Best Things to Do in Medan for First Timers (and Repeat Visitors)
Words by
Andi Pratama
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If you are looking for the best things to do in Medan, you need to understand that this city does not hand you its secrets politely. Medan hits you with the smell of frying shallots, the roar of a thousand motorbikes, and the sudden sight of a grand mosque rising between crumbling Dutch colonial facades. I have lived here long enough to know that the best activities Medan has to offer are rarely found in glossy brochures. They are found in the back lanes of Kesawan, in the pre-dawn kitchens of Kampung Madras, and in the smoky, late-night coffee shops where old men argue about politics. This Medan travel guide is built from years of walking these streets, eating at these tables, and learning how to navigate the beautiful, chaotic energy of North Sumatra's capital.
The Colonial Heart of Medan
The best way to start understanding Medan is to stand in the middle of Merdeka Square and turn in a slow circle. The old town area, centered around Jalan Pemuda and Jalan Ahmad Yani, holds the remnants of the Deli Planters' golden age. The Maimun Palace sits just east of the square, a sprawling yellow structure commissioned by Sultan Ma'mun Al Rashid Perkasa Alam in 1888. The palace blends Malay, Mughal, and Italian architectural styles, and the interior rooms still contain the original royal furniture. You should go before 9:00 AM to avoid the heat and the large tour groups that arrive by bus from cruise ships docking at Belawan. Most tourists take photos of the main hall and leave, but the basement area near the old kitchen quarters has a series of black-and-white photographs of the Deli tobacco trade that almost nobody bothers to look at. The palace connects directly to the broader character of Medan because it represents the moment when this swampy trading post transformed into a wealthy agricultural export hub. The Sultan's wealth came from tobacco, and the Dutch colonial infrastructure was built entirely to move those leaves to the global market.
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The Vibe? Regal but slightly faded, like a grandparent's living room that has been preserved exactly as it was in 1920.
The Bill? 35,000 IDR for adults, 20,000 IDR for children.
The Standout? The acoustic design of the main throne room, where the Sultan's voice could supposedly carry to every corner without amplification.
The Catch? The guides inside will sometimes rush you through the rooms if they think a bigger tip is coming from the next group.
Tjong A Fie Mansion and the Chinese Merchant Legacy
Walk about fifteen minutes south of Merdeka Square along Jalan Jamin Ginting, and you will reach Jalan Kesawan. Tucked into this busy commercial strip is Tjong A Fie Mansion, a massive red-and-gold structure built in the early 1900s by a Chinese merchant who became one of the wealthiest men in the Dutch East Indies. Tjong A Fie made his fortune in sugar, tobacco, and real estate, and this mansion was his family home. The interior is a dizzying mix of Chinese porcelain, European chandeliers, and Art Deco woodwork. The mansion operates as a museum now, and the caretakers are usually descendants or long-time employees who can tell you stories about the family that you will not find in any textbook. The best time to visit is on a weekday afternoon around 2:00 PM, when the light comes through the stained-glass windows and illuminates the carved wooden panels upstairs. One detail most visitors miss is the small prayer room on the second floor, which contains a blend of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian iconography that reflects the syncretic spiritual life of Medan's old Chinese elite. This mansion is a physical record of how Medan's economy was built by immigrant entrepreneurs who connected the plantations of the interior to the ports of Southeast Asia.
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The Vibe? Opulent and slightly eerie, like stepping into a time capsule of early 20th-century wealth.
The Bill? 50,000 IDR for entry, which includes a guided walkthrough.
The Standout? The hand-painted ceiling panels in the main reception room, each depicting a different Chinese legend.
The Catch? The mansion can feel cramped if a large group is being toured through at the same time, and the upstairs rooms get very warm by mid-afternoon.
The Grand Mosque and the Islamic Identity of Medan
Masjid Raya Al Mashun, commonly called the Grand Mosque, sits on Jalan Sisingamangaraja and was completed in 1909 with funding from the Sultan of Deli. The mosque is a striking octagonal structure with dark green and gold domes, and the interior courtyard is surrounded by arched colonades that feel almost Andalusian. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside of prayer times, and you can borrow a robe at the entrance if your clothing does not cover your knees and shoulders. The mosque was designed by a Dutch architect named JA Tingdamm, which explains the unusual blend of Middle Eastern and European neo-Gothic elements in the window tracery. Go in the late afternoon around 4:30 PM, when the sun hits the domes and the courtyard fills with the sound of the call to prayer echoing off the surrounding buildings. The mosque is not just a place of worship. It is the anchor of Medan's Islamic identity, and the surrounding neighborhood has been shaped by the rhythm of the five daily prayers for over a century. The old man who sells fried bananas from a cart outside the mosque's east gate has been there for over thirty years, and he will tell you that the recipe came from his grandmother in Binjai.
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The Vibe? Serene and imposing, with a sense of deep historical weight.
The Bill? Free entry, though donations are appreciated.
The Standout? The acoustic effect inside the main prayer hall, where a normal speaking voice carries clearly to the opposite wall.
The Catch? You cannot enter during Friday midday prayers, and the surrounding street becomes extremely congested at that time.
