Candi Tebing Gunung Kawi — Attraction in Bali

Interesting and unusual site. Well kept grounds, friendly staff.

50K each, entrance for tourist. 2K parking. Sarong is included in the price.

We visited at 08:40AM. It was very quiet.

The kings tombs are fascinating and definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. The steps down to the tombs are steep, meaning an energetic climb back up!

Some negatives tainted our visit: We were asked to pay 2K for parking the moment we left the main road. I am unsure if this is a scam or not? I believe this is the main parking area for cars. On a scooter (in the morning) we were allowed to continue (after paying) along the road to park at the entrance. We were not charged parking again. I have read reviews that others on scooters just drove past them; I am unsure what is correct?!

The shop owners trying to sell sarongs are very pushy. Some of the worst I experienced in Bali. It made me very uncomfortable. To add to this you don’t get your hired sarong ‘included with ticket price’ when you pay at the front ticket office. When I asked, the staff said ‘inside, inside’. But inside the entrance there are more sales people you have to walk past! So it made me question whether I needed to buy one!

Eventually you get to another entrance and your ‘hired sarong’! I found this experience uncomfortable and unclear.

To be clear… sarong hire is included in the ticket price! 🙏 Do not feel pressured to buy one!

Also don’t confuse this place with Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu. We went to the wrong place to start with. I thought the images of both Gunung Kawi’s were the same place; based on reviews in the wrong place. Both Gunung Kawi’s are nice to visit...

I came here, via private driver, on a Tuesday in mid-December 2022. This is a MUST if you're ever in Bali - definitely worth the trek out here. It looks like something out of a video game. It was my first time seeing anything carved into the walls of the stone like that. It's truly a unique Bali experience.

Because this is a religious place, you must wear a sarong but the entrance ticket also covers a sarong if you don't have one. You do not need to buy one from the vendors if you don't want to. There are a bunch of steps downhill to get to the temple but it's not too bad and well worth it.

Get here early to get the Temple to yourself. I think we got here at 9AM and there was practically no one there except us. Make sure you bring cash to pay for your entrance ticket.

Pro tip: you have to pass by the same vendors coming back up to the parking lot, so if you like something, make sure you get it on the way back up. They were going as low as 20,000 Rp. per pants, sarong, etc. Each vendor next to each other going even lower to out...

DON’T GET SCAMMED!

The temple itself is beautiful and totally worth seeing but be careful of the people at the entrance. They made my driver stop and some random man made me pay him entrance fee. Luckily only paid him Rp 10,000 (50p) but still on principle annoying seeing as this was not entrance fee and totally just a scam.

Along with a lady insisting I HAD to pay her Rp200,000 for a sarong in order to enter. They are so insistent and basically lie to you saying you can’t go through without paying for one. Luckily I didn’t pay this because I knew this wasn’t right and she only let me go ahead once I showed her other Google reviews saying you get a free sarong upon entrance. The switch up from not letting me leave to letting me leave was crazy 🤣

The entrance is a clear ticket booth and costs Rp 50,000 (£2.55). The temple is absolutely stunning and overall pretty quiet which was nice as I was able to explore...