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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Medan
Kota Medan
Give Medan one night as a transport and food stop, not a sightseeing base: fly in, eat, then move on to Lake Toba or Berastagi.
Medan is Indonesia's fourth-largest city and the gateway to North Sumatra, about 45 minutes from Kualanamu airport by train. It is a working city of shophouses, Dutch-era buildings and food streets rather than a resort, and most travellers use it for one night before heading to Lake Toba, Berastagi or Bukit Lawang.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Local name
- Kota Medan
- Best months
- May–Sep (drier); city is a year-round stop
- Avoid
- Oct–Dec (wettest), Ramadan dates for the mosque night market
- Stay
- 1 night
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
- 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 or tea at a kedai | Rp10,000–25,000 |
| Bowl of noodles or bakso | Rp20,000–40,000 |
| Plate of Batak grilled pork or Padang food | Rp30,000–70,000 |
| Angkot minivan ride in town | Rp5,000–15,000 |
| Taxi across the centre | Rp40,000–80,000 |
| Museum or palace entry | Rp10,000–50,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KNO · Kualanamu International
- About 45 min from the city; Railink airport train to Medan station, 31–41 min
Typical fares
- Kualanamu → Medan station, Railink train
- about Rp100,000, 31–41 min (check)
- Kualanamu → Plaza Medan Fair, DAMRI bus
- about Rp40,000, 1–1.5 h (check)
- Taxi airport → city centre
- Rp130,000–150,000 plus Rp10,000 airport surcharge (check)
Get around
Taxis from Bluebird or Express with the meter, or Grab/Gojek booked in the app. Angkot minivans and becak are cheap but need bargaining and Indonesian; agree the price before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Maimoon Palace
- Great Mosque of Medan
- Food streets and hawker centres
- Gateway to Lake Toba and Berastagi
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Berastagi | Bus or shared car south from Medan, about 2 h | 2–2.5 h |
| Lake Toba (Parapat) | Bus or shared car to Parapat, then ferry to Samosir | 4–5 h to Parapat |
| Bukit Lawang | Bus or shared car to Pinang Baris terminal, then onward | 3–4 h |
| Binjai | Trans Mebidang bus from Medan, about 1 h | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Medan Station / Merdeka Walk area
- Best for one night with bags: airport train, taxis and food stalls on foot.
- Jalan Ahmad Yani / old centre
- Dutch-era buildings, Maimoon Palace and the Great Mosque within a short ride.
- Polonia / Gatot Subroto
- Malls, hotels and the DAMRI airport bus stop; quieter at night.
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 |
| Too expensive | Terlalu mahaltur-LAH-loo MAH-hal |
| Please use the meter | Tolong pakai argoTOH-long PAH-kai AR-go |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee MAH-nah TOY-let |
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
- Becak and some taxi drivers quote one price then demand ten times it: agree the fare first, or use a metered taxi or app car.
- Traffic is heavy and pavements are uneven with open drains; cross with care after dark.
- Fewer people speak English here than in Jakarta or Denpasar; a few words of Indonesian help.
- Airport train tickets at Medan station are card-only, not cash.
Medan is a busy, generally safe city, but the real risks are traffic, uneven pavements and transport price scams: use metered taxis or app cars and agree becak fares before you sit down.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Medan yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Maimoon Palace
- Great Mosque of Medan
- Food streets and hawker centres
- Gateway to Lake Toba and Berastagi
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Railink airport train: reservation.railink.co.id/
- Wikivoyage: Medan, revision 5240218 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240218
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MedanKota Medan
Ke alamat ini, ya
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Several countries have consulates in Medan; the US, UK, Australia and Canada run embassies in Jakarta. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Keep a photo of the agreed fare and the driver's licence card if you take a becak.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/medan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.