travel bus medan kabanjahe

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Travel time Medan - Sidikalang - Tele - Pangururan - Tuk Tuk - North Sumatra Forum

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Travel time Medan - Sidikalang - Tele - Pangururan - Tuk Tuk

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North Sumatra Travelers

As said Andrey got me interested in this route with his question in post 12 in the following thread:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294231-i9609-k7247491-o10-Bukit_Lawang_Tangkahan_Berastagi_Lake_Toba_Bukittingi-Sumatra.html

1. All the day there was hardly any traffic on the road so we travelled most likely much faster than usual. For example Medan – Berastagi took us only two hours.

2. In Berastagi we did the detour Gundaling Hill, from where we had a clear view on Mt Sibayak and Mt Sinabung but the tops were covered with clouds. Nothing in terms of volcanic ashes or haze.

3. The road between Kabanjahe and the Sidikalang busstation is very good and allows for fast traveling.

4. In the stretch between Simalem resort and the Sidikalang busstation I counted 18 very recent landslides, with considerable grow potential, which were hardly marked. This makes this route rather dangerous especially in the dark.

5. In between Merek and the Sidikalang busstaton we hardly saw any public transportation, whether it be a big bus, minivan or angkot. This means that after visiting Si Piso Piso and Tongging trying to flag down public transport in Merek for a ride to Sidikalang may not be as easy as I thought.

6. The Sidikalang busstation is located on the left side of the road some 500 m after you pass the left turn for Tele and Pangururan. Reportedly from the busstation to Sidikalang is some 7 km. The busstation as such is not operating anymore. For public transportation to Kutacane and Pangururan one has to report to the halte of the operator. Reportedly for Pangururan the operator is Sampri. The halte some 3 km before Sidikalang coming from Merek. Cost of the ride Sidikalang – Pangururan is Rp 50.000,--. Sampri operates twice a day on the route Sidikalang – Pangururan at 09.00 h and 13.00 h with an L300. It only goes when it is reasonably full. On March 19 the 09.00 h trip was not full and the L300 left for Panguran at 12.00 h. The 13.00 h trip was cancelled. This explains why quite some guests coming by public transport from Ketambe to Tuk Tuk get stuck for the night in Kabanjahe.

7. The road between Sidikalang Busstation and Tele Hill comes with a very impressive collection of potholes in various shapes, depths and lengths, quite some of those very strategically placed just next to or one after the other. The only reasons I can think of for putting these potholes here is safety and for checking the technical conditions of the different vehicles on the road. The fact that at quite some stretches our speed was reduced to far less than 10 km per hour makes the road very safe for children playing on the road and for cats, dogs, chicken, pigs and buffalo to cross the road. Checking the technical condition of vehicles on the road was also very successful as I counted 5 private cars , one minivan and one truck in various stages of disorder. The truck was lying on its side with one broken off wheel making the inspection of the body much easier.

8. Since the last time I visited Tele Hill the downhill road to Pangururan has been much improved, which makes the ride much safer with still the most impressive views over the valleys and Lake Toba .

So now the travel time and distance from Medan to Tuk Tuk via Kabanjahe – Merek – Sidikalang and Pangururan.

We started at 07.15 h from our hotel in the city centre of Medan. I checked the odometer for the distance. So here we go !!

You read the information below as follows:

The first number is the time on my watch

The second the distance in KM from the Centre of Medan

The third is the average speed in km/h over the stretch before

The fourth is the location en route from Medan to Tuk Tuk

07.15 -- 0 -- -- City Centre Medan

08.30 -- 29 – 23 Green Hill Resort (Sibolangit)

08.55 -- 45 – 38 Mikie Holiday Berastagi

09.10 -- 66 – 36 Kabanjahe

09.55 -- 84 – 54 Dokan

10.05 -- 90 – 36 Simpang Merek. For Si Piso Piso follow the road to Parapat

10.15 -- 99 – 54 Simalem Resort

10.35 – 114 – 45 Simpang Silalahi

10.55 – 133 -- 57 Taman Wisata Iman in Dairi.

Here we stopped exactly 1 hr for visiting Taman Wisata Iman, not worthwhile visiting, lunch and sorting out the public transport from Sidikalang to Pangururan

12.00 – 133 On the road again

13.25 – 183 – 35 Tele Hill

13.55 – 198 – 45 Pangururan

14.55 – 238 – 40 Back home in Tuk Tuk

CONCLUSIONS

With a private chartered car we were exactly 7 hrs on the road. Considering that there was hardly any traffic on the road one should add minimum 1 hr for when traffic conditions are normal. Taking in total some 10 or 11 hrs, starting at 07.00 h in Medan and arriving in Tuk Tuk around 18.00 h one has two or three hours for lunch and stops. If one limits itself to stops at Gundaling Hill, the detour from Merek to Si Piso Piso and Tongging and as the last stop Tele Hill than this route is worthwhile considering, especially when one wants to enjoy the downhill ride from Tele to Pangururan. To do the same in one day with public transport is next to impossible.

HORAS !!! HORAS !!! HORAS !!! WELCOME TO TELE HILL AND TUK TUK

I'm really interested in this alternate backroute to Samosir island. So in summary I believe the routes are:

Berastagi - Kabanjahe - Tongging (Sipisopiso) - Merek (Taman Simalem) - Sidikalang - Tele - Pangururan

My question as a backpacker:

1) Are there any public transports linking all these places and how frequent and reliable are they?

2) Are there any accommodations along the way since it's mentioned I probably can't do it in one day?

Hi Navilink,

Only a small correction in the route. The route is Berastagi – Kabanjahe – Merek – Simpang Tongging (here you can take the road to the left to Tongging) – you will not pass Si Piso Piso – Taman Simalem will be on the left side en route to Sidikalang – Tele – Pangururan.

My feeling is that there will be public transport from Kabanjahe to Sidikalang, but as said the busstation in Sidakalang is not operating anymore. So most likely the public transport will just drop you at Simpang Tele (the road to Tele and Tarutung) or in Sidikalang.

The public transport from ‘the halte’ in Sidikalang goes once or twice a day, but timing is unreliable. With luck you can catch the last trip to Tele - Pangururan just after midday.

I cannot reminder having seen any accommodations along the road from Merek to Tele, apart from Taman Simalem and the guesthouse in Taman Wisata Iman. But I would guess there will be a few accommodations in Sidikalang as well.

HORAS !!! HORAS !!! HORAS !!! WELCOME TO SIDIKALANG, WELCOME TO SAMOSIR

Thanks for the reply sir. The transport along the route seems unreliable as mentioned, guess I'll have to skip it. I think I'll go to Tele via Tuk Tuk - Pangururan - Tele way. Do you know anything about Pangururan, especially if any budget accommodation?

Hi, Navilink,

If you skip the route via Sidikalang than your best option is possibly go up and down to Tele from Tuk Tuk with a motor bike. From Tuk Tuk to Pangururan will be about 1.5 hr and the same for Pangururan to Tele. So if you start a bit early from Tuk Tuk you can easily do it in one day. You find budget accommodations in Tuk Tuk all over the place.

I am not really familiar with accommodations in Pangururan, but I do remember that there are quite a few accommodations close to the hotsprings. TripAdvisor and Agoda list Saulina Resort and Hotel Tiga Besar. My impression from the reviews is that these are rather expensive in view of what you will get. As said possibly best to do your exploring of Samosir from a base in Tuk Tuk.

HORAS !!! HORAS !!! HORAS !!! WELCOME TO TUK TUK, WELCOME TO TELE

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Reaching Bukit Lawang from within North Sumatra

Private transport.

Since the completion of the Kuala Namu - Medan - Binjai toll road in 2022, by far and away the best way to reach Bukit Lawang is by private transport, as there is a toll between the airport and Binjai, meaning traffic delays essentially eliminated between Medan and Bukit Lawang IF you use private transport - noting that public transport does not use the toll roads between Medan airport and Bukit Lawang. The journey time will therefore be 3 hours from the airport to Bukit Lawang. This compares to around five hours or more by public transport

We offer  a private, air-con car from this website at £45, one-way, taking around 3 hours from the airport or city.  Please see our  trekking page  for more information about our services. We can also arrange pickup from other locations.

Public transport from Medan airport

There are several transport options from Medan airport:

• The airport train, which takes 35 minutes to central Medan, stopping only once at Batangkuis (which is of no use for tourists). It costs 70,000rp, or 50,000rp each for 3 or more passengers, and is air conditioned and comfortable, though the schedule is not frequent enough, and the last train is at 8:30pm. If you are planning to sleep in Medan, you might prefer to take a Damri bus, because they will stop anywhere along their route, whereas the airport train typically requires additional transportation.
• Damri buses which run into central Medan past Amplas bus station along Jalan Sisingamaraja, past Masjid Raya as far as Carrefour Medan Fair, in west central Medan. They run until the last plane has landed. The journey time will be around 75 minutes. The fare is 40,000rp. Since these are government owned/operated, they are more comfortable than any of the other buses, and are a good alternative to the train.
• Almasar buses, which also run past Amplas bus station, as far as the junction of Simpang Pos, at Jalan Jamin Ginting (Padang Bulan), where they will head south via Pancur Batu to Kabanjahe via Berastagi. The fare is 40,000 rupiah to Simpang Pos, where you can change for Bukit Lawang , and 60,000rp to Berastagi or Kabanjahe. After 9pm the fare to Berastagi/Kabanjahe increases to 100,000rp. A through ticket to Bukit Lawang costs 80,000rp, which is more expensive than buying separate tickets for the two separate buses.
• ALS buses, which also run past Amplas bus station all the way along the ring road to the junction of Jalan Gato Subroto, as far as Binjai bus station . They charge 40,000rp to points up to Simpang Pos, or 50,000rp for all points up to Binjai.
• Paradep buses to Siantar, where you can change for a bus for Parapat, for Lake Toba
• Nicetrans shared cars ('taxis') to Siantar, where you can change for a bus for Parapat, for Lake Toba

Transport within Medan

Although there are public buses in Medan, the best way to get around is using private transport via the ride-hailing apps Grab and/or Gojek. They fully cover the area between Medan airport and Binjai. They don't operate in Bukit Lawang.