Kampung Madras and the Indian Quarter
Kampung Madras is not a single street but a sprawling neighborhood east of the city center, roughly bounded by Jalan Diponegoro, Jalan Amir Hamzah, and Jalan Kebun Bunga. This is Medan's Little India, and it has been the cultural and commercial heart of the city's Tamil and South Indian community since the late 1800s, when laborers were brought from Sumatra's east coast to work on the plantations. The Sri Mariamman Temple on Jalan Zainul Arifin is the focal point, a Dravidian-style temple with a colorful gopuram tower covered in painted deities. The temple is open from early morning until around 8:00 PM, and the evening aarti ceremony around 7:00 PM is the most atmospheric time to visit. The streets around the temple are lined with shops selling spices, saris, gold jewelry, and South Indian snacks like murukku and thattai. You should eat at one of the banana leaf restaurants on Jalan Zainul Arifin, where rice is served on a large leaf with an array of curries, pickles, and papadums. The best one is a small place with no English sign, just look for the crowd of locals at lunchtime. Kampung Madras connects to Medan's identity as a multi-ethnic trading city, where Tamil, Javanese, Chinese, Malay, and Batak communities have coexisted and intermingled for generations. The neighborhood also hosts the Thaipusam procession every year, which draws thousands of devotees and is one of the most intense cultural experiences in Medan.
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The Vibe? Loud, fragrant, and deeply alive, with the constant sound of Tamil film music from shop speakers.
The Bill? A full banana leaf meal costs between 25,000 and 45,000 IDR.
The Standout? The freshly made dosai at the back of the Sri Mariamman Temple compound, cooked on a large iron griddle by a family that has been doing this for decades.
The Catch? The traffic on Jalan Zainul Arifin is relentless, and crossing the street on foot requires either extreme patience or a local guide.
The Culinary Deep Dive at Jalan Semanggi
No Medan travel guide is complete without addressing the food, and Jalan Semanggi is where you go to understand why Medanese people are obsessed with their cuisine. This street, located in the Petisah area just south of the city center, is lined with food stalls and small restaurants that specialize in several iconic dishes. The most important one is Bika Ambon, a spongy, custard-like cake made with tapioca flour, coconut milk, and pandan. The most famous producer is Bika Ambon Zulkaniah, which has been operating on Jalan Semanggi since the 1970s. You should also try Roti Canai, a flaky flatbread served with fish or chicken curry, which reflects the Indian influence on Medanese food. The stalls here start opening around 7:00 AM and stay busy until late evening, but the best time to come is between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM, when the street fills with motorbikes and the smoke from a dozen grills hangs in the air. One thing most tourists do not know is that the recipe for Bika Ambon was originally brought to Medan by traders from Ambon in the Maluku islands, and the Medanese version has evolved to be denser and more fragrant than the original. The street also connects to the broader history of Medan as a crossroads of Indonesian cuisine, where Javanese soto, Chinese noodles, Malay gulai, and Indian roti all exist within a few blocks of each other.
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The Vibe? Chaotic, aromatic, and unapologetically local, with plastic chairs spilling onto the road.
The Bill? A full meal with a drink will cost between 30,000 and 60,000 IDR.
The Standout? The Bika Ambon Zulkaniah, specifically the pandan flavor, which has a texture somewhere between cake and pudding.
The Catch? There is almost no seating, and you will likely be eating standing up or squatting on a low plastic stool while motorbikes weave past your knees.
The Bukit Lawang Connection and the Orangutan Experience
If you are willing to travel about ninety kilometers northwest of the city center, the Bukit Lawang area on the banks of the Bahorak River gives you one of the most significant wildlife experiences in Southeast Asia. This is where the orangutan rehabilitation center operates, and you can see semi-wild Sumatran orangutans at feeding platforms twice a day, usually around 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The journey from Medan takes about two to three hours by car, depending on traffic, and the road passes through palm oil plantations and small Batak villages. You should arrange a two-day, one-night trip because the jungle trekking along the river is the real highlight, and you will want to spend at least half a day walking through the lowland rainforest with a local guide. The guides are usually from the village of Bukit Lawang itself and have grown up in the forest. They know where the gibbons feed, where the Thomas leaf monkeys gather, and which sections of the river are safe for swimming. The orangutan population here was nearly wiped out by illegal logging in the 1990s, and the rehabilitation program has been slowly rebuilding their numbers since the early 2000s. This experience connects to Medan's role as the gateway to the Leuser Ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and it reminds you that the wealth of North Sumatra was built on its natural resources, for better and for worse.
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The Vibe? Raw and humid, with the constant sound of insects, rushing water, and the occasional crash of a branch as an orangutan moves through the canopy.
The Bill? A two-day guided trek, including accommodation in a basic guesthouse, costs between 800,000 and 1,500,000 IDR per person.
The Standout? The morning river tubing, where you float down a gentle section of the Bahorak River surrounded by forest.
The Catch? The guesthouses in Bukit Lawang are basic, with limited hot water and electricity that sometimes cuts out at night, and the road from Medan has several sections with severe potholes.
