Quick Answer
Cover your legs and shoulders, wrap a sarong around your waist, and tie a sash (selendang) over it before you enter any Balinese temple. Most temples loan both at the entrance, often for a small donation. Stay lower than anyone who is praying, keep your feet from pointing at shrines, step around the small offerings on the ground rather than over them, and ask before photographing people mid-prayer. Menstruating women are asked not to enter, a rule tied to ritual purity rather than judgment. These are active places of worship, not monuments, and the etiquette follows from that.
Temple Etiquette at a Glance
- Sarong: Required for everyone, men and women, covering the legs past the knee
- Sash (selendang): Tied around the waist over the sarong, the marker that you have entered respectfully
- Shoulders: Covered. Tank tops, singlets, and bare backs are not appropriate
- Knees: Covered. Shorts alone are not enough even on men
- Menstruation: Women who are menstruating are asked not to enter the inner temple (to confirm)
- Footwear: Removed before entering certain inner sanctums and some shrines; follow the signs and the locals
- Offerings (canang sari): On the ground everywhere. Step around them, never on them
- Photography: Generally allowed in outer areas; ask before shooting people in prayer; never use a priest or shrine as a backdrop while a ceremony is underway
- Standing height: Never position yourself higher than a person who is praying or a priest who is officiating
- Feet: Keep the soles from pointing at shrines, offerings, or people
- Climbing: Do not climb on shrines, gates, or temple structures for photos
- Donation: A small contribution at the entrance or donation box is customary and supports the temple
Why the Rules Exist: Sacred Space and Tri Hita Karana
A Balinese temple is not a tourist attraction that happens to be religious. It is a pura, a working house of worship that the surrounding community uses constantly, and the etiquette makes sense only once you understand that.
Balinese Hinduism rests on a principle called Tri Hita Karana, the three causes of wellbeing: harmony between people and God, harmony among people, and harmony with nature. A temple is where the first of those relationships is tended. Everything inside it is oriented toward keeping that harmony intact, which is why visitors are asked to lower their bodies, cover them, and move carefully. You are a guest in a space that is doing spiritual work whether or not a ceremony is visible.
The Balinese also order space vertically. The mountains, where the gods reside, are high and pure. The sea is the realm of lower forces. Within a temple this same logic governs how people position themselves, which is the root of the rule about never standing above someone in prayer. Height carries meaning here, and so does cleanliness.
Once you hold that frame, the dress code and the behavior stop feeling like arbitrary restrictions and start reading as basic courtesy in someone else's sacred home. For the fuller picture of the religion shaping all of this, see Balinese Hinduism explained.
What to Wear: Sarong, Sash, and Covered Skin
The sarong and sash are the heart of temple dress, and they apply to everyone regardless of gender or how warm the day is.
A sarong (kamen) is a length of cloth wrapped around the waist and falling past the knees. Over it goes the sash, a selendang, tied around the waist. The sash is the part many visitors overlook, and it matters more than the sarong in symbolic terms. It marks the separation between the lower, impure half of the body and the upper, and signals that you have entered the temple in the right spirit. A sarong without a sash is incomplete.
Most temples that receive visitors keep sarongs and sashes at the entrance, included with the entry donation or loaned for a small fee. Larger sites such as Ulun Danu Beratan and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan have this well organized. Smaller village temples in the north may not, so carrying your own sarong is the reliable move if you plan to visit several.
Above the waist, shoulders must be covered. A t-shirt is fine. Tank tops, singlets, spaghetti straps, and bare backs are not. Men in shorts still need a sarong over them, since uncovered knees do not meet the standard. The aim is modest, covered, and clean, not formal.
Quick dress summary:
- Sarong covering legs past the knee, for men and women
- Sash tied around the waist over the sarong
- Shoulders covered, no tank tops or bare backs
- Clothing clean and reasonably tidy
The Menstruation Rule and Why It Exists
Women who are menstruating are asked not to enter Balinese temples. This is one of the customs visitors find most surprising, so it is worth explaining rather than simply listing.
