of the gate draws far fewer people and still makes a fine frame, with or without the volcano.

  5. 05

    The climb to Pura Lempuyang Luhur

    Past the gate, a steep lane and then a stairway of about 1,700 steps climb roughly 2.5 km to Lempuyang Luhur, nearly 460 m higher. On the way you pass the smaller temples of the complex: Telaga Mas, Telaga Sawang, Lempuyang Madya, Puncak Bisbis and Pasar Agung. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours up and 3 to 4 hours for the round trip with stops. The steps are uneven and slippery after rain, so wear shoes with grip and carry at least 1.5 liters of water.

  6. 06

    Monkeys, stalls and pilgrims on the way up

    Long-tailed macaques live along the upper path and grab drinks, snacks, sunglasses and hats; keep everything in a zipped bag, don’t eat in front of them and never feed them. Stalls sell water, sweet drinks and snacks at intervals, and prices rise the higher you go. You share the steps with Balinese pilgrims carrying offerings, often in white temple dress. Give them the right of way on the narrow sections, and keep your voice down near the shrines.

  7. 07

    Pura Lempuyang Luhur at the summit

    The summit temple, on the hill locals call Bisbis, honors Hyang Gni Jaya, the god Iswara in his role as guardian of the east, and ranks among the holiest places in Bali for Hindus. It is a place of prayer first. Climbers report views of Agung and, across the strait, Rinjani on Lombok on clear days. Local rules apply here: no pork food, and menstruating women, people in mourning, breastfeeding mothers and children who have not lost a baby tooth should not enter.

Seasons

Best time to visit Pura Lempuyang.

Be at the terminal for the first shuttle, around 5:30 am. Sunrise here falls between about 5:45 am in November and 6:35 am in July, so the earliest groups photograph the gate as first light reaches Mount Agung. Even then the line builds fast: one visitor who arrived at 6 am drew number 84. Between about 7 and 11 am a wait of 2 to 4 hours is common. After about 3 pm the queue shrinks, sometimes to a handful of people, but cloud often hides Agung by then.

April to October, the dry season, gives the best chance of a clear Agung, but it is also the busiest stretch, especially July, August and weekends. From November to March the line can be short, and one wet-season visitor drew number 15 and waited about 15 minutes, but the mountain may not show at all. Check the forecast for Karangasem rather than for Ubud or the south.

The temple closes to tourists for about five days at its pujawali, the temple festival that begins on Galungan: 2 to 6 August 2023 and 23 to 27 April 2025, for example. The next Galungan is on 13 January 2027, so expect a closure of roughly 13 to 17 January; the village announces exact dates through guides and travel agents. On Nyepi, 8 March 2027, the whole island stays home.

Getting There

How to get to Pura Lempuyang.

Travel times to Pura Lempuyang
Amed (Jemeluk)About 40 minAbout 16 km by car or scooter via Culik, then up the hill to the temple terminal. The closest base for the first shuttle: leave Jemeluk by 4:45 am.
Candidasa45–60 minAbout 28 km by car via Amlapura. A driver collecting you at 4:30 am reaches the terminal for the first shuttle.
Sidemen1–1.25 hrsAbout 37 km by car on country roads east through Karangasem. Pair it with Tirta Gangga on the way back.
Ubud2–2.5 hrsAbout 73 km by car via Klungkung and the east-coast road. For the first shuttle, leave around 3 am; the drive back in afternoon traffic is slower.
Sanur2–2.5 hrsAbout 77 km by car on the Ida Bagus Mantra coast road through Candidasa and Amlapura.
Seminyak or Canggu2.5–3.5 hrsAbout 87 km by car. Sunrise tours leave around 3 am; consider a night in Amed or Candidasa instead.
Bali airport (DPS)2.5–3 hrsAbout 92 km by car; Nusa Dua and Uluwatu add another 20 to 40 minutes. Too far to combine with a flight day.

Getting around Pura Lempuyang

You cannot drive up to the temple. Cars park at the main terminal on the road below, for IDR 10,000 (IDR 5,000 for a scooter), and a shuttle minibus, IDR 50,000 a person return, takes 5 to 10 minutes up the hill. The first shuttle runs at about 5:30 am and the last leaves the temple at about 6:20 pm. From the drop-off it is about a five-minute walk to the gate.

One 2026 family guide says scooters from Amed can park closer and skip the shuttle, and that local riders charge about IDR 20,000 for a lift up the final stretch, but plan on the shuttle. The road to the terminal is steep, narrow and unlit before dawn, so take a driver for the early start if you are new to scooters.

Grab and Gojek rarely pick up this far east, so keep your driver for the day. Most drivers combine Lempuyang with Tirta Gangga, 10 km down the hill, and Taman Ujung near Amlapura. Bring cash for everything: the temple has no card machines and no ATM, so withdraw money in Amlapura, Candidasa or Amed.

Know Before You Go

Pura Lempuyang tips that save time and trouble.

  1. 01Bring cash in small notes: the ticket, shuttle, parking, photographer’s tip and drinks are all paid in cash, and there is no ATM at the temple.
  2. 02Tickets are sold only at the temple. Websites selling “official” Lempuyang tickets are tour agencies charging a premium.
  3. 03Your ticket includes a sarong and sash, worn even over long trousers. Cover your shoulders, skip crop tops and thin straps, and men keep their shirts on.
  4. 04Stay within earshot of the megaphone while you wait; numbers are called in groups of five or ten.
  5. 05No drones, no yoga or leg-raised poses and no kissing at the gate.
  6. 06Do not bring or eat food containing pork anywhere in the temple area; it is a local rule.
  7. 07By Balinese custom, menstruating women and people in mourning should not enter the temple.
  8. 08For the climb, wear shoes with grip, carry 1.5 liters of water and zip sunglasses, hats and snacks away from the monkeys.
  9. 09Ask at the ticket counter whether the path to Lempuyang Luhur is open to visitors that day; parts of the complex close during ceremonies.
  10. 10Go on to Tirta Gangga, 10 km down the hill, which is calmer before the late-morning tour groups arrive.

