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i Medan
Kota Medan · Indonesia
Medan is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multicultural metropolis, acting as a financial centre for Sumatra and a gateway to the western part of Indonesia. About 60% of the economy in North Sumatra is backed by trading, agriculture, and processing industries, including exports from its 4 million acres of palm oil plantations. The National Development Planning Agency listed Medan as one of the four main central cities in Indonesia, alongside Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar. In…
Read moreThe best months to visit are February.
June is the hottest month, with highs around 33°C (91°F).
January is the coldest month, with lows around 21°C (70°F).
The wettest month is October, with rain on about 18 days.
June is the sunniest month, with about 7 hours of sunshine a day.
in October, it is warmer than 67% of places in Indonesia.
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Best time to visit Medan
Average conditions per month from long-term climate normals (1961–2020).
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 31° | 32° | 33° | 32° | 33° | 33° | 32° | 32° | 32° | 32° | 31° | 31° |
| Average low | 21° | 21° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 21° |
| Rainfall (mm) | 125 | 112 | 144 | 190 | 219 | 168 | 175 | 220 | 316 | 341 | 271 | 217 |
| Rain days | 11 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
| Sunshine per day (h) | 5.5 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 7 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 5 | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| Daylight (h) | 11.9 | 12 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 12.1 | 12 | 12 | 11.9 |
| Humidity (%) | 83 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 85 |
| Wind (km/h) | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Go score | 51 | 55 | 51 | 48 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 44 | 42 | 38 | 40 | 45 |
The go score (0–100) rewards daytime highs of 22–27 °C, mild nights, sunshine and few rainy days.
Medan: tourist crowds by month
How busy it gets through the year — and the months with good weather and fewer visitors.
When people plan their trip
Monthly readership of the travel guide — people read up a few weeks before they travel.
Medan travel guide
What to see, do, eat and where to stay — from an open, community-written travel guide.
Medan is a very large city on the north coast of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, and the capital and largest city of North Sumatra province. Medan isn't a tourist destination, but it's a convenient stepping stone to other places like the 'weekend getaway' Berastagi, the island of Penang, Malaysia, and the popular, beautiful crater lake, Lake Toba.
With a population of about 2 million people, Medan is the fourth-largest city in Indonesia (after Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung) and the largest city outside of Java. No ethnic group forms a majority; the largest ethnic groups are the Javanese, Batak, Chinese, Minangkabau, Malays, Acehnese and Indians, and there are many more smaller ones. Each ethnic group contributes to thousands of mouth-watering dishes found in every corner of Medan. They offer dozens of food streets and hawker centers to suit their appetite at any time of the day. From the sweet Javanese cuisine, to delicious Batak grilled pork, to hot Padang dishes, from savory Chinese noodles, to spicy Indian curry, this varied cuisine is available 24/7. It is obvious why the locals are so into food. The city is quite well known for "food-tourism", especially amongst other Indonesians. It's interesting to contrast the old, Dutch style green areas, with parks, lawns, and huge old Dutch houses (now turned into government offices or commercial business) and the hundreds and hundreds of newer, shoddy shophouses sprawled together by the hundreds in the commercial areas along with a few modern style malls. Look out for the motor becaks! A sort of motorized rickshaw, they are a common sight throughout Medan, spewing black smoke everywhere. Be patient when searching for one, as some drivers often demand large amounts of money and have a temper.
Medan's Kualanamu International Airport and Belawan sea port are visa-free and visa-on-arrival points. For more visa information, see the Indonesia page. By plane Kualanamu International Airport Medan's civilian airport, (KNO), is in Deli Serdang, about 45 minutes from the city. It handles domestic and regional international flights. After arrival, ATMs and an information desk are available inside the airport. International AirAsia from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket Batik Air from Kuala Lumpur & Singapore Etihad from Abu Dhabi (from Oct 2025) Lion Air from Penang Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur Salam Air from Muscat (from Oct 2025) Saudia from Jeddah Singapore Airlines from Singapore Domestic For destinations within Indonesia, there are some regional airlines and LCC that serve Medan to other cities, mostly around Sumatra island. Batik Air (part of Lion Air group) from Jakarta Citilink (part of Garuda Indonesia) from Jakarta, Batam, Pekanbaru Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta Lion Air serves big cities in Sumatra and Java island Pelita Air from Jakarta Super Air Jet from various cities Susi Air serves smaller cities in Aceh and North Sumatra Wings Air (part of Lion Air group) serves smaller cities in North Sumatra, Aceh, Dumai and Jambi Public transport Train service is provided by Railink, the first integrated airport rail link in Indonesia.