The rule comes from the concept of sebel, a state of ritual impurity that temporarily separates a person from sacred space. Blood, including menstrual blood, places someone in this state, as does recent contact with death or childbirth. It is not a statement that menstruation is shameful or that women are unclean as people. It is a temporary ritual condition, and men fall under similar restrictions after a death in the family. The temple is kept in a state of purity, and anyone in sebel steps back from it until the condition passes.
In practice, enforcement is by trust. No one checks, and the custom relies on personal honesty. Signs at temple entrances often state the rule plainly. How strictly it applies to the outer courtyards versus the inner sanctum varies between temples (to confirm). The respectful approach is to observe it, and if you would rather not, to wait outside while your group goes in.
Understanding the why tends to dissolve the friction. This is the same logic that asks a grieving family to stay away for a period, applied consistently rather than singling anyone out.
How to Behave Inside: Height, Feet, and Shrines
Once you are dressed and inside, a handful of behaviors carry the most weight, and all of them trace back to the same ideas of purity and respect.
Never stand higher than someone praying. If people are seated in prayer or a priest is officiating, lower yourself. Sit, crouch, or stand to the side and behind. Towering over a worshipper, or climbing a wall to shoot down at a ceremony, inverts the spatial order that the whole religion is built on. This is the single behavior most likely to cause genuine offense.
Keep your feet from pointing at shrines or people. The feet are the lowest and least pure part of the body. When you sit, fold your legs or tuck your feet beneath you rather than stretching them toward an altar, an offering, or a person. Pointing the soles at something sacred is read as an insult, the same way it is across much of Asia.
Do not climb on shrines or gates. The split gates (candi bentar) and the tiered meru towers are sacred structures, not photo platforms. Sitting on a shrine base or scaling a gate for an image is a serious breach, however good the shot looks.
Move calmly and keep your voice down. A temple in use is a quiet place. Loud conversation, music, and the energy of a group photo shoot all sit poorly against the hush of people at prayer.
Offerings on the Ground: Canang Sari
You will see small square trays woven from palm leaf, filled with flowers, a few grains of rice, an incense stick, sometimes a sweet or a cigarette, set on the ground and on shrine ledges all over the temple and, in fact, all over Bali. These are canang sari, daily offerings of gratitude placed by the Balinese as part of keeping harmony with the divine.
They are everywhere, including underfoot, because the ground in front of a shrine or a doorway is exactly where many of them belong. Step around them. Never step on one, and never kick it aside to clear a path. If you accidentally crush one, it is not a catastrophe, since the offering's purpose is fulfilled the moment it is made and the physical object is already spent, but the courtesy is to watch where you walk.
Do not take an offering, rearrange one for a photo, or treat it as litter. A canang sari that looks discarded has usually already done its work, and it is still not yours to touch. Watching where these sit is also a fast way to read a temple's rhythm, since fresh offerings mark the spaces that matter most.
Removing Shoes and Other Thresholds
Footwear comes off at certain thresholds, though not at every temple gate. The inner sanctum of some temples, raised prayer pavilions, and a few specific shrines call for bare feet. The reliable guide is to watch what the Balinese do and to read the signs, since the line between the shoe-on and shoe-off zones differs from site to site (to confirm).
The same purity logic applies. Shoes carry the dirt of the lower world, and the inner spaces are kept clean for the gods and for prayer. Leaving them at the threshold is a small act of respecting that boundary.
If you are visiting after rain, which is common in the north Bali highlands around Munduk and the lake temples, expect wet stone underfoot in the shoe-off areas and step carefully.
Ceremonies You May Encounter
Bali runs on ceremony. With temple anniversaries (odalan) alone occurring on a 210-day cycle for every one of the thousands of temples on the island, plus weddings, tooth filings, cremations, and full-moon observances, the odds of arriving during some kind of ritual are high, especially in the temple-dense north.
If you arrive during a ceremony, the first question is whether visitors are welcome at all. Some ceremonies are open and the community is happy for respectful onlookers; others are private, and the entrance may simply be closed. Look for guidance from the people there, and never push past a closed or roped area.
