Tirta Gangga Water Palace Place guide

Built-in 1948 by the Raja Karangasem, Anak Agung Agung Anglurah Ketut Karangasem, Tirta Gangga is a sprawling 1.2-hectare tourist spot. It encompasses the original water palace as well as well-kept gardens with swimming pools, fountains, bridges, stone carvings and statues. Literally translated, ‘Tirta Gangga’ means ‘water from the Ganges’, and is considered a sacred site by the Hindu-practicing locals.

A famous feature of this palace on the water is the koi pond lined with neat rows of guardian stone statues carrying cudgels. The pond has polygonal steps that you can use to walk across the pond and take photos on or feed the fish from. Behind the pond, you’ll see the 11-tiered, 10m high central fountain with a lotus-shaped tip. There are also two pools – one a public swimming pool and the other used to house golden carp and other large fish.

TripGuru Tips

• When to go: The best time to visit the Tirta Gangga Water Palace is during the dry season, which is usually from April to October. While it is still possible to visit Tirta Gangga during the rainy season from November to February, the vibrant colours of the garden are more subdued and drab during these months.
  
  
• Visiting time: Being a popular photo-taking tourist spot, we recommend going early to beat the crowds. Open from 8 am to 6 pm, you can go as early as 8 or 9 am if you want to be one of the early birds and have the gardens relatively empty for photo taking.
  
  
•  The gardens themselves are not that large, making it doable to see the entire area in less than an hour, maybe an hour and a half if you prefer a more leisurely stroll.
  
  
• Do: Some activities (besides photo taking!) that you can do in the Tirta Gangga magical water palace are feeding koi fish in the pond (you can pay IDR5,000 for fish food at the entrance) or swimming in the pool (IDR20,000 swimming fee at the entrance as well).
  
  
• Nearby attractions: Situated on the southeastern slope of Mount Agung, it is highly recommended to combine a trip to Tirta Gangga with other destinations such as the famous Pura Lempuyang, Tukad Cepung Waterfall, Candidasa Beach, Ujung Water Palace, Kerta Gosa, or the Bali Elephant Safari Park.
  
  
• What to bring: Don’t forget to bring your camera, a swimsuit, and change of clothes (if you plan on swimming).
  
  
• Eat: If you get hungry, there are a number of restaurants serving local dishes around the area. Tirta Ayu Restaurant is one of our recos!
  
  
• Entrance fees: Prepare IDR30,000 for the Tirta Gangga entrance fee. Take note that there is also an IDR2,000 parking fee as well.

How to get there

• We recommend joining a tour, as it is one of the easiest and most stress-free of ways to get to Tirta Gangga. 
  
  
• While it is possible to rent a car or motorbike to get there yourself, it is a pretty far drive from most of the major areas (2 hours from Ubud and Sanur, 2.5-3 hours from Canggu, Kuta, and Seminyak). 
  
  
• Another option would be to hire a driver and carve out an itinerary for the day with a stop at Tirta Gangga and the surrounding scenic locations.
  
  

Address: Jalan Raya Abang Desa Adat, Ababi, Abang, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80852, Indonesia