Along with the Eastern Air Temple, it exclusively housed female Airbenders. This temple is located in the mountains north of the Fire Nation. It is unique in that, unlike the other temples, it was built underneath the edge of a cliff instead of atop a mountain. The spires seem as though they were built upside-down, and because of that, the temple is hidden to the passerby. Its design allows wind to flow into even the deepest chambers, which made the Air Nomads feel quite at home. Aang and his friends headed to the Western Air Temple for a safe place to stay after the unsuccessful invasion. It was there that Zuko began his search for the Avatar following his banishment. Ironically, after following the remnants of the invasion force there, Zuko decided to join Aang, pledging to teach him firebending. Although its interior has not been shown, Teo also mentions seeing a hall of statues. The temple features some interesting recreational spots, such as a giant Pai Sho table, an all-day echo chamber, and an air bison obstacle course and racetrack.

The Combustion Man attacked this temple in hopes of eliminating the Avatar and his gang. Thanks in part to Zuko's intervention on their behalf and Sokka's expertise at using a boomerang, the Combustion Man was defeated and killed when the building he was on exploded and fell into the nearby canyon. The temple suffered extensive damage from the attack but is still largely intact.

In "The Southern Raiders", Azula leads an attack on the temple, battling her brother and forcing the rest of the group to flee. After one of her blast clashes with an equally powerful blast from Zuko, both of them are thrown off the Airship. Zuko is saved by the group, who was flying on Appa, and Azula uses her Firebending to proper herself towards the cliffside, using her hair piece as a hook to slow the fall. The attack resulted in quite a damage, but the extent is unknown