Sacred Temples Around the World
55 remarkable temples revered by believers and admired by travelers.
This guide lists 55 sacred sites in the world's temples , connected to 19 spiritual traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahá'í Faith, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Chinese folk religion, Jainism, Kemetism, Christianity and more. 19 of them belong to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 4 are archaeological sanctuaries of ancient faiths. Each guide covers history, what to see, dress code, opening hours and the best time to visit.
Sacred sites in the world's temples
Abu Simbel Temples
Visit Abu Simbel, Ramesses II's rock cut temples on Lake Nasser, where twice a year sunlight reaches the gods in the inner sanctuary.
Angkor Wat
Explore Angkor Wat near Siem Reap, the largest religious monument in the world, built for Vishnu and still a living Buddhist pilgrimage site.
Badrinath Temple
Visit Badrinath Temple on the Alaknanda River, a Char Dham shrine of Vishnu at 3,300 m, with season dates, hot springs and Himalayan road tips.
Bahá'í House of Worship, Langenhain
Visit the Bahá'í House of Worship in Langenhain near Frankfurt, Europe's Bahá'í Mother Temple, a domed house of prayer open to people of all faiths.
Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette
Visit the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette near Chicago, a lacy nine sided temple and gardens open to all for prayer, readings and quiet reflection.
Baha'i Temple of South America, Santiago
Visit the Baha'i Temple in Santiago, Chile, a luminous glass and marble house of worship in the Andes foothills, open to all for prayer and calm.
Baháʼí House of Worship, Sydney
Visit the Baháʼí House of Worship in Sydney, a domed nine-sided temple on Ingleside heights, open to all faiths for prayer, reflection and quiet gardens.
BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, Robbinsville
Visit BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, a vast hand carved stone Hindu temple complex welcoming visitors of all backgrounds.
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Visit Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford, the Hare Krishna temple donated by George Harrison and one of Britain's most visited Hindu pilgrimage sites.
Bulguksa Temple
Visit Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, a Silla masterpiece of Korean Buddhism with stone pagodas and bridges, paired with the nearby Seokguram Grotto.
Cao Dai Holy See, Tay Ninh
Attend a noon service at the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh, the colorful mother temple of Vietnam's syncretic Caodaism faith and its Divine Eye.
Cao'an Temple, Jinjiang
Visit Cao'an Temple near Quanzhou, the last known Manichaean temple on Earth, where Mani is honored as the Buddha of Light. A rare pilgrimage.
Casa Branca do Engenho Velho, Salvador
Learn about Casa Branca do Engenho Velho in Salvador, Bahia, a founding Candomble terreiro of Yoruba heritage. Visit respectfully and by invitation.
Chavin de Huantar
Explore Chavin de Huantar in Peru, an ancient Andean temple of underground galleries and the Lanzon idol, a center of oracles and pilgrimage.
Cheondogyo Central Temple
Visit Cheondogyo Central Temple in Seoul, headquarters of the Korean Cheondoism faith and a landmark of the 1919 independence movement.
Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu
Visit the Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu, five Jain shrines with some of the finest marble carving in the world, with visiting hours, dress code and tips.
Gangotri Temple
Visit Gangotri Temple on the Bhagirathi, where the Ganga is said to descend to earth, with season dates, the Gaumukh trek and pilgrim tips.
Jagannath Temple, Puri
Visit the Jagannath Temple in Puri, a Char Dham shrine famed for the Rath Yatra chariot festival, with entry rules, timings and practical pilgrim tips.
Janaki Mandir, Janakpur
Visit Janaki Mandir in Janakpur, Nepal, the marble palace temple honoring Sita at her legendary birthplace, with Vivah Panchami, timings and travel tips.
Jokhang Temple
Visit the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the holiest shrine in Tibetan Buddhism, and join pilgrims walking the Barkhor circuit around its golden roofs.
Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati
Visit Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, a revered Shakti Peetha and Tantric center, with darshan tips, Ambubachi Mela and hill access.
Karnak and Luxor Temple
Explore Karnak, the vast temple of Amun, and Luxor Temple, linked by the Avenue of Sphinxes, in ancient Thebes, Egypt's greatest religious center.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
Visit Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, the golden Jyotirlinga of Shiva by the Ganges, with tips on darshan, the new corridor and the riverside ghats.
Kedarnath Temple
Trek to Kedarnath Temple at 3,583 m in the Garhwal Himalaya, a Jyotirlinga and Char Dham shrine, with route, opening season, registration and safety tips.
Konark Sun Temple
Visit the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, a 13th century stone chariot of the sun god Surya with carved wheels and horses, plus tickets, timings and tips.