Medan city is swamped by becaks and taxis (the preferable choice to get around). There is also a form of public transport known as the angkot (small minivan). By becak There are two types, the noisy smelly motorized ones, called becak motor, and the human powered pedal ones, called becak dayung, or in English, trishaws or pedicabs. You have to be a good negotiator if you want to go by becak, with price ranging between Rp5,000-30,000 depending on distance and bargaining skills. The pedal ones are becoming scarce, but are much more fun for short trips. Most of their drivers are getting on in years, so they might not want to go too far. Beware of scam artists who quote you one price to lure you in, even by showing a physical note to show you how much it'll cost, and then demand 10 times that amount when you arrived at your destination. Somehow, it's always 10 times: for example, 3,000 becomes 30,000, 5,000 becomes 50,000. An audio and video recording of their license card in the becak and the conversation about what was agreed would be a useful defense. Very few becak drivers speak more than a few words of English, but a map and lots of pointing will get you to the right place, even if it takes twice as long as you thought. By taxi Try to get a taxi from a reliable place such in front of malls, shopping centers or airport. Many taxi drivers will resist the use of a meter and want to bargain.
White taxis (usually Toyota Vios), they can usually be found around Medan, especially around central city and mostly use meter. Call in advance and they will come in time too (minimum fee by call is Rp25,000).
Blue color taxis, the newest taxi company to start operate in Medan. Friendly drivers and always use meter. Minimum fee by call is Rp20,000.
All locals will be able to speak Indonesian. However, the ethnic Chinese can often be heard speaking a localised variant of Hokkien known as Medan Hokkien, which is very similar to Penang Hokkien spoken across the Strait of Malacca. People in Medan have a very high level of education and many younger people speak English very well. Those over 50 or 60 also tend to speak English and some even Dutch. If you find yourself stuck just tell the person you need someone who speaks English to help and there will be someone there in a matter of minutes. Speaking English well is a highly regarded skill by the locals so anyone who does so is well known and can be found quickly. The locals will really appreciate your efforts to learn Indonesian, and please not be offended if they will laugh loudly with you too. It is not a mocking expression. Lots of Indonesians have grown up admiring foreign people via pop or Internet culture, and seeing one makes them happy to death.
Most tourists stop in Medan only to get transport to elsewhere in Sumatra, but Medan offers a glimpse of a large Indonesian city still unfrequented by western tourists, and shouldn't be quickly dismissed. Medan is more chaotic and has a bit more litter than Jakarta or Denpasar and open sewers abound. Furthermore, fewer people speak English in Medan compared other large Indonesian cities, but even a little Bahasa goes a long way, and Sumatrans are still unjaded by westerners. Medan hosts a great lot of very nice Art Deco buildings from the Dutch colonial era, like the Old City Hall, the Post Office, the Great Mosque and many business buildings in and around Jl. Ahmad Yani. Some of them are in horrible shape, but most of them maintain their old splendor. Other attractions include:
A Daoist temple of significant scale located about 500 m from Sri Mariamman Temple. It contains a large paved area with an impressively scaled incense burner, two covered badminton courts, a very large main hall and is partly surrounded by a moat and walls.
Built in 1906 and completed in 1909, the mosque was designed by a Dutch architect mixing Moroccan, European, Middle Eastern and Malay styles. During the month of Ramadan the whole Jalan Masjid Raya is closed to hold a night market where food and merchandise are sold.
Catholic shrine with Tamil Hindu-style architecture, devoted to Our Lady of Good Health.
