Pura Kehen: Inside Bangli’s 1,000-Year-Old Temple

Pura Kehen (or Kehen Temple) is one of Bali’s oldest temples, with a history stretching back more than 1,000 years.

You probably won’t see it on many lists of the best temples to visit in Bali, but Pura Kehen is well worth a stop if you’re exploring Bangli. It’s quiet, easy to explore and packed with old stonework, traditional shrines and a huge banyan tree inside the grounds.

Here’s everything you need to know before visiting Kehen Temple in Bali, including 2026 entry fees, location, photos, and what to see.

Pura Kehen: Quick Guide

Pura Kehen is one of the main temples in Bangli, around 45 minutes from central Ubud. It’s much quieter than Bali’s big-name temples, but there’s actually quite a lot to see once you get inside.

The temple is built across several levels, starting with the huge stone staircase at the entrance and continuing uphill through a series of courtyards.

The highlights are the massive old banyan tree, traditional meru shrines, detailed stone carvings and porcelain plates built into parts of the temple decoration.

• Location: H955+6X Cempaga, Bangli, Bali
• Entrance Fee: IDR 50,000 per adult
• Opening Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Time Needed: Around 30 to 45 minutes
• Best Time to Visit: Morning
• Dress Code: Sarong required (provided)
• Parking: Available near the entrance
• Distance from Ubud: Around 45 minutes

Is Pura Kehen Worth Visiting?

Yes, especially if you’re already exploring Bangli or visiting nearby Penglipuran Village in 2026.

Pura Kehen doesn’t get the same crowds as temples like Tirta Empul, which is a big part of the appeal. You can take your time walking through the courtyards, checking out the carvings and seeing the huge banyan tree without fighting your way through tour groups.

It’s also a fairly quick stop. Around 30 to 60 minutes is enough for most people, so it’s easy to add to a day trip around Bangli.

💡 My Advice: Don’t make the trip from South Bali just for Pura Kehen. It works much better as part of a Bangli day trip with Penglipuran Village, Goa Raja Waterfall or Tukad Cepung Waterfall.

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History of Pura Kehen

Pura Kehen is more than 1,000 years old, making it one of the oldest temple sites you can visit in Bali. Some of the locals claim it’s even older than Besakih Temple, Bali’s mother temple.

Records connected to the temple go back to around the 9th century, when the site was known as Hyang Api, which roughly translates to a sacred place associated with fire. The name later became Kehen, which is also connected to the Balinese word for fire.

Over the centuries, Pura Kehen became an important temple for the Kingdom of Bangli. It wasn’t built in one go, either. Different parts of the temple were added and changed over hundreds of years, which explains why you’ll see several different styles as you walk through the complex.

That’s really what makes Pura Kehen interesting to visit. You’re walking around a temple site that was already being used centuries before many of Bali’s best-known temples and palaces existed.

One of the oldest and most unusual features you’ll see is the enormous banyan tree inside the temple grounds, with a traditional Bale Kulkul built into the tree itself.

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Pura Kehen Location

Pura Kehen is located in Cempaga, Bangli Regency, in central-east Bali. It’s just outside Bangli town and around 3 km from Penglipuran Village, so the two are very easy to visit together.

From Ubud, expect the drive to take around 45 minutes, depending on traffic. It’s considerably further from the main tourist areas in South Bali, so Kehen makes more sense as part of a full day exploring Bangli rather than a standalone trip.

Approximate driving times to Pura Kehen:

• Canggu: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Kuta: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Legian: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Nusa Dua: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Sanur: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Seminyak: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Ubud: 40 to 50 minutes
• Uluwatu: 2 hours

💡 My Advice: Don’t judge the drive purely by distance. Traffic leaving South Bali can add quite a bit of time, especially from Seminyak, Canggu and Kuta.

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How to Get to Pura Kehen

Kehen Temple is inland in Bangli, and there isn’t a convenient public transport option for tourists. Most visitors get here with a private driver or by scooter.

• Private car and driver: The easiest option if you’re coming from Ubud or South Bali. Pura Kehen is a relatively short visit, so combine it with nearby stops.
• Scooter: A good option if you’re already confident riding in Bali. There’s parking near the temple, and the ride from Ubud takes around 40 to 50 minutes.
• Gojek and Grab: You may find a driver willing to take you to Pura Kehen, especially from Ubud, but getting a ride back can be harder around Bangli.
• Taxi: Possible, but not very practical. You’ll still need transport after visiting the temple, and taxis aren’t readily available around Pura Kehen.