The Coffee Culture of Medan
Medan has one of the most underrated coffee cultures in Indonesia, and you need to understand that this city takes its kopi seriously. The most iconic spot is Kopi Kenangan on Jalan Gatot Subroto, but the real depth of the scene is found in the older shops around Jalan Ahmad Yani and Jalan Palang Merah. Rumah Kopi Selasar, located on Jalan Palang Merah near the Taman Mini Indonesia park, is a good place to start. They serve Arabica beans from the nearby Gayo highlands and the Mandailing region, brewed using the traditional tubruk method where the grounds are steeped directly in the cup. You should also look for stalls selling Kopi Susu, the sweet, condensed-milk coffee that is the default morning drink for most Medanese people. The best time to explore the coffee scene is between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, when the city is waking up and the warungs are full of workers grabbing their first cup. One detail that most tourists miss is the connection between Medan's coffee culture and the Batak highlands to the south. The Batak people around Lake Toba have been growing coffee for generations, and Medan has historically been the trading and processing hub where those beans are roasted and distributed. The old Chinese-owned roasteries in the Kesawan district still operate, and you can sometimes smell the roasting beans from half a block away.
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The Vibe? Slow and contemplative in the morning, fast and transactional by midday.
The Bill? A cup of tubruk coffee at a traditional warung costs between 8,000 and 15,000 IDR.
The Standout? The Kopi Jahe (ginger coffee) served at the early-morning stalls near the Teladan Stadium, which is brewed with fresh ginger and palm sugar.
The Catch? Many of the traditional coffee stalls close by 11:00 AM, so if you are a slow morning person, you need to get there early or you will miss the best options.
The Night Markets of Medan
The activities Medan offers after dark are just as important as the daytime experiences, and the city's night markets are where you see the full spectrum of local life. Pasar Malam, located along Jalan Thamrin near the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah park, operates every evening from around 6:00 PM until midnight. This is not a tourist market. It is a working-class gathering place where families come to eat, shop, and socialize. You will find stalls selling everything from fried noodles and satay to cheap clothing and phone accessories. The food section is the main draw, and you should specifically look for Sate Padang, a beef satay served with a thick, spicy yellow sauce that originated in West Sumatra but has been adopted enthusiastically by Medanese vendors. Another essential stop is the Martabak stall near the entrance, where you can order Martabak Manis, a thick pancake filled with chocolate, cheese, and crushed peanuts. The best time to arrive is around 7:30 PM, when the stalls are fully set up but the crowds have not yet peaked. One insider detail is that the vendors at Pasar Malam rotate on a weekly schedule, so the stall that is there on Tuesday might not be there on Thursday. The market connects to Medan's identity as a city of migrants, because the food on offer reflects the cuisines of every ethnic group that has settled here over the past century and a half.
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The Vibe? Loud, smoky, and wonderfully overwhelming, with competing music from different stalls and the constant sizzle of oil on hot plates.
The Bill? A full evening of eating and browsing will cost between 50,000 and 100,000 IDR.
The Standout? The Sate Padang from the stall with the red umbrella, which uses a spice paste that includes turmeric and galangal.
The Catch? The market gets extremely crowded after 9:00 PM, and finding a place to sit can be nearly impossible, so bring your patience and be prepared to eat standing up.
The Batak Heritage at Lake Toba
Lake Toba is technically outside Medan, about 160 kilometers to the south, but no Medan travel guide would be honest without mentioning it because most visitors to North Sumatra use Medan as their entry point. The lake is the largest volcanic crater lake in the world, formed by a supervolcanic eruption about 74,000 years ago, and the island of Samosir in the middle of the lake is the cultural heartland of the Batak people. You can reach the lake by bus from the Amplas terminal in Medan, a journey that takes about four to five hours depending on road conditions. The town of Parapat on the eastern shore is the gateway, and from there you take a ferry to Samosir Island. The Batak culture is distinct from the rest of North Sumatra, with its own language, musical tradition, and architectural style. The stone megalithic sites around the village of Ambarita, where ancient Batak kings held council and executions, are worth visiting. The best time to go is during the dry season from June to September, when the lake is calm and the views from the hillsides are clear. One thing most tourists do not know is that the Batak people were among the first ethnic groups in Indonesia to be converted to Christianity by German missionaries in the 19th century, and the churches around Lake Toba have a unique architectural style that blends European Gothic elements with traditional Batak roof shapes.
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The Vibe? Cool, quiet, and deeply cultural, a sharp contrast to the heat and noise of Medan.
The Bill? The ferry from Parapat to Samosir costs 20,000 IDR per person, and a basic guesthouse on the island runs between 150,000 and 300,000 IDR per night.
The Standout? The traditional Batak dance performance at the museum in Tomok village, which tells the story of a king's funeral through music and movement.
The Catch? The road from Medan to Parapat passes through the town of Parapat, which has aggressive touts who will try to sell you overpriced boat tickets and hotel packages, so book your accommodation in advance and ignore the roadside sales pitches.
When to Go and What to Know
Medan sits just three degrees north of the equator, so the temperature stays between 28°C and 33°C year-round with
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