Before you go · Bali
Visiting Bali’s temples: dress, offerings and respect
Bali’s temples are places of worship first. Here is how to visit them with respect, drawn from the Bali provincial government’s guidelines for foreign visitors.
Updated October 2026
What to wear
The provincial guidelines ask visitors to wear modest, appropriate clothing, especially at sacred sites. At a temple, cover your shoulders and knees and tie a sarong round your waist with a sash; most of the big temples lend or rent them at the entrance.
Inside the temple
Respect the sanctity of temples, sacred statues and symbols. The main inner area of a temple is for worship: unless you are there to pray, stay in the outer courtyards. Don’t climb shrines, walls or sacred trees, and keep your voice low.
Offerings and ceremonies
Small offerings of flowers and palm leaves, canang sari, are placed every day on pavements, in doorways and at shrines: step around them, never on them. If a procession comes along the road, stop and let it pass. Ceremonies are religious occasions, not performances; ask before you photograph people.
Other guidelines
The provincial guidelines also ask visitors not to litter or pollute water sources, to avoid single-use plastic, and to behave politely in public places.
Questions and answers
What should I wear to a temple in Bali?
Modest clothes covering shoulders and knees, with a sarong and sash; most big temples lend or rent them at the gate.
Can visitors go inside Bali’s temples?
Into the outer courtyards, yes. The main inner area is for worshippers only.
Based on the Bali provincial government’s guidelines for foreign visitors (circular 7 of 2025). Temple staff have the final word: follow their instructions.