Elsewhere in the country: Level 2 (avoid non-essential travel) — some regions: L2 (avoid non-essential travel): West Papua, Papua, Maluku, Aceh / L1: rest of the country
checked 2026-10-05 · Details ↗ This is the Korean government’s advisory — also check your own government’s travel advice.
The capital of North Sumatra and the largest city on Sumatra. The Deli Sultanate's Maimun Palace and Grand Mosque, a Chinese merchant's mansion and Hindu temples share one city, and its many communities have created a rich food scene. It is also the gateway to Lake Toba and the Berastagi highlands.
We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.
Based on recent searches — the price may change when you book.
See round-trip flights for these dates →Lowest saved nonstop round-trip fare per person for a 4-day trip.
See on MyRealTrip ↗No recent round-trip prices for a 4-day trip yet.
Check prices →Indonesia's tourism ministry names the April-October dry season as the best time for Lake Toba; in the November-March rainy season heavy rain and strong winds can disrupt plans. June-August is peak season, so book lakeside stays early. In Medan, the Sri Mariamman Temple celebrates Thaipusam and Deepavali every year.
The airport train run by Railink (KAI Bandara) links the airport station with Medan Station in the city center. The official timetable shows 12 departures a day from the airport, from 06:45 to 21:10, calling at Araskabu, Batangkuis and Bandar Khalipah. Buy tickets in the KA Bandara app, on the official website or at station machines; booking opens 7 days before departure.
According to Indonesia's tourism ministry, DAMRI buses and taxis also serve the airport. An airport taxi or ride-hailing car takes about 45-60 minutes to Maimun Palace, depending on traffic. Check routes and fares officially.
Besides the airport line, Railink runs trains on the Medan-Binjai-Kuala Bingai and Medan-Lubuk Pakam routes. All start at Medan Station; check the official timetable.
Local minibuses, also called Sudako, are cheap and basic. They are easiest if you know a little Indonesian so you don't miss your stop.
Medan's motorized rickshaw is cheap but noisy and can be nerve-racking. Always agree on the fare with the driver before you get in.
Use a metered taxi, or agree on the destination and price before getting in. KAI trains to Pematangsiantar (Putri Deli, Siantar Ekspres) and other cities also leave from Medan Station.
Good for: First-timers, airport train access
Merdeka Square sits right next to Medan Station, where the airport train arrives, and Kesawan, the city's oldest district, is close by. The Tjong A Fie Mansion and colonial-era buildings are all within walking distance.
Good for: Sultanate heritage, history walks
Maimun Palace on Jalan Brigjen Katamso and the Grand Mosque on Jalan Sisingamangaraja are close together, easy to combine in half a day.
Good for: Hindu temples, Indian heritage
Home to the Sri Mariamman Temple, the city's oldest Hindu temple, and a window onto the long history of Medan's Indian community.
Compare prices from many booking sites on the map
Search stays in Medan in the appMap & prices: Stay22 — you book on each site
Construction began on 26 August 1888 under Sultan Ma'mun Al Rasyid, the ninth ruler of the Deli Sultanate, and the palace was completed in 1891. Designed by Italian architect Antonio Fiore, it blends Malay, Islamic, Indian and European styles. Descendants of the sultan still live in part of it, and you can rent traditional Malay costume for photos inside. The tourism ministry says it opens daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; confirm hours and fees on site.
Begun in 1906 under the Deli Sultanate, the mosque held its first Friday prayer on 10 September 1909. It stands near Maimun Palace, with an octagonal plan, black domes and a mix of Malay, Middle Eastern, Indian and Spanish styles. It is a place of worship, so dress modestly.
Built around 1900 on Jalan Ahmad Yani in Kesawan by the wealthy merchant Tjong A Fie. It mixes Chinese, Malay and European styles and opened as a museum on 18 June 2009, keeping its original furniture, family photos and altar.
Medan's oldest district, rebuilt with Chinese shophouses and Dutch colonial buildings after a great fire in 1890. Here you'll find the London Sumatra Building (1906), the first building in Medan with a lift, and the Warenhuis (1918), the city's first department store building.
Built in 1884, Medan's oldest Hindu temple is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman and decorated with colorful South Indian Dravidian-style carvings. It is still an active temple and is especially lively during Thaipusam and Deepavali every year.
It looks like an Indian temple, but it is a Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary, founded by Medan's Tamil Catholic community and dedicated on 1 October 2005. It is in the Medan Tuntungan district (Tanjung Selamat).
A town at 1,300 m in the Karo highlands with a cool 17-20°C climate. It began as a Dutch hill station in the 1920s; Gundaling Hill gives views of the Sinabung and Sibayak volcanoes. Famous for its fruit and flower markets; the tourism ministry says it is about 2 hours from Kualanamu Airport by taxi or bus. Check official volcano activity updates before you go.
At 1,145 km² and 450 m deep, it is Southeast Asia's largest lake, with Samosir Island in the middle. The lakeside town of Parapat is 176 km from Medan, about 4-5 hours by road, so leave early. Boats cross to Samosir, where Batak villages such as Tuk Tuk, Tomok and Ambarita await. You can also fly from Kualanamu to Sisingamangaraja XII Airport (formerly Silangit).
A rich coconut-milk soup scented with lemongrass, turmeric and coriander seed, with chicken or beef, potato and boiled egg, eaten with rice and sambal.
Rice cakes in a coconut-milk vegetable curry topped with tauco and shrimp-paste sambal, a favorite local breakfast.
Yellow noodles or rice vermicelli in a thick coconut-milk broth, topped with egg, prawns and bean sprouts; savory and slightly sweet.
Named for cooks who stir-fry at full speed over a wood fire: vermicelli or kway teow with chicken, fish balls or seafood, served on a banana leaf with green chili sauce.
Despite its name, bika ambon is a Medan cake, chewy and full of holes from fermentation with palm sap. With bolu meranti, a buttercream roll cake, it is the city's classic edible souvenir.
Medan is known for durian, eaten fresh or in cakes. The sweet passion fruit called markisa is also sold as syrup, a handy souvenir.
Amounts are rough figures in local currency. Check exchange rates before you go.
Airport train to Medan Station → Merdeka Square → Kesawan and the London Sumatra Building → Tjong A Fie Mansion → soto Medan for dinner.
Maimun Palace in the morning → walk to the Grand Mosque → Sri Mariamman Temple in Kampung Madras → taxi to Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni → mie balap for dinner.
Early start to Berastagi for Gundaling Hill and the fruit market → Sipiso-piso Waterfall (120 m) at the northern tip of Lake Toba → overnight by the lake.
Boat to Samosir Island for the Batak villages → afternoon drive back to Medan (about 4-5 hours) and pick up bika ambon as a souvenir.
Itinerary · IndonesiaMedan airport train and the way to Lake Toba: a 3-night routeKualanamu (KNO) airport train to Medan: timetable, stops, fares, tickets, then…
ComparisonWhere to travel in August — mild northern cities, dry-season beaches, and steppe and mountains at their summer bestEight August picks — mild Hokkaido and Sendai, dry-season Bali and Da Nang, Mongolia,…
ComparisonWhere to travel in October — autumn leaves and mountains, cities at their autumn best, and places entering the dry seasonOctober picks — autumn leaves in Sapporo, Seoraksan and Aso; Toronto, Madrid, Budapest;…
ComparisonWhere to travel in September — clear autumn cities, dry-season islands and Europe at its best for walkingEight September picks — Beijing, San Francisco, Bali, Honolulu, Lisbon, Barcelona,…Prices and times are approximate as of 2026-09 and may change. Always re-check visa and entry rules with official sources before you travel.