Lalish
Lalish in northern Iraq is the holiest temple of the Yazidis, home to the tomb of Sheikh Adi. Visitors walk barefoot through this sacred valley.
Lotus Temple, Delhi
Visit the Lotus Temple in Delhi, the Baha'i House of Worship shaped like a white lotus and open to all faiths, with prayer times and visitor tips.
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Visit the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, with meditation, timings and pilgrimage travel tips.
Mahaparinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
Visit Kushinagar's Mahaparinirvana Temple, where the Buddha passed into final nirvana, with the reclining Buddha, Ramabhar Stupa and pilgrimage tips.
Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini
Visit the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal, birthplace of the Buddha, with the Ashoka pillar, sacred pond, monastic zone and pilgrimage travel tips.
Mazu Temple, Meizhou Island
Make a pilgrimage to Meizhou Island in Fujian, birthplace of the sea goddess Mazu, whose ancestral temple draws devotees from Taiwan and across Asia.
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
Explore Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple, with towering painted gopurams and the shrine of the goddess, plus timings, dress code and visiting tips.
Muktinath Temple
Travel to Muktinath at 3,800 m in Mustang, Nepal, a shrine sacred to Hindus and Buddhists with 108 water spouts and an eternal flame, plus route tips.
Palitana Temples, Shatrunjaya Hill
Climb Shatrunjaya Hill at Palitana, Gujarat, to over 800 marble Jain temples, one of Jainism's holiest pilgrimages, with steps, timing and etiquette tips.
Pantheon, Rome
Visit the Pantheon in Rome, a Roman temple to all the gods turned Christian church, with the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and its oculus.
Pashupatinath Temple
Visit Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal's holiest Shiva shrine on the Bagmati River, with sadhus, cremation ghats, entry fees and etiquette tips.
Philae Temple of Isis
Visit Philae near Aswan, the island Temple of Isis where ancient Egyptian worship continued into the 6th century CE, reached by boat.
Prambanan
Visit Prambanan near Yogyakarta, the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti and famed for Ramayana reliefs and dance.
Pura Besakih
Visit Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple of Bali, a terraced complex of Hindu shrines on the slopes of sacred Mount Agung, busy with temple festivals.
Qorikancha and Santo Domingo, Cusco
Visit Qorikancha in Cusco, the Inca Temple of the Sun once sheathed in gold, now crowned by a Dominican church. A key stop on any Peru pilgrimage.
Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram
Visit Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, a Char Dham and Jyotirlinga shrine with the longest temple corridors in India and 22 sacred wells to bathe in.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
Visit Ranakpur Jain Temple in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, a marble marvel with 1,444 carved pillars, with timings for tourists, dress code and tips.
Somnath Temple
Visit Somnath Temple on Gujarat's coast, the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, with aarti times, the sound and light show and pilgrim tips.
Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
Plan a pilgrimage to Tirumala Venkateswara Temple near Tirupati, one of the busiest sacred sites on earth, with darshan booking, dress code and laddu tips.
Temple of Confucius, Qufu
Visit the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, the sage's hometown, and explore the great Dacheng Hall, family mansion and cemetery on a Confucian heritage trip.
Temple of Heaven
Visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, where Ming and Qing emperors prayed for harvests, and see its iconic Hall of Prayer and Circular Mound Altar.
Temple of Pythons, Ouidah
Visit the Temple of Pythons in Ouidah, Benin, a sanctuary of the snake deity Dangbe, and join the colorful Vodun Festival held each January.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy
Visit Kandy's Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine, with puja times, Esala Perahera dates, dress code and visitor tips.
Todai-ji
See the Great Buddha of Todai-ji in Nara, a vast bronze Vairocana inside one of the largest wooden halls in the world, surrounded by sacred deer.
Uluwatu Temple
Visit Pura Luhur Uluwatu, a Balinese Hindu sea temple on a cliff above the Indian Ocean, famous for its sunset Kecak dance and resident monkeys.
Wat Pho
Visit Wat Pho in Bangkok, home of the giant Reclining Buddha and the birthplace of Thai massage, a first-class royal temple full of chedis.
Wat Phra Kaew
Visit Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace, Thailand's most sacred Buddhist temple and royal chapel.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Climb to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep above Chiang Mai, a golden mountain temple holding a Buddha relic, reached by a naga stairway of 306 steps.
White Horse Temple
Visit the White Horse Temple near Luoyang, traditionally the first Buddhist temple in China, with its old pagoda and halls built by many nations.
Yamunotri Temple
Visit Yamunotri Temple at 3,291 m, the first Char Dham shrine and source of the Yamuna, with the Janki Chatti trek, Surya Kund and season tips.