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The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue against a clear sky, Bali.
Land Tour

Garuda Wisnu Kencana

A 121-metre statue that took twenty-eight years to finish

Duration
6 hours door to door
Group
Private car, up to 5 guests
Difficulty
Easy · shuttle inside the park
Shows
Kecak daily at 18:30

The trip

What You're Signing Up For

Garuda Wisnu Kencana is Vishnu riding the eagle Garuda, 121 metres from base to crown, which makes it taller than the Statue of Liberty. It was begun in 1990, stalled for most of two decades over funding and objections, and was finally completed in 2018.

The park around it is quarried limestone, cut into corridors and plazas that are genuinely striking in late afternoon light. There is a Kecak performance in the amphitheatre most evenings, and unlike the one at Uluwatu you can usually walk up and get a seat.

Highlights

Why People Pick This One

  • The tallest statue in Indonesia, finished only in 2018
  • Limestone corridors cut from the old quarry, best in late light
  • A Kecak performance most evenings without the Uluwatu queue
  • Twenty minutes from the airport, so it works as a last-day stop
  • Shaded shuttles between the plazas inside the park

Full description

The Whole Thing

The statue is Vishnu mounted on Garuda, the eagle who carries him, from an episode where Garuda agrees to serve him in exchange for freeing his enslaved mother. It stands 121 metres including its plinth and weighs around three thousand tonnes.

Itinerary

The Trip, Stop By Stop

Timings are typical, not fixed. Your guide reshapes the day around your pace and the conditions.

  1. Hotel pickup

    Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud

    Early afternoon if you want the Kecak, late morning otherwise. Confirmed the evening before.

    Included

  2. Arrive at the park

    Admission covered. A shuttle runs between the entrance and the upper plazas.

  3. The Lotus Pond and corridors

    The quarried limestone plaza under the statue, which is the part people underestimate.

  4. The statue

    Up close at the base, and the lift inside if you buy that ticket on the day.

  5. Kecak, optional

    In the amphitheatre at 18:30 most evenings. Usually seats available on arrival.

  6. Back to your hotel

    Same car, same driver. Twenty minutes to Jimbaran or the airport.

    Included
Trip stop Pickup area Pickup is from your own accommodation inside these areas. Route is indicative, not the exact road taken.

The price covers

What's Included, And What Isn't

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off across South Bali, Ubud and Canggu
  • Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver
  • Fuel, parking, tolls and the driver's day
  • Full park admission
  • The shuttle between plazas inside the grounds
  • Time for the Kecak in the amphitheatre if you want it

Not included

  • The lift inside the statue, a separate ticket on the day
  • Lunch inside the park
  • Personal spending, tips and anything you buy on the day

Before you book

Who This Trip Isn’t For

We would rather talk you out of the wrong trip than take your money for it. If any of these apply, message us and we’ll suggest something that fits better.

Anyone wanting an ancient site

It was finished in 2018. It is impressive and it is modern, and we would rather say so.

Anyone sensitive to heat

The limestone plazas hold heat and there is little shade in the middle of the day. Late afternoon is much better.

Anyone on a tight budget

Admission is the bulk of the cost here. Uluwatu temple is a fraction of it and older.

Come prepared

What To Bring

A sun hat

The plaza is a limestone quarry with a statue in it. There is essentially no shade anywhere on the site.

Water, more than you think

It reflects heat off the stone all day and the walk between the statue and the amphitheatre is longer than it looks.

Comfortable shoes

A lot of flat walking on hard stone. Nothing technical, but not the day for new sandals.

Cash for the shuttle and lockers

The internal shuttle and the lift to the statue's crown are paid inside, in cash.

On the trip

What It Looks Like

Tap a photo to enlarge

Before you book

Questions About This Trip

Anything not covered here? Message us. We'd rather answer first than have you book the wrong trip.

Is it a temple?

No. It is a cultural park built around a modern monument. If you want a working temple on the Bukit, Uluwatu is twenty-five minutes further and we can add it.

Can you go inside the statue?

There is a lift to a viewing level, sold as a separate ticket on the day. Whether it is worth it depends on the haze; ask at the counter.

How does the Kecak compare with Uluwatu?

Same story, bigger stage, no clifftop and no queue. Uluwatu has the setting; this one has seats.

How long do people stay?

Two to three hours, or four if you stay for the performance. Your driver waits either way.

Good for a last day?

Yes, it is twenty minutes from the airport. We often run it as an afternoon before an evening flight, luggage in the car.

Pairs well with

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Ready When You Are

Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We'll confirm availability, pickup time and the total, usually within the hour.