Besakih Temple is Bali’s largest and most sacred temple complex, spread across the slopes of Mount Agung, the island’s highest and most spiritually significant volcano, and a visit here carries a different weight than the more photogenic temples closer to the coast. This tour pairs that sense of scale and reverence with two more of East Bali’s standout landscapes: the volcanic panorama at the Batur viewpoint near Kintamani, and Tukad Cepung Waterfall, known for the shafts of sunlight that pour through its narrow canyon walls at midday. Together they make for a day built around Bali’s geology and its religious life in equal measure, covering more distance than most tours but rewarding it with sights genuinely distinct from the island’s usual highlight reel.
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The morning drive heads first to the Batur volcano viewpoint, where the crater of Mount Batur and the lake beside it are usually clearest before clouds roll in later in the day, making an early start worthwhile. From there the route continues to Besakih, the so-called Mother Temple, where dozens of shrines and pavilions climb the mountainside across multiple terraced courtyards — a site so large that only a fraction is generally open to non-worshippers, with a local guide typically on hand to explain the temple’s layout and significance. Lunch follows with Mount Agung itself as the backdrop, before the afternoon closes at Tukad Cepung, where a short walk along a river gorge leads to a waterfall lit by dramatic beams of light filtering down through the canyon opening above.
Given the distance covered between East Bali and the Kintamani highlands in a single day, this tour suits travelers happy to spend more time in the car in exchange for two of Bali’s most striking landscapes and its most important temple. A sarong and sash are needed at Besakih and are usually available to borrow or rent at the entrance, and a local guide fee there is customary and separate from the driver. With roughly nine to ten hours on the road and an early pickup to make the most of clear morning views at Kintamani, it’s a full but rewarding day for anyone drawn to volcanoes, mountains, and Bali’s deepest religious traditions.
? Tour Itinerary
08.00 – Pick up from hotel
09.30 – Visit Batur Volcano Viewpoint
11.00 – Explore Besakih Mother Temple
12.30 – Lunch with Agung Mountain View
14.30 – Visit Tukad Cepung Waterfall
17.00 – Drive back to hotel
⏱ Duration
Approx. 9–10 hours
What To Bring
- Comfortable clothes & walking shoes
- Towel & change of clothes (for waterfall)
- Camera
- Sunglasses & sunscreen
- Cash for entrance fees & meals