Public transport options to and from Bukit Lawang

There are two competing buses from Medan to Bukit Lawang.

The first is Almasar, which runs from opposite Carrefour Citra Garden 1km south to SPBU Simpang Pos (which is just north of Padang Bulan, the bus station for Berasatagi), on the ring road. From there it heads west to Pasar Melati, past Graha Bunda Maria Annai Velangkanni, to Mawar Bakery Pinang Baris , where it will wait for up to 30 minutes for passengers, before heading to Binjai, via Binjai train station/Binjai Supermall, to Tanah Lapang Merdeka Binjai where it waits for up to 30 minutes for passengers, before heading to Bukit Lawang via the small towns of Kuala (where the road is in poor condition) and Tanjung Langkat.

The second is Pembanungan Semesta (referred to as P.S., pronounced Pay-Ess), which has the same route, but starting only from Mawar Bakery Pinang Baris .

In the reverse direction there is only one extended stop for either bus, for about 20 minutes at Bohorok, 10km from Bukit Lawang.

Both charge the same fare, 25,000rp (if you have more than 'hand luggage' you should expect to pay more), payable on arrival, not departure, and will fit in as many passengers as possible and more. However Almasar has air conditioning, but people still smoke and the windows are open, so it is barely noticeable. It is still slightly better, but not worth waiting for - take whichever bus is leaving soonest. The journey time between Bukit Lawang and Mawar Bakery is three hours.

Bukit Lawang Bus Station (Gotong Royong)

The Bukit Lawang bus station and weekly market (Fridays) is located in the village of Gotong Royong, about 1.5km from Bukit Lawang itself. Although private cars (including the air con tourist buses) and motorbikes can enter Bukit Lawang (although cars cannot get past the entrance area), public buses from Medan/Binjai run only as far as the bus station. 

You may be approached by a guide, either at the bus station in Gotong Royong, or on arrival in Bukit Lawang. Their goal is to sell jungle treks. If you don't intend to book a trek with them, then it's best to advise them that you have already booked a trek, and don't require assistance finding accommodation, transport, etc., so they will not waste their time.

To reach Bukit Lawang from the bus station, you can take a becak (rickshaw). Drivers ask tourist a fare of 10,000idr, or 15,000idr if you can squeeze two people in a single becak. It's not necessarily to haggle with becak drivers as these fares are standard. Everyone is going the same place, except visitors to Rindu Alam, Batu Mandi and Ecolodge, who can be dropped off a little closer to their hotel if they tell the becak driver where they are going. When the becak drops you off in Bukit Lawang itself you will have a walk of 2 to 30 minutes to reach your guesthouse, depending on where you are staying.

If you prefer to walk instead of taking a becak, the best walking route is not to go along the main road, but instead to head out the back of the bus station, and then turn right, head across the field, and then along the irrigation canal towards Bukit Lawang.

Routes between Medan airport and Bukit Lawang by public transport

After you have collected your bags, if you want to travel to Bukit Lawang in a cost-effective manner by public transport, you must take a bus or train. However, if you start after about 4pm, it won't be possible to reach Bukit Lawang the same day. In this case you can either book direct private transport with us, or sleep in Medan city. Do not sleep in Binjai, where the accommodation options are bad. (Accommodation at/near Medan airport is only recommended if you have a flight there the next day, it's not a good option for travel to Bukit Lawang).

The options for travel FROM Medan airport to Bukit Lawang by public transport:

• Train to Medan city, spend some time in Medan, train to Binjai station, then bus from Binjai Supermall to Bukit Lawang. Advantage: comfortable as far as Binjai. Disadvantages: the bus will have some passengers already at Binjai, so you can't choose where you sit. Train schedules are infrequent, waiting required. Cost 70,000rp (Airport-Medan) + 5,000rp (Medan-Binjai) + 20,000rp (Binjai - Bukit Lawang)
• Almasar bus to Simpang Pos, change there for Almasar bus to Bukit Lawang. Advantages: not many. Disadvantages: waits at Simpang Pos, Mawar Bakery and Binjai. Buses aren't very comfortable. Cost: 80,000rp (single ticket)
• ALS bus to Binjai/Mawar Bakery, then P.S. OR Almasar bus to Bukit Lawang. Advantages: choice of buses to Bukit Lawang. More frequent than the train. Disadavantages: buses aren't very comfortable.

If choosing between Almasar and ALS at the airport, you should take whichever one is fuller, it will leave sooner. Don't ask when the bus is leaving, they will tell you 'soon' or 'five minutes'. Use your own judgement.

For travel FROM Bukit Lawang to the airport, then you have the following options:

• Either an Almasar or PS bus as far as Binjai bus/train station, then an ALS bus to the airport. Cost 20,000rp + 60,000rp. Advantages: straightforward. Disadvantage: the ALS schedule is every 30 minutes to 1pm only. After 1pm there might not be any bus.
• Either an Almasar or PS bus as far as Binjai bus/train station, a train to Medan, then a train to the airport. Cost: 20,000rp + 5,000rp + 70,000rp. Advantages: typically the fastest option IF there is a train from Binjai within 30 minutes of your arrival. Comfortable trains. Can eat in Medan. Disadvantage: train schedule is infrequent, although reliable.
• Either an Almasar or PS bus as far as Mawar bakery, then a Grab/Gocar to Medan train station (around 30 minutes), then a train to the airport. Cost 25,000rp + around 50,000rp (per car!) + 70,000rp. Advantage: comfortable. Disadvantage: you must allow enough time to reach Medan station, because if you miss the train you will have a long wait till the next one, best if you have some reason to visit Medan.
• An Almasar bus directly to Simpang Pos, then either an Almasar or ALS bus to Kuala Namu. Cost: 25,000rp + 40,000rp (if you buy a through ticket costing 80,000rp then they are more likely to help you with the transfer, however since ALS buses also pass by - you should hail them to stop - it's not clear why you would buy this ticket. Advantages:

Using the train

The train station at Medan airport is directly in front of the terminal, it's the closest option and you can buy a ticket up to five minutes before departure. It's quite easy to use. Do not buy tickets in advance, because your flight might be delayed.

At Medan station the airport line and Binjai line are on separate levels, you will need to allow 10 minutes to change, longer if you have to buy a tiket as well. There is no luggage storage facility at Medan train station. The airport train is close to the bridge which links Medan train station with the Center Point mall, the best mall in Medan, which has many food and shopping options, and is fully air conditioned. If you prefer to go out into the heat of the city, it's around 700 metres walk from the train station to Garuda restaurant on Jalan Palang Merah, which is a good choice for Padang food, or a similar distance is Tiptop restaurant, and Tjong A Fie mansion, one of Medan's leading tourist attractions.

From Binjai station it's simple to purchase a ticket to Medan for 5,000rp cash. The ticket office is directly adjacent to the platform. To check the schedule you MUST use the KAI Access app, and then choose 'KA Lokal'. It is not possible to buy a ticket online unless you have a local 'OVO' ewallet.

For tickets Medan station - Kuala Namu, it's best to buy tickets using the app KA Bandara , which accepts debit/credit cards, at least one hour before departure. Otherwise you can buy them in person at the station. Schedules are available on the website , and as of April 2023 were for Kuala Namu airport - Medan city:

• 07:20-07:52
• 08:20-08:52
• 09:30-10:02
• 10:30-11:02
• 11:55-12:27
• 13:10-13:42
• 14:20-14:52
• 15:40-16:12
• 17:10-17:42
• 18:20-18:52
• 19:20-19:55
• 20:30-21:05

And for Medan city - Binjai

• 09:30 (connects with 38 minutes FROM 08:20 train from airport)
• 11:00 (connects with 58 minutes FROM 09:30 train from airport)
• 14:00 (connects with 18 minutes FROM 13:10 train from airport)
• 15:30 (connects with 38 minutes FROM 14:20 train from airport)
• 17:15 (connects with 63 minutes FROM 15:40 train from airport)
• 19:35 (too late to connect to Bukit Lawang)

Meanwhile the trains for Binjai - Medan city

• 04:50-05:13
• 07:10-07:34
• 08:45-09:08
• 10:15-10:38
• 11:45-12:08
• 14:45-15:08
• 16:30-16:53
• 18:50-19:14
• 20:30-20:53
• 22:20-22:43

And Medan city - Kuala Namu airport, taking 32-35 minutes.