For most tourists, a private driver makes the most sense for Pura Kehen. The temple doesn’t take long to visit, and there are enough good places nearby to turn the journey into a full day around Bangli rather than spending several hours travelling for a single stop.

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Pura Kehen Entrance Fee

You’ll need to pay an entrance fee to visit Pura Kehen during your trip. Here are the official entrance ticket prices as of 2026:

• Adult: IDR 50,000
• Child: IDR 30,000
• Scooter Parking: IDR 2,000
• Car Parking: IDR 10,000

The ticket is paid at the small kiosk / hut located directly opposite the main stairs to the temple.

Make sure you bring cash with you. The ticket booth is cash only, and there are no ATMs at the temple, so get some rupiah before making the trip to Bangli.

Keep some smaller notes with you for entrance fees and parking if you’re visiting several attractions around Bangli on the same day.

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Opening Hours, When to Go, How Long to Stay

Pura Kehen is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The morning is the best time to visit, ideally not long after opening. It’s cooler, usually quieter, and you’ll have plenty of time afterwards to continue to Penglipuran Village or one of the nearby waterfalls.

If you’re visiting for photography or some Instagram shots, closer to closing time is better as the lighting is less harsh.

Allow around 30 to 45 minutes at Pura Kehen. Half an hour is enough for a fairly quick walk through the temple, while closer to an hour gives you time to explore the different courtyards, see the banyan tree and actually look at the carvings and architecture rather than racing through.

💡 Pro Tip: You can still enter Pura Kehen when a ceremony is taking place, and it’s actually one of the best times to visit. Ceremony dates (upacara) aren’t usually posted online, so you’ll need to ask the temple attendants or locals in Bangli when the next one is being held.

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Pura Kehen Dress Code & Etiquette

You need to wear a sarong and sash (selendang) to enter Kehen Temple. Both are provided after you pay the entrance fee, so you don’t need to bring your own.

An attendant will help you put them on correctly before you enter the temple. Keep your sarong and sash on for the entire visit and only remove them once you’ve left the temple grounds.

Pura Kehen is an active Hindu temple, so the usual Bali temple etiquette applies:

• Dress respectfully and keep your shoulders covered.
• Don’t climb or sit on shrines, walls or other sacred structures.
• Don’t walk directly in front of people while they’re praying.
• Give ceremonies and worshippers plenty of space.
• Ask before taking close-up photos of people praying or taking part in a ceremony.
• Follow any instructions from temple attendants, especially if parts of the temple are being used for a ceremony.

You can take photos around Kehen Temple, but remember that you’re visiting a working place of worship, not just a historical attraction.

💡 Pro Tip: If you want your own sarong, you can buy one from the vendors near the parking area. Be ready to negotiate, and keep in mind that once other vendors see you buying something, you’ll probably get a lot more attention.

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Exploring Kehen Temple

Pura Kehen is built across several levels on a hillside, so you’ll naturally explore it from the bottom upwards.

There’s plenty to look at along the way, and you don’t need to know anything about Balinese temple architecture to enjoy it.

Here’s roughly what you’ll see in 2026:

• The entrance staircase: Your visit starts with the large stone staircase leading up from the road. The stairs are lined with carved figures and give you a great view looking directly towards the temple entrance.
• Main gateway: At the top of the stairs is Pura Kehen’s heavily decorated entrance. Take a closer look at the carvings before heading through into the temple grounds.
• Lower courtyards: Once inside, you’ll start passing traditional pavilions, statues and smaller shrines. Look closely at the decoration around the temple because you’ll also find Chinese porcelain plates incorporated into some of the walls and structures.

Pura Kehen Banyan Tree

You won’t have much trouble finding this one. The huge banyan tree is one of Kehen Temple’s most distinctive features and absolutely dwarfs everything around it.

Look up into the branches and you’ll see a bale kulkul, a small pavilion containing the traditional wooden drum used for ceremonies and community signals. You’ll see bale kulkul all over Bali, but having one built amongst the branches of an enormous banyan tree is pretty unusual.

After the banyan tree, continue climbing towards the upper courtyards. This is where you’ll find some of Kehen Temple’s most important shrines and its multi-tiered meru towers, before reaching the most sacred parts of the temple at the top.

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Accessibility & Stairs at Pura Kehen

Kehen Temple is not really accessible if you have limited mobility. The temple is built on a hillside, and you’ll need to climb a large staircase just to reach the main entrance.

Once you reach the top, however, most of the temple grounds are relatively flat and easy to walk around. There aren’t loads of additional staircases to deal with as you explore.

