Bali Shopping Guide: Markets, Shops and What to Buy Where

Shopping in Bali comes down to two kinds of places: markets where you bargain and shops where the price is fixed. Use Sukawati and Kumbasari for cheap crafts and cloth, the Ubud Art Market for convenience, and the streets in Seminyak and Canggu for designer clothes and homeware. This guide covers the main ones with opening hours, and says plainly where sources disagree.

What are the main Bali markets for shopping?

The main Bali markets for visitors are the Ubud Art Market, the Sukawati Art Market, Kumbasari and Badung in Denpasar, and the Kuta Art Market. Each one sells a different mix, and the same souvenir can cost very different amounts at each.

Market	Area	Best for	Hours (check on the day)
Sukawati Art Market	Gianyar	Cheap crafts, paintings, clothing in bulk	Listed 6:00 to 18:00, most vendors open 9:00 to 10:00
Ubud Art Market	Central Ubud	Convenience, mid-range crafts	Sources say 8:00 to 18:00 or 9:00 to 17:00
Kumbasari	Denpasar	Balinese textiles, ritual items, crafts	Craft floors from about 8:00
Pasar Badung	Denpasar	Fresh produce, spices, local life	Described as 24 hours
Kuta Art Market	Kuta	Quick souvenirs near the beach	Listed 8:00 to 22:00
Sanur Sindhu night market	Sanur	Food, not crafts	Evenings, roughly from 17:00

When is the Ubud Art Market open, and is it worth it?

The Ubud Art Market is on Jalan Raya Ubud, directly opposite the Ubud Palace, and published hours differ: one guide gives 9:00 to 17:00, others say 8:00 to 18:00. Treat it as roughly mid-morning to late afternoon and go late morning, when the stalls are set up and the tour groups have not arrived. Entry is free, and scooter parking is about IDR 2,000, car parking about IDR 10,000 at the time of writing, according to one guide.

Early in the day the space works as a local produce market, and it turns into the craft market later. Prices run higher than Sukawati and some stalls sell mass-produced goods, so it suits a quick look more than serious hunting. Our page on the Ubud Art Market has the sights nearby, and the Ubud tour from $60 per car is a private day in Ubud, and you can ask us to add the market.

Is Sukawati Art Market cheaper than Ubud?

Yes, Sukawati is generally cheaper, because many local vendors buy stock here before reselling elsewhere. It is on Jalan Raya Sukawati, about 10 km south of Ubud and roughly 30 km from Seminyak or Canggu, a 45 to 60 minute drive from the south coast. One guide lists hours as 6:00 to 18:00 but says most vendors open between 9:00 and 10:00.

Block A is the busiest building. Bring cash, since most vendors do not take cards. Watch for two things: identical "one-of-a-kind" carvings on five stalls, which means mass-produced, and extra items such as bracelets slipped into your bag and added to the total. Our Sukawati Art Market page covers what is sold, and our post on Balinese art and crafts by village explains which pieces are really made nearby.

Where do locals shop in Denpasar?

Locals shop at Pasar Badung and Kumbasari, two markets side by side on the Badung River and linked by a bridge. Denpasar's tourism office says Badung operates around the clock as a traditional market. It burned down on 26 February 2016 and reopened in March 2019 with about 1,600 sellers.

Kumbasari is the one for crafts. It has four floors: groceries on the ground, then from about 8:00 the upper floors open with sarongs, udeng headwear and fabric on the second, sculptures, paintings and ornaments on the third, and souvenirs on the fourth. The tourism office says there is room to negotiate. Wikipedia also notes that ritual textiles called bebali can be bought at Kumbasari. Go in the morning and wear shoes you can walk in, since it is a working market, not a tourist arcade.

What should I know about shopping in Seminyak?

Shopping in Seminyak is about boutiques and fixed prices, not bargaining. Jalan Kayu Aya, also called Oberoi Street or Eat Street, has high-end boutiques, galleries and jewelry shops, and local labels such as Magali Pascal and Biasa sell linen, cotton and silk clothing. Jalan Raya Seminyak, which Wikipedia says is more often called Jalan Legian, is more casual: independent boutiques, surf shops and souvenir stores.

Boutiques and shops here work on marked prices, so do not bargain in them.

What about Kuta and the malls?

Kuta has the market and the malls, and the malls have the printed hours. Beachwalk Bali lists 10:00 to 22:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 23:00 Friday to Sunday. See our page on Beachwalk Mall for what is inside. In Nusa Dua, Bali Collection lists 10:00 to 23:00 every day. Malls are the place for international brands, air conditioning and prices you can read.

The Kuta Art Market is the beach-side option: one guide gives 8:00 to 22:00, though individual stalls open and close when they like, and it says Seminyak is 20 to 30 minutes away. Expect to bargain hard and expect quality to be basic. It is fine for T-shirts and sarongs. For carvings and paintings, Sukawati or the craft villages give you more choice.

Where can I do local shopping in Bali, away from the tourist shops?

For local shopping in Bali, go where residents buy food and household goods. That means Pasar Badung in Denpasar, and the Sanur Sindhu night market, which is a food market, not a craft one. A guide lists it as free to enter with parking of IDR 2,000 for scooters and IDR 5,000 for cars, and says 6:00 to 7:00 pm is the best time, when all the vendors are ready. Listed closing times vary, so check, and eat there rather than shop.

Canggu has its own weekend markets, including Love Anchor and the Samadi markets, which sell clothing, food and handmade goods. Hours change, so confirm before you go. If you are staying nearby and want a day on the beach side of the island, our post on Balinese cuisine will help you plan what to eat while you are out.

What should I buy where?

Match the item to the place and you avoid most of the overpaying. The short version:

Item	Where to look	Note
Sarongs, udeng headwear, fabric	Kumbasari, second floor	Denpasar's tourism office says there is room to negotiate
Paintings and carvings in bulk	Sukawati	Check for identical pieces on several stalls
Original carvings and silver	The villages: Mas, Celuk	Buy from the maker, see our crafts post
Linen and silk clothing, jewelry	Jalan Kayu Aya, Seminyak	Boutique prices, no bargaining
T-shirts, beach sarongs	Kuta Art Market	Bargain hard
International brands	Beachwalk, Bali Collection	Fixed prices, air conditioning

Which shops in Bali are worth visiting besides markets?

The best shops in Bali for gifts are the boutiques on Jalan Kayu Aya and Jalan Raya Seminyak, and the malls. Locals buy more at markets and small roadside shops than in malls, which is why the Denpasar markets above are worth the detour. If you prefer one stop, the malls are the simplest, with hours posted and prices marked.

How much should I bargain, and what should I skip?

Start at about half the asking price in markets and expect to settle somewhere between. Smile, stay polite and be ready to walk away, since that often brings a better offer. Do not bargain in malls and boutiques.

Skip anything that looks identical on every stall and is marked as handmade. Skip bonus items you did not ask for. Do not buy bulky carvings on the first day of a trip, since you will find the same thing cheaper later and have to carry it. Carry small notes in rupiah, since small bills work better when you bargain. When you want a real piece, buy from the maker in the village. Mas, Celuk and Batuan are covered in the crafts post linked earlier.

Can a driver take me shopping?

Yes. A driver saves the hassle of parking and the heat, and can fit several stops into one day. Our private Nusa Dua tour is from $40 per car, and we can plan a route that includes the places in this guide. For Sanur, our page on Sanur Beach shows what else is nearby.

Tell us where you are staying and which markets you want, and we will build the day with a driver at balidailytours.com/contact-us.