One of the biggest Buddhist temple complexes in Medan, it is decorated with various statues of mythical Chinese creatures like dragons, kirin and phoenixes. To the left wing is a pond housing koi fish, while the right wing houses a playground, souvenir shop, a vegetarian canteen and a coffeehouse.
A royal palace of Sultanate of Deli, built by Sultan Makmun Al Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah in years 1887–1891, the palace covers 2,772 m² and has 30 rooms. It has unique interior design, mixing elements of Malay cultural heritage, Islam, Spanish, Indian and Italian style.
Opened in 1999 and is chiefly the most incredible global taxidermy collection you could imagine. This place has to be seen to be believed - it's the sort of thing that could only happen in Asia!
A Tamil Hindu temple. Beware: there are two of these! This one's the one on the corner not so far from town. The other one is down a long alley and is closed up. Featuring many brightly colored statues of all the major gods from the Tamil Hindu pantheon and a few naga stones, this temple is testament to the reach of…
Located in the old Chinese school 50 m to the right of the Shri Mariamman Tamil Hindu Temple, opposite the maternity hospital. After you walk in to the impressive grounds, turn to the left and walk behind the stairway. The humble temple hall is located to your left.
This mansion was built by an important businessman in Medan, a leader of the local Chinese community who formed several successful business ventures in his lifetime, working with both Dutch colonial authorities, Indonesian Muslims, plantation owners, exporters and worldwide traders of all stripes.
One of Medan's icons, the water tower was built by the Dutch government in 1908 with a height of 42 m. It is state-owned by PDAM Tirtanadi.
See critically endangered local fauna, Sumatran tiger. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands.
It is the largest museum in North Sumatra which displays various historical and cultural relics of the nation, arts and crafts from various ethnic groups in North Sumatra.
Theme parks Spas Although Sumatra does not have the same international reputation as Bali or Thailand for massage, it still forms a significant part of local culture. In rural areas, there will usually be a masseuse available for low cost, if you ask around, while Medan offers true 'spa' facilities, which are highly recommended for anyone seeking a spa experience away from the hustle and bustle of the city at a fraction of the cost elsewhere in the world. Mostly hotels also have their own spa. You can contact your receptionist for further info. Family karaoke
The water theme park is located in Cermin Beach, Serdang Bedagai. The theme park is organized by a Malaysian investor and the local government. Swimming, sun bathing and kayaking. To go there, take a rental car, private car or mini bus (sudako) at Jalan. MT.
Located on the 17th floor of the JW Marriott has full 5-star hotel spa facilities, with a one hour massage from Rp250,000 for 1-hour massage, more for more elaborate rituals. This is of course a very expensive fee in Indonesia.
Located in the heart of Medan. Skillful, clean and very affordable by local standards. Reservations are recommended.
There are two branches of Eucalyptus Spa in the city, one at the Travellers Suite hotel. Prices there are lower, from Rp120,000 for 1 hour.
Though Medan doesn't have many super malls like Jakarta or Surabaya, it does have plenty of medium-sized malls.
Cambridge City Square consists of office spaces, a mall, condominium and the Grand Swiss-Belhotel International linked together. The mall is less than a quarter of the size of Sun Plaza, but houses many restaurants and cafes like Nelayan Jala-jala (dim sum restaurant), Starbucks Coffee, Es Teler 77 (Indonesian street…
An upscale-mall, Centre Point aims to combine mall, apartments, hotel and office into one big integrated complex. As of 2018, the apartments were still under construction.
No longer grand, this out-of-fashion mall is adjacent to Hotel Aryaduta in the city center. Used to be popular, but most outlets have now closed, as happens to malls in fickle Medan. All the large stores have left, but there are still a few small shops selling things like gems and CDs, and a few good restaurants.
A popular place for shoppers where you can find almost everything from fine jewelery, clothing and food to groceries. Directly connected to Pusat Pasar, a big traditional market behind Medan Mall. The adjacent Olympia Mall is a wholesale market.
One of the major malls in Medan, renowned for selling electronics and gadgets. Has Transmart Carrefour (hypermarket), Matahari (local department store), Ayam Kalasan (Indonesian restaurant famous for its roast chicken), and many other chain restaurants. Slightly cheaper than Sun Plaza.
