One of the first things that visitors to Bali see upon arriving is the massive Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue located on the Bali Bukit, presiding over the entire southern Bali area. This incredible statue is part of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, and can be seen from as far afield as Mount Batur on a clear day. There is no wonder then, that a visit to the park is high on the To-do list of most visitors.
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Table of Contents
- Where is Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park?
- Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park Tickets
- What to expect
- Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue
- Getting around at GWK
- Things to do at GWK
- GWK Tips and Hints
- Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park Tours
- Where to stay
- Summary
Where is Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park?
Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park is located on the Bali Bukit of Southern Bali, in Ungasan. To get there, simply drive south from the Kuta area via the Ngurah Rai Bypass, and take the turn off at Jimbaran toward Uluwatu.
Follow the signs to GWK, which is located on the left hand side of Jalan Uluwatu, and is unmissable just after you leave the Jimbaran area and begin heading up the hill into Ungasan.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park Tickets
You can purchase tickets to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park at the entry, or online before you arrive.
If you want to buy online, then follow THIS easy link at GetYourGuide, or HERE for KLOOK.
To buy tickets when you arrive, simply catch the free buggy service from the carpark area, directly to the front entrance and ticket office. Be aware that on busy days there may be a line, and if you want to catch the buggy up into the park itself, you will have to purchase those tickets along with your entrance ticket.
Here are the ticket prices at time of writing this article.
Regular Entrance Ticket 125,000 Rp – Includes
- You entrance ticket to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
- Free entrance to ASANA Artseum
- Free to watch all cultural performances in the park
- Free animation film at the Garuda Sineloka Mini Theatre
- Free refreshment drink at Jendela Bali Restaurant at the exit
Ultimate Bundling Package 300,000Rp – Includes
- Everything included with the regular ticket price above
- Fantasy of the Garuda – a guided tour of the 9th and 23rd floors of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue.
Be aware that the Buggy Service is NOT INCLUDED with any of the ticket prices. This is sold seperately and must be purchased at the ticket office for 40,000Rp per person.
What to expect
Upon arrival, you will follow the road into the park until you come to the main carparking area. The road in is rather nice, with palm trees, manicured gardens and small lakes with very large statues of wild animals scattered around.
When you arrive at the carpark, you will pay to park either your scooter, on the left as you enter, or your car. There are a couple of souvenir shops here, which might be handy if you forgot your hat or water, but otherwise head to the bus/shuttle stop at the entrance of the carpark and await your ride up to the park entrance.
This shuttle is free, and will drop you right outside the entrance and ticket office.
The little square near the ticket office is quite nice, with a few statues that are worth taking a look at. On a crowded day though, the square fills up fast, so try and fast track to the ticket queue straight away.
It doesn’t seem to matter what queue you stand in, but it does help if you know what you are purchasing. Basically, you have the choice of a regular ticket, the ultimate ticket that includes a guided tour to climb UP into the statue, and the buggy ride. On a hot day, I do recommend the buggy ride. It is also a necessary requirement if you are at all mobility impaired, as the walk to the top of the park is long, hot, and mostly uphill.
Once you have your ticket, head to the right for the buggy, or to the left to walk up into the park.
Taking the buggy ride is easy, and it will drop you right at the base of the main Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue. Here, you can take photos, discover the history about the statue, and read about the legend behind it. If you purchased the Ultimate Bundle Ticket then you can head into the base of the statue and follow the directions up to the top.
Once you are finished here, you can catch the buggy to the second and final drop off point, which is the Lotus Pond at the center of the park. This is where you will be able to watch the cultural performances, including the famous Kecak Fire Dance that is included in your entrance fee. Be aware that you will have to come late in the day to see the fire dance though, as it is performed at sunset.
Wandering around this part of the park is lovely, and there are plenty of amazing spots for photos. The carved limestone cliffs are incredible, and along the way you will discover two more huge statues. These were the original statues in the Cultural Park before the largest Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue was constructed.
You will also find the cinema in this part of the park, which is a funny and entertaining animated film depicting the legend of GWK. There is also a food court, and some beautiful pools and a wishing fountain.
Near the exit you will come across the ASANA Artseum, entrance to which is included in your ticket price, as well as a large souvenir store.
Once you exit, you can get some really nice photos if you turn around and look back toward the statue. Also, don’t miss the Jendela Bali Restaurant off to the right as you exit, where you can get your complimentary refreshment drink.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue is the centerpiece of the GWK Cultural Park. Taking 28 years to build, and many more in planning, it was finally inaugurated in September 2018. Since then it has held pride of place high on the Bali Bukit.
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue is 122 meters tall, including a 46 meter base pedestal. Overall, it is even taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York. It also holds the record as the tallest statue of a Hindu Deity, and is the tallest statue in Indonesia.
Visitors can get up close to the statue by purchasing an entrance ticket into the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. To climb the statue, you will have to buy the Ultimate Bundle Ticket Package.
Getting around at GWK
There are basically two ways to get around when you are at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.