• 08:10 (07:10 connection from Binjai)
• 10:15 (08:45 connection from Binjai; long wait)
• 11:30 (10:15 connection from Binjai; long wait)
• 12:40 (11:45 connection from Binjai)
• 15:20 (14:45 connection from Binjai - short connection, buy your ticket for this leg online!)
• 18:00 (16:30 connection from Binjai; long wait)

The train from Siantar (one hour before Lake Toba) is basically useless for tourism, as it departs Siantar at 07:30, and then leaves Medan to go back to Lake Toba at 14:15, arriving 17:08, which is too late to get to Lake Toba

From Medan city to Bukit Lawang

Reaching the bus station

Buses for Bukit Lawang leave from 'Kampung Lalang' a district on the outskirts of Medan, about 8km from the centre. They are supposed to leave from Pinang Baris, the bus station close by, and transportation drivers may try to take you there, but anyone in the area should be able to direct you to the right place to catch a bus, which is marked on Google Maps  as Mawar Bakery and Cake Shop . 

To reach this area from Medan, take an app taxi (Grab or Gojek). Price is around 40,000rp. Yellow local buses are 5,000rp and labelled as going to Pinang Baris, 'Kp. Lalang' (Kampung Lalang) or 'Binjai' but the app taxi makes more sense. You can take Grab all the way to Bukit Lawang but the fare set is too low (because they won't find a return fare) and you will have trouble finding a driver to accept you, also they might try to sell you to an agent in Bukit Lawang for trekking, so it's not really recommended. You can contact us directly for our reliable car service:  WhatsApp , or book a pickup as part of your trek .

Motorised rickshaws, known as becaks, are more readily available in Medan than taxis. We do not recommend the rickshaws, as they are not metered (hence very expensive for a tourist) and they are very cramped for two people with luggage, however whereas taxis are sometimes scarce, the becaks are pretty much everywhere. If you take a becak be wary of snatch thiefs on motorbikes.

Buses from the bus stop outside the Mawar bakery

The PS (pronounced Pay-Es, and short for Pembangunan Semesta, the name of the bus company operating them) buses are orange coloured, and a mid-sized mini-bus, around 15 seats. The cost is 20,000rp to Bukit Lawang, payable on arrival. 

There are a couple of points about the seats: next to the driver seats two, if you are solo you can sit there and refuse anyone else to sit next to you, and pay double fare (it's not necessary to pay double if the bus is quiet, so just sit there and wait and see!). Behind the driver seats up to eight at busy times as they load all the extra passengers here, so it's best avoided in the evening - try sitting at the back. Smoking, with the windows closed, is common on the minibuses, Indonesians don't like the wind! 

First buses to Bukit Lawang start from Binjai at 5:45am, the first from Medan at 6:15am, and then they are every 12 minutes throughout the day till the last bus at 6pm from Medan leaving Binjai maybe before 7pm, but don't count 100% on this time - there is no complaints service if you arrive at 5:50pm in Medan and the last bus is gone!

From Bukit Lawang to Medan the first bus is early, at 4:30am, but the last bus is at 5pm.

WARNING: overcharging on the bus from Medan to Bukit Lawang is almost universal. Touts at the bus stop will try to tell you to pay before boarding, and that the cost is 50,000rp, 150,000rp or even more. The fact is that the fare is no more than 20,000rp and you pay ONLY when you reach Bukit Lawang, not before. However the bus station touts are aggressive drug addicts and the driver may refuse to take you if you don't accept being overcharged. You could potentially avoid this overcharging by flagging down the bus 1km down the road, on the main road between Medan and Binjai. Or just accept that you will probably be overcharged!

A train service runs about every 2 hours from Medan to Binjai, and is quite cheap at 12,000rp, but because it's infrequent it's not all that convenient. You can check tickets at Traveloka .

Rental car (self-drive)

Not really a recommended option, as it's not really any cheaper than renting a car with a driver, and the local driving standards are very poor, so you need to be quite brave to do this. 

To/From Berastagi and Lake Toba

Private car.

Allow seven hours from Lake Toba via Medan, or five hours to Berastagi via the newly surfaced mountain road that avoids Medan. We can arrange this for you, please see our trekking page for more details. 

Tourist bus

If there's only one or two travelling, it will be cheaper to get a tourist bus (essentially a shared private car). The cost is 180,000rp to/from Berastagi, 230,000rp from Lake Toba. Note however that tourist buses are arranged according to demand, so off-season the tourist bus to Lake Toba may go via Berastagi or via the airport or Medan city, and your bus might be changed on route. The only guarantee is that it's an air con car. Departure times are 8am or 8:30am.

From Berastagi buses run to Padang Bulan bus station in Medan, and to Pinang Baris bus station, Medan. Pinang Baris is much more convenient for Bukit Lawang, whereas from Padang Bulan you'll have to take a local bus (or taxi) to Pinang Baris (Kampung Lalang).

From Lake Toba the bus runs to Amplas bus station. From here you will need to travel to Kampung Lalang/Pinang Baris by private taxi, or take local buses to Pinang Baris.

There is no train towards Berastagi, in the mountains. A daily economy class train runs from Medan to Pematangsiantar, which is less than an hour from Lake Toba by bus. Alternatively many more trains, including some executive class trains, run from Binjai to Medan to Tebing Tinggi, roughly half-way between Medan and Lake Toba, and back again (in the reverse direction most terminate at Medan rather than Binjai).

To/From Tangkahan

It's around 40km on rough back roads without buses from Bukit Lawang. It takes 2-2.5 hours to reach there from Bukit Lawang. See our Tangkahan page for trips. 

The Spice Route End

Independent travel & culture guides to indonesia, the batak land : karo highlands and lake toba.

October 20, 2018 Elliot Aceh & North Sumatra , Indonesia Travel 0

Batak is an umbrella name for different ethnic groups living in the highlands of North Sumatra. The most visited ones are the Karo Batak living around Berastagi and the Toba Batak living around Lake Toba. They are also the two sub-ethnic groups who have the most preserved their old traditions.

This article is intended as a travel guide. For more in-depth informations about Batak culture, please refer to this article .

Around Berastagi : the Karo highlands

Visitors to the Karo highlands usually base themselves in Berastagi even though Kabanjahe is also an option. I always go to Wisma Sibayak, right in front of the cabbage statue. Further South on Jl Veteran you have a couple of good Batak restaurants (look for Mentam RS Khas Batak Berastagi or BPK Aji Mbelang on Google Maps).

Get a taste of Karo culture

I advise you to visit the village of Lingga which had preserved some of the old traditional Karo houses. From Berastagi, take an angkot to Kabanjahe then another one to Lingga (forgot how much not more than 5’000Rp).

What you can do is to stop on the way at the Karo Batak museum and then walk until the houses of Lingga. The museum have a small but interesting collections. A donation is asked at the end, I left 10’000Rp.

The daughter of the guardian of Lingga museum kindly offered me to show me the houses. She told me that 10 years ago, there was much more traditional houses than now. But, understandingly, people prefer to live in a more modern and individual houses now. The type of wood needed for the building is also harder to come by.

In Lingga leave a donation inside one house. The structure is back from the 19th century. A house like that used to be inhabited by 6 to 12 families. As of today only 2 remains.

The traditonal architecture is nonetheless preserved in skull houses (geriten) and gazebo (?)

Don’t miss the Museum Pusaka Karo in Berastagi which is the best I’ve seen in the whole region. The entrance is bloody cheap (5’000Rp), the collection is huge and very interesting with carved staffs, medecine containers, lots of very old pictures, outfits …

Sibayak and Sinabung volcanoes

The Sinabung is a very active volcano that is erupting sporadically since 2013. It is thus formally forbidden to approach it. The Sibayak is a very easy volcano to hike with hotsprings nearby.

North of Lake Toba

From Berastagi, I recommend you to do the following day-trip. Get an angkot to Kabanjahe (5’000Rp) and ask the driver to drop you a the pick-up point for angkot to Tongging. I arrived in Kabanjahe at 10:20AM and left at 11AM so you may have to wait a bit.

The angkot to Tongging costs 15’000Rp. Ask the driver to drop you at the junction with the road to Sipiso-piso and walk the remaining few hundred meters. The entrance to Sipiso-piso is 4’000Rp.

You can enjoy the view over the waterfall and also over the North of Lake Toba :

Have a lunch in Sipiso-piso and then walk a few kilometers to Gajah Bobok hill to enjoy another great view over Lake Toba. Entrance is 5’000Rp.

From there walk a little bit more to get to the Sidikalang – Kabanjahe road and flag down any public transport that will pass by. I got a seat in a minibus bound to Medan who dropped me in Berastagi for 25’000Rp.

The Indonesian government has pushed a lot to improve tourism around Lake Toba. You have a great map of the area in Parapat harbor. I took a picture of it with my phone, otherwise I found an earlier version with better definition online.

Samosir island

From tuktuk to samanindo.

This is the heart of Lake Toba tourism. Many chose to rent a motorbike but you can also walk and use public transport which runs all day long all around the island but in the Tuktuk peninsula (where 80% of the accomodation for tourist are located).

Going North you could go as far as Huta Bolon museum in Simanindo, walk until the main road from Tuktuk and take an angkot for 10’000Rp. In the museum, you pay either 10’000Rp to just have a look on the site or 50’000Rp if you want to attend a dance performance.

Then you could walk your way back and take an angkot when you are tired. Many traditional houses ( rumah bolon ) are to be seen along the road.

Near Ambarita you have a couple of interesting sites. Walk down the coastal road, you will see a sign for “ Parulubalangan Kursi Batu Sira “.

This is an ancient site where justice was served and magical rituals carried out. The guardian of the site is eager to give interesting explanations, unfortunately in Indonesian only.

A few hundred meters further, you will see the site of the stone throne of King Siallagan ( Batu Kursi Raja Siallagan ). Many souvenirs stalls near the site. The entrance is 3’000Rp. You will find a couple of houses, stone chairs as well as an execution place.

