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Guide · Where to watch
The best kecak dance in Bali, stage by stage
The same chant fills a cliff amphitheater, temple courtyards in Ubud, a beach stage and a cultural park. What each stage gives you, when it starts and what it costs to get in.
Check availabilityfrom $9 · no cancellation fee
Editorial team, kecakfiredanceshow.comUpdated October 26, 20266-minute read31 sources
Quick answer
The same chant on very different stages
Ask which is the best kecak dance in Bali and you are really asking which setting suits your evening. The chant itself travels: the Ministry of Tourism lists performances at Tanah Lot, GWK Cultural Park, Pura Dalem Ubud, Padang Tegal Stage, Batubulan, Umadewi Stage and more, beside Uluwatu.5 The circle of men, the Ramayana scenes and the fire are common to them all.
What changes is everything around the circle. Some stages face the sea at sunset, others sit in a temple courtyard lit by torches, and one at Garuda Wisnu Kencana tells a different story altogether. Start times run from late afternoon to after dark, and the price of getting in depends on whether a temple, a beach or a park charges its own entry on top of the show.
If you want one answer, the Ministry of Tourism gives it: it calls Pura Uluwatu the best place to watch, with the dance performed daily against the sunset.4 Uluwatu is also the stage where tickets can sell out in peak seasons.6 The other stages are worth knowing for the nights when a quieter, closer or more local evening would suit you better.
Uluwatu: the cliff, the sunset, the crowd
Uluwatu's amphitheater sits 70 m above the Indian Ocean, and the show runs as the sun sets behind the temple.2 It is held every day from 18:00 to 19:00, and up to 1,200 spectators fit in for each show.17 No other stage on this list puts the chorus, a temple on a cliff and an ocean sunset into one view.
That view has a price beyond the ticket. The management's own booth charges IDR 150,000 for an adult show ticket, and temple entry for a foreign adult adds IDR 60,000.89 Tickets can sell out in peak seasons, the temple's long-tailed macaques test your grip on sunglasses and hats, and the road to the peninsula fills up in the late afternoon in the holiday season.61011
The online ticket sold on this site covers the show only, starts from $9 and carries 5,457 reviews. Choose Uluwatu for a first kecak, for photographs, or when the sunset is half the point of the evening. Book it for the evening you are surest of: the ticket cancels free only up to 2 days before.
Demand signal
Reviews on the main ticket for each stage
reviews
Side by side
Five kecak stages on Bali
| Stage | Setting | Show starts | Paid on top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uluwatu Temple | Cliff amphitheater | 18:00 daily | Temple entry |
| Ubud stages | Temple & palace courtyards | 19:00, set nights | Not stated |
| Melasti Beach | Beach stage | 6:00 PM on its ticket | Beach entry & parking |
| Tanah Lot | Restaurant stage by the temple | At sunset, not daily | Temple entry by option |
| GWK park | Kecak of Garuda & Wisnu | 6pm daily | Park entry |
Sources: Uluwatu's managing body, Indonesia's tourism ministry, the official Tanah Lot and GWK sites, and each ticket listing.1121314315
Three tickets, three settings
Cliff, courtyard or beach
First kecak
Closest to Ubud
Bukit beachesHowever, the best place to watch this spectacular show is at the Pura Uluwatu, where the dance is performed daily with as background the dramatic sunset.
Ubud: courtyards, palaces and torchlight
In Ubud the kecak moves between village stages on set nights. One ticket listing sells shows at Sayan on Friday and Sunday, Pura Dalem Kutuh Kaja on Sunday and Tuesday, Peliatan Palace on Thursday, Dalem Junjungan Temple on Saturday, ARMA on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and a show performed by women at Batukaru Temple on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Tourism adds Pura Dalem Taman Kaja, where locals perform on Monday and Friday at 7:00 pm, around Rp100,000 to Rp150,000, a short walk from Monkey Forest Road.1718 On the listing above the gate opens from 18:00 to 19:30 and the show starts at 19:00: these are torchlit evenings rather than sunsets.
That ticket starts from $6 with 3,413 reviews. Choose Ubud if you are staying in the hills, if you prefer a village courtyard to a cliff, or if you want to see the chorus with the fire as the only light. Check which venue your voucher names: the listing asks you to follow it. A light jacket or shawl is worth packing, as the listing points out that evenings in the hills can turn cool.
