Known as the Island of a Thousand Temples, Bali is predominantly Hindu — with over 20,000 temples scattered across the island, you'll literally find one around every corner! Locals visit their temples multiple times a day to pray, and every hotel on the island has its own temple for staff to use. Religion is truly woven into the fabric of everyday life here. As travelers, it's easy to treat these stunning temples as just another tourist attraction — and that's exactly when we risk accidentally crossing a line. So here's everything you need to know about visiting Balinese temples on your trip!

🌴 Dress Code

When it comes to clothing, the rules apply to everyone regardless of gender. Your top must cover your back and shoulders — spaghetti straps are a no-go for women, and sleeveless tops are off-limits for everyone. Cherry hadn't researched this before the trip and honestly wasn't sure whether the cut-out top she was wearing (pictured below) crossed the line or not 😓　😓　😓　— though the staff member who helped wrap her sarong didn't say anything about it, so…

As for the bottom half, neither men nor women can have their knees exposed. If you're wearing shorts or a skirt, don't worry — most major tourist temples will provide a sarong (Sarong) for you to wrap around.

If you're already wearing long pants or a long skirt, you won't need a sarong — however, our Indonesian guide told us that even then, you still need to wear a sash (Sash) around your waist! One more tip: since each temple provides sarongs in different colors, if you're not bringing your own, we'd highly recommend packing a few white tops. White pairs effortlessly with any sarong color and never looks out of place — plus it photographs so much better!

🌴 No Entry When Bleeding

Local tradition considers bleeding to be "impure." Since temples are sacred spaces where only those considered "clean" may enter for worship, women on their period or experiencing postpartum bleeding are not permitted inside. And it's not just women — apparently even men cannot enter if they have an open, actively bleeding wound. Something important to keep in mind!

🌴 No Entry When Pregnant

We came across information online suggesting that pregnant women are also not permitted to enter Balinese temples. However, when we specifically asked our hotel staff about what to be careful of, they didn't actually bring this up. If you happen to be pregnant, we'd recommend checking with a local directly just to be safe — better to ask than accidentally break a rule!

🌴 Come with a Respectful Heart

Whenever we visit temples or shrines of unfamiliar religions, we always go in with a respectful and open heart — offering a quiet, humble bow with hands pressed together, without asking for anything in particular.

🌴 Never Point Your Feet at the Altar

In Balinese culture, feet are considered unclean. So if you sit down during worship, make sure your feet are never pointing toward the altar. Men typically sit cross-legged, while women kneel.

🌴 Watch Out for Offerings on the Ground

Every day, locals prepare offerings using leaves and flowers in various colors as part of their daily prayers. They first use staplers to fasten leaves into the shape of a small tray,

then place different colored flowers in each of the four directions. Apparently each direction is associated with a different deity and has its own designated color, so the placement of each flower is quite deliberate and precise.

These offerings can be found absolutely everywhere on the streets of Bali. We always made sure to watch our step and avoid treading on them!

These are the key things to keep in mind when visiting Balinese temples. After all, none of us want to accidentally offend the gods — so let's all follow the rules and visit these incredible temples with the respect they truly deserve!

🌴 Bali Travel Information

★ 【Island Transport】Private Car Charter｜Private Transfer
★ 【Jungle Swings】Picheaven Swing｜Ubud Swing｜Waterfall & Swing
★ 【Nusa Penida】Round-trip Ferry Tickets｜Private Car Charter｜Group Day Tour｜Private Day Tour
★ 【Admission Tickets】Uluwatu Kecak Fire Dance｜Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
★ 【Accommodation】Bali Hotel Guide by Area

▼For more Bali attraction guides, check out 👉🏻【Bali Travel Guide】Must-Visit Attractions by Area — Everything You Need to Know, with Map!

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