Guide · Tides

Tanah Lot temple at low tide, and at high water

Whether you stand at the foot of the sea temple or watch it from the cliffs depends on the water. Here is how the tide works at Tanah Lot temple at low tide and high, and how to plan around it.

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Editorial team, tanahlottempletour.comUpdated October 23, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes44 sources

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The short version

01Low tide: The rock can be reached on foot only then.¹
02High tide: The sea surrounds the rock and access closes.²
03Rhythm: Two highs and two lows in 24 hours and 50 minutes.³ ⁴
04Each day: The pattern runs about 50 minutes later.⁵
05On site: Follow the staff and the safety signs.⁶

Why the water decides your visit

Tanah Lot is a sea temple in the literal sense: its shrines stand on a rock just off the shore, and the name itself means land in the sea.⁷ Wikipedia describes it as an offshore rock that can be reached on foot only at low tide.¹ The Ministry of Tourism puts it the other way round: at high tide the sea surrounds the rock, while at low tide part of the way across from the land opens up.²

That single fact shapes the whole experience. At low water you can walk across the dark reef to the base of the rock, see the caves where the holy sea snakes are said to live and stand at the foot of the temple.⁸ At high water you watch from the cliffs and the gardens while the surf breaks around the temple. The ministry notes that the temple looks cut off from land at high tide and is easier to see up close when the sea is low.⁹

Neither is a lesser visit. Many of the most dramatic photographs of Tanah Lot are taken with the sea all around it, and the reef can be slippery and crowded when it is open. But if standing at the foot of the temple is what you came for, check the tide before you choose your day and your hour.

One tidal cycle

How the water rises and falls at the rock

High water

Rock cut off

The sea surrounds the rock on every side.²
Falling

Reef appears

About six hours and 12.5 minutes from high to low.¹⁰
Low water

Crossing open

The base of the rock can be reached on foot.¹ ¹¹
Rising

Head back

Follow the safety instructions as the sea returns.⁶
Next high

Back to the sea

High tides come 12 hours and 25 minutes apart.¹²

How the tide moves along this coast

Tides follow the moon more than the sun. The US National Ocean Service explains that most coastal areas have two high tides and two low tides each day, that high tides come 12 hours and 25 minutes apart, and that the water takes about six hours and 12.5 minutes to fall from high to low or rise from low to high.³ ¹² ¹⁰

The cycle is tied to the lunar day, which lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, so the times of high and low water drift later from one day to the next.⁴ ⁵ A low tide that suits you today will come later tomorrow. A tour runs to the clock and the sea does not: no listing can promise you the reef.

The heights differ through the month as well. The US National Ocean Service calls the largest swings spring tides, which come with the new and the full moon, and the smallest neap tides, at the first and third quarter.¹³ ¹⁴ When the two daily highs or lows are of different height, the pattern is called mixed semidiurnal.¹⁵ Around a full or new moon, low water drops further and exposes more reef.

The tidal clock

Tide intervals in hours

hrs

Intervals as the US National Ocean Service explains them for most coasts; check a local tide table for Tanah Lot on your date.⁴ ¹² ¹⁰ ⁵

High or low

What changes with the water at the temple

At the temple	Low tide	High tide
The rock	Reached on foot	Surrounded by sea
Best view	Up close from the reef	From the cliffs and gardens
Spring at Batu Mejan	Visible on the beach	Under water
Penataran Madya	Quiet	Worship especially now
Crowds	On the reef	On the cliff paths

From the official Tanah Lot site and the Ministry of Tourism; follow the staff as the water rises.¹ ² ⁹ ¹⁶ ¹⁷ ⁶

Three kinds of visit

Low tide, high tide or a spring low

Up close

Low tide

Walk to the rock's foot

Access: On foot
Bring: Shoes that grip
Watch for: The returning sea

Plan with a tide table

Classic photo

High tide

The rock alone in the surf

Access: From the cliffs
Bring: A longer lens
Watch for: Spray on the paths

Plan with a tide table

Most reef

Spring tide low

Near new or full moon

When: New and full moon
Access: Widest crossing
Watch for: Bigger swings

Plan with a tide table

Decision helper

When should you be at the rock?

Match the hour to what you want to do

At low tide

Only then can the rock be reached on foot.¹

At high tide

The temple then looks cut off from the land.⁹

A low near full or new moon

Spring tides bring the lowest lows of the month.¹³

Early morning

The ministry suggests coming very early for smaller crowds.¹⁸

Go anyway

Enjung Galuh shows the temple well at any water level.¹⁹

Most coastal areas, with some exceptions, experience two high tides and two low tides every day.

US National Ocean ServiceSource 3

What low water opens up

With the reef exposed you can walk from the beach towards the base of the temple rock. The Ministry of Tourism notes that the state of the tide decides access to that base.¹¹ Do not expect to climb into the temple itself: visitors must follow the restrictions of the management and the temple custodians, because parts of the site are sacred space reserved for worship.²⁰

Around the temple you meet a pair of traditions. The official site describes a holy spring believed to rise from the middle of the sea, from which visitors may drink or wash their hands and faces.²¹ ²² Local tradition also places the guardian sea snakes in the caves of the rock, a belief the ministry is careful to call folklore rather than history.⁸ ²³ Our page on the temple story tells that legend in full.

