Holy-spring temple north of Ubud where Balinese perform the melukat purification ritual.
Tirta Empul is a working water temple north of Ubud, built around a sacred spring that has bubbled up here for over a thousand years. Its central feature is a long stone bathing pool fed by a row of carved spouts, where Balinese Hindus perform melukat, a purification ritual, moving from spout to spout in sequence.
Visitors can join the ritual bathing if they wish, after changing into a wet sarong, or simply watch and walk the temple courtyards and koi-filled spring pool.
This is a living place of worship, not a swimming pool, so it deserves respect. It is also firmly on the tour circuit and the bathing pool can get crowded, especially mid-morning.
Getting there
Tirta Empul is about 30 to 45 minutes north of central Ubud near Tampaksiring, reached by scooter, private driver or Grab. It is commonly combined with Goa Gajah or Tegallalang into a day trip. There is paid parking at the site.
Best time
Go soon after the 8am to 9am opening to experience the ritual with fewer people and gentler light. Mid-morning brings tour groups and a queue at the spouts, so early is calmer and more respectful.
Good to know
Entry is around IDR 75,000 for foreign adults and includes a sarong; if you want to bathe you rent a special purification sarong for a small extra fee. Bring a towel and dry clothes, do not put your head under or drink the water at the final shrine spouts, and women who are menstruating should not enter the pools.
About IDR 75,000 per foreign adult as of 2025, with a sarong included. Bathing in the purification pool needs a special sarong rented for a small extra charge. Bring cash.
Yes, respectful visitors may join the melukat ritual. Change into the bathing sarong, follow the sequence of spouts from one end, and skip the final spouts reserved for funerary rites. Watch local worshippers and follow their lead.
A sarong is required throughout the temple. Behave quietly, do not interrupt people praying, and women who are menstruating traditionally do not enter the temple or pools. Do not drink the spring water.
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