Around Ambarita you have a couple of interesting sites, just keep your eyes open.

From Tuktuk to Tomok

Take an angkot to Tomok (5’000Rp) and get off in front of the museum. You have different places to visit.

Right behind it you have the grave of King Sidabutar with a stone sarcophagus and other strange stone statues.

Eventually, you have the actual museum building which is not as good as Berastagi’s but still have a couple of stunning wooden carved pieces. The building itself is well worth a look. I left 10’000Rp of donation at the museum.

You have a couple of interesting houses and graves along the Tuktuk – Tomok road.

Near Pusik Buhit

Pusuk Buhit is according to the Toba Batak myth where the first men arrived on Earth. From Tuktuk, walk to the main road and wait for an angkot heading to Pangururan to pass (20’000Rp).

It’s possible to hike up the hill if you want to, otherwise just enjoy the landscape.

There is a very impressive and church to see in Pangururan. The decoration is a mix of Christian and Batak influence.

The outer shore of Lake Toba

A majority of the visitors will stay on Samosir island but the outer shore of Lake Toba is also quite interesting. I have already mentioned the northern tip near Tongging above.

It is possible to explore this area by using public transport and walking but it will take time. The best solution would be probably to rent a motorbike either in Parapat or in Tuktuk and taking the bridge out of Samosir near Pangururan. It is also possible to load a motorbike on a boat.

From Parapat to Balige by Porsea

In the area around Porsea you will find Batak houses with very distinctive carving. I wish I had taken more time to explore this part of Lake Toba.

From Balige take an angkot and get dropped near Museum Silalahir (2’000Rp). The museum is more like an entertainment center (with swimming pools …) and charges a very high price for foreigners (50’000Rp). I didn’t visit but behind it you have 3 houses with the finest carving I’ve seen in Lake Toba area.

Near Balige you have another nice viewpoint in Bakara. Take a bus to Dolok Sanggul (30’000Rp, 1h20) and then walk one hour to Bakara. Buses are not plenty, riding a motorbike would be far easier to get there. On the way you could stop at Ragi Hotang Meat village, which is funded by the government to preserve Porsea’s architecture (I haven’t visited).

Practical tips

From medan airport to berastagi and lake toba.

Medan has an international airport with cheap connections to Kuala Lumpur thanks to Air Asia, as well as flight to Bangkok, Singapore and Penang. Locally it is well connected with most cities in Sumatra as well as Jakarta, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.

From the airport, touts will definetly offer taxi ride to any destination you want (including Bukit Lawang, Lake Toba or even Ketambe). Price might be interesting if you share it with a large group

From the airport a train takes you to to Medan train station in about 40min for 100’000Rp. Otherwise follow the signs for buses (check the airport website for updated information about frequency and fares) :

• DAMRI takes you near the Independance square in town and then to Amplas bus terminal where you can take bus to lake Toba. Fare is 15’000 for the square and 20’000 for Amplas as of 2018.
• ALS takes you to directly to Binjai (from where you can reach Bukit Lawang) for 40’000Rp. A ride to town is charged 20’000Rp.
• From the airport board ALS bus and ask to be dropped at Simpang Pos . 20’000Rp, 1h15 because of the traffic.
• From here you have regular minibus heading to Kabanjahe (Berastagi is on the way). They leave when full until night, costs 10’000Rp. It’s a 1h15 ride to Berastagi and 1h30 to Kabanjahe.

From Berastagi’s main road, almost every angkot is heading to Kabanjahe. Fare is 5’000Rp for a 20 minutes ride. Cheap accomodation are easier to find in Berastagi.

Between Berastagi and Lake Toba

From Berastagi take an angkot to Kabanjahe (5’000Rp). You shouldn’t wait long to get a bus to Pematang Siantar (20’000Rp, 2h30).

From Pematang Siantar take another bus to Parapat, shared taxi are also available (20’000Rp, 1h).

Between Parapat and Tuktuk, boats leave every hour for 15’000Rp.

Transport on Samosir island

There are plenty of minibus on Samosir island driving along the coast. The only place where they don’t stop is Tuktuk peninsula. If you don’t want to rent a motorbike, walk for 20 minutes to the main road and flag down an angkot.

Going to Gunung Leuser National Park, Banyak Islands, Nias or Bukittinggi from there

From Kabanjahe you can get to Ketambe or Kedah which are the most interesting entry points to Gunung Leuser National Park (detailed informations about public transport in the article).

Kabanjahe is also the starting point to get to Singkil and from there to the Banyak islands.

From Parapat in Lake Toba, get a angkot to the terminal for 4’000Rp. From the terminal wait for a bus to Bukittinggi (it’s gonna be very long) hailing from Medan, I have no idea about the schedule so inquire first.

If you want to go to Nias from terminal Parapat, take a bus to Balige (25’000Rp). From Balige take another bus to Taturung (1h40, 30’000Rp) and then another one to Sibolga (2h, 30’000Rp). From Sibolga wait for the night ferry.

Accomodation

• In Berastagi, Losmen Sibayak has simple double room for 80’000Rp, with bathroom outside. More expensive rooms with hot water are also available in the front yard.
• In Samosir, I warmly recommend Liberta Homestay, double room starting at 65’000Rp, cold water, no breakfast.
• In Balige, you can stay at Losmen Gelora, hot, noisy and cheap. 60’000Rp for a double room. Shared bathroom.

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• 1 Understand
• 3.1 By public transport
• 3.2 By foot
• 9.2 Mid-range
• 9.3 Splurge

Berastagi is a town in North Sumatra , Indonesia . It is home to two famous volcanoes, Sibayak and Sinabung, the latter of which has been erupting quite frequently since 2013.

Understand [ edit ]

A small town in the main road connecting Medan with Karo highland and Lake Toba, it's a popular weekend getaway town for locals from Medan. The town is located in the Barisan mountains ( Bukit Barisan ), the longest mountain range in Indonesia extending from Aceh to Lampung. With a height of about 1300 meters above sea level, the annual mean level temperature is about 23° C. In the rainy season, fog may occur frequently and wind may get chilly. A light jacket or windbreaker may help. You might check the market for second hand jackets.

Get in [ edit ]

The nearest airport is Medan 's Kuala Namu International Airport. A taxi direct from the airport takes around 3 hours. Buses also go right from the airport to Kabanjahe via Berastagi (Rp 40,000).

Berastagi is only 67 km from Medan, but the road is often jammed, particularly on weekends, so travel time is often north of two hours.

Bus Rp20,000 (Mar 2024), duration 1½-2 hr, with Pt. Almasar Indonesia shop (loket), near Citra Garden 2, south of Medan. No bus from Amplas terminal.

Renting a car is expensive, but if you are short of time and plan to continue your journey beyond Berastagi, it's a viable option. Motorbikes are also available to rent in Berastagi.

While bus can stop in Berastagi mostly on-demand, the nearest bus terminal seems to be Kabanjahe. It can be reached via local yellow minibus written Karya from Berastagi main road, south direction. From there, you can take bus to Medan , Lake Toba , and elsewhere.

Get around [ edit ]

By public transport [ edit ]

Buses service many of the surrounding villages as is the case in the rest of Indonesia. Prices are similar to those elsewhere in Indonesia. You may get to ride on the roof of local minibuses. Many run along the main road all the time. Central market is main stop.

By foot [ edit ]

Berastagi is a small city and walking around is possible if you stay at the city. You can cover the whole city in less than an hour. Walking to surrounding villages, though, is not recommended.

See [ edit ]

The tourist info is very helpful. However, booking trips is cheaper with local agencies, for example Losmen Sibayak Guesthouse (in the center, next to BRI bank).

• 3.20687 98.53775 1 Bukit Barisan National Forest ( Taman Hutan Raya Bukit Barisan ), Jl. Letdjen Jamin Ginting . Popular among locals for picnicking and camping, especially on weekends. The forest is poorly managed and in poor condition, though. ( updated Apr 2018 )
• 3.1923 98.50134 2 Gundaling hill ( Bukit Gundaling ), Jl. Gundaling, Berastagi . A small hill that give panorama view of nearby Sibayak and Sinabung. Sadly, it's packed with many small stalls around. You can take a picture with Sinabung with its volcanic plume as your background on a very clear day. Or you can ride a horse or horse carriage around Gundaling. Skyview at "Jembatan kaca puncak gundaling berastagi" for Rp20,000. ( updated Mar 2024 )

Do [ edit ]

• 3.224 98.51435 1 Lau Debuk Debuk hot springs ( Pemandian air panas Lau Debuk Debuk ) ( From Berastagi, catch a yellow KT minibus on the main drag, but ask to make sure it's going all the way there. Rp 6k. It's also possible to walk to Lau Debuk Debuk in about two hours, but it's a jungle path that is frequently unmaintained and overgrown. Only go with someone who's been over it recently. ). At least some of the pools are open all hours, though minibuses back to Berastagi stop around 19:00 . Take a dip in the hot springs on the foot of Gunung Sibayak while enjoying the view of the mountain. Feels so good, especially after having just climbed the volcano. There are so many hot springs around that it may confuse you, but just pick one which is clean. You can purchase a small pack of sulfur powder and rub it in your skin before dip inside. The powder is supposedly very good for skin. In late afternoon the springs become crowded with local families. There are also several hotels in the hot springs town with prices from around Rp 150,000. Entry price varies, around Rp 5,000 - 10,000, and you can stay as long as you like. . ( updated May 2018 )

There are several waterfalls around, some can be reached with car/motorcycle, but some required trekking for several hours.

