The Bali Guideline
The 11-tiered meru of Pura Ulun Danu Beratan on Lake Beratan in early light, with a person paddling an outrigger canoe

Bedugul · Temple

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple: A Visitor’s Guide to Bali’s Lake Temple

Bali’s lake-goddess temple, at its best at 7 am before the fog and the tour buses.

By The Bali Guideline Editorial TeamUpdated 16 October 2026

Overview

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, before you go.

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is a 17th-century Hindu temple on the west shore of Lake Beratan in Bedugul, in Bali’s central highlands, 1.5 to 2.5 hours by car from Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak or the airport. Its tiered shrines stand on islets in the lake goddess’s water. It is worth the drive for a calm early morning and a boat ride, less so at midday, when fog and crowds arrive.

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is the temple of Dewi Danu, the goddess of the lake. Lake Beratan, at about 1,200 m in the old Bratan caldera, feeds the springs and rivers that water rice fields across central Bali, and the subak, the farmers’ irrigation societies, look to this temple when they pray for a steady supply. Indonesia’s tourism ministry, citing the Babad Mengwi chronicle, dates its founding to 1634 (many guides say 1633) and credits I Gusti Agung Putu, the king of Mengwi who built Pura Taman Ayun the same year. Despite what tour listings say, it is not part of Bali’s UNESCO subak listing; the lake temple in that listing is Ulun Danu Batur at Kintamani.

The shrines everyone photographs stand on two small islets just off the west shore: an 11-tiered meru, which most accounts dedicate to Shiva and his consort Parvati, with whom Dewi Danu is often identified, and a smaller three-tiered one. When the lake is high, water surrounds them and they seem to float, which is how the ministry describes them. When the level drops, their stone bases and the shallows show, and the effect fades. The view was printed on the back of the 50,000-rupiah note Bank Indonesia issued from 2005; the current design shows a Legong dancer and Komodo instead.

Know what you are visiting. This is a working temple run as a ticketed tourist park, with lawns, a koi pond, a playground, costume rental and a boat jetty around the sacred courtyards. Visitors walk the gardens and the lakeshore; the shrines themselves are for worshippers. On a normal day the site counts 500 to 800 visitors, but long weekends bring more than 2,000, and Umanis Galungan, the day after Galungan, drew about 4,000 in November 2025. Tour buses arrive from mid-morning, and cloud often rolls off the hills by late morning, so 7 am is the hour to be here.

Some things have changed. From 1 July 2026 foreign adults pay IDR 100,000 and foreign children IDR 75,000, up from IDR 75,000 and IDR 50,000, with no more weekday and weekend split; management says part of the money goes to the surrounding customary communities. Since 2022 a daily gebogan parade, women carrying towers of fruit offerings on their heads, has filled the lakeshore in the high season; in 2026 it ran free from 21 June to 9 August. Foreign visitors now come mostly from India, Australia, China and Europe. Come early, see the shrines from the water, and the long drive still pays off.

Opening hours
Daily 7 am–7 pm (checked Oct 2026)
Ticket
Foreigners IDR 100,000 adults, IDR 75,000 children (checked Oct 2026)
Time needed
1–1.5 hours; about 2 with a boat ride
Best time
7–9 am, before fog, wind and tour buses; April–October
Dress code
Shoulders and knees covered; temple sash provided at the entrance
Location
West shore of Lake Beratan, Candikuning; 1.5–2 h from Ubud

Danau Beratan, Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan Regency, Bali 82191, Indonesia

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What to See

What to see at Pura Ulun Danu Beratan.

  1. 01

    The meru on the water

    The 11-tiered meru and a smaller three-tiered shrine stand on two islets just off the shore. The classic view is from the shoreline path beside them, with the forested slopes of Gunung Catur across the water. Before about 9 am the lake is usually calm enough for a mirror image; by late morning wind and fog often break it up. Stay on the path: the platforms are sacred, and swimming in the lake is not allowed.