FAQ

Pura Lempuyang questions, answered.

How much is the Lempuyang Temple entrance fee?

IDR 100,000 for foreign adults and IDR 50,000 for Indonesians, with a sarong and sash included, plus IDR 50,000 a person for the compulsory return shuttle (checked Oct 2026). That makes about IDR 150,000 each, cash only. Parking is IDR 10,000 for a car and IDR 5,000 for a scooter. Hindus who come to pray do not pay; foreigners pay even if they pray.

How long is the queue at Lempuyang Temple?

Usually 2 to 4 hours on dry-season mornings between about 7 and 11 am, and sometimes longer. If you catch the first shuttle, around 5:30 am, or come after about 3 pm, it can be under an hour, and some wet-season visitors have waited only 15 minutes. Your number is called by megaphone; the photo itself takes about a minute.

Is the reflection in Lempuyang photos real?

No. There is no lake, pool or puddle in front of the gate. The reflection is made by a local photographer holding a small mirror just under your phone’s lens, which doubles the gate and the sky in the lower part of the picture. The photos are free with your ticket; a tip of IDR 10,000 to 20,000 is customary.

What time does Lempuyang Temple open?

Official visiting hours are about 7 am to 5 pm (checked Oct 2026), but the shuttle and ticket counter start at about 5:30 am, so the first visitors reach the gate around sunrise. The last shuttle leaves the temple at about 6:20 pm. Worshippers can enter the temple at any hour.

Is Lempuyang Temple worth it?

Yes, if you arrive for the first shuttle on a clear dry-season morning, or if you plan to climb to Lempuyang Luhur. The view of Agung through the gate is real, and the naga stairs are fine temple architecture. It is not worth a 3 am start from the south if the forecast is cloudy, or if a three-hour queue for one photo would spoil your day.

How many steps does the Lempuyang climb have?

About 1,700. The climb from the Gates of Heaven to Pura Lempuyang Luhur, at about 1,060 m, takes 1.5 to 2 hours up and 3 to 4 hours for the round trip with stops, past five smaller temples. Wear shoes with grip, carry 1.5 liters of water, keep snacks away from the monkeys and start early, before the heat.

What should I wear to Lempuyang Temple?

Clothes that cover your shoulders, plus the sarong and sash included with your ticket, which everyone wears, even over long trousers. Tank tops, crop tops and thin straps are not allowed, and men keep their shirts on. Sandals are fine for the gate; wear proper shoes if you plan to climb, and bring a light jacket for the pre-dawn start.

When is Lempuyang Temple closed to tourists?

For about five days at each pujawali, the temple festival that begins on Galungan every 210 days: 2 to 6 August 2023 and 23 to 27 April 2025, for example. The next Galungan is on 13 January 2027. During the closure only worshippers may enter. On Nyepi, 8 March 2027, all of Bali shuts down for 24 hours.

How far is Lempuyang from Amed, Ubud and Seminyak?

About 16 km or 40 minutes from Jemeluk in Amed, 28 km or 45 to 60 minutes from Candidasa, and 73 km or 2 to 2.5 hours from Ubud. From Seminyak or Canggu it is about 87 km and 2.5 to 3.5 hours, so tours from the south leave around 3 am to reach the first shuttle.

Can you see Mount Agung from Lempuyang?

Yes, on clear days: Agung stands about 14 km west-north-west of the gate. Your best chance is at sunrise in the dry season, April to October. Cloud usually builds by mid-morning, and in the wet season the mountain can stay hidden all day, so check the forecast for Karangasem before the long drive.

Can you visit Lempuyang on your period or with young children?

By local rule, menstruating women should not enter the temple. Indonesia’s tourism board also lists people in mourning, breastfeeding mothers and children who have not yet lost a baby tooth among those who should not enter the main temple area. Nobody checks, but it is a matter of respect; ask the staff where the line is drawn.

Nearby

Where to go after Pura Lempuyang.

Places close by that fit into the same trip, with honest travel times.

  • 15–20 min by car (about 4 km)

    Lahangan Sweet

    A hilltop viewpoint above Bunutan village with open views of Mount Agung and its own photo gate, usually with far shorter waits.

  • 20–30 min by car (10 km)

    Tirta Gangga water palace

    The water garden the last raja of Karangasem built in 1946, with koi ponds, stepping stones and rice terraces; IDR 90,000 for foreign adults.

    Visitor guide

  • 35–45 min by car (22 km)

    Taman Ujung

    A seaside water palace from 1909–1921 near Amlapura, where Balinese gates stand beside European arches around large ponds.

  • About 40 min by car (16 km)

    Jemeluk Bay, Amed

    Snorkel straight off the beach over coral and sunken statues after an early start at the gate.

  • About 1.25 hours by car (44 km)

    Besakih Temple

    Bali’s mother temple, a complex of more than 20 temples on Mount Agung’s south-western slope.

    Visitor guide

More in Amed

Plan the rest of your time in Amed.

Area guide

Amed travel guide

Read the guide

Culture

Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Visitor guide

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How we researched this

Sources and fact checks.

Prices, opening hours, show times and travel times in this Pura Lempuyang guide were checked against official sites, government tourism pages and recent reporting on 16 October 2026. Where sources disagreed, we give the official figure and say so. Rankings are our editorial judgment, set out in our editorial policy.

We re-check the guide at least every three months and whenever we hear about a change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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