A little further along the shore, low water reveals another spring. South of Pura Batu Mejan, the official site says, a spring becomes clearly visible on the beach when the sea drops.¹⁶

Map

Tanah Lot, its shore temples and the roads to it

The temples on the rocks around Tanah Lot, the drive in from south Bali and Ubud, the highland stops of the full-day tour, and Uluwatu at the other end of the coast.

Street map of the Tanah Lot shore with Tanah Lot on its rock, Pura Penataran, Pura Jro Kandang, Pura Enjung Galuh, Pura Batu Bolong, Pura Batu Mejan, Pura Luhur Pakendungan and the ticket counter — The temples on the shore

Map of south Bali from Tanah Lot on the west coast east to Kediri, Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar and north-east to Ubud — From south Bali and Ubud

Map of west Bali from Tanah Lot on the coast north-east to Pura Taman Ayun, north to Jatiluwih and to Pura Ulun Danu Beratan on Lake Bratan — Up to the terraces and the lake

Map of the south-west coast of Bali with Tanah Lot in the north, Kuta, Ngurah Rai Airport and Jimbaran in the middle and Pura Luhur Uluwatu on the Bukit peninsula — Tanah Lot and Uluwatu

1
Tanah Lot
The sea temple on its rock, reached on foot only at low tide.¹ ²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
2
Pura Batu Bolong
A shrine on a rock with a crescent-shaped hole, loved at sunset.²⁵ ²⁶
In Google Maps ↗
3
Pura Batu Mejan
Also called Beji temple; a spring shows on the beach at low water.²⁷ ¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
4
Pura Enjung Galuh
A temple for Dewi Sri on a point that is a fine sunset spot.²⁸ ²⁹
In Google Maps ↗
5
Pura Jro Kandang
Where farmers pray to the god who rules crop pests.³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
6
Pura Penataran
Its Madya shrine sees worship above all at high tide.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
7
Pura Luhur Pakendungan
Its festival every 210 days brings the sacred kris from Kediri.³¹ ³²
In Google Maps ↗
8
Ticket counter
Foreign adults pay IDR 75,000 by the official price list.³³
In Google Maps ↗
9
Kediri
The large sign at its main crossroads marks the turn to Tanah Lot.³⁴
In Google Maps ↗
10
Canggu
One of the pick-up areas of the full-day tour.
In Google Maps ↗
11
Seminyak
Another pick-up area for the tour booked here.
In Google Maps ↗
12
Kuta
Free pick-up area of the half-day sunset trip as well.
In Google Maps ↗
13
Ngurah Rai Airport
About 30 km from Tanah Lot, says the Ministry of Tourism.³⁵
In Google Maps ↗
14
Denpasar
Tanah Lot lies 20 km to its north-west.³⁶
In Google Maps ↗
15
Ubud
Pick-up there too; the highland loop also meets at Ubud Palace.
In Google Maps ↗
16
Pura Taman Ayun
The royal water temple inside the UNESCO subak listing.³⁷
In Google Maps ↗
17
Jatiluwih
Rice terraces in the Catur Angga Batukaru heritage area.³⁸
In Google Maps ↗
18
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
On Lake Beratan near Bedugul, built in 1633.³⁹ ⁴⁰
In Google Maps ↗
19
Pura Luhur Uluwatu
A cliffside temple 70 m above the Indian Ocean.⁴¹
In Google Maps ↗
20
Jimbaran
On the south-coast day that pairs Uluwatu with Tanah Lot.
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

For the reef crossing

Check before

The tide table for your date and hour
How long your tour stops at the temple
The moon phase, for the biggest lows

On the reef

Shoes or sandals that grip on wet stone
Phone and wallet in a closed pocket
Children held by the hand

Video

Tanah Lot Temple: is it worth it at high tide?

The video starts loading once you tap play.

What high water brings

Tanah Lot at high tide is a different place. The rock stands alone in the surf, the reef disappears under foam and the crowd moves up to the cliff paths and the gardens. This is when the temple looks most like the land in the sea of its name.

High water also has a ritual meaning here. The official site says the small Penataran Madya temple was built for worship of God as the Lord of the Sea, and that worship is held there especially at high tide.¹⁷ If you arrive to find people praying at the shore with the sea high, keep your distance and your voice down, as you would in any temple.

The rock itself has needed help. In the 1980s its face began to crumble, and more than one-third of what you see today is artificial rock added in a stabilisation programme funded by Japan.⁴² ⁴³

Planning your hour around the water

Start with a tide table for the coast near Tanah Lot, which you can find in any good marine weather app or on Indonesia's official meteorological service. Look for a low tide that falls inside the window your tour or your driver spends at the temple. The full day booked on this site lists 1.5 hours at Tanah Lot, the sunset trip 2 hours.

