Tanah Lot Sunset Kecak & Fire Dance Show Tickets Bali

Tanah Lot Temple

Pura Tanah Lot stands on a dark rock island just off the coast of Beraban village in the Tabanan regency, about an hour's drive north-west of Kuta. Its name means land in the sea, and its black-thatched shrines appear to float when the tide is high and waves surround the rock. The temple dates back to the sixteenth century, when a Hindu priest travelling along the coast is said to have chosen the spot, and it is one of a chain of sea temples that protect Bali's coastline.

At low tide you can walk across to the base of the rock, where a freshwater spring rises and temple attendants offer a blessing; the shrines on top are reserved for worshippers. The Tanah Lot opening hours run from morning until after sunset, and a Tanah Lot Temple ticket is required to enter the area. Is Tanah Lot worth visiting? At sunset, with the temple silhouetted against an orange sky, it is one of the most beautiful sights in Bali.

The Kecak and fire dance

The Kecak is a Balinese dance without instruments: dozens of performers sit in concentric circles and chant interlocking "cak" rhythms, swaying and raising their hands, while dancers in the centre tell an episode from the Ramayana. Prince Rama, his wife Sita, her abduction by the demon king and the white monkey Hanuman who helps to rescue her all appear in turn, with costumes of gold, red and white. The dance was created in the 1930s from the sacred Sanghyang trance ritual.

At Tanah Lot the performance is followed by the fire dance, in which a dancer in a trance-like state walks and kicks through a pile of burning coconut husks, scattering sparks across the stage. It is an intense, memorable finale. The whole show lasts about an hour. Flash photography and loud noise are not allowed during the performance, out of respect for the dancers and the sacred setting.

The clifftop stage and practical visit

The Kecak stage is set within the Tanah Lot Temple area, about 100 metres from the temple, on a terrace above the sea with open seating facing the sunset. The stage opens at 17:30 and the show starts at 18:00; please check in at least 15 minutes early, and earlier still if you want a seat with a clear view of the temple. Seats are not reserved, and tickets are limited, so booking ahead is recommended.

On the walk from the parking area to the stage you pass several smaller shrines on the coast: Pura Batu Bolong, built on a natural rock arch over the waves, Pura Enjung Galuh and Pura Batu Mejan. With the default ticket you buy the Tanah Lot Temple area entrance ticket on site in cash. The show is outdoors, so bring a light jacket or umbrella in case of a passing shower, and arrange your return transport before it gets dark.

Taman Ayun Temple (option)

If you choose the option with the temple tour and transfer, our driver collects you from your hotel in the afternoon and stops first at Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi, about forty minutes before Tanah Lot. Built in 1634 as the royal family temple of the Mengwi kingdom, it is surrounded by a wide moat and lawns, and its tiers of tall black-thatched meru shrines are among the most elegant in Bali.

Taman Ayun is part of the UNESCO-listed cultural landscape of the subak irrigation system, because of its role in the water temples that govern the rice fields. You walk around the courtyards for about forty-five minutes before continuing to Tanah Lot for a guided walk along the shore and the sunset show. This option includes the entrance tickets to Taman Ayun, the Tanah Lot area and the Kecak show, and ends with drop-off back in the Kuta area.