Tourists traveling to Bali in 2025 are on the lookout for a combination of sun, sea, and sand and the chance to soak up the best of the island’s unique cultural heritage.
Taman Ayun Temple, in Badung Regency, is seeing a surge in the number of international visitors, and for good reason.
Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi is welcoming a new generation of Bali tourists this high season. The temple and its grounds are seeing an increase in the number of visitors from Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Taiwan, and South Korea. It remains the case that Australians are the most frequent international arrivals to Bali, closely followed by tourists from China and India.
While Taman Ayun Temple may not be as well-known as temples like Tanah Lot, Uluwatu Temple, or Ulun Danu Beratan, it is one of the most significant temples in the area. Badung Regency is home to Bali’s most popular tourism resorts, including Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Jimbaran, and Uluwatu.
Taman Ayun Temple caught the attention of global travellers after being featured in the BBC Documentary ‘Around the World in 80 Gardens’. The temple and gardens complex is one of the most beautiful in all of Bali. In fact, Taman Ayun literally translates to ‘beautiful garden’.
The temple and surrounding gardens are also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are one of the five locations in Bali named by UNESCO as the source of the Subak cultural landscape of the province. The complex itself is vast, and as such, tourists should leave plenty of time to explore and to meditate on the surroundings.
The complex spans over 6.9 hectares and features the main compound itself and a large outer moat. The buffer zone around the temple covers an impressive 51.3 hectares and integrates into the subak system of the surrounding area. The waters of Taman Ayun Temple feed three of the major subaks that nourish Badung Regency.
The temple dates back to 1634 AD, which on the traditional Balinese saka calendar is 1556. The temple was built by order of the King of Mengwi, Gusti Agung Putu. The temple was originally constructed as a family temple, as a place to honor the legacy of his ancestors. Over the centuries, the temple has been tended to, redeveloped, restored, and renovated, but remains true to the visit of King Gusti Agung Putu and his family.
While tourists could easily spend a full day wandering through the temple grounds and enjoying the stillness and sanctuary the site provides, there is so much to explore in the surrounding area that tourists can easily plan a culture-filled day trip.
Spending a morning at Taman Ayun Temple is a great way to start a culture-focused day trip in Badung Regency.
Entry costs IDR 30,000 for foreigners, and it is best to pay in cash. There are guided tours available for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the temple itself and Balinese culture more broadly.
Tourists can also visit the nearby Ogoh Ogoh Museum, which generally only takes an hour to complete in detail. The Mengwi Royal Palace, which technically sits within the Taman Ayun Temple complex, is also a must-visit.
In the afternoon, for a change of scenery and focus, tourists can travel south towards Pererenan Beach in Canggu and enjoy a sunset drink or two either on the beachfront or at one of Canggu’s many beach clubs.
For an afternoon oriented in Bali’s natural heritage, a visit to the magical Taman Beji Griya Waterfall never fails to impress.
Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest is also only a 15-minute drive from Taman Ayun Temple and is a great spot for those who want to observe Bali’s famous macaque monkeys without the crowds found at other popular spots.
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