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Galungan and Kuningan, Bali guide
Penjor poles and returning ancestors.
In short
Galungan falls on Wednesday 13 January 2027 and Kuningan ten days later on 23 January, set by the 210-day Pawukon calendar; the cycle repeats with Galungan on 11 August 2027. It suits respectful visitors keen to see Balinese family worship. Expect tall penjor outside homes and busy temples, and remember it is a family holiday first.
Twice in most years, by the reckoning of Bali's 210-day Pawukon calendar, Balinese Hindus celebrate Galungan, the victory of dharma over adharma, when ancestral spirits are believed to come home. Kuningan, ten days later, sees them off again. The next Galungan falls on Wednesday 13 January 2027, with Kuningan on Saturday 23 January.
The cycle comes round again within the same year, with Galungan on 11 August 2027 and Kuningan on 21 August. Either time, you will know it has arrived from the penjor, the tall bamboo poles that go up outside houses across the island.
This is a family holiday first. Some shops, restaurants and services shut or cut their hours while staff go back to their home villages, so check opening times before you set out.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Bali, Indonesia
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Religious Festivals
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (Rp, IDR)
Time zone: Central Indonesia Time (WITA), UTC+8
Language: Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
How the Galungan date is calculated
Galungan is always the Wednesday called Buda Kliwon Dungulan in the Pawukon, the 210-day cycle that governs Balinese religious life. Because the cycle is shorter than a solar year, the holiday usually turns up twice in the Western calendar.
The atmosphere builds for days beforehand as families cook and make offerings, so arriving early in the week gives you the best of it.
Preparation days before and after Galungan
- Penyekeban (three days before)
- bananas are set aside to ripen for offerings.
- Penyajaan (two days before)
- families make jaja, fried rice cakes for the offerings.
- Penampahan (one day before)
- pigs or chickens are slaughtered for the feast, and the penjor go up along the roads.
- Galungan
- prayers at family shrines and village temples, then visits to relatives.
- Manis Galungan
- the day after, given over to calling on family and friends.
- Kuningan (ten days after)
- special prayers and offerings, usually finished by midday, so go early if you want to see them.
Penjor, offerings and temple ceremonies
Penjor first. The curved bamboo poles, dressed with woven palm leaves and hung with offerings, stand outside almost every house, and in some villages the streets turn into long arched tunnels of them.
Mornings belong to the temples. Families walk there in white and other traditional dress, women balancing tall stacks of fruit and cakes on their heads. In the days after Galungan, some villages send barong performers from house to house.
Temple etiquette and sarongs
- Temples are crowded with worshippers. Go outside prayer times if you can, and always wear a sarong and sash.
- Never walk in front of someone praying, and watch your feet: offerings are often placed on the ground.
- Ask before photographing a ceremony. No flash inside a temple.
- Processions can stop traffic dead. Leave extra time for the airport run.
Staying inland for the best decorations
The villages around Ubud and in the countryside tend to put up the most elaborate decorations, so base yourself inland. Our guide to where to go in Bali helps narrow down a base.
Bali's other great holy day is Nyepi, the Day of Silence, on 8 March 2027, when the whole island, airport included, shuts down for 24 hours.
Seeing Galungan in villages on the right mornings
Galungan is not staged for visitors. It happens in family compounds and village temples, and the trick is to be in the right part of Bali on the right mornings.
Arrive early in the week of Galungan, before the day itself. The three days before are when the work happens: fruit set aside, cakes fried, animals prepared for the feast, bamboo poles raised along the lanes. Walking a village street on the eve, Penampahan, tells you more than any temple visit.
Pack a sarong and sash, or buy them locally, because you will need them at every temple gate. White or pale clothes fit in on the main day. Expect some cafes, shops and services to close or keep short hours while their staff go home to their own villages, and confirm drivers and tours in advance. Processions halt traffic without warning, so add a generous buffer to any airport transfer. Book rooms early for these weeks, since many Balinese working elsewhere come home too.
Dates set by Bali's 210-day Pawukon calendar
The dates come from the Pawukon, Bali's 210-day ritual calendar, not from the Western year. Galungan always lands on the Wednesday known as Buda Kliwon Dungulan. Kuningan follows ten days later. A 210-day cycle fits into a Western year almost twice, so most years bring two rounds.
Plan around the whole sequence of days. Penyekeban, three days before, is when bananas are set aside to ripen. Penyajaan follows, with jaja rice cakes fried for offerings. On Penampahan the feast animals are killed and the penjor go up. Galungan itself starts with prayers at the family shrine and village temple, followed by visits to relatives, and Manis Galungan the next day is for calling on friends. Kuningan rites are usually over by midday. Go early.
Ancestors' return and the victory of dharma
At heart Galungan marks the triumph of dharma over adharma, order over chaos. Balinese Hindus believe the spirits of their ancestors return to the family home for the holiday, and the offerings, food and visiting that fill the next ten days are a way of receiving them. Kuningan is the farewell, when the spirits go back.