• 3.275988 98.53647 4 Two Colors waterfall ( Air Terjun Dua Warna ). This waterfall's source origin from Gunung Sibayak and to reach it will need long trekking through rainforest. Guide is necessary. Start point trekking usually is from Sibolangit camp, but several other routes exist. The waterfall is uninspiring, but the trekking is quite adventurous. ( updated Apr 2018 )

If you bring kids, you may want to visit the theme parks.

• 3.2037 98.52562 5 Mikie Funland , Jl. Letdjen Jamin Ginting, Berastagi ( About 5 km before Berastagi city ), ☏ +62 821 6288 7888 , [email protected] . 10:00 to 18:00 (weekend), weekday closed except for school holiday period . The largest theme parks with many varieties of attractions. Always packed full with people, especially on weekend. Check for promotion. Rp 100,000 per ticket, free for seniors above 55 years old and child with height under 90 cm . ( updated Apr 2018 )

Buy [ edit ]

If you want to experience a local narcotic, try betelnuts from the market. You buy the leaves, a paste, tobacco and a red nut. All are mixed on the leaf, rolled and chewed. The paste is lime so it has a kick to it.

Karoland coffee is very nice, and may be purchased in shops all over town.

• 3.1952 98.5082 1 Fruit market ( Pasar buah ) ( from Medan after reaching small roundabout of Heroic monument, turn to right, across gas station ). 8AM - 6PM daily . The Berastagi area supplies Medan and in part also Singapore with local fruits and vegetable. The wet market is famous for selling fresh fruits, vegetables, potted flowers and decorative shrubs. Prices are generally acceptable but possibly higher than the more local Pusat Pasar market. Haggle is recommended. ( updated May 2018 )
• 3.2109 98.5083 2 PIMS (Putra Indo Mandiri Sejahtera) ( Gundaling Farm ) ( There are 2 way to go here - enter the road beside Hotel Sibayak until a Y junction with sign mention to left is to Sibayak volcanoes, turn right and follow the road about 500 meters. The farm is to the right side after a small chapel and may be hard to see the entrance. The other way is from main road Medan - Berastagi, after National Forest and Y junction, continue the road about 200 meters until you see a road to the right. Enter the road and continue about 15 minutes until you see the entrance to the farm to your left. ). A dairy farm that sell fresh pasteurized-milk and yogurts. Come early as it sold out very fast. Rp25,000 per liter for plain milk; Rp30,000 per liter for flavored milk . ( updated May 2018 )

There are two banks with ATMs: Mandiri and BRI.

Eat [ edit ]

Chinese restaurants in the main street have some good eating options and hot food.

Food tents are set up along the side of the main street after dark. Many types of Indonesian foods are available, like 'Ikan Bakar' (Grilled Fish). They also sell a spicy tea called Bandrek, which is perfect on a cold mountain evening. Best with milk (Bandrek susu).

There are now several cafes along the main street. Ask to try the local coffee. Sumatra coffee is world class, and Karoland coffee, though not yet famous, is as good as it gets.

Samudera Bakery on the main street has nice bread.

For an adventure try the local specialty called babi panggang karo or BPK (grilled pork served with spicy pig blood and cooked cassava leaves), saksang (pork/beef/dog meat in a special sauce) or ikan mas arsik (sauteed goldfish with spices).

• 3.2659 98.5454 1 Ingot Babi Panggang , Bandar Baru , ☏ +62 85362474315 . Specialty is BPK, options are lemak (pork belly, very juicy!) or merah (loin or leg, without the fat). If you want mix of both, just ask for campur . Served with cooked cassava leaves and pork soup. Rp100,000 for 1 kg roasted pork . ( updated May 2018 )
• Wisma Sibayak , Berastagi ( at the city center, near the road to Lake Kawar ), ☏ +62 628 91104 . Western dishes. They use mainly fresh ingredients. They have also European quality natural yoghurt. Be prepared to wait as it takes time to prepare meals from fresh ingredients. ( updated May 2018 )
• Raymond Restaurant , Jln Veteran/J. Ginting 12C, just south of Wisma Sibayak ( On main street, just after the giant cabbage (tugu kol) ), ☏ +62 8126 096 9066 . A backpacker favorite for decades, this friendly source of banana pancake trail eats is not to be missed. It's moved around the town several times over the years, but Raymond's is still dishing up huge portions of delicious food for Westerners and locals. They also rent motorbikes and Juli is a great source for info on the local area. ( updated May 2024 )
• Dio ( Rumah Makan Ayam Pecak Dio ), Jl. Veteran-Berastagi No.121, Tambak Lau Mulgap I, Kec. Berastagi, Kabupaten Karo, Sumatera Utara 22152 ( south of Sibayak guesthouse on main road ). 08:00-22:00 . Free wifi. Meal Rp 10-35,000, drink 4-12,000 . ( updated Mar 2024 )

Drink [ edit ]

Try the palm wine known as tuak at a local tuak house. Don't be surprised if someone breaks out a kecapi and starts singing. You can also snack on snake, monitor lizard, and dog meat.

Very good quality coffee is grown in these highlands, though it's not yet well known outside of local cognoscenti. Ask for it!

Sleep [ edit ]

Budget [ edit ].

• 3.19892 98.51359 1 Hotel Citi Holiday StoomVaart , Jl. Letjen Jamin Ginting, Berastagi , ☏ +62 61 4554787 , fax : +62 61 4149981 , [email protected] . Located at the historic site of Djakarta Lloyd resort house (old Dutch colonial resort), dated from 1922. It is nestled on top of a small hill with nice view and breezy wind. Next to old Bukit Kubu park. This hotel is excellent for budget traveler. Usually only open on weekends and public holidays. Will also open for group booking on weekdays. Rp 160,000/night (non-peak season) . ( updated Apr 2018 )
• Guest House Talitha , Jl Kolam Renang 60B ( 15 minutes walk north of the center ), ☏ +62 813-70664252 . Check-out: 12:00 . Single/double room with breakfast. Rp 100.000 . ( updated Mar 2017 )
• Hotel Mexico , Jl. Veteran no.18 , ☏ +62 628 93252 , [email protected] . Hotel with a restaurant. Services provided by the hotel include free Wi-Fi, hot shower, car rental and tourist information. Better not eat there, food does not taste at all. Rates start at Rp 150,000 .  
• Losmen Sibayak , Jalan Veteran 19 , ☏ +62 628-91122 . Check-out: 12:00 . Double room with shared bathroom. Rp 90,000; Rp 150,000 with warm shower in room . ( updated Mar 2017 )
• Sunrise View Guest House , Jalan Perwira Atas 5 , ☏ +62 852-76353222 . Check-out: 12:00 . Double room with own hot water bathroom. Rp 150,000 .  
• 3.18885 98.50889 2 Wisma Sibayak Guest House , Jl. Udara No 1, Berastagi ( Southern end of the Berastagi main street near a giant cabbage sculpture (tugu kol) ), ☏ +62 628 91104 . Check-out: 12:00 . Decades running budget favorite, well run, well maintained, and friendly. Cheaper rooms are in a quiet courtyard, with shared toilets/cold showers. Hot showers are available for Rp 10,000. There are also new motel style rooms with inside facilities. Wifi, restaurant and tourist info. Rp 80,000 and up . ( updated May 2024 )
• 0 0 3 Kaesa Homestay , Gundaling I, Kec. Berastagi, Kabupaten Karo, Sumatera Utara 22153 ( 15min walk from Berastagi main road monument and fruits market ), ☏ +62 822-7308-2538 . Check-in: 14:00 , check-out: 12:00 . private bathroom, towel, soap, wifi, breakfast included (banana pancake, scramble eggs, or fried rice, fried noodle), offer trek activities (sunrise volcano/mount sibayak east peak 2212 m high +260 m elevated steep, hot spring 04:30-10:30, Rp 200,000), opened in 2018, very clean, very friendly and knowledgeable owner. room 200-300,000 . ( updated Mar 2024 )

Mid-range [ edit ]

• Green Garden Hotel ( A few turns above the center of Berastagi on the road to Medan. ), ☏ +62 62 891 777 . A large hotel by Sumatran standards, with one main building facing the main road (reception and restaurant are here) and three detached buildings encircling the swimming pool. 3-star plus. Rooms have hot showers. No AC in the ground-floor room, but there was a TV set with several Indonesian programs. Large dining hall; seems to be popular for family parties and group meetings. A rather basic breakfast is included in the room price. ( updated Apr 2016 )
• 3.20169 98.52524 4 Rudang Hotel ( Formerly Horison Hotel ), Jl. Letdjen Jamin Ginting No. 16, Berastagi , ☏ +62 628 91999 , [email protected] . 72 rooms equipped with Wi-Fi, mini-refrigerator, sofa and table. The hotel has a swimming pool, restaurant, bar and room service. Hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, garden, and views of the mountains. Start from Rp 650,000 . ( updated Jun 2022 )

Splurge [ edit ]

