Indonesia’s largest island has all adventurous travellers dream of. Incredible wildlife, dense rain forests, steaming volcanoes, deserted islands, pumping surf, snorkelling, and the world’s largest crater lake are just a few things to look forward to when backpacking to Sumatra. This Sumatra itinerary brings together the best of north Sumatra. It’s all you need when planning your backpacking trip to Sumatra.
While Sumatra is rugged and wild, the people are as friendly as elsewhere in Indonesia. The combination of friendly locals, cheap prices, and incredible nature and adventures make Sumatra the perfect backpacking destination.
Sumatra is gigantic, so this itinerary highlights the best of northern Sumatra in three weeks. While you can probably squeeze our travel itinerary into two weeks, the natural wonders and landmarks of Sumatra are something you don’t want to rush through.
Trust me, Sumatra is an absolute gem, and backpacking there is what adventurous travel dreams are made of.
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Our Sumatra Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 Medan : Arrive at Kualanamu International Airport in Medan. If arriving after midday, arrange for a pickup from Tong’s Inn and spend the night near the airport.
- Day 2-5 Lake Toba: Nice Trans has shared cars (called kijangs or tourist buses) leaving from Medan airport to Parapat on the shore of Lake Toba. The drive to Parapat takes about 4 hours. Catch the hourly ferry from Parapat to Tuk Tuk on Samosir Island in the middle of Lake Toba. Stay at the comfy Romlan right on the lake for the next few days and enjoy the laid-back paradise of Lake Toba.
- Day 6 Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang: Today’s long drive will take you from Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang in the Sumatran jungle. A kijang from Parapat to Bukit Lawang takes about 9-10 hours. Arrive in Bukit Lawang before sunset and check in at the lovely Garden Inn.
- Day 7-9 Bukit Lawang: A jungle trek to see the orangutans is a must when in Bukit Lawang. Choose an ethical jungle adventure searching for orangutans and other jungle critters.
- Day 10 Bukit Lawang to Medan: Get your transportation back to Kualanamu Airport in Medan and check into Tong’s Inn again.
- Day 11 Medan to Nias Island: Catch an early morning flight to Gunungsitoli on Nias Island. Arrange with Mama Silvi on Asu Island to send a driver to pick you up for a transfer across the island to Sirombu, where a speedboat will meet you to whisk you off to a deserted paradise.
- Day 12-18: Asu Island: Live your best life on a semi-deserted island surfing, snorkelling, swimming and watching coconuts fall.
- Day 19-20: Gunungsitoli: Transfer back to Nias Island and check in at Hotel Nasional in the island’s capital. Enjoy the friendly city and explore the excellent museum.
- Day 21 Nias-Medan-Home: Catch an early morning flight back to Medan, where your Sumatra itinerary ends.
How to Get Around Sumatra
The most convenient way to travel around Sumatra is by kijang or tourist bus. Kijangs and tourist buses are the same things, and it’s definitely not a bus.
They are shared cars where passengers buy seats in the car and share the ride with others. They run set routes between towns. Ask your accommodation to help you arrange onward transportation a day or two in advance.
Tourist buses leave outside the arrival hall at Kualanamu Airport in Medan. Turn right when you leave the building, and walk about 50 metres. Ask people for Nice Trans, and they’ll show you the way. Nice Trans runs kijangs to Parapat (Lake Toba) in the mornings.
Our Sumatra itinerary also includes a return flight from Medan to Nias Island. Flights between Medan and Nias Island leave early in the morning, so you might have to spend a night in Medan to catch a flight the next day. I suggest using the national carrier, Garuda, as they are the most reliable.
Don’t even think about using public buses or ferries. They take forever, and you’ll spend your Sumatra holiday sitting on a cramped bus rather than chilling lakeside or on the beach.
Domestic flights and tourist buses are affordable and the best option when backpacking in Sumatra.
Sumatra Itinerary Travel Times
Medan to Samosir Island: 4-5 hours
Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang: 8-10 hours
Bukit Lawang to Medan: 4-5 hours
Medan to Gununsitoli: 1 hour flight
Gunungsitoli to Asu Island: 4-5 hours
Miss Medan
Sadly, Medan is of no interest to visitors (sorry, Medan, I tried to like you). It’s congested with no real attractions to warrant a journey into the city. You can skip Medan without feeling guilty.
