4D3N Orangutan Jungle Trekking

Day 1: Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking

Included: Guide, cook, lunch, diner, fruits, entrance fee to Gunung Leuser, accommodation in jungle camp

We start around 8-9 a.m. after breakfast at your hotel. We walk for around 6-7 hours into the Gunung-Leuser National Park and will along the way see a lot of wildlife, such gibbons, leaf monkeys, longtail and pigtail macaques, flying squirrels, Sumatran peacocks, hornbills and of course orangutans.

Our guide will show some natural medicinal plants and explain how to use them in practice. After a nice lunch in the afternoon, we continue towards our campsite (usually “Tenda Black”) where we will rest, get a hot drink and take a refreshing jungle bath in the clean stream. We will end our day at dark with a well-deserved mouthwatering diner at the camp fire!

Day 2: Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking

Included: Guide, cook, breakfast, lunch, diner, fruits, entrance fee to Gunung Leuser, accommodation in jungle camp

Waking up in the middle of the jungle is a magical feeling. You hear the morning sounds of the birds and the excitement of the gibbons in the distance as you breath the fresh air.

After a good breakfast, we get ready to leave the camp and walk for 5 to 6 hours in the jungle towards another camp site (usually “Aras Pinang”). Along the way, we enjoy the nature and wildlife, try all sorts of ‘jungle-food’ and how to recognize them and use them. We have lunch in the jungle somewhere half-way.

At the camp we can relax and swim in a clean jungle river. We end the day with another delicious dinner at campfire.

Day 3: Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking

Included: Guide, cook, breakfast, lunch, diner, fruits, entrance fee to Gunung Leuser, accommodation in jungle camp

After breakfast, we start our trek to the next campsite (usually “Batu Lintang”) for about 5-6 hours and continue our search for wildlife.

If we are really very luck, but since there are very few still alive it is improbable, we may even see a Sumatran tiger or a Sumatran Rhino!

Upon arrival at the campsite, we get a hot drink and take a shower in small stream near the waterfall! We end the day with diner at camp fire.

Day 4: Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking

Included: Guide, cook, breakfast, fruits, entrance fee to Gunung Leuser

After breakfast we do a jungle trek of 4-5 hours into the jungle to discover even more exotic animals than what we have seen so far. We have lunch back at the same camp. Start trek after breakfast around 9 a.m., walk around 4-5 hours into the jungle looking for orangutans and other animals. After lunch we head back to Bukit Lawang either by foot or by adventurously tube-rafting down the river!

How to prepare for the Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking?

Go through our frequently asked questions and read our Ultimate Guide to Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking.

How to get to Bukit Lawang from Medan?

Fly to Medan. The gateway to Bukit Lawang is the Medan, Sumatra. Fly to Kuala Namu International Airport in Medan. From Medan it is ±3/4 hours driving to Bukit Lawang.

By Local Bus (budget travellers). Most local buses to Bukit Lawang leave from a terminal at Kampung Lalang, on the outskirts of Medan. Local buses can get you here for around 6,000 Rupiah, but you may need to learn a bit of Bahasa Indonesia to survive! From Kampung Lalang, a minibus to Bukit Lawang will cost ±30,000 Rupiah per person, and the journey will take 4-5 hours. Be prepared for a lot of Indonesian music being played by the driver! Last bus to Bukit Lawang leaves at 17.30hrs.

WARNING: These minibuses break down often, so be careful taking these buses especially with kids. Also, there are worrying stories about going from this bus terminal to Bukit Lawang: Travellers have been followed, shouted at and even grabbed at because people want them to pay extra prices, so be prepared when going with this bus terminal. A better, more comfortable and safer option is to take the more luxury busses or a private taxi (see below).

By Luxury Bus. A more luxury option is to take a tourist bus to Bukit Lawang. These depart from near the Grand Mosque in Medan and they are relatively good quality buses (by Sumatran standards) that don’t break down as often as the minibuses. The price for a bus ticket is ±100,000 Rupiah.

Private Transfer (Recommended Option). The most comfortable and fastest way to get from Medan to Bukit Lawang is by taxi. You won't have any hassle of finding the bus terminal and are not restricted to the timetable. If you do a Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking with us, you can book the private transfer directly with us for 600.000 IDR for up to 5 people. You can be picked up at your hotel or airport in Medan.

We also offer private transfers to/from Lake Toba and Berastagi, with stops at picturesque places on route. There are also direct buses available for both destinations: to/from Lake Toba takes ±7 hours and costs ±200.000 IDR per person, while the bus to/from Berastagi takes ±5 hours and costs ±150.000 IDR per person.

Note: All shown prices are indicative; they were valid at the time of writing in 2020, but are subject to change

What is the best period for the Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking?

Orangutans can be seen all year round as part of a jungle trek from Bukit Lawang.

From a weather point of view, the best period to visit Bukit Lawang is in dry season in the period April - September. The busiest period is July - August.