• 3.27787 98.54824 5 The Hill Hotel & Resort , Jl. Letdjen Jamin Ginting Km. 45,3, Sibolangit ( Across Hillpark theme parks about 100 meters ), ☏ +62 821 6424 2512 , [email protected] . Most expensive hotel around Berastagi with a swimming pool, a mini zoo, large parks, bamboo forest, and ponds. Hillpark is the only nearest attraction. To Berastagi town will need about 30 - 45 minutes, nearest Bandar Baru village is a viable option for local cuisine. Start from Rp 950,000 . ( updated Apr 2018 )
• 3.20069 98.50478 6 Hotel Sibayak Internasional , Jalan Merdeka, Berastagi , ☏ +62 628 91301 , fax : +62 628 91307 , [email protected] . A four-star property on the road leading up to Gundaling Hills which is the scenic point for viewing the two volcanoes : Sibayak and Sinabung. The hotel has 112 rooms divided into several types including cottages. Facilities include heated swimming pool, restaurant, lounge, pub, karaoke and business center with internet access. The decor is mostly wooden with ornamental colours of the local Batak tribe. It is the only starred-hotel within walking distance (5 minutes) of the traditional fruits and vegetables market of Berastagi. A good discount on the already low published rate is readily given if you ask for it, barring peak holiday seasons of Muslim New Year or Christmas-New Year. Start from Rp 700,000 . ( updated Apr 2018 )
• 3.202401 98.52176 7 Grand Mutiara Hotel , Jl. Peceren No 168, Berastagi , ☏ +62 628 91311 , [email protected] . A big five-star hotel just besides Mikie Holiday. It's a complete opposite of bustling Mikie Holiday (due to its nearby Funland), the mood here is peaceful. If you want seclusion, this is the place. Start from Rp 800,000 . ( updated Apr 2018 )
• 3.20206 98.52512 8 Mikie Holiday Resort & Hotel , Jl. Letjen. Jamin Ginting ( 10 minutes from Berastagi, near Funland amusement park ), ☏ +62 61 4539957 , fax : +62 61 4530008 , [email protected] . Check-in: 15:00 , check-out: 12:00 . Offers 172 rooms in categories of superior, deluxe, family, 4 theme rooms, 4 floral theme rooms, 2 suites and a presidential suite. All rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi access. Also serves international and local food. The resort provides a heated pool, a game room and private karaoke rooms. If you stay in the hotel, you can enter Funland free. Start from Rp 750,000 . ( updated Apr 2018 )

Connect [ edit ]

Consult with your hotel if they provide free Wi-Fi hotspot. If you need an internet cafe, Berastagi city center has several. Do not expect blazing speed - you can get by for browsing and e-mail, but streaming movies will need a lot of patience.

Although in mountainous region, cellphone coverage is very good except if you find yourself in the middle of forest! Phone internet may be limited to around town only, with surrounding villages offering only 3G or lower coverage, at best.

Area code for telephone is 628.

Go next [ edit ]

Public transport to Lake Toba/Parapat is possible but involves 3 minivan changes and takes around 5 hours. Easier to charter a taxi/minivan from the guesthouse and get there in 4 hours than whole day or Taxi Trans for Rp 500,000 (private van); like [email protected]/+6285261492668. You could also stop at the waterfall on the way; Bukit Lawang seems to be best reached via Medan.

For public transport:

Frequent ordinary buses to Simpang Kuala/ Simpang Pos on Jln Ginting in Medan are Rp 20,000. From there you can get minibuses into central Medan for around Rp 7,000.

-Walk to the bus station south of the roundabout in central Berastagi and take the next bus headed towards Kabanjahe - 20 min, Rp 5,000 (you can tell the driver you're going to Parapat and this message may be passed along to the other drivers making it slightly easier to communicate).

-In Kabanjahe grab the next bus going to P. Siantar and ask to be dropped off at Sinpong Dua - 3 hours - Rp 25,000

-When dropped off at the Sinpong Dua junction, you'll need to cross the road and walk south a few minutes (just ask any local where the bus stop to Parapat is) Big bus costs Rp 15,000 and takes about an hour - drops you off right near the ferry to Samosir Island/Lake Toba

Total time takes about five hours or so including transfer time and it's best to leave Berastagi by about 10:00 in order to leave plenty of time to catch the ferry to Samosir (as of August 2015).

July 2012: For transport to Lake Toba (Rp 130,000/person; leaves at 13:30 or 14:00 and arrives in time for last ferry to TukTuk - as of August 2015) , Medan and Bukit Lawang, seats in one of the tourist buses (minivan 5-7 persons; PT Bagus Holiday's Taxi) can be arranged through the local tourist agencies. This is much quicker and easier than public transport and just a little bit more expensive.

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An independent travel guide to Berastagi

Escape the heat

Published/Last edited on 8th May, 2019.

Nestled in the Karo Highands, surrounding by sprawling vegetable farms and lying under the shadow of Gunung Sibayak and with the stunning Gunung Sinabung in the distance, Berastagi tempts travellers in North Sumatra with its cooler climate and beautiful agricultural scenery.

On this page: An introduction to Berastagi

• Why you should go to Berastagi

When to go to Berastagi

Orientation.

• Where to stay

Where to eat

What to see and do, getting there and away.

Browse hotels in Berastagi on Agoda

Provided by Travelfish partner Agoda .

Why should you go to Berastagi?

Located roughly midway along the more circuitous route between Medan and Lake Toba , Berastagi has long been an occasional traveller pitstop, popular with those who would like a relatively easy to climb volcano (Gunung Sibayuk) or to see the spectacular Gunung Sinabung, or who have simply had enough of the steaming lowlands of North Sumatra.

While the accommodation, particularly at the budget end of the stick, is no great shakes, the good food, easy to explore town, and friendly locals more than compensate. Aside from the two volcanoes, the town has an excellent museum focussed on the Karo people, some hot springs , and, while we didn’t try it, jungle trekking . We’d say one or two nights should be sufficient unless you are planning on some extensive wandering in the woods.

Aided by the weather and very fertile soil, the town is surrounded by vegetable farms (the giant cabbage monument on the main road for one honours them) Berastagi is far more farmer market than tourist town—if you’ve travelled much in Bali don’t be surprised if you find yourself casting your mind to Bali’s highland town, Bedugul . Famous for its fresh produce, you’ll see plenty for sale by the side of the road (OMG so many mandarins), much of it is dispatched across the archipelago or exported overseas.

The town enjoys a cooler climate year round, but otherwise shares the same weather system as the rest of this part of Sumatra— wet roughly between November and March and less wet the rest of the year. Visiting in April, we had heavy rain each afternoon we were there, but the mornings enjoyed plentiful sunshine and bright blue skies. Evenings can get cool (by Indonesian standards) and while you’ll see locals getting around garbed up for a nuclear winter, a long-sleeved top is generally sufficient. Regardless of when you visit, a poncho or umbrella will be a good idea.

Over the weekend seemingly half the population of Medan decamps for the cooler climates and a raucous Saturday night out in Berastagi—avoid weekends if that doesn’t sound much like your scene. This is also the only time you are likely to need a reservation—if even then.

Jalan Veteran is the primary north-south running road along which Berastagi clusters. The area of most interest to travellers is between the northern roundabout and the southern cabbage monument. Both sides of the road are lined with local restaurants, cafes and a few cheap hotels. The market is towards the cabbage monument down a side road to the east. At the northern end, by the roundabout you’ll find the post office, and, just around the corner to the west from there, the Museum Pasaka Karo and, beyond that, the police station. The tourist office is opposite the museum though we didn’t find much in the way of useful assistance there.

Most of the better more affordable accommodation is to the west of Jalan Veteran, up the road that runs by the Museum Pasaka Karo, while more midmarket places are further north, on the road out of town heading towards Medan.

There is a hospital to the south of town on the road to Kabanjahe, but for anything serious we’d recommend heading to Medan.

Where to stay in Berastagi

Despite the regular weekend influx of visitors, the accommodation scene in Berastagi leaves a bit to be desired. The best affordable options we found were a ten minute walk from the main road scattered on the hill on the western side of the main road (follow the road up from the museum). There are more central hotels lining the main road, but they are noisier and while in some cases cheaper, generally they lean towards the dire. If you want something more midrange, look to the smarter digs to the north of town, but these are a longer walk into town and you would benefit from having your own transport.

While earsplittingly close to a mosque, Wisma Sunrise View was our pick of the bunch in Berastagi, with at least three standards of rooms running from 150,000 to 250,000 rupiah per night.

We went with the latter and got a comfy bed and a scaldingly hot shower—oddly no towels though. The very clean room was otherwise of a good size, with a tiled floor, comfortable bed, a table setting within and a couple of chairs on the terrace. The views from the shared terrace, out and across town, are excellent and ask for an upstairs room to enjoy the absolute best of the views. Facilities include free WiFi and the English speaking owner can arrange all manner of tours and activities—many of which are detailed on the wall on the way to the rooms. If full, try Kaesa Homestay which sits right nextdoor.

Run by the affable Smiley and his wife Cecilia, Smiley’s Homestay overflows with authentic charm and hospitality.

The accommodation comes in the form of a single dorm with three double mattresses on the floor—ideal perhaps for families, but individual travellers will certainly get to know their room mates very well. There is also an outdoor terrace which offers terrific views over town and Cecilia cooks up a mean meal. The rate of 200,000 rupiah for one or two people including breakfast is not the best value in town, but here it is more about the hospitality than the room standards.

Smiley is an excellent, extremely talkative and very experienced guide (he worked with Intrepid Travel as a local guide for years and still does to some capacity). We engaged him for a couple of days guiding around Berastagi with no complaints at all.

If you must, for whatever reason, stay on the main road in Berastagi, than Losmen Sibayak Guest House will do at a pinch.

