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Parks & gardens

Garuda Wisnu Kencana

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Garuda Wisnu Kencana

What it is

Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) is a cultural park in Ungasan, on Bali's Bukit Peninsula, centered on a large statue depicting the Hindu god Vishnu riding the mythical bird Garuda. Beyond the statue itself, the park includes open plazas, gardens, and space for cultural performances. Most visitors come to see the statue up close, walk the grounds, and take in views over the surrounding limestone plateau.

Getting there

GWK sits in the south of Bali, close to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) — about 10 to 15 minutes by car from the terminal. From central areas like Kuta or Seminyak, expect roughly 30 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic, longer from Ubud or the north of the island.

How much time to allow

Plan for at least 2 to 3 hours to walk the plazas, view the statue from different angles, and browse the grounds without rushing. Add extra time if a cultural performance is scheduled during your visit.

When to go

Mornings tend to be cooler and less crowded than afternoons, and the park can get busy with tour groups around midday. As with much of outdoor Bali, the dry season (roughly April to October) offers a better chance of clear skies for photos of the statue.

Combine it with

  • Pandawa Beach (4.4km) — a beach stop with a similar cliffside approach, easy to pair on the same day.
  • Museum Pasifika (7km) — an indoor option if you want a break from the sun.
  • Benoa Bay (7.1km) — for water activities or a look at Bali's mangrove coastline.
  • Padang Padang Beach (7.3km) — worth the short drive for surfing or swimming.

Updated September 20, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors

Tickets & tours

Admission prices and opening hours change often, so we don't list them here. Check what's on sale and at what price below — booking ahead can cut the queue at some places.

This place may not appear in the results — some sites are free to enter or sell tickets only at the gate.

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Itineraries including this place

Good to visit alongside

Pandawa Beach

Nature

Pandawa Beach

Pandawa Beach is located in the Badung regency of southern Bali, near South Kuta. Once known only to locals because the surrounding hills made it hard to reach, it now has a road leading straight to the shore. On one of the cliffs flanking the beach, six statues depicting the Pandava brothers and the goddess Kunti from the Hindu epic Mahabharata are carved into the rock.

4.4 km away

Museum Pasifika

Museums & galleries

Museum Pasifika

Museum Pasifika is an art museum in the Nusa Dua area of Bali, exhibiting paintings, sculptures, and other cultural works gathered from across the Asia-Pacific region. Its collection spans not only traditional Balinese art but also works from neighboring Indonesian regions and Pacific islands, making it a good indoor stop for travelers seeking a quiet art experience amid a Bali trip otherwise centered on beaches and temples.

7.0 km away

Benoa Bay

Nature

Benoa Bay

Benoa Bay is a shallow, calm bay in southern Bali, between the Nusa Dua peninsula and the main island. Its near-waveless waters have made it a hub for water sports operators offering jet skiing, parasailing, and banana boat rides, and mangrove forests line the inner bay, where boat trips wind through narrow channels for a closer look at nature.

7.1 km away

Padang Padang Beach

Nature

Padang Padang Beach

Padang Padang Beach is a roughly 110-meter stretch of white sand on the Bukit Peninsula's Pecatu area in Bali, tucked narrowly between tall limestone cliffs. Reaching it requires descending a staircase and narrow passage cut through the rock. Given its small size, it's visited less for quiet swimming than for the scenery where cliffs meet sea, and for watching or trying surfing.

7.3 km away

Pura Luhur

Temples & religious sites

Pura Luhur

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is a Balinese Hindu temple perched on limestone cliffs at the southwestern tip of the Bukit Peninsula, overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is Bali's only sea temple and is counted among the nine directional temples believed to guard the island.

9.4 km away

Pantai Kuta

Nature

Pantai Kuta

Kuta Beach is a long stretch of sandy beach in southern Bali, popular with beginner surfers thanks to its gentle, rolling waves. Surf schools and board rental shops line the shore, and just behind the beach runs a lively strip of shops, restaurants, and bars, making it easy to combine a beach visit with a walk through town.

9.9 km away