Medan

Understand

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.

Getting there

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

Medan's civilian airport, 1 Kualanamu International Airport (KNO IATA), 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. City check-in and electronic tickets are also available. The airport train runs up to 21 trips a day in each direction with the first trip from 2 Medan Main Train Station beside Merdeka Square on Balai Kota street at 04:00 and the last trip from the airport at 22:00. The last train from the city goes at around 21:00, but check at the train station for the latest schedule. It is the fastest way to get from the airport to central Medan, taking 31-41 minutes. At the train station in Medan, tickets can be purchased only by credit or debit card, not with cash. A one-way ticket costs Rp100,000, unless you can find a promotional offer. A promotional ticket can sometimes be purchased for Rp55,000 online, or through travel agents or external channels (not from vending machines and ticket counters), no schedule change is allowed and the ticket is not refundable. Up to date schedules, pricing and booking can be checked here or on the "KA BANDARA" app, but it is advised to check at the train station if you want to travel either very early or late. Payment can be done by Klik Pay BCA, Click Pay Mandiri, Visa or Mastercard debit/credit cards. Buses operated by state-owned bus company DAMRI connect th

Getting around

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. Taxis with meters may put them on, but then say there is a minimum charge. Try to avoid the use of taxis other than Bluebird or Express and always use the meter as they are the two most reliable taxi companies in Medan, this is a general rule that applies throughout the regions of Indonesia where either of these two taxi companies are available.

Express Taxi, ☏ +62 61 455 2211. 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 Bird Taxi, ☏ +62 61 846 1234. 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. Medan is also served by online transport. You book them via their app from smart phones. Payment can be by cash, card or electronic wallet. The fee is calculated by app, so no need to bargain. Regularly offer promotions.

Grab The most popular choice and has the largest operated fleets. GO-JEK Famous for its bike fleets, but also start offering car services. There have been cases of online transport cars be

See

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:

1 Gunung Timur Temple (Vihara Gunung Timur), Jalan Hang Tuah. 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. It is particularly crowded with worshippers on Chinese New Year and Cap Go Meh. Free. 2 Great Mosque of Medan (Masjid Raya Medan or Masjid Raya Al Mashun), corner of Jalan Masjid Raya and Jalan Sisingamaraja (a 5-min walk to the east from Maimoon Palace, across from Yuki Simpang Raya department store). 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. Women can visit, too, but they have to enter the central hall through a separate door and stay behind a provisory wall that separates the hall in two. Around the mosque is a graveyard for the sultan's extended family. Free. 3 Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni, Taman Sakura Indah, Jalan Sakura III No. 10 Tanjung Selamat (11 km from downtown/little india, local bus 10/26/61+6 Rp5,000 each ~1 hr; car-hailing grab Rp 30,000 bike, Rp 50-60,000 car). 08:00-18:00. Catholic shrine with Tamil Hindu-style architecture, devoted to Our Lady of Good Health. Free. (updated Mar 2024) 4 Maha Vihara Maitreya, Jl. Boulevard Utara No. 1, Cemara Asri. Open most the times. 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,

Do

Theme parks

1 Pantai Cermin Theme Park & Resort, Sales office : Jalan D.I. Panjaltan No. 153, Theme Park : Dusun 1 Desa Pantai Cermin Kanam, Kec. Pantai Cermin, Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai, ☏ +62 61 4510956 (Sales office), +62 61 456-2893, fax: +62 61 4520922. weekdays 11:00-17:00, weekends and public holidays 09:00-6:30. 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. Haryono (in front of Medan Mall) and stop at Perbaungan city. Then take a machine trishaw to the beach. The whole journey may take about 1-2 hours. weekdays: Rp40,000 (adult), Rp20,000 (children); weekends and public holidays: Rp60,000 (adult), Rp40,000 (children).

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.

2 Quan Spa, JW Marriott Hotel 17th floor, ☏ +62 61 455-3333, [email protected]. Daily 10:00–21:00. 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. From Rp250,000 for 1-hour massage. 3 Zengarden, Jalan S No. 22/272 Parman, ☏ +62 61 451-9306, +62 61 7702-9845, [email protected]. Weekdays: 10:00-22:00, weekends: 09:00-21:00. Located in the heart of Medan. Skillful, clean and very affordable by local standards. Reservations are recommended. Rp150,000-280,000. Eucalyptus Spa. 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. 4 De'Spa, Jalan Malaka No.136, ☏ +62 61 414-8416. 5 Ocean Spa, Cemara Asri.

Family karaoke 6 H.o.M.E Family Karaoke, Jl. Patimura, ☏ +62 61 453-6567. 7 Karaoke Keluarga (K2) Family Karaoke, Kompleks Multatuli, ☏ +62 61 457-5055.

Buy

Though Medan doesn't have many super malls like Jakarta or Surabaya, it does have plenty of medium-sized malls.