Located downtown in the Central Business District area, just at the border of Kampung Keling (Little India), surrounded by major international banks. It is one of the largest high-end shopping malls in Medan. Plenty of food choices from western to eastern. There is a hypermarket chain, Hypermart, on the top floor.
One of the oldest malls with large Matahari (department store), Timezone arcade, top-floor food court and limited international brand stores. Located near Chinatown. There's a wholesale market beside Thamrin Plaza called Pasar Rame that opens from 09:00-17:00 daily. Look around for dried fruit with sugar.
A long-running little shopping center, very convenient to the hotel district. Unlike the giant chain malls, this one sells mostly locally made clothing and home furnishings.
A central market, sells vast array of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Plaza Medan Fair is very nearby.
A supermarket and small department store for children's school uniforms and other items. Their old building next to the railway tracks is now closed and they have moved into the Madani Hotel Building.
Medan's cell phone plaza. Four floors almost completely devoted to phones. Pretty girls do their best to get you to choose their booth, from the hundred or so which all seem to offer the same merchandise.
Not a mall, just a good sized shop that has been a long running source for all those hard to find food items that foreigners crave. They have a lot of competition since the giant supermarket chains have arrived, but you will still find items here that you won't get anywhere else in Medan.
The largest upscale mall, part of Podomoro City Deli Medan. Their tenants include Sogo Dept Store, Marks & Spencer, Pull & Bear, Uniqlo, Tumi, Swarovski, Transmart Supermarket, Ace Hardware, Starbucks and many more.
With its diversity of ethnic group, Medan is a culinary paradise. Here you will find several of Indonesia's regional cuisines, as well as localised versions of Chinese and Indian cuisine. Common sights are mie pangsit (a variant of wonton noodles, sometimes without wonton - commonly pork, but beef and chicken version exist), nasi padang or nasi minang, kwetiau/bihun/mie/nasi goreng (fried noodle/kway teow/vermicelli/rice), bakso (meatball soup served with/without noodle) and sate padang (satay with spicy yellow sauces origin from West Sumatra). Also you may try some of Medan's specialties such as soto medan, mie sop, mie rebus medan, mie balap and bihun bebek. Budget Mid-range Splurge Others Durian is one of the most famous fruits of both Medan and North Sumatra. Get the best price and taste when the season comes, which on July and December. North Sumatra has a lot of durian fields like; Sibolangit, Brastagi, Langkat, Sidikalang, Siborong-borong, Tarutung, Sibolga, Nias, Padang Sidempuan, Lima Puluh and Perbaungan. Get Medan durian at Jalan Sumatera, Jalan Semarang, Jalan Adam Malik, Ucok Durian, Si Bolang Durian and more. Rp5,000-50,000 each depending on size and season. For food souvenirs, you may choose pancake durian. Jalan Majapahit on Petisah area (across from Cambridge City Square) has a lot of stores selling homemade cakes and juices. Most stores also allow sampling before buying. Try the local specialty bika ambon (spongy-texture cake with pandan flavor) or jus martabe (mix of passion and tamarillo fruit) juice.
Historic coffee house with excellent Lintong Coffee served up by Apek. This place was set up by Apek's father in 1922. Serves kopi susu and roti bakar srikaya (kaya toast). Contains stalls with Indian roti cane bread with goat curry, martabak and soto soup. Outside are nasi gurih, bakmi and kwetiau noodles.
This is nice place for real, homely Indian food.
The North and south Indian restaurant is one of Medan's best kept secrets, which has been featured in Kompas newspaper as the only restaurant in Medan which serves a wide range of authentic North-Indian cuisine. It offers delicious vegetarian and curry dishes.
Well known for its rendang (Padang-style beef dish cooked slowly in coconut gravy and chili) and ayam pop (Padang-style chicken dish cooked in coconut gravy), it has many branches including RM Berjaya.
Serving tasty and cheap lontong sayur (rice cakes in hot vegetables curry), this humble eatery is not much to look at for the uninitiated. There are queues to buy breakfast and lunch here.
