In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
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)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.