Map
Where the kecak is danced on Bali
First the island with every stage this site compares, then the Bukit peninsula with Uluwatu, Melasti and GWK, then the temple courts and palaces of Ubud.
1Pura Luhur Uluwatu2Melasti Beach stage3Garuda Wisnu Kencana4Tanah Lot5Ubud6Batubulan7Denpasar8Ngurah Rai Airport
1Pura Luhur Uluwatu9Karang Boma Cliff10Labuan Sait Beach3Garuda Wisnu Kencana2Melasti Beach stage11Jimbaran Beach
12Ubud Palace13Pura Dalem Ubud14Pura Dalem Taman Kaja15Puri Agung Peliatan16ARMA
- 1Pura Luhur Uluwatu
The cliff temple whose amphitheater stages the daily kecak at 18:00.12
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Melasti Beach stage
A beach stage in Ungasan, 16.3 km from the airport.1916
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Garuda Wisnu Kencana
The cultural park lists its own kecak every day at 6pm.3
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Tanah Lot
The sea temple; its kecak is held at De Jukung from sunset.13
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Ubud
Several village stages take turns through the week.
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Batubulan
The village the Ministry names for Barong performances.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Denpasar
The provincial capital; Kesiman stages Barong too.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Ngurah Rai Airport
About 45 minutes by road from Uluwatu.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Karang Boma Cliff
A separate kecak about 1 km from the temple, not inside it.
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Labuan Sait Beach
Also called Padang-Padang; about 50 macaques live here.2223
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Jimbaran Beach
Where several sunset tours end with dinner.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Ubud Palace
Home of the nightly Legong the Ministry singles out.24
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Pura Dalem Ubud
One of the kecak stages the Ministry names in Ubud.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Pura Dalem Taman Kaja
Kecak by locals on Monday and Friday at 7:00 pm.17
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Puri Agung Peliatan
The Peliatan palace; one listing sells its Thursday kecak.
In Google Maps ↗ - 16ARMA
The art museum stage; one listing sells kecak here on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before you choose a stage
01
Check on the ticket
- The venue named on the voucher
- The night of the week for Ubud shows
- Whether temple, beach or park entry is extra
- The cancellation terms
02
For the evening
- Arrive early at Uluwatu and Melasti
- Cash for entry fees at the gate
- A light for torchlit Ubud courtyards
Cost calculator
One kecak evening for your group
Starting totals for the show ticket at each stage.
People
Total from$18
per participant from $9
Check availabilityfree cancellationTotals: the cheapest listed fare times your headcount, turned into your currency with the ECB's daily figure; the booking page settles the real sum.
Video
A full kecak evening on the Uluwatu cliff
Nothing loads until you tap play.
Melasti Beach: a stage between cliffs and sand
Melasti Beach in Ungasan, 16.3 km from the airport, is listed by the provincial tourism site with kecak performances among its attractions.1916 The beach is run by the Ungasan customary village on the Tri Hita Karana concept.25 The show is staged by the sea, on the southern shore of the Bukit peninsula. It is about 30 minutes from the airport, which also makes it an easy first or last evening of a trip.19
The times depend on who you ask. The Ministry of Tourism gives around 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, Rp150,000 to Rp200,000 depending on the organizer, and calls the shows generally seasonal.2627 The ticket listing for the beach show gives daily performances from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and asks you to arrive before 5:30 PM.
That ticket starts from $8 and has 362 reviews. Choose Melasti if you are staying on the Bukit or in Nusa Dua and want sea and sunset without a temple visit, or as a second kecak after Uluwatu. Read its cancellation note before paying: the listing's own notes call the ticket non-refundable once confirmed.
Tanah Lot and Garuda Wisnu Kencana
At Tanah Lot the chorus performs at De Jukung Resto & Bar, starting as the sun goes down, according to the attraction's own site.13 One ticket places that stage within the temple area, roughly 100 m from the shrine on its rock. The Ministry of Tourism notes the show is not held every day and runs around sunset in high season, around Rp100,000 to Rp150,000.14
The ticket for that show starts from $6 with 318 reviews, and it suits travellers based in Canggu or Seminyak who want the sea temple and the chant in one trip. Tanah Lot charges its own temple entry, which you pay yourself if you book that ticket's option without it.
The GWK kecak dance is a different show. The park lists Kecak Garuda Wisnu Kencana every day at 6pm and describes it as the story of Garuda and Lord Wisnu, not the Ramayana.3 The Ministry of Tourism gives 6:30 pm, free for park visitors, with park entry at Rp125,000 to 150,000.15 Choose GWK if you plan a day in the park anyway.