Has been dubbed by an Indonesian lifestyle magazine as the most popular local dish in Medan. A simple dish of noodle served with chili sauce and crab, rumour has it that the secret ingredient which make the Aceh-style noodle irresistible is a dash of Acehnese marijuana, which is the commonest drug that could be…
Located in Medan's "Little India" or Kampung Keling as it's called by locals. They offer, of course, Indian and Indonesian cuisine. Business begins when the sun sets and goes until 202:00 Well known for satay (chicken, lamb, mutton, liver, intestine, etc.), fried rice and martabak telur (egg pancake topped with diced…
Indonesian and Japanese noodles. AC.
Small street food stall. Likely one of the cheapest places but still good.
As the name implies, serves tasty Sundanese food and beverages such as Nasi Liwet and Es Delima. It's at the heart of the city at the corner of S.Parman and Hasanuddin so it's hard to miss if you travel around the city.
This is where some of the oldest Chinese eateries in Medan serve their renowned cuisines, such as mie pangsit tiong-sim (noodle served with stuffed dumplings), kwetiau goreng (wok-fried Chinese rice-fettuccine), popia (Chinese-style vegetable-stuffed spring roll) and many more.
Used to be the restaurant in Medan, this unique restaurant can trace its history back to the Dutch colonisation. The food has a nostalgic taste clinging on every bite, such as the ox-tongue sandwich and the bitter-ballen, but the best experience you could have here is watching the buzz of Kesawan Square from your…
A unique Batak restaurant where you can find the gems of Batak dishes, without all the germs. Cafe-like ambience with non-stop jazz music. Serves a reasonably-tasting saksang (a pork dish cooked in pork blood), babi panggang karo (Batak/Karo-style chopped roast-pork) and arsik (Batak-style fish dish).
Serves traditional Halal Batak-Karo dishes, like arsik, a traditional goldfish/carp dish, and ayam cipera, a type of Karo soup made with corn, chicken, and other spices and left to stew in water.
Serves mainly Chinese style menu. Dim sum is served usually for breakfast and lunch only. Try their coconut Thai dessert or specialty tofu dish.
A German restaurant in town.
There are several clubs, pubs and karaoke joints to visit at night in Medan.
Popular especially with youngsters.
Offer outdoor seating just beside Deli river, but many mosquitoes at night.
The only branch of Healy Mac's in Indonesia. Nice food. Priced reasonably.
Good food and reasonable priced drinks. Live music usually starts at 21:00. Occasionally may hires famous singers.
A pool bar with big screen playing sports channel (football games on the weekends) accompanied by regular live bands and DJ performance. It also has a large collection of wine from all over the world.
Was once one of the most popular going out pubs for expats in the city, but now is a little run down and attracts a sleazier crowd. It features live music from local bands. It's fairly small, fairly popular and is crowded on the weekends with groups of friends, couples, and some rather friendly girls hanging out.
Budget Mid-range Splurge
A/C single or double rooms. Free Wi-Fi. Free lockers. Bring your own lock.
Budget accommodation next to the Grand Mosque. Includes breakfast. It is reasonably clean and central.
Looks more expensive than it is. A range of rooms are available in this medium-size hotel, starting at Rp120 000. They also have very reasonable monthly rates.
Futuristic capsules, no upper bedsheet, small foldable tray/table (detachable from wall). Shower, towel, hot+cold water, soap, no shampoo. No water bottle, water fountains fine to use for refill. Two lockers (one for shoes, one for cabin-sized bag). Toilets with toilet gun/shower but no toilet paper. Rooftop.
Discounts on weekends. Breakfast buffet included in the price. SatTV with HBO, Star Sports, Discovery Channel, CNN. A/C. Clean, but room doors not properly noise-proofed, so you will hear anything and anyone walking the corridor on their way from the elevator. Bring ear plugs if you are a light sleeper.
Clean, no-frills modern hotel with hot & cold shower, air conditioner and Wi-Fi in rooms and cafe. Provide free shuttle to train station.
A 4-star hotel. The oldest hotel in Medan was built in 1898.
A 3-star hotel.