When you are welcome to stay, the etiquette tightens rather than relaxes. Dress fully, stay at the back and to the side, keep low, and let the procession and the worshippers have right of way at all times. Photography during a ceremony demands real restraint. Shooting from a distance without a flash and without inserting yourself into the scene is usually fine; stepping into the middle of a praying congregation to get a frame is not. If a priest is leading prayer, never position yourself above him or in front of the shrine he faces.
A ceremony is the most rewarding time to witness a Balinese temple and the easiest time to give offense. The balance is simple: be a quiet guest, follow the lead of those around you, and remember the ritual is for them, not for you. For the broader rhythm of festivals and observances, see Balinese culture and traditions.
Donations and Entrance Fees
Major temples that receive tourists charge a modest entrance fee, which often covers sarong and sash hire and goes toward maintaining the site. Smaller village temples may have no fee at all and instead a donation box (dana punia) near the entrance.
Where there is a box rather than a fixed price, a contribution is customary and genuinely appreciated, since these temples are maintained by the community on slim means. There is no fixed amount; give what feels fair for a place that has opened its doors to you. Carry small denominations of cash, as card payment does not exist at temple entrances and change can be hard to come by at the more remote northern sites.
Treat the fee not as an admission ticket but as your contribution to keeping a living temple alive. That framing tends to be the right one across Bali.
FAQ
What should I wear to a temple in Bali? A sarong covering your legs past the knee, a sash (selendang) tied around your waist over the sarong, and a top that covers your shoulders. This applies to men and women. Avoid tank tops, bare backs, and uncovered knees. Most larger temples loan sarongs and sashes at the entrance.
Do men need to wear a sarong too? Yes. The sarong and sash apply to everyone regardless of gender. Shorts alone do not meet the standard, even for men, because the knees need to be covered.
Why can't women on their period enter a Balinese temple? The custom comes from the concept of sebel, a temporary state of ritual impurity associated with blood, death, and childbirth. It is not a judgment on women; men face similar restrictions after a death in the family. The temple is kept ritually pure, and anyone in this state steps back from it until it passes. Enforcement relies on personal honesty rather than any check at the gate.
Do I have to take my shoes off at Balinese temples? Not at every gate, but yes at certain inner sanctums, raised prayer pavilions, and specific shrines. Watch what the Balinese do and follow the signs, since the shoe-off line differs by temple.
Can I take photos inside a temple? Generally yes in the outer areas. Ask before photographing people who are praying, never use a priest or an active ceremony as a backdrop, and never climb a structure to shoot down on worshippers. During ceremonies, shoot discreetly from a distance or not at all.
What are the small offerings on the ground? They are canang sari, daily woven palm-leaf offerings of flowers and rice placed by the Balinese as acts of gratitude. Step around them, never on them, and do not move or take one for a photo.
What is the most disrespectful thing I can do in a Balinese temple? Standing higher than someone who is praying, especially climbing a wall or shrine to photograph a ceremony from above. Balinese spatial order treats height as purity, so positioning yourself above a worshipper inverts something central to the religion.
Do I have to pay to enter a temple in Bali? Major tourist temples charge a modest fee that often includes sarong and sash hire. Smaller village temples usually have a donation box instead, where a small cash contribution is customary. Carry small notes, as cards are not accepted.
Can I enter a temple during a ceremony? Sometimes. Some ceremonies welcome respectful onlookers, others are private and the temple will be closed to visitors. Look for guidance from the people there, never cross a roped or closed area, and if you are welcome, stay at the back, dress fully, keep low, and give worshippers right of way.
Where should I sit if there is a prayer happening? Lower than anyone praying and off to the side or behind. Fold your legs so your feet do not point at the shrine, the offerings, or other people. The feet are considered the least pure part of the body.
Are the temple rules different in north Bali? The core etiquette is the same island-wide. The practical difference in the north is that smaller, less touristed temples around Munduk, Bedugul, and the inland villages are less likely to loan sarongs or post English signs, so bring your own sarong and sash and follow the lead of the locals.
Planning to visit the lake temples or the mountain shrines of the north? Message Northbound on WhatsApp. North Bali is the home ground here.