The Immaculate Conception Cathedral is one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in South East Asia. It was built by the Indonesians, and officially inaugurated by Indonesian President Soeharto on 2 November 1988. Pope John Paul II visited and blessed the cathedral in 1989. It can hold up to 2,000 worshippers inside, and has space for many more on the 10,000sqm2 plot.

Church of Saint Anthony of Motael is the site of the oldest Catholic church in Timor-Leste, dating from around 1800. A century later a long term project was started to reconstruct the church. This was completed before WW2, only for the building to be substantially damaged by Japanese bombing. The current structure dates from 1955, and functioned as the de facto cathedral for Dili until the construction of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Motael Church was where the funeral for independence supporter Sebastião Gomes was held. He was killed by Indonesian soldiers inside the church, where he and other activists were being sheltered by the pastor. His funeral procession a fortnight later turned into the Santa Cruz Massacre.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church is a large and beautiful church in Becora, in east Dili. It took 8 years and $2.1m to build, and was consecrated on 21 November 2021. It can easily be reached on the routes of microlets #1 and #2.

Close to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the Hosana Protestant Church complex. Only 2% of Timor-Leste’s population is Protestant, 97.6% Catholic.

St Joseph Church of Aimutin is a huge church near Timor Plaza was designed to hold 1,200 people. Construction started in 2015 but they ran out of money and as of 2024 it is a concrete shell.

Pura Giri Natha Dili is the third largest Balinese temple outside of Bali. It was built to for the many Balinese soldiers who served during the occupation of Timor-Leste. It was inaugurated in 1987, and after independence it fell into ruin. The government is currently spending $1.2m to restore it as a tourist attraction, though some signage to it would be welcome!

An-Nur Mosque is the main centre of worship for Muslims in Timor-Leste, who make up less than 1% of the population. The mosque was constructed in 1955 and renovated in 1981. It is home to a school attended by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

One of the few buildings in Dili to remain undamaged for nearly 100 years, Chinese Hakka Guan Di Temple opened in 1928. It was established by immigrants from Macau who secured funding from the Portuguese colonial government and Chinese Diaspora. The main shrine is dedicated to Lord Guan, a 3rd century Chinese general worshipped in Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism. Another room dedicated to Guan Yin, a bodhisattva venerated in Chinese folk religion, was added in 1997.

Tasi Tolu Church is rather lovely, particularly the interior ceiling.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is opposite the UN Compound.

Close to Santa Cruz Cemetery, the Immaculate Conception Parish of Balide is one of the older and more attractive churches in Dili.

The attractive Dare Catholic Church was built in 1995 and renovated in 2018. It is also home to a seminary.

Visible for kilometres around, the Saint John Paul II Church in Balibar is a landmark on the hills behind Dili. It was inaugurated in December 2021, and is only open for services.