Tirta Empul Water Purification & Balinese Healer Day Tour Bali
- Duration8 hours
- Daily
- Group
- Pickup available
- Fair, honest prices
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- Confirm, then pay
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Overview
This full-day cultural tour combines a session with a Balinese healer and a traditional melukat water purification at Tirta Empul, one of Bali's holiest spring temples. You learn how to make a canang sari offering, take part in a mantra ritual and move through the temple's fountains with a guide. Our default option is a shared tour with hotel pickup, entrance ticket and healer fee included. It is designed for travellers who want a respectful, meaningful experience, not a medical treatment.
Highlights
- Session with a Balinese healer, including a mantra ritual and a shared intention
- Melukat water purification at Tirta Empul holy spring temple, guided step by step
- Learn to present canang sari offerings before entering the temple
- Entrance ticket, healer fee, sarong and mineral water in the default option
- Hotel pickup and drop-off by air-conditioned vehicle in the default option
- English-speaking live guide who explains the rituals and their meaning
- Option to meet at Ubud Palace, with tickets included
Full Description
Session with a Balinese healer
The day begins with a visit to a Balinese healer, known locally as a balian or shaman, in the village area of Batuan. Each healer follows their own ancestral tradition, so no two sessions are the same. Before the ritual starts you are invited to share a personal intention, such as calm, clarity or balance, and this helps shape the session.
The healer may use rhythmic chanting, prayers, incense and symbolic gestures in a mantra ritual, and you are guided to observe respectfully and take part when invited. Visitors searching for a Balinese healer near Ubud should know that this is a cultural and spiritual experience, not a medical or psychological treatment.
Tirta Empul holy spring temple
Tirta Empul stands in the village of Tampaksiring, north-east of Ubud, and is one of the most important water temples in Bali. It was founded around 962 AD, and its name means holy spring. According to Balinese legend, the god Indra created the spring to revive his soldiers, and worshippers have come to bathe in its waters ever since.
The temple has beautiful courtyards, carved shrines and a large purification pool fed by a row of water spouts. Travellers often look up Tirta Empul tickets and opening hours before visiting. On this tour the entrance ticket is included in the default option, and the visit is timed for the morning, when the temple is calmer. Above the temple you can see the presidential palace built in the 1950s.
Melukat purification ritual: how it works
Melukat is the Balinese ritual of spiritual cleansing with holy water. Before you enter the temple you take part in a yadnya, a short offering ritual, and learn how to present canang sari, the small palm-leaf offerings that express gratitude and harmony. Your guide then leads you to the pool, and you move from spout to spout at a gentle pace, following the local order of prayer.
Guests often ask how to do melukat at Tirta Empul. You wear a sarong and bring a change of clothes and a towel, remove jewellery, watches and electronics, and follow your host's guidance for each fountain. It is best not to drink the water, even though this is a common local practice. The experience is respectful and reflective, and is not a therapy.
Planning your Tirta Empul tour from Ubud
The Tirta Empul tour from Ubud takes about eight hours in total, including drives of around an hour between stops. The best time to visit Tirta Empul is in the morning, when the temple is quieter and the light is soft. Traffic on Bali's roads can make the day longer, so the timing is approximate.
In our default option a driver collects you from your hotel in central Bali and brings you back, and you share the tour with a small group. If you prefer, choose the group option that meets at Ubud Palace, which also includes tickets. Bring cash for personal spending, wear comfortable shoes for the uneven temple floors, and treat the temple with the respect it deserves.
Itinerary
- Morning hotel pickupYour driver collects you at your hotel in Ubud, Sanur, Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Nusa Dua or nearby, or you meet at Ubud Palace.
- Drive to BatuanTravel about an hour by air-conditioned vehicle to the healer's village.
- Session with the Balinese healerShare your intention and take part in a mantra ritual, about 1 hour.
- Drive to Tirta EmpulContinue about an hour to the holy spring temple in Tampaksiring.
- Offerings and melukatLearn to present canang sari, then take part in the water purification ritual, about 1.5 hours.
- ReturnDrive back to your hotel or to Ubud Palace, arriving around 8 hours after departure.
What's included
- Live guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All entrance tickets
- Water purification ritual at Tirta Empul
- Session with a traditional Balinese healer
- Sarong and a bottle of mineral water
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Meals
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Is this right for you?
Great for
- Families with children — a child price for ages 0–12
- Travellers without a car — hotel pickup is included
- History and culture lovers
- Travellers who want a proven choice — rated 4.8/5 by past travellers
Think twice if
- You want a private tour — this one is shared with other travellers
Not suitable for
- People with mobility impairments and wheelchair users, because of steps and uneven floors
- People with a cold or feeling unwell
- Babies under one year
- Anyone who is uncomfortable getting wet in a holy spring
Meeting point
In our default option a driver collects you from your hotel in central Bali, including Ubud, Sanur, Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran and Uluwatu, and confirms the time the evening before. In the group option you meet at Ubud Palace in the centre of Ubud, and the exact time is shown in your confirmation. A surcharge applies if you need to be dropped off away from your pickup point.
Important information
- Bring a change of clothes, a towel, comfortable shoes and cash for personal spending; a sarong and water are provided.
- Remove jewellery, watches and electronics before entering the holy spring area.
- In line with Balinese temple custom, women who are menstruating are asked not to enter the temple grounds.
- It is recommended not to drink the holy water, even though it is common in Balinese culture.
- The experience is cultural and spiritual, not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment.
- Travel times may vary with Bali's traffic, so the duration is approximate.
- Ask us which option includes the entry ticket and healer fee before you book.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
How much does the Tirta Empul purification tour cost?
The price depends on the option you choose. The booking panel on this page shows the current price for each option, adult and child.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes in our default option. The group option meets at Ubud Palace instead.
How long is the tour?
About eight hours, depending on traffic, your pickup area and the option you choose.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Children up to 12 have their own price category in the booking panel. They should be comfortable with a spiritual ritual and getting wet; babies under one year are not suitable.
What should I wear and bring?
Wear comfortable clothes you are happy to get wet and bring a change of clothes, a towel and cash. A sarong is provided.
Can I book for today or tomorrow?
Often yes. The booking panel shows the dates that are open right now.
What is the difference between the options?
The default option includes hotel pickup, the entry ticket and the healer fee. The Ubud Palace option starts from a meeting point and also includes tickets. Check each description in the booking panel.
Is the healer session a medical treatment?
No. It is a cultural and spiritual experience rooted in Balinese tradition, not medical or therapeutic treatment.
When is the best time to visit Tirta Empul?
Early in the morning, when the temple is quieter and the light is soft. Visits on ceremony days may be busier.
Do I have to take part in the melukat?
No. You can watch respectfully if you prefer, but joining in is the main experience of the tour.
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