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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Banda Aceh
Give Banda Aceh 2 nights: one for the tsunami sites and the Grand Mosque, one for Ulee Lheue and a Sabang ferry. Skip it if you want beaches only.
Banda Aceh is the capital of Aceh province at the northern tip of Sumatra, and the city closest to the 26 December 2004 tsunami. It is a conservative, mostly Muslim city where alcohol is not sold and coffee houses do the work of bars. Two nights covers the mosque, the museum and the tsunami memorials; a third night buys you a Sabang run or a west-coast beach day at Lhoknga.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- Jun–Aug (driest)
- Avoid
- Nov–Dec (wettest); Ramadan for daytime eating
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp350,000–600,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp600,000–1,200,000 excl. bed · High Rp1,200,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a rumoh kuphi | Rp10,000–25,000 |
| Nasi gurih breakfast | Rp15,000–30,000 |
| Plate of Acehnese food (mie aceh, curry) | Rp25,000–60,000 |
| Becak ride in the centre | Rp10,000–50,000 |
| Museum or site entry | Rp5,000–50,000 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | Rp100,000–200,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BTJ · Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport
- About 15 km east of the centre; airport taxi to town is a fixed fare, buses 2A and 5 also run in.About 9.3 mi east of the centre; airport taxi to town is a fixed fare, buses 2A and 5 also run in.
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- fixed fare, about Rp100,000 (check)
- Becak, centre to Grand Mosque
- Rp10,000–50,000, agree first
- Ulee Lheue → Sabang, speed boat
- about 1 h; fare check at the port
Get around
Becak (motorbike taxis) and labi-labi minibuses cover the centre; agree the fare before you get in. Renting a scooter by the day is the easiest way to reach Lhoknga and the outlying tsunami sites. Airport taxis run on a fixed fare from the counter inside arrivals.
See and do
Known for
- Baiturrahman Grand Mosque
- 2004 tsunami memorials and boats inland
- Aceh Museum and the Cakra Donya bell
- Gateway to Pulau Weh (Sabang)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lhoknga | Scooter or becak west along the coast road | About 45 min |
| Sabang (Pulau Weh) | Speed boat or Ro-Ro ferry from Ulee Lheue | 2–3 h |
| Takengon | Road via Bireuen into the Gayo highlands | 6–8 h |
| Ketambe | Road south through the Gayo highlands | 10 h+ |
| Lhokseumawe | Bus or car east along the coastal highway | 4–5 h |
| Kutacane | Road south-east via the highlands | 10 h+ |
Sleep
- City centre near the Grand Mosque
- Walkable to the mosque, Pasar Atjeh and the museum; best for a short stay with no scooter.
- Jl Teuku Umar / Blang Padang
- Hotels, food and the Kerkhof cemetery within a few minutes' walk; the practical mid-range base.
- Ulee Lheue
- Near the ferry port for Sabang; choose this only if you have an early boat.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Selamat pagisuh-LAH-mat PAH-ghee |
| Thank you | Terima kasihtuh-REE-mah KAH-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?buh-RAH-pah har-GAH-nyah |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee MAH-nah TOY-let |
| I don't eat pork | Saya tidak makan babiSAH-yah TEE-dak MAH-kan BAH-bee |
| Please take me to this address | Tolong antar ke alamat iniTOH-long AN-tar kuh ah-LAH-mat EE-nee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- Alcohol is not sold in Aceh; do not plan on bars.
- Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees — especially at the Grand Mosque, where non-Muslims stay in the plaza.
- Some tsunami sites are informal and unmarked; ask locally rather than trusting an old map pin.
- Friday midday closes many shops and offices for prayers.
- Sharia rules apply in Aceh; check current local guidance before you go.
Banda Aceh is calm and the 2005 peace deal has held; the real issues are heat, traffic on a scooter, and Sharia rules on dress and alcohol. Check current local guidance before you go.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Banda Aceh yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Baiturrahman Grand Mosque
- 2004 tsunami memorials and boats inland
- Aceh Museum and the Cakra Donya bell
- Gateway to Pulau Weh (Sabang)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Banda Aceh city government: www.bandaacehkota.go.id/
- Wikivoyage: Banda Aceh, revision 5332951 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5332951
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Banda Aceh
Tolong antar ke alamat ini
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries have embassies in Jakarta; the US and several others keep a consulate in Medan. Check before you travel.
Alcohol is not sold in Aceh. Dress modestly and ask before photographing people at memorial sites.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/banda-aceh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.