Karang Boma: a show near Uluwatu, not in it
One more name turns up in searches for the Uluwatu kecak: Karang Boma. Its ticket listing states plainly that the show is not in Uluwatu Temple; it is held at a cliff venue about 1 km away, and a separate entry ticket for the cliff sunset point is needed on top of the dance ticket.
The same listing gives a show of about 45 minutes and asks guests to arrive 15 minutes before it starts. It carries 195 reviews and an average of 4.26. That is a real alternative with its own cliff and its own sunset, but it is not the temple amphitheater.
Read the venue line on any kecak ticket before you buy. A listing that names the temple, its amphitheater or Pura Luhur Uluwatu is the show described on most of this site. One that names another cliff or a restaurant stage is a different evening, which may be just as good, but you should choose it knowingly.
Seeing the kecak twice
The stages differ enough to make a second kecak worthwhile. Uluwatu gives the grand version: a cliff, a crowd of up to 1,200 and the sun going down behind the temple.72 An Ubud courtyard gives the opposite, a smaller circle in torchlight, with the chorus close enough to see each face.
If you do both, put Uluwatu first. It answers the big questions, the story and the fire, and leaves you free to watch the details on the second night: the soloist who leads the chorus and narrates, the gestures of the dancers, the way the rhythm speeds up and slows down.2829 Across its venues, the Ubud listing above has a show on every night of the week.
A second evening does not have to be kecak at all. The Ministry of Tourism singles out the nightly Legong at the Ubud Palace, a gamelan-accompanied court dance, and GWK runs a Barong and Bojog dance every day at 3pm.243031 Seen side by side, they show how unusual a dance without instruments really is.
Your seat
The kecak on the cliff, on the evening you choose
One-hour show ticket, temple entry paid at the gate, free cancellation up to 2 days before.
You ask,we answer.
Where is the best kecak dance in Bali?
Uluwatu, says the Ministry. The Ministry of Tourism calls Pura Uluwatu the best place to watch, with the daily show against the sunset.4
Is there kecak in Ubud?
Yes, on several stages. One listing sells Ubud shows at six venues on set nights, starting at 19:00.
Is the GWK kecak the same story?
No, it tells another legend. GWK describes its kecak as the bond between Garuda and Lord Wisnu.3
Is there a kecak at Tanah Lot every day?
Not every day. The Tanah Lot kecak dance is not held every day, the Ministry of Tourism says, and runs around sunset in high season.14
What time is the kecak at Melasti Beach?
Around sunset. The ticket listing gives 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM daily; the Ministry gives around 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.26
Is the Karang Boma kecak at Uluwatu Temple?
No, about 1 km away. Its listing says the show is not in the temple and needs a separate sunset-point entry ticket.
Sources
What this text is based on
- 1Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Kecak Dance↩
- 2Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Kecak Dance↩
- 3Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (official site)Daily Cultural Performances↩
- 4Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Ubud's Kecak Dance: Enchanting Tradition↩
- 5Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Ubud's Kecak Dance: Enchanting Tradition↩
- 6Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Kecak Dance↩
- 7Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Kecak Dance↩
- 8Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Kecak Dance↩
- 9Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Temple↩
- 10Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Temple↩
- 11Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Pura Uluwatu Bali↩
- 12Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Uluwatu Temple↩
- 13Daya Tarik Wisata Tanah Lot (official site)Kecak Dance↩
- 14Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 15Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 16Love Bali, Bali Provincial GovernmentPantai Melasti↩
- 17Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 18Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 19Love Bali, Bali Provincial GovernmentPantai Melasti↩
- 20Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)The Barong and the Kris Dance: The Eternal Battle Between Good and Evil↩
- 21Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 22Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Why Feeding Uluwatu Monkeys Should Only Be Done with Staff Guidance↩
- 23Uluwatu Temple (official site of the managing body)Conservation & Wildlife↩
- 24Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Legong Dance↩
- 25Love Bali, Bali Provincial GovernmentPantai Melasti↩
- 26Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 27Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 28Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Ubud's Kecak Dance: Enchanting Tradition↩
- 29Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Kecak Dance: the Meaning and Its Philosophical Movements↩
- 30Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia (indonesia.travel)Legong Dance↩
- 31Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park (official site)Daily Cultural Performances↩