3-star hotel with 106 rooms, offer shuttle service to train station, 24-hour room service, cafe & bistro, fitness center, etc.
Pleasant 5-star hotel with 311-rooms, free Wi-Fi, professional staff, gym and large swimming pool and excellent, inexpensive Indonesian food available on 24-hour room service (international options are available but perhaps less impressive). Sometimes takes tour groups. Popular music venue The Tavern.
Club Premiere Sky Lounge on 10th floor.
Charming oasis of a hotel in the suburbs south of Medan, on the route to Berastagi. There are 14 cottage-style rooms and the service includes breakfast in the restaurant and free Wi-Fi. There is a swimming pool for guests. Owners and staff are very friendly and helpful. Watch out for the geese in the hotel grounds!
Opened on May 2017, the 131-rooms hotel is easily recognized by its distinctive exterior architecture with purple color. Part of favehotels chain.
5-star hotel opened in 2007 near business and government district. Resort style swimming pool, Pool Cafe, the Lounge and the Kitchen restaurant.
The building is in the national archive of historic places and was restored.
5-star hotel.
Pharmacies litters around and generally open from Monday to Saturday (usually 09:00-21:00, some may close at 17:00), the same with clinics. On Sunday, most pharmacies and clinics are closed, but there are 24/7 pharmacies belonging to the K-24 chain. Most hospitals are open 24/7 and have Emergency Department and ICU. Hospital fees range from medium to expensive. Not all hospitals accept insurance - check beforehand. Generally, locals tend to look down upon healthcare in Medan. Locals prefer going to Malaysia or Singapore if possible. Such perception has improved considerably, but skilled medical staff are still few. If you are in doubt, avoid government-owned hospital and opt for private hospital instead.
One of the best and well-equipped hospital in Medan, though price are expensive.
One of the oldest hospital in Medan but still quite reliable and price not so expensive.
Specialized in children and mother health care.
Free Wi-Fi is offered in most cafes & restaurants; just ask the staff. Otherwise, plenty of internet cafes exist around the city, especially in rural areas. SIM cards with data are very affordable and can be easily obtained. The area code for Medan and surrounding area is 061. Courier services Gojek / Grab. Offer only intra-city services.
State-owned postal service that is quite reliable. Has many branches around the city. The main office is easily distinguished by its architectural style from the Dutch colonial era. Parcel service is slow compare to local privately owned services like TIKI or JNE. Not recommended for shipping parcels internationally.
Largest logistics company in the world, very reliable and fast, especially if shipping internationally. Serves local shipment as well, but you can use cheaper alternatives.
Subsidiary of FedEx.
One of the most popular logistic services used by local, it's reasonably cheap, fast and reliable. Several drop-off point around cities, just look for store with TIKI logos. Be sure to insure your parcels if you ship valuable items.
The other most popular alternatives for JNE. Offer same advantages and roughly same price. Several drop-off point around cities, just look for store with JNE logos. Be sure to insure your parcels as well if you ship valuables.
Coverage is lower than JNE or TIKI, but price is very competitive. Drop off points are still few, but you can ask for collection.
Berastagi - a beautiful mountain resort, about 1½ hours' drive from Medan; popular among Medan people for weekend getaways. When it is deemed safe, you can hike the two nearby volcanoes, Sinabung and Sibayak. Check with the local authorities before hiking, as the Sinabung volcano erupted on 2014, and an alert in 2015 caused the evacuation of 10,000 people. Kabanjahe - the capital of the Karo Regency. You can observe and experience the life of Karo people by visiting the villages around Kabanjahe. Kabanjahe is also a convenient post to climb Mount Sinabung. If you wish to spend the nights in the villages of Karo people, go to Gumagaba Youth Hostel located on Jalan SM Raja Simpang Amplas, Medan for information. Bukit Lawang - A 3-hour journey from Medan, the latter half of the journey being a rather bumpy and pot-holed ride. A little village on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park that was once home to an Orangutan rehabilitation center, which is now closed. However, regular feeding sessions take places at the feeding platforms. Jungle treks can be arranged or you can just relax by the river. Lake Toba - formed by a volcanic eruption, it is one of the biggest fresh water lakes in the world. Has a large island, Samosir, in the middle. It is an absolute must see, a really magnificent place full of Batak culture on the shores of a mesmerizing lake. The food is wonderful, accommodation is cheap and the climate is perfect, it seems to be 25°C all the time.