The most visible sign is the penjor. These tall bamboo poles curve over the road like fishing rods, dressed with woven palm leaf and hung with small offerings, and one stands outside almost every house. In some villages they line both sides of the lane so closely that you drive through an arch of them.
Mornings are the time to watch. Families walk to temple dressed in white and in traditional clothes, and women carry tall towers of fruit and cakes balanced on their heads. In the days that follow, barong dancers tour some villages, stopping at gate after gate. Treat all of it as worship. Never walk in front of someone praying, watch for offerings on the ground, and ask before you raise a camera; flash is not welcome inside temples.
Getting there
Flying in
Ngurah Rai International Airport in the south is Bali's gateway. Compare Bangkok to Bali and Phuket to Bali flights.
On the main days
Processions slow the roads, so plan short hops between nearby villages and avoid long cross-island drives. Book a driver early, before they head home for the holiday.
Where to stay during the festival
The hotels below are in Bali itself, the nearest ones we list to Galungan and Kuningan, Bali. The next date is 13 January 2027. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, since rooms close to the festival are the first to go.
Bali
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$1,200.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Bali
Mulia Resort Nusa Dua5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$320.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
The two rounds fall in very different seasons. January is the wet season: about 31°C by day, 25°C at night and close to 390 mm of rain over 19 days. August is the dry season, about 29°C and 24°C with barely 16 mm of rain (1991-2020 normals at Ngurah Rai airport).
Worth packing
- A sarong and sash for temple gates
- White or pale clothes for the main day
- A light rain jacket for the January round
- Sandals that slip off easily
Car hire in Bali
Airport transfer to Galungan and Kuningan, Bali
Met at arrivals and driven door to door to Bali.
Restaurants and food in Indonesia
Places to eat in Indonesia before or after the celebrations.
Gudeg Yu Djum
Jalan Wijilan, Panembahan, Kraton, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Cuisine:JavaneseGudeg
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Bebek Bengil
Jalan Hanoman, Padang Tegal, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Cuisine:BalineseIndonesian
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Cafe Batavia
Jalan Pintu Besar Utara 14, Taman Fatahillah, Kota Tua, Jakarta 11110, Indonesia
Cuisine:IndonesianInternational
- Dine-in
- Bar
Merah Putih
Jalan Petitenget 100X, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Cuisine:IndonesianContemporary
- Dine-in
Locavore NXT
Jl. A.A. Gede Rai Gang Pura Panti Bija, Lodtunduh, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Cuisine:Indonesian produceTasting menu
- Dine-in
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Galungan marks the victory of dharma, or virtue, over adharma, and the time when ancestral spirits are believed to return to their family homes. Kuningan, ten days later, is the day they are sent back with prayers and offerings. Yellow rice, from which Kuningan takes its name, is a feature of the offerings.
The day before Galungan is Penampahan, when families slaughter pigs and prepare festive dishes such as lawar and sate. Mornings are busy in village yards and kitchens. The day after Galungan, Umanis Galungan, is for visiting relatives and outings, so roads and beauty spots are crowded.
Many village temples welcome respectful visitors, but this is worship, not a show. Wear a sarong and sash, stay at the back, and never sit higher than the priest or step in front of people praying. Some temples close their inner courtyards to non-worshippers on the main days.
In the days around Galungan, groups of boys often carry a small barong, the lion-like protective figure, from door to door in a ritual called ngelawang, accompanied by gamelan. Households give a small donation. It is fine to watch and to offer a few thousand rupiah.
The main family and temple prayers on Galungan usually take place in the morning. On Kuningan, prayers are traditionally finished by midday, since the ancestors are believed to return to heaven before the afternoon. An early start gives you the best chance to see people in temple dress.
Photographing penjor, street scenes and processions from a distance is generally accepted. Ask before photographing people close up, especially at prayer. Keep flash off inside temples, and do not fly drones over ceremonies.
Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence, shuts the whole island for 24 hours, including the airport, and visitors must stay indoors. Galungan is the opposite: a festive period of family gatherings, temple visits and outings. Daily life slows down, but you can move around freely.
Look for lawar, a mix of chopped meat, vegetables, coconut and spices, and sate lilit, minced meat pressed onto lemongrass sticks. Babi guling is especially common around Penampahan. Many warung that do open serve a festive menu for the season.
Stay & facilities
Tourist-area hotels and most big restaurants stay open, but family-run warung, shops and some drivers close for several days. Banks and government offices observe official holidays. Book transport ahead and keep some cash, as small businesses may be shut.
Visa & documents
Traditionally, women who are menstruating, and anyone with an open wound, do not enter temples, and signs at many temple gates say so. Do not touch offerings or the penjor, and never step over offerings left on the ground. Use your right hand when giving or receiving anything.
Families & accessibility
Yes, as long as you plan around closures. Children usually enjoy the penjor-lined roads and the barong performances. Balinese schools close for the holiday, so family beaches and attractions are busier with local visitors.