Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
Ancient carved cave-temple and bathing pools southeast of Ubud, compact and quick to see.
At a glance
- Entry fee
- Charged per person at the gate with a reduced rate for children. A sarong is included with the ticket and is compulsory. Bali's IDR 150,000 tourist levy is paid online before arrival and is not collected here.
- Opening hours
- Daylight hours. Go early: the cave interior is dim, low and narrow, and it takes only one group to fill it.
- Time needed
- Forty-five minutes to an hour, longer if you do the valley loop below the pools, which most people skip and which is the nicest part.
About Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, sits in a small green valley at Bedulu, a short drive southeast of Ubud. The centrepiece is a shallow cave cut into a rock face, with a huge menacing face carved around the mouth so that you walk straight into its open jaws. Inside it is dark, low and only a few metres deep, with a T-shaped chamber holding a Ganesha figure and a set of lingam and yoni stones. Estimates of its age range from the ninth to the eleventh century, and the site is unusual in Bali for combining Hindu and Buddhist remains in the same valley.
The bathing pools in front of the cave have a better story than the cave itself. Dutch archaeologists documented the cave in 1923 but the pools stayed buried until 1954, when excavation uncovered the stone basins and seven female figures holding water jars, understood to represent seven sacred rivers, functioning as spouts. So the photogenic part of the site spent the first three decades of its modern history underground.
Beyond the pools, paths drop away into the valley past Buddhist relics, huge banyan roots and a stream, which makes a pleasant short loop and is the quietest part of the visit.
Set expectations. This is a compact site and most people are done in under an hour. The cave is genuinely small and briefly gets crowded when a group arrives. It works best as one stop on a temple circuit rather than as a destination in its own right.
Getting there
Goa Gajah is about ten to fifteen minutes southeast of central Ubud near Bedulu, an easy scooter ride or a short drive, and one of the closest of the Ubud sites. There is no public transport, so a scooter, a Grab or a driver. There is paid parking at the entrance, and unofficial guides usually approach in the car park offering their services at negotiable prices, which you are free to decline. From the entrance a long flight of steps drops down into the valley to the cave and pools. The site pairs naturally with Tirta Empul, and doing Goa Gajah first thing before continuing north keeps you ahead of the tour circuit at both.
Best time
Right at opening in the morning, around eight, before the tour vehicles reach it and before the valley heats up. It is a short visit, so an early start here costs you nothing and buys you the cave without a queue. Late afternoon is the other reasonable window once the circuit has moved on. Avoid the middle of the day, when groups arrive in convoy and the cave, which holds only a handful of people comfortably, becomes a shuffle. The valley paths are slippery in the wet season, so take more care from November to March.
Good to know
Entry is charged per person with a reduced rate for children, and a sarong is included with the ticket and is compulsory. Shorts are not acceptable on their own. Bring cash, as card payment is unreliable. The steps down into the valley are steep and get slick after rain, so wear shoes with grip rather than sandals. The cave interior is dim, low, and narrow, and if a group is inside it is worth waiting a couple of minutes on the steps rather than joining the crush. Do not touch the carvings or climb on the pool structures. The on-site restaurant has a poor reputation for value, and the souvenir stalls at the entrance are persistent, so eat in Ubud and keep walking. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour, longer if you do the valley loop below the pools, which most people skip and which is the nicest part.
Things to do at Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)
Walk into the carved jaws
A shallow cave cut into a rock face with a huge menacing face carved around the mouth, so you enter straight through its open jaws.
Wait rather than join the crush inside
The interior is dim, low and narrow. If a group is in there, two minutes on the steps is better than squeezing past them.
Do the valley loop below the pools
Most people skip it and it is the nicest part of the site.
Eat in Ubud, not here
The on-site restaurant has a poor reputation for value and the souvenir stalls at the entrance are persistent.
Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) FAQs
How old is Goa Gajah and who built it?+
Estimates range from the ninth to the eleventh century, with the stylistic evidence pointing later than the traditional dating. The site is notable for holding both Hindu and Buddhist remains, which suggests it was in use across a period when both traditions were present in Bali.
Are there really elephants?+
No. The name is a puzzle, since Bali has no wild elephants. The carved face around the cave mouth is not an elephant either. Explanations offered locally include the Ganesha figure inside the cave and a nearby river name, and no single account is settled.
What was excavated in the 1950s?+
The cave was documented by Dutch archaeologists in 1923, but the bathing complex in front of it remained buried until 1954, when excavation uncovered the stone pools and seven carved female figures holding water jars, understood to represent seven sacred rivers, which act as the spouts you see today.
How much is entry and do I need a sarong?+
Entry is charged per person with a reduced rate for children, and a sarong is included with the ticket and must be worn. Shorts alone are not acceptable. Bring cash, since card payment at the gate is not reliable.
How long do I need there?+
Forty-five minutes to an hour covers the cave, the bathing pools and the main courtyard. Add another twenty minutes or so if you walk down into the valley past the Buddhist relics and the stream, which is quieter and worth the extra time.
Is it worth visiting on its own?+
Not really. It is compact, the cave is small, and it does not justify a dedicated trip from further afield. It works well as the first or last stop on an Ubud temple circuit, particularly paired with Tirta Empul, which is a short drive further north.
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