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Landmarks nearby
Mountains, castles, museums, beaches and heritage sites within 25 km.
i Maimun Palace
museum in North Sumatra, Indonesia
i Great Mosque of Medan
mosque in Indonesia
i Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni
church in Medan, Indonesia
i Al-Osmani Mosque
mosque in Indonesia
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i North Sumatra Museum
museum in North Sumatra, Indonesia
i Gang Bengkok Old Mosque
mosque in Indonesia
i Sumatran Numismatic Museum
museum in Aceh Jaya, Indonesia
i Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery
museum in Indonesia
Situs Kota China Museum
museum that holds relics of China City, an international trading port. The museum is located on the shores of Siombak Lake, Paya Pasir Village, Medan Marelan District, Medan City
i Indonesian Plantation Museum
The museum building has two floors that hold many explanations about plantations in the past and exhibits a collection of garden products and their history.
i Museum Deli Serdang
museum in North Sumatra, Indonesia
North Sumatra Press Struggle Museum
The museum also presents information on press fighters in Medan newspapers who first fought to provide information for the people of Medan.
Medan: practical information
Plugs, money, emergency numbers, safety and typical prices — everything to know before you go.
- Voltage
- 127 V · 50 Hz
- Driving
- Drive on the left
Indonesian Rupiah
IDR · Rp
1 USD ≈ 17,944.5 IDR
- Languages
- Indonesian
- Calling code
- +62
- Meal, casual restaurantIDR 136,400≈ $7.60
- CappuccinoIDR 37,000≈ $2.10
- Beer (0.5 l)IDR 52,300≈ $2.90
- Bottled water (1.5 l)IDR 17,250≈ $1.00
- Taxi, 5 kmIDR 93,500≈ $5.20
- Public transport ticketIDR 18,000≈ $1.00
- Mid-range hotel, per nightIDR 1,295,450≈ $72.00
Estimated from Indonesia’s consumer price level — real prices vary by place and season. Prices are about 31% of US levels.
- Dec 25Christmas Day
- Jan 1New Year's Day
13 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 100 km in the last 51 years.
Strongest: M6.9 (2026).
How to get to Medan
Nearest airports
- KNOKualanamu International AirportBeringin23 km
- LSRAlas Leuser AirportKutacane92 km
- PENPenang International AirportPenang261 km
- IPHSultan Azlan Shah AirportIpoh290 km
- SZBSultan Abdul Aziz Shah International AirportSubang324 km
- LGKLangkawi International AirportLangkawi327 km
Distances
- Jakarta1,418 km 24 h 35 · 2 h 28
- Surabaya1,973 km 34 h 12 · 3 h 11
- Bekasi1,430 km 24 h 48 · 2 h 29
- Bandung1,533 km 26 h 34 · 2 h 37
- Depok1,432 km 24 h 50 · 2 h 29
estimate
Hotels in Medan
Hotels and holiday rentals with live nightly prices.
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Wildlife around here
The most-recorded species within 25 km, with their seasonality.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Medan?
Based on climate normals, the best time to visit Medan is February.
What is the weather like in Medan in October?
In October, Medan averages a high of 32°C (89°F) and a low of 22°C (71°F), with 341 mm of rain on about 18 days.
What is the rainiest month in Medan?
October, with rain on about 18 days.
What is the nearest airport to Medan?
Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), about 23 km away.
What power plugs are used in Indonesia?
Plug types C, F, 127 V.
What currency is used in Indonesia?
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).
What is the emergency number in Indonesia?
112.
Is Indonesia safe to visit?
US travel advisory: Exercise increased caution. UK travel advice: No travel warnings.
When is Medan most crowded?
The busiest months are October.
When is Medan least crowded?
The quietest months are April–May and November.
What time zone is Medan in?
Asia/Jakarta (UTC+7).
What is the population of Medan?
About 2,486,283.