• Wheelchairs: Pura Kehen isn’t wheelchair accessible.
• Limited mobility: The entrance staircase will be the biggest challenge, followed by additional steps inside.
• Older visitors: Take your time and use the flatter courtyard areas to rest between levels.
• Young children: Fine for most kids, but keep an eye on them around the stairs and uneven stonework.
• Prams: Leave them behind. You’ll spend more time carrying the pram than pushing it.

There are places to stop once you’re inside, so you don’t need to tackle the whole temple in one go. Wear comfortable shoes with decent grip, especially if you’re visiting after rain when the old stone steps can be slippery.

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Things to Do Near Pura Kehen

Kehen Temple is in a really good position for exploring Bangli and the areas north-east of Ubud. There are enough waterfalls, temples and rice terraces nearby that you can easily turn a visit into a full day out.

Within 30 Minutes from Kehen Temple

• Goa Raja Waterfall (3 km away): Large waterfall inside a rocky gorge with a swimming area below.
• Yeh Bulan Waterfall (3 km away): Small waterfall and natural pool surrounded by rock walls.
• Penglipuran Village (4 km away): Traditional Balinese village known for its preserved layout, bamboo forest and distinctive family compounds.
• Tirta Sudamala (5 km away): Balinese water temple and purification site with several sacred fountains.
• Krisik Waterfall (6 km away): A quieter waterfall reached through a narrow gorge.
• Grudugan Waterfall (6 km away): Lesser-known waterfall that gets considerably fewer tourists than Tukad Cepung.
• Goa Giri Campuhan Waterfall (6 km away): Waterfall hidden between steep rock walls near Bangli.
• Tukad Cepung Waterfall: (6.5 km away) One of the area’s best-known waterfalls, famous for the cave-like setting and sunlight coming through the opening above.
• Tibumana Waterfall (11.5 km away): Easy-to-visit waterfall with a large pool and relatively short walk from the entrance.
• Bangkian Djaran Waterfall (12 km away): Small waterfall surrounded by dense vegetation and considerably quieter than the better-known Bangli waterfalls.
• Goa Rang Reng Waterfall (12.5 km away): Wide cascading waterfall where the water runs down a long sloping rock face.

30 to 45 Minutes Away from Kehen Temple

• Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring (14 km away): Ancient rock-cut shrines carved into the cliffs beside the Pakerisan River.
• Pura Mengening (14.5 km away): Historic water temple where you can take part in a traditional melukat purification ritual.
• Tirta Empul Temple (15 km away): One of Bali’s most important water temples, best known for its sacred purification pools.
• Kanto Lampo Waterfall (15 km away): Popular waterfall with water cascading over a series of dark rocks.
• Ulu Petanu Waterfall (16 km away(: Waterfall north of Ubud with a relatively easy walk down to the falls.
• Gunung Kawi Sebatu (18 km away): Quieter water temple with ponds, gardens and sacred springs.
• Tegallalang Rice Terraces (20 km away): Bali’s famous terraced rice fields north of Ubud.
• Alas Harum Bali (20 km away): Large tourist attraction overlooking the rice terraces with swings, viewpoints and other activities.
• Abian Desa Rice Terrace (20 km away): Smaller rice terrace attraction and an alternative stop around the Tegallalang area.
• Goa Garba (21 km away): Ancient archaeological and religious site built into the Pakerisan River valley.

If you’re starting from Ubud, Kehen Temple works especially well with Penglipuran Village and two or three waterfalls around Bangli. For a more historical day, combine it with Tirta Empul, Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring and Pura Mengening instead.

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Pura Kehen Day Trip Itineraries (2026)

Kehen is easy to include in a full day around Bangli. There aren’t many organised tours that include the temple, so booking a private car and driver gives you the freedom to follow one of these itineraries or change the stops.

Itinerary 1: Temples & History

• Pura Kehen
• Penglipuran Village
• Tirta Empul Temple
• Gunung Kawi Tampaksiring
• Pura Mengening

Itinerary 2: Bangli Waterfalls

• Pura Kehen
• Tukad Cepung Waterfall
• Goa Raja Waterfall
• Tibumana Waterfall
• Kanto Lampo Waterfall

Itinerary 3: Temples & Rice Terraces

• Pura Kehen
• Penglipuran Village
• Gunung Kawi Sebatu
• Tegallalang Rice Terraces
• Ulu Petanu Waterfall

Each itinerary is designed to fit within a 10-hour private driver booking, although the exact timing will depend on your hotel location, traffic and how long you spend at each stop.

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FAQs About Pura Kehen

Here are all your questions answered about visiting Kehen Temple in 2026 during your Bali trip.

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