Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
Uluwatu Street, , , Badung Regency, Bali 80364, Indonesia, South Kuta, Ungasan, Bali
Generally known by its initials, GWK, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park centers on a 394-foot-tall (120-meter-tall) statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding the mythical bird Garuda. The 148-acre (60-hectare) site plays host to concerts, festivals, and rallies, as well as shops, restaurants, and regular dance performances.
Buy tickets for GWK Bali online or at the gates. Visit for dance performances, including the popular barong and keris dance (the one with the masked shaggy monster), or capture selfies at a range of Instagram-friendly locations, including the giant statue. Shuttle services make travel inside the enormous park easy, but many travelers will still prefer the convenience of a tour with private, air-conditioned transportation. Many tours include a seafood dinner on the beach at nearby Jimbaran Bay and sunset at clifftop Uluwatu Temple.
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is a popular choice for Instagrammers.
Special events at the park include free Sunday yoga classes, full-moon ceremonies, and food-truck days.
There is partial wheelchair access to GWK via the back entrance, but not to the statue. The site is on a hill.
The GWK Cultural Park is located atop a hill in the center of south Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, with Uluwatu to the west, Ungasan to the south, Jimbaran to the north, and Nusa Dua to the East. There’s no public transport, so most travelers prefer the ease of a tour or a private driver.
Except when there are concerts or special events underway, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is rarely crowded. It’s open from morning to evening seven days a week with regular dance, music, and cultural performances. Do note that it’s typically only tour providers who have access to the current schedule.
Inaugurated in 2018, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana giant statue is one of the world’s tallest. It is a tribute to the unique brand of Hinduism almost all Balinese follow. Local artist Nyoman Nuarta spent 25 years working on the copper and brass sculpture, which is designed to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 8 and wind speeds as high as 155 mph (250 kph).
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