1 Cambridge City Square, Jl. S. Parman No 217 (intersection of Jl. S. Parman, Jl. Gajah Mada & Jl. Zainul Arifin (5-min walk from Sun Plaza along Jl. Zainul Arifin), ☏ +62 61 455-4999. Daily 10:00–22:00. 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 food), Pepper Lunch (teppanyaki restaurant), Haagen-Dazs, Magal and many more. A small supermarket, Berastagi Supermarket, is in LG floor. There are also several boutiques which sell knock-off "branded" items. (updated Jan 2024) 2 Centre Point, Jl. Timor (behind the train station). Daily 10:00–22:00. 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. Has Lotte Mart (Korean hypermarket), Cinema XXI (movie theater) & food court in top floor, Metro (department store), modern gym, and many more international retailers of brand-name items. Mr DIY opened in 2019. If you take a train from airport, after exiting train station, you can cross the street into the mall. (updated Jan 2024) 3 Grand Palladium Mall, Jl. Kapten Maulana Lubis No. 8. Daily 10:00–22:00. 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. Be sure to try Tiong Sim Noodle & Hong Kong BBQ (open until 02:00 daily!): Their roasted pork and noodles is very famous locally. Nearby Sun Plaza is a livelier destination - it's about a 10-min drive or 15min walk from Palladium. Lippo Plaza is between the two. (updated Mar 2023) 4 Medan Mall, Jl. MT Haryono. Daily 10:00–22:00. 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. 5 Plaza Medan Fair, Jl. Gatot Subroto No 30. Daily 10:00–22:00. One of the major malls in Medan, renowned for selling electronics and gadgets. Has Transmart Carrefour (hypermarket), Matahar

Eat

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 1 Kedai Kopi Apek, Jalan Hindu, Kesawan. 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. Piece of Medan history. (updated Jul 2024) 2 Bollywood Food Centre, Jl. Muara Takus No 7 (behind Sun Plaza), ☏ +62 61 453694. This is nice place for real, homely Indian food. (updated Jul 2024) 3 Cahaya Baru Indian Restaurant, Jalan Teuku Cik Ditiro (In Little India), ☏ +62 811-6407-878, [email protected]. 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. Main dish Rp 20-70k, drink 10-50, lassi 30-35, beers 40-50, nasi kandar 15-35, martabak 25-50, add 10% service tax. (updated Jul 2024) 4 Restoran Garuda, Jalan H. Adam Malik, ☏ +62 61 453 7346, [email protected]. 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. (updated Jul 2024) 5 Lontong Kak Lin, Jalan Teuku Cik Ditiro. 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. (updated Jul 2024) 6 Mie Aceh Titi Bobrok, Jl. Setia Budi. 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 Acehnes

Drink & nightlife

There are several clubs, pubs and karaoke joints to visit at night in Medan.

1 Bistronomix, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan (just across from JW Marriott Hotel). Popular especially with youngsters. (updated Jul 2024) 2 Harbour 9, Forum 9 building ground floor (near Lapangan Benteng). Offer outdoor seating just beside Deli river, but many mosquitoes at night. (updated Jul 2024) 3 Healy Mac's, Centre Point complex Blok M. The only branch of Healy Mac's in Indonesia. Nice food. Priced reasonably. (updated Jul 2024) 4 Holywings, Jl. A Rivai. Good food and reasonable priced drinks. Live music usually starts at 21:00. Occasionally may hires famous singers. (updated Jul 2024) 5 Retrospective Entertainment (Retro), Jl. Putri Hijau, Capital Building 6th Floor. (updated Jul 2024) 6 Shoot Resto Bar Club, Jl. Kapten Pattimura 423, ☏ +62 61 453 1884. 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. (updated Jul 2024) 7 Stroom KTV, Selecta. (updated Jul 2024) 8 The Tavern Pub, Hotel Danau Toba. 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. A bit expensive for the standard. (updated May 2018)

Sleep

Budget

1 Dazhong Backpacker's Hostel, JL Muara Takus (near Sun Plaza and Jln Pagaruyung night food market), ☏ +62 822-7309-3888. Check-out: 12:00. A/C single or double rooms. Free Wi-Fi. Free lockers. Bring your own lock. Single Rp100,000, double Rp125,000. (updated Jul 2024) 2 Hotel Zakia, ☏ +62 61 732-2413. Budget accommodation next to the Grand Mosque. Includes breakfast. It is reasonably clean and central. Rp55,000-120,000. (updated Jul 2024) 3 Pondok Wisata Istana XI, Jl Amaliun 9 (opposite Yuki Plaza parking lot side entrance), ☏ +62 61 733-1190. 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. (updated Jul 2024) 4 Reddoorz hostel @ capsule inn medan, Jl. KH. Zainul Arifin No.176, Madras Hulu, Kec. Medan Polonia, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20151 (in Little India, 10 min walk from Cambridge or Sun plaza mall; if coming through Damri bus, ask driver to drop you near Halte Cambridge.), ☏ +62 21 806-29666. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. 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. Small market/bazaar outside the hostel. on the main street some nights, but noise does not reach inside capsule. Ground or 1F as café+ reception, 2F female dorm, 3F male dorm, 4F rooftop. There is no power point inside capsule. It has two USB-A sockets (labeled "fast" and "slow", but both are very bad). Bad Internet upload. 24-hour front desk. Friendly staff. Street food outside is fantastic. There's a small, but super nice shopping centre a very short walk down the street, across a short bridge, with supermarket downstairs, restaurants on ground, and cinema and skating rink on the top floor. Good for a touch of civilization before/after jungle trekking. dorm (ac) Rp 100,000. (updated Nov 2025)

Mid-range 5 Antares Hotel, Jalan Sisingamaraja No 84 (on same street and near Hotel Garuda Plaza and Hotel Sumatera), ☏ +62 61 732-4000. 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. There is a children pool on the 3rd floor. Rooms from Rp229,000. (upd

Go next

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. Rent a scooter to explore Samosir. Pulau Weh - Garuda Indonesia operates three weekly flights to Sabang (Indonesia) on Pulau Weh, where some of Indonesia's finest diving can be found.