The wettest period is December - January: There are still mostly periods with sunshine but also frequent heavy rain falls typically at the end of the afternoon.

The shoulder periods October-November and February-March are quite good periods to visit Bukit Lawang as well. While there are rain falls in this period, these last just for a few minutes. Also there are very little tourists in this period, so it will feel as if you have the village and the Gunung Leuser National Park all for yourself!

Where to Stay in Bukit Lawang?

A recommended accommodation in Bukit Lawang is Ecolodge . It is a beautiful facility and it also donates parts of the proceeds to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme.

Another recommended accommodation is Sam's Bungalow .

Do you offer taxi service to/from Medan Airport?

Yes. For our longer tours, an airport pick-up and drop off service is included as you see in the corresponding itineraries. For our shorter but popular orangutan jungle treks, you can simply book the airport transfer service when submitting your booking request

Can we fly out on the day the Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking ends?

The short answer is that we advice you to fly out from Medan Airport the day after your jungle trekking ends, and spend a night in Bukit Lawang. In that case you can enjoy a long day of jungle trekking also on your last day.

However, we will accommodate it if you wish to fly out from Medan airport on the same day your jungle trek ends. In that case we will wake up early in the morning in our jungle camp, have a breakfast, tube back to Bukit Lawang and then drive to Medan Airport. The earliest we can get to Medan airport on the day your tour ends is around 2 pm.

In case you wish to fly out on the same day your orangutan tour ends, we kindly ask you to mention this in the booking form.

Will I see orangutans with the Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking?

Although the jungle is rich with wildlife and orangutans, there is no guarantee that you will see orangutans or any other wildlife. Our guides will do their best to ensure you see as much as possible.

It is very rare for a group to not see orangutans. The longer the tour you choose, the higher the chance of meeting orangutans.

It has never happened to us that for a 2 Day tour or longer, we have not seen a single orangutan, but we can obviously not guarantee this for the future.

Can we feed the orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park?

Absolutely NO! We treat orangutans respectfully, keep our distance, do not touch them, and do not feed them. The orangutans here are wild, and should be treated accordingly. You will see however that we can nevertheless get quite close to orangutans because they are so peaceful in their nature.

Feeding orangutans may at first sight seem innocent or even a kind gesture, but it will make them aggressive towards humans, lazy to find their own food, or even sick.

We believe it is our responsibility to respect nature and educate our clients about the fragility of it. And we know that travelers will treat our jungle with the same respect once they understand the environmental consequences of our behavior.

How is the sleeping comfort in the jungle camp?

With our the jungle trekking tours, you will be staying overnight in jungle camps. You'll be sleeping in a tent with a mosquito net. But beware that the tour is quite a back-to-basic experience, including the sleeping. Specifically, the mattrasses in the jungle camps are very thin. You can consider bring your own pillow and manage your expectations:-)

Are there toilets in the jungle camps in Gunung Leuser National Park?

Yes, there are simple squat toilets at the jungle camp sites.

Is the Bukit Lawang jungle trekking fit for children?

Yes. For groups with children (but older than 5 years), we prepare extra equipment and guiding and take a less challenging route.

Could the tube-rafting damage my camera?

All items are sealed in plastic and secured to the raft. As an additional layer of security, we advice you to bring a waterproof pouch for your camera/batteries and a rain-cover for your backpack.

Is there an ATM in Bukit Lawang?

There is only an ATM on the MasterCard network. Visa/Plus cards will not work! We advice you to bring cash with you to Bukit Lawang and not count on the ATMs. The nearest ATM outside of Bukit Lawang is in Bahorok, which is 15 minutes by becak (tuk tuk).

Orangutan tours in Sumatra vs Borneo?

Among the best places in the world to see orangutans, are Gunung Leuser National Park (Sumatra) and Tanjung Puting National Park (Kalimantan). We offer tours in both places with certified, local guides.

Both are quite well accessible by air from Jakarta. Which of the two is better, depends on your personal interests and on your budget.

Generally speaking, orangutan tours in Bukit Lawang are suitable for adventurous travelers that like relatively long treks, are in shape and/or have a low/mid budget. The transportation is by foot and the accommodation is typically in basic jungle camps.

In contrast, the orangutan tours in Tanjung Puting are by boat as you cruise through the river, and the occassional treks are very easy and short, and the accommodation is typically on the boat. Although this cruise is still relatively cheap for Western standards, it is 2 to 3 times more expensive than the jungle treks in Bukit Lawang.

We also offer Orangutan Tours in Tanjung Puting, click here for more information

Where can we leave our big luggage during tour?

All accommations in Bukit Lawang offer a free storage service for your luggage while you do your jungle trekking.

In case you do not have an accommodation or there is any other reason this option does not work, then we will store your luggage in Bukit Lawang during the trek.

Ready to meet the Sumatran orangutan in their natural habitat? Book your Sumatra Tour and be part of our mission to protect the rainforest.

Or have a look at any other Sumatra Tour

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Detailed Itinerary

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