  2. 02

    Pura Penataran Agung and the courtyards on land

    Behind the lakeshore, a split gate (candi bentar) leads toward Pura Penataran Agung, where the tourism ministry says Dewi Danu is worshipped as ruler of the lake. Around it stand smaller temples: Pura Dalem Purwa for Durga, Pura Taman Beji by a spring used for purification and melasti rites, and Pura Prajapati under a large banyan tree. Non-Hindus look in from outside the walls, and on prayer days watch from a distance.

  3. 03

    The Buddhist stupa

    Near the entrance, outside the main Hindu compound, a Buddhist stupa faces south. It marks the long overlap of Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Bali, and Buddhist visitors still pray at it. With Masjid Al-Hidayah, Bedugul’s large mosque, on the hill a few hundred meters behind the temple, three faiths share this short stretch of lakeshore and hillside.

  4. 04

    A boat on Lake Beratan

    The temple jetty rents boats, and seeing the meru from the water is worth half an hour. In December 2024 the management quoted IDR 75,000 for a wooden rowing boat, IDR 90,000 for a duck boat, IDR 40,000 for a pedal boat and IDR 200,000 for a speedboat lap of the lake. 2026 guides report IDR 75,000–100,000 for a jukung. Go early, before the wind rises, and agree the price first.

  5. 05

    Gardens, koi and photo extras

    Lawns and flower beds fill the grounds between the shrines, with a koi pond (fish food about IDR 10,000), a playground and stalls renting full Balinese costume for photos, about IDR 90,000–150,000 per person in an August 2026 guide. Other stalls charge IDR 25,000–50,000 for photos with captive birds and animals; skip those. None of the extras is needed, and the lake view costs nothing beyond the ticket.

  6. 06

    Ceremonies, parades and dances

    This is a living temple. On full and new moon days and around Galungan, Balinese families come to pray with offerings, and on Umanis Galungan in November 2025 about 4,000 people visited. In the high season a free daily gebogan parade of women balancing fruit offerings has run since 2022, at about 12:30 pm in 2025. Over Christmas and New Year, groups from Candikuning’s 20 banjar stage dances.

Seasons

Best time to visit Pura Ulun Danu Beratan.

Come at the 7 am opening and stay until about 9. The lake is usually calm then, mist often hangs on the water, and the day tours from the south have not arrived. From late morning, wind ruffles the surface, fog rolls off the hills and coaches fill the car park; 11 am to 3 pm is the weakest window for photos. Late afternoon, from about 3:30 pm, is a quieter second chance before the 7 pm close.

April to October brings the clearest mornings. July and August are the driest and busiest months; July 2025 was the site’s busiest month of that year, with about 51,000 visitors. From November to March rain often starts by early afternoon. Guides note that the lake runs fuller in the wet season, which strengthens the floating look, and can drop after a long dry season. Nights fall to 10–15°C all year.

Crowds follow the Indonesian calendar. A normal day brings 500 to 800 visitors; a May 2026 long weekend brought about 2,200 a day, and Umanis Galungan in November 2025 about 4,000. Galungan falls next on 13 January and 11 August 2027, with Umanis Galungan the day after each, and Christmas to New Year is busy too. Nyepi, on 8 March 2027, closes the whole island, airport included, for 24 hours.

Getting There

How to get to Pura Ulun Danu Beratan.

Travel times to Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
Central Ubud1.5–2 hAbout 45 km by car with driver, joining the Denpasar–Singaraja road for the climb through Baturiti. Leave by 6:30 am to arrive around 8 am.
Canggu1.5–2 hAbout 54 km by car with driver via Mengwi and Baturiti. Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi breaks the drive.
Seminyak1.75–2.5 hAbout 55–60 km north via Mengwi and Baturiti. Leave before 7 am to clear Denpasar and Mengwi traffic.
Bali airport (DPS)1.75–2.5 hAbout 64 km by pre-booked car via Denpasar, Mengwi and Baturiti. Afternoon arrivals meet Denpasar traffic first, so it works better as a stop on a drive north than on arrival day.
Munduk30–40 minAbout 20 km by car or scooter via the Wanagiri ridge road and Pancasari, past the twin-lakes viewpoint over Buyan and Tamblingan.
Jatiluwih (Tabanan)45–60 minAbout 25 km north-east by car via Baturiti; the terraces and the lake temple fit into one cool-weather day.
Lovina1–1.5 hAbout 38 km over the pass and down through Gitgit, so the temple fits a drive between north and south Bali.

