Uluwatu · Uluwatu, clifftop temple and reef surf
Things to do in
Uluwatu
A limestone peninsula of sea temple, cliff coves and reef waves, best seen in the late afternoon.
- Ideal stay
- 3 to 4 nights covers the temple, two or three coves and a couple of cliff sunsets.
- Best time
- May to October, the dry season, when the reef breaks work best.
- Getting around
- The sights are spread out. Padang Padang is a 15-minute scooter ride from the temple, so hire a scooter or a driver.
- Good to know
- Every cove is reached by steps, Padang Padang has about 120, and monkeys around the temple and the coves steal belongings.
Uluwatu is the Bukit Peninsula's surf and sunset headland, where a sea temple, a Kecak dance and some of Bali's best-known reef breaks sit within a few minutes of each other.
Uluwatu sits at the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula, a rugged limestone plateau with cliff-backed coves below it. The temple and its 6pm Kecak dance are the best-known sights, and the surf coves of Padang Padang, Suluban and Bingin are close by. Most of the famous waves break over shallow reef and suit experienced surfers, so many visitors come to watch from the cliffs instead. It suits travellers after surf culture, sunsets and scenery more than easy swimming beaches.
Before you go, read up on money and the rupiah, getting around by ferry, bus and car, the best time to visit and staying safe and healthy.
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01 Clifftop templeUluwatu Temple and the Kecak dance
Pura Luhur Uluwatu stands on a cliff about 70 metres above the Indian Ocean and is one of the island's directional temples. Visitors walk the outer courtyards and the cliff paths, and the innermost courtyard is kept for worshippers. A Kecak dance based on the Ramayana is performed at the cliffside every day at 6pm, with the sunset behind the performers. It is a staged performance adapted for visitors in the 1930s, not a temple ceremony.
Cost: Rp 60,000 for foreign adults, Rp 40,000 for children aged 4 to 12; the Kecak is a separate Rp 150,000. Time: 2 to 3 hours with the dance
Tip. Keep glasses, hats and phones zipped away before you enter, as the resident macaques steal them and hand them back for food.
Full guide to Uluwatu Temple -
02 Surf covePadang Padang Beach
Padang Padang is a small white-sand cove between tall cliffs, reached down steps and through a gap in the rock. Offshore is Padang Padang Left, nicknamed the Balinese Pipeline and host of the Rip Curl Cup. The wave is for experienced surfers, so most visitors watch from the sand. The beach shrinks at high tide, and low water is when the sand is widest and the sea calmest.
Cost: Rp 15,000 for foreign adults, Rp 10,000 for children aged 3 to 10; cash only. Time: A half day
Tip. Go in the morning, when the cove is quieter, and bring cash, as the entrance fee and everything on the sand is cash only.
Full guide to Padang Padang Beach -
03 Cave and cliffSuluban Beach (Blue Point)
Suluban is a sand-floored sea cave under the cliffs. You walk down through a maze of alleys with cafes and shops, then out through the rock to the water. Five named waves break off the reef, from The Peak at the cave mouth out to Bombie, and none of them is for beginners. At low tide you can explore the cave and the rock pools. At high tide the sea pushes in and can reach the stairs.
Cost: No entry ticket; you pay only for parking on the clifftop. Time: 2 to 3 hours
Tip. Come down at low tide and leave before the tide rises in the evening, when the path is harder to see.
Full guide to Suluban Beach - Sunset bars
Cliff bars and sunset drinks
The cliff above Suluban is lined with cafes and bars with outdoor terraces, and the beach faces south-west with nothing between it and the horizon. Single Fin, a large multi-level bar on the cliff edge, is the best known, and it is pricey. Padang Padang and Bingin have simple roadside cafes for a cheaper meal. Beach clubs are more common on other parts of the Bukit, such as Melasti Beach.
Free to walk the cliff; Single Fin is on Jalan Labuan Sait above Suluban Beach.
Tip. Arrive before sunset to get a terrace seat, and check the tide if you plan to go down to Suluban first.