The rooms are in a building back off the street so are quieter than you would expect given the location, but the room we were shown was really pretty ordinary—we’d recommend spending the extra money and going for Sunrise View up on the rise. The street front building is home to an affiliated travel agency, which can look after all manner of onwards travel and flight ticketing should you need it and the restaurant and bar next door is a civil spot for a juice, icy beer or meal. Rooms do not have WiFi but it is available in the lobby and in the restaurant next door (which would be a more comfortable place to check email anyway). Rooms with cold water go for 100,000 rupiah, 120,000 rupiah with hot water.

Map of where to stay in Berastagi

Click on the hotel name to open its position in Apple or Google maps.

Simply put, you will not go hungry in Berastagi—the English menus may be few and far between, but there is still plenty of good eating to be had.

Unlike the accommodation, the town is well regarded for its food. Berastagi is known for a Karo speciality, Babi Panggang Karo (look for signs reading BPK), a traditionally roasted pork dish that is served accompanied by a sauce made from pig blood. Don’t confuse it with restaurants bearing signs for B1—that refers to dog —another popular Karo dish.

If your guesthouse doesn’t include breakfast, head to Lavenia Coffee . You’ll find it on the main road, on the east side of the road, a little down from the main roundabout. Start your day with their charcoal toasted bread and a steaming coffee.

Both for breakfast and lunch we did well on the soto front in Berastagi with two excellent bowls along the main road. To the north, a little to the north of Losmen Sibayak, look for Rumah Makan Citra , while on the other side of the road and a little further to the south, Warung Sarapan Muslim was also very good. Both did bowls for 15,000 rupiah. Chinese fare can be enjoyed at Rumah Makan Terang , again, near Losmen Sibayak.

Further north, kitty corner to the post office and museum, Rumah Makan Islam Iyo 24 was another good option and the owner speaks a little English—good coffee too. Another spot for a coffee, run by a friendly English-speaking woman is Warkop Malala , blink and you’ll miss it on your left as you walk down to the market from the main road.

If you’re staying on the hill and could not be asked to walk into town, Warung FB (Family Baru—not Facebook!) is a popular stop for an affordable lunch time or evening meal. The ayam penyet is good, they have an English menu and some staff speak a little English.

Aside from these the downtown street is lined with a solid range of hole in the wall eateries plenty more coffee shops, and, come the evening, a street night market . You will not go hungry in Berastagi.

Map of where to eat in Berastagi

Click on the restaurant name to open its position in Apple or Google maps.

Restaurant contact details and addresses

Lavenia Coffee Jl Veteran, Berastagi Rumah Makan Citra Jl Veteran, Berastagi. T: (0812) 6339 3386 Rumah Makan Islam Iyo 24 Jl Veteran, by the monument, Berastagi. Rumah Makan Terang 129 Jl Veteran, Berastagi. Warkop Malala Laneway to the market, running off Jl Veteran, Berastagi. Warung FB Jl Perwira Atas, Berastagi Warung Sarapan Muslim Jl Veteran, Berastagi.

Gunung Sibayak

Entry 3km north of Berastagi

Billed as one of Indonesia’s most accessible volcanoes, Gunung Sibayak is a 2,056-metre high volcano which lords it over Berastagi—the town backs right onto its base and you can see it steaming away from many vantage points across the town.

While the peak last erupted in 1881, it remains very active—as you’ll be able to see from the many steaming vents on the climb—and while, by Indonesian standards this is an easy one to climb, people have and continue to die on the peak (there is a list of a dozen fatalities on a yellow signboard at the trailhead), so please take it seriously and exercise care when climbing.

There are two main approaches—one from the rear which takes you up through the jungle and takes around six hours round trip and the far more popular approach which entails walking, or as we did, riding up the road to a car park from where it is just one and half hours to the caldera. Having a guide is not mandatory and most people we saw did not have one, but we’d still lean towards engaging a guide for the climb unless you know what you are doing. We hired a guide from Berastagi for 350,000 rupiah, including all transport and a visit to the hotsprings (see below) afterwards.

From the carpark the trail takes you up through forest, which eventually drops back to rock and mud as the forest clears away. On the way up be sure to look behind you for tremendous views across to Gunung Sinabung (weather permitting). Once you reach the caldera, you’ll see the true summit to your left and a high ridge to the right. The ascent to the true peak is considered dangerous and a number of people have fallen from it we were told, but you can go safely up a fair way, at least to get close to the vents if you want to imagine what it must be like sitting right beside a jet engine.

We skipped going all the way to the summit and instead tracked around the crater to the right and ascending the lower ridge, which was still plenty high enough and offered tremendous views over Berastagi and the surrounding countryside. From here, look back down into the caldera and you’ll see where people have written their names and other mementoes in rubble—depending on the season the caldera may be dry or partly full of water (as it was when we visited). Don’t drink it!

The climb is a very popular weekend activity, both with local and foreign travellers who have popped down to Berastagi for the weekend. Most get going by 8am to have a better chance of clear skies, though people do camp by the caldera or start far earlier to enjoy sunrise. If you plan to climb for dawn we would strongly recommend using a guide.

After finishing on the peak, you can continue on to a series of hot springs where you can soothe your semi-aching limbs in artificial baths that have been built around the springs. Admission is nominal, around 10,000 rupiah. Again these can get very busy on weekends when holiday makers come just to the springs—not even bothering to earn the soak by climbing the peak first. Is you just want to go to the hotsprings, figure on 8,000 rupiah for an angkot one way from Berastagi town.

Location map for Gunung Sibayak

Gunung Sinabung

Around 15km southwest of Berastagi (as the crow flies)

Roughly 15km (as the crow flies) to the southwest of Berastagi, the spectacular Gunung Sinabung is an extremely active volcano which, while as of 2019 was totally off limits for climbing, makes for a worth while half day trip out of town to admire from a distance.

With at least ten eruptions between 2013 and 2019, some of which caused fatalities and led to thousands of people being evacuated to refugee camps , this is one active volcano—our guide in Berastagi described it as being “simply nasty”.

The peak is some 2,460m high, but what makes it truly spectacular are its classic shape and clear evidence of past flows from eruptions—look for the green tree line buttressing the grey flows. The volcano is surrounded by a series of “red zones” where villages have been evacuated and where, depending on the situation, access may be limited. These villages include abandoned churches and houses whose roofs often collapsed from ash—today they’re totally deserted, leaving an eerie ghost town like feeling to them. Surrounded by farms and particularly coffee plantations, the setting is remarkably scenic.

Sinabung is best reached under your own steam of by chartering an angkot to whisk you around. Some enterprising cafes have set up to take advantage of the outlook—a memorable spot for a coffee.

Location map for Gunung Sinabung

Sipiso-piso waterfall.

35km south of Berastagi

Located about 35 kilometres south of Berastagi on the edge of Lake Toba, the impressive 120-metre high Sipiso-piso waterfall tumbles out of the surrounding farmland straight into a short river which runs down into Lake Toba.

Extremely popular with weekend domestic travellers, the falls are well worth a stopover and make for a comfortable stop between Berastagi and Lake Toba. There are two primary viewpoints—the upper one and the lower, with the latter reached by descending a set of stairs which are well punishing on the way back up. There are also spots here from where you can enjoy solid views out and over the lake. The carpark is packed with stalls selling tourist tat, so if you’re in the market for an “I Love Sipiso-piso” T-shirt, you’re in the right place.

To reach the falls, catch an angkot from Berstagi to Kabanjahe for 5,000 rupiah. From Kabanjahe, catch either a white Tongging-bound angkot and ask to be dropped off at the waterfall (15,000 rupiah) or one to the turnoff to Sipiso-piso from where you’ll need to improvise to reach the falls.

Location map for Sipiso-piso Waterfall

Gundaling viewpoint.

Immediately north of the centre of Berastagi.

Gundaling is the name of the small hill you can see from many parts of Berastagi where locals go to picnic and canoodle. From the top of the hill there are solid views across the centre of town across to distant mountains, market gardens and towards the recently eruptive Gunung Sinabung.

Many foreign visitors choose to walk to the top of Gundaling from the northern monument in town, though public transport will also happily whisk you up there. To the summit it is about an hour walking—take the road to the left at the northern monument and follow it towards the hill and you’ll get there. If you are walking up for sunset take a torch as it is a long walk back in the dark.

Location map for Gundaling viewpoint

Museum pasaka karo.

Jl Perwira, Berastagi Tu–Sa: 09:00-12:30 & 13:30–17:00 Su: 11:00-12:30 & 13:30–17:00

Aside from the views, the main in-town attraction is the Museum Pasaka Karo , located within what used to be a local Catholic church. Well presented, with English captions throughout, this is an excellent spot to get a comprehensive wrap on traditional tools and customs of the Karo people.

You’ll see cooking utensils, knives, baskets, bowls, some traditional clothes and a bunch of interesting photos dating from the early 20th century—keep an eye out for the early Sinabung pics. If you’re planning on visiting either Dokan or Lingga villages to see traditional Karo houses, this is a good primer to give you a better understanding of what you’ll see (though if you are going to either village, we recommend using a guide to get more still out of the visit).

Location map for Museum Pasaka Karo

Dokan traditional village.

25km south of Berastagi

Far closer to sea level, on the way to Sipiso-piso waterfall, the traditional village of Dokan is worth a visit if you are wanting a little bit more than what you can see at the Museum Pasaka Karo.

The village was once all longhouses but many were razed by the Dutch during the colonial period. Despite the Dutch vandalism, this village still retains a handful of traditional Karo longhouses, each of which houses eight families, and, if you visit with a guide you should be able to have a look inside to see a way of living probably quite different to what you are used to in your home country.