Getting around Pura Ulun Danu Beratan

The car park sits by the entrance on the main road through Candikuning. 2026 guides list IDR 3,000 for a scooter, IDR 5,000 for a car and IDR 10,000 for a bus. The ticket office comes just after the parking booth and, according to an August 2026 guide, takes cash or international cards. Inside, the grounds are mostly level lawns and lakeside paths, so the walk is easy for children and older visitors.

Most visitors hire a car and driver for the day, about IDR 700,000–900,000 in 2026 reports, and add the market, the Botanic Garden and Jatiluwih or Munduk. A Grab or Gojek car up from the south costs IDR 400,000 or more, and a ride back down is hard to find, so agree the return before you set off. Perama’s shared tourist shuttle, which runs between Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Bedugul, Munduk and Lovina, stops in front of the Indomaret opposite the lake.

From the temple you can walk the rest of Candikuning: the market is 1.1 km south along the main road, about 15 minutes on a mostly flat stretch, and the Botanic Garden gate another kilometer uphill. On a scooter, the climb through Baturiti carries trucks and tour buses, and afternoon fog and rain cut visibility, so ride it in the morning.

Know Before You Go

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan tips that save time and trouble.

  1. 01Be at the gate for the 7 am opening: the lake is calmest, mist often lies on the water and tour buses arrive from mid-morning.
  2. 02Prices rose on 1 July 2026 and many websites still show the old IDR 75,000; the attraction announces changes on its Instagram account, @_ulundanuberatan_.
  3. 03Pack a fleece and a rain jacket. Mornings are cool at about 1,200 m, nights fall to 10–15°C, and fog or showers can arrive in any month.
  4. 04Carry small notes for parking, boats and koi food, even though an August 2026 guide says the ticket office takes international cards.
  5. 05Agree the boat price and length of the ride before you board, and pick a rowing boat if you want a quiet drift past the shrines.
  6. 06Do not swim in the lake, climb onto the shrine platforms or touch sacred buildings, and ask before photographing people at prayer.
  7. 07Women who are menstruating are asked to stay out of the sacred areas, by Balinese custom.
  8. 08Skip the stalls offering photos with captive birds and animals.
  9. 09The Botanic Garden closes at 4 pm and the temple at 7 pm, so if you arrive after lunch, see the garden first and the lake late in the day.
  10. 10Book a driver for the round trip; ride-hailing cars come up from the south but rarely take you back down.

FAQ

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan questions, answered.

How much is the Ulun Danu Beratan entrance fee?

Since 1 July 2026, foreign adults pay IDR 100,000 and foreign children IDR 75,000, every day of the week (checked Oct 2026). Indonesians pay IDR 50,000 and IDR 25,000, and visitors from Bali IDR 30,000 and IDR 20,000. Many websites still show the old IDR 75,000. Parking, boats and costume rental cost extra.

What are the Ulun Danu Beratan opening hours?

Daily from 7 am to 7 pm (checked Oct 2026), weekends and holidays included, though ceremonies can close some sections for a while. The best hours are 7 to 9 am, before fog, wind and tour buses. Late afternoon, from about 3:30 pm, is the second-best window.

Is Ulun Danu Beratan worth it?

Yes, if you arrive early and pair it with Candikuning market, the Botanic Garden or Jatiluwih. Calm water, mist and the meru on the lake are at their best at 7 am. At midday on a holiday, with thousands of visitors and fog, it can feel more like a park than a temple; one Australian travel writer counted about 3,000 people on a July 2025 day and called it a tourist trap.

Does Ulun Danu Beratan really float?

No. The two meru stand on small islets just off the shore. When the lake is high, water surrounds them and they appear to float, as Indonesia’s tourism ministry puts it. When the level drops, their stone bases and the shallows show and the shrines look tied to the shore; guides say this happens more after a long dry season. Calm morning water adds the reflection.

Can you go inside Ulun Danu Beratan temple?

Not into the shrines. Your ticket covers the gardens, the lakeshore and the outer areas, and you can look into the courtyards from outside, but the inner temples and the meru on the water are for worshippers. Cover your shoulders and knees, wear the sash provided at the entrance and keep out of the way on prayer days.

