During Denpasar’s feudal era in the 17th century, the house of Permecutan, along with the Kesiman and Denpasar houses, was one of the most influential royal families in Bali until their defeat by the Dutch in 1906.  Today, the palace which was one of the very first to be opened to tourists under the current King of Depasar Ida Cokorda Pemecutan XII, is part of a government tourist program called Jelajah Pusaka that was developed to cater to history conscious tourists, and that allows visitors to take a guided tours of the palaces compounds as provided for by the royal family.

Pemecutan Palace is located on Thamrin Street, about 200 m west of Puputan Square. The palace was built in the 16th century and is well known for its unique Balinese traditional architecture and for its beautiful royal family shrines. The palace is divided into two main compounds: the living quarters and pemerajan (place of worship). A huge split gate brings visitors to the spacious outer courtyard, where in the past the local communities performed dances and other performing arts. A bell tower, where the hollow wooden drum is kept, and a pavilion for a gamelan musical ensemble are the two main buildings in this yard.

Upon going through another elaborately carved gate, visitors reach the middle courtyard populated with a balairung, a large hall where the king holds court, and an open stage for art performances. The inner courtyard hosts several open pavilions, including the bale murda, where the corpse of a member of the royal family is laid to rest before being taken to the cemetery, as well as several sleeping quarters.