If the low tide falls at midday and you are set on the reef, a morning or midday visit beats the sunset. The ministry recommends very early mornings for fewer people anyway.¹⁸ If low water comes near dusk, you may get both the reef and the silhouette, which is the rare evening every photographer hopes for.

If the tide is high whenever you can come, do not cancel. Walk the cliff paths north of the temple, look across to Batu Bolong and its arch, and visit the smaller shore temples instead.⁴⁴ The official site recommends the Enjung Galuh area for its many angles on the temple, and that view is at its best with the sea up.¹⁹

Reading a tide table without a headache

A tide table lists each high and low water with a time and a height. For Tanah Lot you only need the lows: note the time, then mark the hour on either side of it as your window for the reef. The water takes about six hours and 12.5 minutes to come back in, so the crossing does not slam shut, but it narrows well before the next high.¹⁰

Compare the heights of the lows across the days of your trip. The lowest numbers fall near the new and the full moon, when spring tides bring higher highs and lower lows.¹³ A low with a small figure exposes more reef than one marked only a little below the average, and it stays open longer.

Then lay your other plans over the table. If the best low falls on the morning of the day you planned for the highland temples, swap the days around, or ask your driver to reverse the order of the day. A tide table costs nothing to check, and it makes the difference between looking at the rock and standing beneath it.

Staying safe on the reef

The reef in front of the rock is uneven stone covered in weed and pools. Wear shoes or sandals that grip when wet, keep your phone in a zipped pocket, and watch the incoming sets rather than your screen. The Ministry of Tourism asks visitors to follow the tide, the waves and the safety instructions of the management, because conditions change.⁶

Follow the staff's instructions as the water rises and leave when they ask, even if the sea still looks calm where you stand: on a rising tide the gap behind you fills first. Children should be held by the hand, and anyone unsteady on their feet is better off on the cliff paths.

The operator of the tour booked here rules it out for guests with mobility impairments. If the reef looks hard going, the view from above carries none of its risk and, at high tide, is often the better one.

Your day in the west

The sea temple, the terraces and the lake in one day

Hotel pick-up in south Bali or Ubud, a live guide, free cancellation up to a day before.

Check datesfrom $35 · no cancellation fee 4.7 · 2,097 reviews, verified

You ask,we answer.

Can you walk to Tanah Lot temple?

Only at low tide. The rock can be reached on foot only at low tide; at high tide the sea surrounds it.¹ ²

Can visitors go inside the temple on the rock?

No, parts are reserved for worship. The management and the temple custodians restrict access to the sacred areas.²⁰

How often is it low tide?

Usually twice a day. Most coasts have two lows a day; high tides come 12 hours and 25 minutes apart.³ ¹²

Why does the low tide come later each day?

Because of the lunar day. A tidal day lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, so the times shift later every day.⁴ ⁵

When are the lowest tides of the month?

Near new and full moon. Tide scientists call them spring tides; neap tides at the quarter moons are milder.¹³ ¹⁴

What is the holy spring at Tanah Lot?

A spring said to rise from the sea. Visitors may drink from it or wash their hands and faces, says the official site.²¹ ²²

Is it worth going at high tide?

Yes, for the view. The temple then looks cut off from the land, and Enjung Galuh shows it from many angles.⁹ ¹⁹

Sources

What this text is based on

1
WikipediaTanah Lot
↩
2
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
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3
US National Ocean ServiceFrequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
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4
US National Ocean ServiceFrequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
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5
US National Ocean ServiceFrequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
↩
6
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
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7
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot
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8
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
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9
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
↩
10
US National Ocean ServiceFrequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
↩
11
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
↩
12
US National Ocean ServiceFrequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
↩
13
US National Ocean ServiceWhat are spring and neap tides?
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14
US National Ocean ServiceWhat are spring and neap tides?
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15
US National Ocean ServiceTypes and Causes of Tidal Cycles
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16
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Batu Mejan Temple
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17
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Penataran Madya Temple
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18
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot
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19
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Enjung Galuh Area
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20
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
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21
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Holy Spring
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22
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Holy Spring
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23
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot: Sejarah, Filosofi, dan Pura Laut Ikonik di Bali
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24
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot
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Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Batu Bolong Temple
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26
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Batu Bolong Temple
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27
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Batu Mejan Temple
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28
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Njung Galuh Temple
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29
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Enjung Galuh Area
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30
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Jro Kandang Temple
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31
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)History & Natural Environment
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32
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)History & Natural Environment
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33
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Ticket Price
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34
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot
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35
Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Tanah Lot
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36
WikipediaTanah Lot
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37
WikipediaSubak (irrigation)
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38
ANTARA News BaliPetani Jatiluwih Rasakan Manfaat WBD
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39
WikipediaPura Ulun Danu Bratan
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40
WikipediaPura Ulun Danu Bratan
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41
Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Temple
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42
WikipediaTanah Lot
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43
WikipediaTanah Lot
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44
Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Batu Bolong Temple
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