6D5N North Sumatra Tour (Easy Hikes)

Day 1: Pick-up Medan – Bukit Lawang

Included: private transport by car, accommodation in Bukit Lawang

Private transfer at any time from Medan airport (4-5 hours) or Medan city (3-4 hours) to your hotel in Bukit Lawang.

Day 2: Orangutan Jungle Trekking – Berastagi (B L)

Included: guide, cook, entrance fee to Gunung Leuser National Park, private transport by car, accommodation in Berastagi, meals as mentioned

We start after breakfast at your hotel and walk for around 4-5 hours in the Gunung-Leuser National Park.

Along the way we look for wildlife, such as of course orangutans, but also gibbons, leaf monkeys, longtail and pigtail macaques, flying squirrels, Sumatran peacocks, hornbills, etc.

Your guide will show you the medicinal plants and how to use them. We continue to the jungle camp where we’ll rest or swim before we take an exciting trip back to Bukit Lawang on a rubber tube-raft in the river!

In Bukit Lawang we pack everything and continue the journey by car to Berastagi, where we check-in to our hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 3: Fruit Market – Sipiso Piso – Lake Toba (B L)

Included: private transport by car, entrance fees, accommodation in Lake Toba, meals as mentioned

After breakfast, we check-out and visit the famous fruit market in Berastagi.

Then we depart to Lake Toba. Along the way we have lunch at the beautiful Sipiso-Piso waterfall. The next stop is in Simarjunjung at the top of the mountain with a scenic panorama.

We continue to Parapat, where we take the ferry to get to Samosir island and check-in to our hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 4: Lake Toba (B)

Included: private transport around Samosir by car, accommodation in Lake Toba, meals as mentioned

There’s a lot to do here, so you decide for yourself. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, swim, attend a traditional Batak dance, or visit Ambarita, Simanindo, Tomok or the Batak Museum, etc.

Although the activity itself is not included, a car and driver will be at your disposal to bring you anywhere on this free day.

Day 5: Lake Toba – Medan (B L)

Included: private transport by car, ferry, accommodation in Medan, meals as mentioned

Free time in the morning. You can either relax on the beach, rent a motorbike to explore the island or play with the happy, Batak children.

After lunch we go by ferry back to Perapat and continue by car to Medan. Check-in at hotel in the evening.

Day 6: Medan Airport (B)

Included: private transport by car, meals as mentioned

Private transfer from your hotel in Medan to Kuala Namu International Airport in Medan.

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.

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