Search for the Bali swing and you will find a dozen different places, all using the same name. The photographs are always similar: a woman in a long dress, arms out, hanging over a jungle valley or a rice terrace. The experiences behind them are not. Some are well-run parks with harnesses and staff. Others are a rope and a plank at the edge of a drop.
This guide sorts out which swing is which, what a ticket normally covers, how the photo packages work, and how to judge whether an operator takes safety seriously. The table below the text compares the tours that include a swing, if you would rather have pickup and a booked slot.
What “the Bali swing” actually means
There is no single official swing. The name is used by several swing parks in the hills around Ubud, and a 2026 guide notes that they are not all run by the same company. One group sits around Bongkasa Pertiwi, a short drive west of the centre, with parks such as My Swing Bali and Real Bali Swing. The park trading simply as Bali Swing belongs to this area.
The second group runs along the road north of Ubud towards Tegallalang. This is where the best-known photographs come from, because the swings hang out over terraced slopes. Tegallalang Rice Terraces has swings on the west rim, and Alas Harum is a paid park on the same road with swings, sky bikes and a zip line.
Beyond Ubud there are two more you may meet. Wanagiri Hidden Hills, on a ridge above Lake Buyan in north Bali, has bamboo swings, nests and platforms. Lahangan Sweet, above Amed, has a swing photo spot facing Mount Agung. For a base near the main parks, see our Ubud destination guide.
What a ticket includes
Prices and inclusions differ so much that the ticket description matters more than the price. A 2026 guide splits packages into two broad kinds. An entrance-only ticket gives access to photo spots and bird nests but no swings. A premium package gives unlimited use of all swings and nests, safety equipment and basic photography.
That gap catches people out. Some tickets cover the photo spots but not the swings, so read the line about swings before you pay. Also ask about tax and service, which some parks add on top.
Alas Harum shows the other model. You pay an entry ticket for the grounds, then each ride is priced separately. Its page on this site lists the current figures, including the rule that only the swings run before 10am. Tegallalang works the same way: entry to the rim is one payment and each swing is another, priced by the operator, so compare a couple before choosing.
Photo packages and the dresses
Most visitors want the shot, so parks have built a business around it. Staff typically guide your pose and take the photographs on your own phone or camera, and at premium level basic photography is part of the package.
One operator reviewed in 2026, Swing Heaven near the Ayung River, shows how it works. Staff guide the poses and take photos and video on your own device, and the package includes transfers from Ubud. Dress hire is not included, though you can rent on site, and one review mentions dresses in many colours for Rp 300,000. The staff handle changing and getting you ready for each station.
For clothes, wear shorts or leggings under the dress and shoes that come off easily. Long, light fabric works best, since it catches the wind. If you bring your own dress, choose a bright colour against the green.
How high, and how safe
Heights vary a great deal. A 2026 guide says swings start at around 10 metres, with other options much higher, and warns that the height depends on the operator and the swing. At Alas Harum the swings are 15 to 25 metres above the slope, with 15 pushes per ride and full safety gear compulsory. Its posted limits are 35 to 150kg for a single swing, and the park does not allow extreme rides for pregnant women, children under seven or anyone with a heart condition.
The safe versions share the same features. You are strapped into a harness before you swing out, staff handle the rope or the push, and you get a briefing first. A guide from the Bali Holiday Secrets site, updated in 2024, notes that the guides can be enthusiastic with the push, so expect to go higher than you think.
Permits, closures and what changed
After the 2018 death, Gianyar regency suspended swing tours until operators had their permits in order. That is the main closure on record, and it ended once operators were permitted again. We found no recent closure of the major parks.
The picture since then is mixed. A legal study of swing tourism in Tegallalang district found that accidents stem from the indifferent attitude of business operators and customers in applying the rules, and that the lack of rules setting out safe operating procedure adds to the risk. The same study found that the safety provisions had not been fully carried out. We could not date the study from the page, so treat it as a general warning rather than a current ruling.
The practical result is that a permit is not a guarantee. Private swings at small sites, such as those on the roadside at Wanagiri, are structures rather than regulated rides. A guide to Bali swings says many private operators built swings without proper regard for visitor safety. Check the ropes, supports and harness yourself.
Timing, queues and how to judge an operator
Go early. A 2026 guide gives the best window as the first two hours after about 7am, with fewer crowds and softer light. At Alas Harum only the swings run before 10am, which makes the early slot even better, and the park advises arriving at opening, before the queues form at the swings. At Wanagiri the same logic applies: the earlier you go, the fewer strangers in your photograph. Popular parks fill up in peak season, so booking ahead is sensible.
Judge an operator in five minutes at the gate:
- A harness is offered and fitted by staff, not left for you to fasten.
- Staff handle the rope and the push, and there is a briefing first.
- Weight and health limits are posted, and someone enforces them.
- You sign a liability form and the price states what is included, as at the better-run packages.
- The ropes, seat and platform look maintained, with no fraying and no rust.
If any of these is missing, leave. A swing photo is not worth the risk, and there are plenty of other operators within a few minutes.
A guided tour is the simplest option for first-timers, since the operator is vetted, transport is arranged and the timing is booked. Browse the full range on our Ubud tours page, and compare the options in the table below. If you prefer to go independently, plan around the Tegallalang road, where the swings, terraces and Alas Harum are close together.
