Gitgit Waterfall, North Bali: The Easiest Stop

In Brief

Gitgit Waterfall is a single fall of about 35 metres in Gitgit village, in the Sukasada district of Buleleng. It stands beside the main road from Singaraja up to Bedugul, roughly 11 kilometres south of Singaraja.

The walk down from the parking area is short and stepped, and ordinary shoes are enough. The regency's tourism office lists the fall as easy to find and signposted from the road.

Gitgit works best as a stop on the cross-island drive, with a whole day kept for one of the bigger falls inland. Come early in the morning, before the tour vans. You pay an entry fee in cash at the gate.

Gitgit Waterfall at a Glance

What it is: one tall column of water, about 35 metres, dropping into a rocky pool in forest
Where: Gitgit village, Sukasada district, beside the Singaraja to Bedugul road (Map)
Distance: about 11 km from Singaraja, by the regency's count
The walk: short, stepped and paved for most of the way, fine in ordinary shoes
Entry: a ticket paid in cash at the gate
Time to allow: a short stop, most of it the walk down and back up
Best time: early morning, before the tour vans
Run by: the site's own management, listed with the Buleleng tourism office

One Tall Fall, a Few Minutes from the Road

Gitgit is one clean column of water, falling into a pool at its base with jungle on both sides.

It sits just off the main road that climbs between Bali's north coast and the Bedugul highlands, a little south of Singaraja. That makes it the most accessible waterfall in north Bali.

There is no canyon descent, no river crossing and no guide system to navigate. You park near the road and walk down a paved, stepped path. A few minutes later you are at the falls.

Many travellers take this road to cross the island from north to south, so most people meet Gitgit as a stop on the way.

Photographed for More Than a Century

Gitgit has been on the itinerary for a long time.

The photograph below was published in 1917, and it comes from the Dutch colonial collections of the KITLV in Leiden. It shows the same tall fall and its boulder-strewn pool. At the time Singaraja, a short drive below, was the island's colonial capital.

An early twentieth-century photograph of a tall waterfall falling into a boulder-strewn pool, dense forest on both sides The waterfall near Gitgit, from a photograph published in 1917. Photo: A.P. Aganoor / KITLV / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Indonesian Wikipedia gives the height as 35 metres. The regency also lists Gitgit as a tourism village.

Its listing shows several smaller waterfalls within a few kilometres, for anyone who wants to keep walking. Dukuh Amertasari and Banyuwana Amertha are among them.

The Walk Down: Steps, Stalls and the Sound of Water

The trail from the road down to the falls is short and well made.

Steps and a paved path carry you most of the way, past the warungs and souvenir stalls that line the upper section. The regency describes a walk that twists and turns between the trees, with the sound of the water ahead of you.

The climb back up is the only effort.

At the Base: Spray, a Shallow Pool and Slick Rock

The waterfall is a tall, narrow drop into a shallow pool ringed by mossy rock and dense green. Spray drifts across the lower viewing area, so the air near the base is cool and damp even at midday.

A tall white waterfall falling through thick jungle, ferns and mossy boulders in the foreground Gitgit in its forest. Photo: Rainhard Findling / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The current near the falls is strong. This is a place to stand close and feel the spray, more than a place to swim properly.

People do wade in at the edges. The footing on the wet rock is slick, so step carefully.

Is Gitgit Worth It? Yes, as a Stop on the Drive

Gitgit is the easy waterfall.

If you have already seen Sekumpul Waterfall or the cliff jumps at Aling-Aling Waterfall, it will feel modest by comparison. It is one pretty drop, easy to reach and often busy.

Its strength is the short walk. You see a real Bali waterfall in the clothes you are already wearing, without giving half a day to a canyon trek. That suits travellers short on time, families with young children and anyone who wants the falls without the climb.

So stop at Gitgit when you are already passing, and give a whole day to one of the bigger falls inland.

When to Go: Early Morning, in Any Season

Early morning is the time to come. The light through the trees is soft, the air is cool, and the tour vans have not yet arrived from the coast.

The site can get busy by mid-morning, because it is so easy to reach. Tour vans stop here on the cross-island run, and the upper path fills with day-trippers and sellers. Arrive early and you may have the lower viewing area close to yourself.

Season matters less here than at the harder waterfalls, since Gitgit is reachable year-round on a sealed path.