First is to walk. Be aware that the park is big, and walking will take some effort. It’s also very hot on most days, and the Bali Bukit is not an area that gets as much rain as the rest of Bali. The hot, limestone rock underfoot, combined with the beating sun can make the place like a Furness.
To walk, head around to the left of the ticket office where you will find some stairs going up to the road. There is a big map there that will show you where you have to walk, and what there is to see along the way. At the top of the stairs there is also a coffee shop, a couple of food shops and an Indomaret, so stock up on water because you will need it.
The most popular way to get around the majority of the park is to take the buggy. This is an extra charge beyond the price of entry, but is totally worth it. It is only 40k Rp per person, and the buggy (a large golf buggy) will run you directly to the base of the main statue. From there, it will take you to the next main area with the other statues, cinema and performance area.
The buggy rides don’t seem to be very long, but they save a LOT of walking. They pretty much run direct, where as walking takes you on the LONG route. Just take a look at the map above to see what I mean.
Things to do at GWK
There are more things to do at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park than you might think. It’s not just about the statue, even though that is the main attraction that most visitors come to see. Here is a list of my favorite things to do at GWK.
- Climb the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue – Yes, it is the main reason you came, so why not do it?
- Watch the Kecak Fire Dance – You don’t have to pay extra and go to Uluwatu Temple when you can see it here for FREE as part of your entrance ticket price.
- Catch other Cultural performances – There are up to 15 other performances on at different times, and you can catch them for free as well. Check timetables when you arrive.
- Take a helicopter flight – There is a GWK helicopter that you can take for flights around the area, as well as the surrounding Bukit, Uluwatu, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua areas.
- Dine in the Jendela Restaurant – Enjoy the wonderful balcony views with lunch or dinner at the restaurant before you leave.
- Watch the film in the Cinema – Included in your entrance price is the funny animated film at the cinema that tells the legend of GWK.
- Take some incredible photos – The entire park seems to have been designed for Instagram, with the carved limestone cliffs an incredible sight that offer a very unique frame of the statue from afar.
- Toss a coin into the Pond – There is a beautiful garden and pond that you can linger alongside, and even toss a coin and make a wish if you like.
- Take photos at Plaza Wisnu – Dominated by the massive head and torso statue of the God Wisnu, this plaza is another great place to enjoy the views and take some great photos.
- Dress up and take photos in Traditional dress – at the GWK Photo Studio you can get a unique memory to take home with you.
GWK Tips and Hints
As with visiting anywhere, there are a few things to know that might not seem like much, but they could make your trip a little easier and more fulfilling. Here are a few tips that I learnt when we visited that I would like to pass on.
- Take the buggy. As mentioned above, it saves a lot of walking in the Bali heat, which at most times of the year can be unbearable in a place with no shade.
- Check out the cinema. Not only does it feature an entertaining show about the legend behind GWK, but it is AIR CONDITIONED and is the perfect way to cool down during your visit to GWK.
- Visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana in the morning or afternoon, but NOT at midday if you want to get close up photos at the photo point right in front of the statue. Backlighting is terrible!
- When you are leaving, head to the restaurant area for some nice, cool complimentary iced tea and a wonderful view from the balcony dining area out over Jimbaran and the airport.
- Take a hat, sunscreen and lots of water as it can get very hot in the park.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park Tours
If you want to take the guesswork out of it and prefer to visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana on a tour, then the good news is that you can!
Have a guide pick you up, and take an entire day exploring the beautiful Bali Bukit area. Start at Nusa Dua, exploring some beach areas and the Waterblow, before heading to GWK to have a guided tour of the park. Afterward, visit Padang Padang Beach, one of the filming locations for Eat, Pray, Love, and finish up the day at the iconic Uluwatu Temple watching the famous Kecak Fire Dance.
All of this is available from GetYourGuide as a small group tour, that you can check out at THIS link, or clicking the button below.
You can also skip the queue at the entrance by buying your tickets for Garuda Wisnu Kencana online through THIS link.
Where to stay
If you want to stay local to GWK Cultural Park, then the two best areas are around Jimbaran, or Uluwatu.
Jimbaran is a really nice place to base yourself, with GWK handy nearby, some great shopping and local foods, handy access to Uluwatu just up the road, and a 15 – 20 minute taxi ride into the heart of the Kuta and Legian area. There are also some really beautiful and high class resorts at Jimbaran that can be checked out by clicking the button below.
The other local option for GWK Cultural Park is to stay around Uluwatu.
The added benefit of this is being close by to the famous Uluwatu Temple, and all of the iconic beaches that make Uluwatu a drawcard for visitors from all over the world. World class surf, towering cliffs, glorious sunsets and cafes and restaurants with the most incredible views makes Uluwatu a place that people just keep returning to.
Uluwatu has some really nice resorts, but mostly you will find the best accommodation is beautiful, peaceful and secluded villas within a stone’s throw or glorious beaches and delicious cafes.
Check out what Uluwatu has to offer via the link in the button below.
Summary
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is a must visit for any first time visitor to Bali. Learn about the legend of the Garuda, and discover the stories behind the histories that make the island of Bali such a captivating and glorious place to visit.
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