How do I get to the Bedugul temple from Ubud or Seminyak?

By car with a driver. Ulun Danu Beratan is about 45 km and 1.5 to 2 hours from Ubud, 54 km and 1.5 to 2 hours from Canggu, 55 to 60 km and 1.75 to 2.5 hours from Seminyak, and about 64 km from the airport. Perama’s shared shuttle stops in Bedugul, and Grab works one way up but rarely back.

Is Ulun Danu Beratan on the 50,000 rupiah note?

It was. The 50,000-rupiah note Bank Indonesia issued from 2005, with national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai on the front, shows Lake Beratan, the temple and a man in a canoe on the back. The 2016 redesign, which the 2022 notes kept, shows a Legong dancer and Komodo National Park instead, so most notes you are handed today will not have it.

How much is a boat ride at Ulun Danu Beratan?

In December 2024 the management quoted IDR 75,000 for a wooden rowing boat, IDR 90,000 for a duck boat, IDR 40,000 for a pedal boat and IDR 200,000 for a speedboat lap of the lake. 2026 guides report similar or slightly higher prices, so agree the price before you board. Swimming in the lake is not allowed.

Is it Ulun Danu Bratan or Ulun Danu Beratan?

Both. Beratan is the Indonesian spelling the temple’s management and local media use, and Bratan the shorter one common in English. Ulun Danu means roughly “head of the lake”. Do not confuse it with Pura Ulun Danu Batur at Kintamani, on Lake Batur, a different temple and the one included in Bali’s UNESCO listing.

How long do you need at Ulun Danu Beratan?

About an hour to walk the gardens and the lakeshore, or up to two with a boat ride and the koi pond. Add 15 minutes on foot to Candikuning market and about two hours for the Botanic Garden, and Bedugul fills a day trip from Ubud or Canggu.

What should I wear to Ulun Danu Beratan?

Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, plus the temple sash provided at the entrance; sarongs are available if you arrive in shorts. Bring a warm layer and a rain jacket, because the temple sits at about 1,200 m and fog and showers come in fast. Leave swimwear and beach clothes for the coast.

When is Ulun Danu Beratan most crowded?

On Indonesian long weekends, around Galungan and in July and August. A normal day brings 500 to 800 visitors, a May 2026 long weekend about 2,200 a day and Umanis Galungan in November 2025 about 4,000. On any day, tour groups arrive from mid-morning. The next Galungan falls on 13 January 2027.

Nearby

Where to go after Pura Ulun Danu Beratan.

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

  • About 2 km: 25–30 min on foot, 10 min by car

    Bali Botanic Garden (Kebun Raya Bali)

    Conifers, orchids, a Begonia House and cactus greenhouses on the hill above the lake. IDR 15,500 weekdays, IDR 25,500 weekends; gates close at 4 pm (checked Oct 2026).

  • 1.1 km south, about 15 min on foot

    Candikuning market

    Strawberries, passion fruit, tamarillos and cut flowers from the surrounding farms. Every day tour stops here, so bargain.

  • About 3 km north, 5–10 min by car

    Handara gate

    The moss-covered split gate of the Handara golf resort, now a paid photo stop (about IDR 50,000 in 2026 guides) with long queues.

    Visitor guide

  • 45–60 min by car (about 25 km)

    Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

    Tabanan’s UNESCO-listed terraces of red rice on the slopes of Mount Batukaru, the natural pairing for a highland day.

    Visitor guide

  • 30–40 min by car (about 20 km)

    Lake Tamblingan and Munduk

    Past the Wanagiri twin-lakes viewpoint to a quiet sacred lake with dugout canoes and no motorboats, and waterfall walks below Munduk.

  • About 1 hour by car (36 km), on the way from the south

    Pura Taman Ayun

    The moated royal temple the same Mengwi king built in 1634, part of the UNESCO subak listing.

    Visitor guide

More in Bedugul

Plan the rest of your time in Bedugul.

Area guide

Bedugul travel guide

Read the guide

Viewpoint

Handara Gate

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 Ulun Danu Beratan 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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