- Surf lesson
Surf lessons and board hire
Padang Padang beach has board hire and one-hour lessons, but its main left is for experienced surfers only. Most Uluwatu surf spots suit advanced or expert surfers, so beginners should ask a school which sandy beach it uses, since the Bukit's own breaks break over reef. Double Six in Seminyak, a sandy beach break, is the usual beginner choice. Everything on Padang Padang is cash only.
At Padang Padang, board hire costs Rp 100,000 an hour and a one-hour lesson Rp 400,000, cash only.
Tip. Ask the school where the lesson will be held before you pay, and avoid the reef breaks as a beginner.
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06 Cliff beachBingin Beach
Bingin is a white-sand beach below the Pecatu cliffs with a fast left reef break that works best from May to October. On 21 July 2025 the 48 cliffside businesses above it were demolished as unlicensed construction on state land. The beach is open, but there are only small drink carts on the sand, no toilets yet, and a rebuild is still on paper. The cafes and hotels on the clifftop road are still trading.
Cost: Free; parking around Rp 10,000 (under US$1). Time: A half day
Tip. Eat before you go down or after you come up, and carry a torch if you stay for sunset.
Full guide to Bingin Beach
Top-rated Uluwatu tours
The best-reviewed guided experiences on Viator, with free cancellation on most. Prices were correct when this page was last built.
Free cancellation
Popular
Private Uluwatu Sunset Tour with Kecak Dance and Dinner
Free cancellation
Uluwatu Temple Entry and Kecak Fire Dance Ticket
Free cancellation
Uluwatu Sunset Tour: Kecak and Fire Dance with Jimbaran Dinner
Free cancellation
Kecak and Fire Dance Ticket at Uluwatu Temple
A first-timer's three days
A relaxed way to fold the essentials into a long weekend, keeping the busiest sights for the cooler ends of the day.
Temple and Kecak
- Walk the clifftop paths at Uluwatu Temple in the late afternoon
- Take a seat for the 6pm Kecak dance
- Eat at one of the cafes on the cliff road afterwards
Surf coves
- Reach Padang Padang Beach in the morning, before it fills
- Move to Suluban at low tide for the cave and rock pools
- Watch the sunset from a cliff bar above Suluban
Surf and slow time
- Join a surf lesson, at a sandy break rather than the reef
- Eat at the clifftop cafes above Bingin
- Go down to Bingin for the evening if the tide is right
Insider tips
A few things that make Uluwatu smoother, and keep the trip easy.
Check the tide
Suluban and Bingin change completely with the tide. Low tide opens the caves, rock pools and reef flats, and high tide pushes waves into the cave.
Guard your belongings
The temple macaques steal glasses, hats, phones and flip-flops. Monkeys around Padang Padang do the same.
Leave the reef to experts
The Uluwatu waves break over shallow reef. If you cannot surf, watch from the cliffs or the sand.
Carry cash and water
Padang Padang takes cash only, and every cove means a climb back up the steps.
Uluwatu things to do: FAQ
What time is the Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple?
It starts at 6pm every day and lasts about an hour. The gate opens at 4pm, and on busy evenings a second show runs from 7pm. Tickets cost Rp 150,000 for adults and are separate from temple entry.
How much does Uluwatu Temple cost?
Rp 60,000 for foreign adults and Rp 40,000 for children aged 4 to 12, open from 7am to 7pm. A sarong and sash are provided at the entrance.
Can you swim at Uluwatu's beaches?
Only in places. Padang Padang is calmest at low tide, and the water near the sand at Bingin is good for swimming when the sea is calm. At Suluban the current is too strong and the shore is lined with coral.
Is Uluwatu good for beginner surfers?
Not at the famous breaks, which are for experienced surfers over shallow reef. Beginners should learn at a sandy beach, such as Double Six in Seminyak.
What is left at Bingin Beach after the 2025 demolition?
The beach and the left reef break are open. The cliffside businesses are gone, there are only small drink carts on the sand and no toilets yet. The cafes and hotels on the clifftop road still trade.