What to Wear in Bali: Temple Dress Code and Etiquette

Bali asks visitors to dress modestly and behave respectfully, and at temples the rule is written down. The island's rulebook for foreign tourists, Governor's Circular No. 7 of 2025, requires modest dress in sacred areas and limits who may enter the inner parts of a temple. Pack one outfit that covers shoulders and knees, and you are ready for most of it.

What the rules say about dress

Bali's circular for foreign tourists requires modest dress and polite conduct, and it does not limit that to temples. The circular names sacred areas, tourist sites, restaurants, shops and the road as places where visitors are expected to dress and behave appropriately. Our reading is that swimwear belongs at the beach and the pool.

What modest means in practice

The circular does not publish a list of garments, so what follows is our own reading. Shoulders covered, knees covered and no bare midriff is a standard that will not be questioned at a temple or a village ceremony. A light long-sleeved shirt and loose trousers or a long skirt also happen to be comfortable in the heat.

On the street and in shops

The same circular asks for appropriate dress in restaurants, shops and on the road. Our advice is simple: put a shirt on when you leave the beach, and wear one on a scooter. Walking through a town in a bikini top or bare-chested is the behavior the rule was written about.

Who may enter a temple, and how far

Bali's circular restricts how far a foreign tourist may go inside a temple. Tourists may not enter the inner and middle courtyards of a temple or other sanctified place unless they are there to pray and are wearing Balinese traditional dress.

Balinese traditional dress

The circular's wording is "Balinese traditional dress", and it does not define the items. Our understanding is that for a visitor this means a sarong wrapped around the waist with a sash tied over it, for men and women alike. Follow whatever the temple's own staff ask of you at the entrance.

The menstruation rule

The circular also states that a person entering those inner areas to pray must not be menstruating. We report the rule as it is written in the circular.

What not to do at a sacred site

Bali's circular lists specific acts that are prohibited at sacred sites. Climbing sacred trees is banned. So is climbing on sacred structures, and so is posing indecently or unclothed at a sacred place. The circular says violations are to be dealt with firmly under Indonesian law.

Photos

The circular's ban is on indecent and unclothed posing and on climbing structures for a picture. Our advice goes a little further: do not stand on walls, shrines or statues for a better angle, do not step over offerings to get a shot, and ask before photographing people who are praying.

Offerings on the ground

Small woven trays of flowers and rice are placed on sidewalks, doorsteps and steps every day. They are offerings, and they are sacred while they are fresh. We have no rule to cite for this one; it is simple courtesy to walk around them instead of over them.

Conduct the rules ask for everywhere

Bali's circular goes beyond clothing. Foreign tourists are prohibited from using abusive language, behaving rudely, causing disturbances or acting aggressively toward officials, local people or other tourists. The same text prohibits littering and the use of single-use plastics such as plastic bags, styrofoam, plastic straws and plastic-packaged drinks.

What to carry

The plastics rule has a practical side. Our advice is to carry a refillable bottle and a cloth bag, which keeps you inside the rule without thinking about it. A light scarf or sarong in your day bag covers shoulders or knees whenever a visit turns out to include a temple.

Ceremonies you come across

You will meet ceremonies on the road, on the beach and in villages. If a procession is crossing, wait for it. If you are invited to watch, stay at the back and dress as you would for a temple. These are our suggestions; the circular's requirement is respectful conduct.

What happens if you ignore the rules

Bali's circular says that violations by foreign tourists will be dealt with firmly in line with Indonesian law, and it asks residents to report them to a provincial hotline. The US Consular Agency in Bali separately reports a current enforcement campaign by Indonesian authorities. A disrespectful photo is no longer treated as a private matter.

The levy is part of the same rulebook

The same set of rules includes Bali's tourist levy, which is IDR 150,000 per person.

A packing list for temples and ceremonies

A packing list for Bali's temples is short, and every item on it is useful elsewhere on the trip. These are our own suggestions, built on the circular's requirement of modest dress in sacred places and on its ban on single-use plastics.

• A shirt or top that covers the shoulders.
• Trousers, a long skirt or a dress that covers the knees.
• A light scarf that can cover shoulders at short notice.
• Sandals that slip on and off easily.
• A cloth bag and a refillable water bottle.

Buying a sarong

A sarong bought on your first day will be used at every temple afterward and as a beach wrap or a blanket on a cold flight home. If you would prefer to own one, markets across the island sell them, and you can ask the seller to show you how the sash is tied.