The houses are rich in symbolism, look for the buffalo heads on the roof spires and the gecko motifs along the side. The supporting pillars rest on wooden foundations, women’s hair placed between the supports and the foundations to protect from earthquakes. At the main entrance you’ll see a flat board sticking out about a foot and on the flank of each door ornate wooden handles—when Karo women give birth they sit on the wooden plank, using the two handles for support when in labour. Inside you’ll see each family has their own section, with a simple wood-fired stove, a sleeping area (a mat on the floor) and storage above. Note all the lumber stored above—the smoke from the stoves help dry it out.

As these houses are still lived in, you really need a guide to be able to look inside and a small donation (betel nut will please the old ladies more than money) is appropriate.

Dokan is around 25km south of Berastagi on the road to Sipiso-piso waterfall and the turnoff is signposted—the village is perhaps two kilometres from the turn off. A second village, Lingga can also be visited from Berastagi, but it isn’t on the road to Sipiso-piso, so we’d stick with this one. If you have neither a guide nor your own transport, to get here with public transport catch an angkot from the Berastagi main road to Kabanjahe for 5,000 rupiah, then from Kabanjahe, catch a Merek or Tongging-bound angkot and ask the driver to let you off at the Desa Dokan turnoff. To return to Berastagi repeat the same in reverse.

Location map for Dokan Traditional Village

Getting away from Berastagi is a fairly simple affair with buses and angkots zooming along the main road at all times of day taking passengers to Medan (20,000 rupiah, two to three hours depending on traffic) and south to Kabanjahe (5,000 rupiah, 20 minutes).

If you're heading to Lake Toba from Berastagi , the journey takes about five hours and requires three buses—Berastagi to Kabanjahe (5,000 rupiah), Kabanjahe to Siantar (25,000 rupiah) and Siantar to Parapat (20,000 rupiah). From Parapat the ferry to Tuk Tuk on Pulau Samosir, the main tourist area of Lake Toba, costs 15,000 rupiah and leave roughly hourly. The last passenger ferry from Parapat is at 19:30. If you miss the last ferry there is plenty of accommodation in Parapat to tide you over till the morning.

A direct tourist bus to Lake Toba (which is coming from Bukit Lawang) should pass through Berastagi at around 13:00—ask your guesthouse to call ahead to get you a seat and to get a firmer idea on when it will be passing through town.

To Ketambe , a seat in a share taxi runs to 200,000 rupiah and the local bus 100,000 rupiah.

Raymond Coffee Shop , at the southern end of town, near the cabbage monument, rents scooters for 100,000 rupiah per day.

By Stuart McDonald. Last updated on 8th May, 2019.

More destinations

Banda Aceh Bukit Lawang Bukittinggi Ketambe Lake Toba Medan Padang Pulau Weh Takengon

Holiday checklist

If you prefer to have all your ducks in a row before you hit the road, here are some travel services you may wish to consider.

• SafetyWing offers affordable travel insurance , along with coverage for travellers up to the age of 70.
• Buying a SIM card through Klook to pickup at the airport when you arrive can save you time and money. Choose from airports across Southeast Asia.
• GetYourGuide offers a quite comprehensive range of popular organised activities across the region.
• 12Go is a reliable travel agent for selecting and booking your transport in advance.

Last update: April 2024   

Duration of public transport

Map of aceh and north sumatra - travel routes between important sights.

Travel routes through Aceh and North Sumatra with airports and main ferry routes

Means of transport in Sumatra

SusiAir - Cesna C208b

Medan - Main Station

From Medan to Ketambe via Berastagi

Transport to/from bukit lawang.

Bus between Bukit Lawang and Medan

Medan - Kampung Lalang

From Bukit Lawang to Ketambe

Transport to/from/in tangkahan.

Ojek transport at Simpang Robert

Tangkahan - Crossing the river

From Tangkahan to Ketambe

Transport to/from lake toba.

Minibus - transport on Samosir island

Parapat - Small jetty for passenger boats

Main road in Pangururan

Lake Toba - Peninsula of Tuk Tuk - View from the south

From Lake Toba to Ketambe

Transport to/from banda aceh.

Baiturrahman Mosque in Banda Aceh

Inside the Tsunami Museum

Cesna C208b: Banda Aceh - Kutacane

Airport building at Kutacane airfield (KTC)

From Banda Aceh to Ketambe

Sea transport pulau banyak.

Passenger Boat from Balai to Singkil

Travel 4 hours on this passenger boat

Ferry Pier on Pulau Balai

Inside the car ferry - not many cars It departs only 3 times per week

From Pulau Banyak to Ketambe

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Berita Sumut

Sesuaikan harga bbm, tarif bus medan-kabanjahe turut alami kenaikan sebesar rp 3.000, tarif angkutan bus perjalanan rute kota medan menuju kabanjahe atau sebaliknya mengalami kenaikan sebesar rp 3.000..

TRIBUN-MEDAN.com, MEDAN - Tarif angkutan bus perjalanan rute Kota Medan menuju Kabanjahe atau sebaliknya mengalami kenaikan sebesar Rp 3.000.

Tarif angkutan bus tersebut mulai naik pasca kenaikan harga BBM yang diumumkan pemerintah pada Sabtu (3/9) pekan lalu.

Kenaikan harga BBM itu pun menjadi pemicu kenaikan biaya operasional bus sehingga tarif angkutan bus itu juga dinaikkan.

Baca juga: ONGKOS Bus Siantar-Tebing Tinggi Naik Rp 5000 imbas Kenaikan Harga BBM

Sebelumnya, harga tiket bus Medan-Kabanjahe dibanderol Rp 15.000, namun kini harga tersebut menjadi Rp 18.000.

Adapun disampaikan oleh salah seorang supir bus Medan-Kabanjahe, kenaikan tarif tersebut mulai diberlakukan mulai hari Minggu (4/9/2022) kemarin.

Begitupun dengan para penumpang yang berhenti ditengah jalan seperti Medan menuju Sibolangit dibanderol Rp 12.000.

Tarif bus Rp 18.000 ini pun hanya berlaku bagi bus yang tidak menggunakan AC, karena untuk bus yang menggunakan AC dikenakan tarif yang berbeda.

Baca juga: Harga Tiket Bus PMTOH Medan-Banda Aceh Naik Dampak Kenaikan Harga BBM

"Tadi saya sudah dikenakan tarif Rp 18 ribu dari Kabanjahe ke Medan, kalau begini berat lah karena saya kerja harus Pulang-Pergi setiap hari, gaji enggak naik, " tutur seorang penumpang setelah turun dari salah satu bus, Senin (5/9/2022).

Ia mengatakan, dirinya berangkat dari Kabanjahe ke Kota Medan itu 2 kali dalam sehari. Karena ia mendapat penugasan di Kota Medan.

"Ya memang sudah resiko ya, tetapi kan terasa sekali ada kenaikan Rp 6.000 setiap hari, " imbuhnya.

(cr9/tribun-medan.com)

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Harga tiket bus, tarif bus medan-kabanjahe naik, tribun medan.

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Coordinates of elektrostal in degrees and decimal minutes, utm coordinates of elektrostal, geographic coordinate systems.

WGS 84 coordinate reference system is the latest revision of the World Geodetic System, which is used in mapping and navigation, including GPS satellite navigation system (the Global Positioning System).

Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) define a position on the Earth’s surface. Coordinates are angular units. The canonical form of latitude and longitude representation uses degrees (°), minutes (′), and seconds (″). GPS systems widely use coordinates in degrees and decimal minutes, or in decimal degrees.

Latitude varies from −90° to 90°. The latitude of the Equator is 0°; the latitude of the South Pole is −90°; the latitude of the North Pole is 90°. Positive latitude values correspond to the geographic locations north of the Equator (abbrev. N). Negative latitude values correspond to the geographic locations south of the Equator (abbrev. S).

Longitude is counted from the prime meridian ( IERS Reference Meridian for WGS 84) and varies from −180° to 180°. Positive longitude values correspond to the geographic locations east of the prime meridian (abbrev. E). Negative longitude values correspond to the geographic locations west of the prime meridian (abbrev. W).

UTM or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system divides the Earth’s surface into 60 longitudinal zones. The coordinates of a location within each zone are defined as a planar coordinate pair related to the intersection of the equator and the zone’s central meridian, and measured in meters.

Elevation above sea level is a measure of a geographic location’s height. We are using the global digital elevation model GTOPO30 .

Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia

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Moscow State Forest University

Moscow State Forest University is a specialized establishment of higher education which trains engineering personnel, scientists as well as bachelors and masters for forest industry, wood processing and pulp and paper industry and is the major educational and scientific center of forest complex of the country. One school of the university prepares specialists for aerospace industry. Established in 1919 as the Moscow Forest Engineering Institute, the school was Russia's "first higher education institution for training forest engineers."There are nine schools in university specialized in forest engineering and one school specialized in electronics, applied mathematics and computer science Faculty of Computer Science. FEST was founded in 1959 on initiative by academician Sergey Pavlovich Korolev with the goal to prepare engineers for the Soviet Aerospace industry.

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Elektrostal, visit elektrostal, check elektrostal hotel availability, popular places to visit.

• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• History of Russian Scarfs and Shawls Museum
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pekhorka Park
• Balashikha Arena
• Drama Theatre BOOM
• Bykovo Manor
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Pavlovsky Posad Museum of Art and History
• Saturn Stadium
• Church of Vladimir
• Likino Dulevo Museum of Local Lore
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Fairy Tale Children's Model Puppet Theater
• Fifth House Gallery
• Malakhovka Museum of History and Culture