Wet season, roughly November to March: the column thickens, the falls run louder, and the lower path can be slick.
Dry months: the column narrows but keeps falling, and the footing is easier.

The seasons are covered in the best time to visit north Bali.

How to Get There: The Singaraja to Bedugul Road

Gitgit sits directly on the main road between the north coast and the Bedugul lakes, about 11 kilometres south of Singaraja. Getting to north Bali covers the route itself.

From Lovina: drive east to Singaraja, then turn south up the Bedugul road. It is an easy morning out.
From the Bedugul and Munduk highlands: you meet it on the way down.
By private driver: the simplest way, since the stop slots into the longer mountain crossing.
By scooter: easy too. The road is sealed and the turning is signposted.
By public transport: no reliable service drops you at the gate.

You reach the parking area almost without leaving the main route. Of the north Bali waterfalls, Gitgit is the closest to it, so the stop needs no detour.

How to Fit It In: A Break on the Mountain Drive

The road between the north coast and the Bedugul highlands is the spine of a north Bali itinerary, and Gitgit sits right on it.

Heading up from Lovina toward the Bedugul lakes, or Munduk beyond them, it is the first stop to stretch your legs. After it, the road climbs into the cooler highlands. Coming back down toward the coast, it is the last green pause before you drop to sea level. Either way, it breaks up a winding drive.

On a full waterfall day, the usual pattern is to give the morning to the bigger falls and keep Gitgit as the easy bookend. The north Bali waterfalls guide maps how the sites connect along the route.

If you want the gorges more than the viewpoint, the canyoning trips in sports in north Bali run in the river valleys around Gitgit.

Practical Notes

Entry: a ticket paid in cash at the gate. Bring small notes and confirm the current fee there.
Trail difficulty: easy. A short paved and stepped path, suitable for most ages and fitness levels.
Footwear: regular shoes are fine. The wet rock near the base is slick, so something with grip helps.
Swimming: the pool is shallow and the current near the drop is strong. Treat it as a place to cool off at the edge.
Crowds: quietest in the early morning, busiest with tour traffic from mid-morning onward.
Sellers: expect warungs and souvenir stalls along the upper path. A polite no is enough.
Parking: beside the main road at the entrance.
Where to stay: Lovina is the nearest coast base. Palm Living's villas for rent are around Lovina, a short drive from the Singaraja turn-off.

FAQ

Is Gitgit Waterfall worth visiting?

As a stop on the mountain drive, yes. It is the easiest waterfall in north Bali to reach, a short walk off the main road, and pretty in its own right. It is less dramatic than Sekumpul or Aling-Aling, so stop there when you are already passing.

Where is Gitgit Waterfall?

In Gitgit village, in the Sukasada district of Buleleng, north Bali, beside the main road from Singaraja up to Bedugul. The regency puts it about 11 kilometres from Singaraja.

Is there an entrance fee at Gitgit Waterfall?

Yes. A ticket is sold at the gate and paid in cash, so bring small notes, and confirm the current fee at the entrance.

How do you get to Gitgit Waterfall?

By car or scooter on the main Singaraja to Bedugul road, where the turning is signposted. From Lovina, drive east to Singaraja and then south up the hill. A private driver is the practical option, since no reliable public transport runs to the gate.

How tall is Gitgit Waterfall?

About 35 metres, a single tall column falling into a rocky pool at the base.

Can you swim at Gitgit Waterfall?

Not really. The pool at the base is shallow and the current near the falls is strong, so it suits standing close and feeling the spray more than swimming. People wade in at the edges, where the wet rock is slippery, so step with care.

Sources

Visit North Bali (Buleleng Tourism Office), Gitgit Waterfall, for the location, distances, signposting, the path and the nearby waterfalls and tourism village, read September 2026 (in English)
Wikipedia, Air Terjun Gitgit, for the 35-metre height, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
Wikipedia, Gitgit Waterfall, for the district, the distances and Singaraja as the old island capital, read September 2026 (in English)
Wikimedia Commons, Waterval bij Gitgit, afdeling Boeleleng, KITLV 31123, for the 1917 photograph and its catalogue record, read September 2026 (record in Dutch)

Gitgit Waterfall: North Bali's Easiest Waterfall Stop