However, due to transportation timings and connections, you will have to stay in Medan two or three times during our itinerary.
I suggest staying at the excellent Tong’s Inn near the airport and enjoying the hot showers, cable TV, nice food and large pool rather than going into the city.
Tong’s Inn provides free airport transfers. Simply catch the free shuttle back to Kualanamu Airport the next day to get your tourist bus to Lake Toba or Bukit Lawang.
Chilling at Lake Toba
Samosir island in the middle of Lake Toba is just the place to start your Sumatra holiday. The world’s largest volcanic crater lake, surrounded by steep green mountains, is drop-dead gorgeous.
Throw in the fun-loving Batak people with their love for music, excellent coffee and low prices, and it’s easy to see why people often stay at Lake Toba much longer than they had anticipated. It really is one of those places that’s easy to love and hard to leave.
Quaint Tuk Tuk village, with its traditional Batak guesthouses right on the lake, has long been a favourite on the Banana Pancake Trial and is one of the best places to chill in Southeast Asia.
By day, you can swim in the lake, swing in a hammock, explore Samosir island by scooter and explore intriguing, traditional Batak villages. At night, a quiet night at one of the cafes or bars quickly turns into a party with Batak music, singing and dancing.
Lovely Romlan, right on the lake, is the perfect place to stay. With a restaurant serving tasty Indonesian and Western food, friendly staff and easy access to the lake, Romlan has been a long-time favourite with travellers.
Samosir Island is a very special place; I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did.
A Complete Travel Guide to Samosir Island in Lake Toba
See what to do, where to stay & eat when you visit beautiful Lake Toba
Jungle Trekking & Orangutang Spotting in Bukit Lawang
Seeing orangutans in the wild is often the main reason for a visit to Sumatra. The best place to see semi-wild orangutans in Sumatra is Bukit Lawang, on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park.
Stay at the fantastic Garden Inn on the bank of the Bohorok River, right across from the national park, and enjoy the jungle sounds and monkeys from your hammock on the balcony.
Almost everyone in Bukit Lawang is involved in the tourism industry in some way, and the town has a strong sense of community tourism. Local guides are the backbone of this community, sharing their bond with the forest with visitors as they guide them through the jungle.
Whether you go on a day trip or a multi-day expedition into the jungle, seeing orangutans is almost guaranteed, and it’s an experience you’ll cherish for a long time. A jungle trek in Bukit Lawang is backpacking in Sumatra at its best!
But Bukit Lawang’s magic doesn’t begin and end with big apes. You can spend a few days in Bukit Lawang, surrounded by lush greenery, listening to the rumbling river, swimming at the river beaches in town, or taking long walks along the river.
See Orangutans & More in Bukit Lawang
A complete guide to jungle trekking in Bukit Lawang with river rafting and more.
Swim, Surf & Snorkel on Asu Island
A one-hour flight from Medan takes you to Nias Island off the west coast of Sumatra. From Gunungsitoli Airport on Nias Island, a bumpy four-hour drive across the island gets you to Sirombu harbour, where a pre-arranged speedboat awaits to whisk you off to Asu island.
Asu is a tiny island off the west coast of Sumatra facing the Indian Ocean, and believe me, it’s undiluted magic!
Asu Island is paradise in many ways. The idyllic island is blessed with vast coconut groves, a powdery sand beach, some of the best surf in Indonesia, excellent snorkelling and fishing, and tropical deserted island vibes galore.
Mama Silvi Cottages on that stunner of a beach has comfy beach huts, good food and cold Bintangs. If you like remote locations waaaaay off the beaten path, pristine beaches, solid snorkelling and exciting surf (in season), you can easily spend an entire week (or more) on Asu Island.
Asu Island Travel Guide
See why you should include magical Asu Island in your Sumatra itinerary
Explore Nias Culture in Gunungsitoli
Gunungsitoli, the capital city of Nias Island, is worth a quick stop for the excellent Nias Heritage Museum. The museum is considered to be one of the best in Indonesia.
The vast collection highlights the fascinating Nias culture and includes religious art, funeral art, objects used for daily use, jewellery, weapons and fantastic historical photos of Nias island. The Megalith room features a handsome collection of stone sculptures and tables, providing evidence of the unique megalithic culture of Nias Island.
The museum is also home to a small zoo showcasing Nias’s endemic fauna and flora. Look out for the Nias musk deer (vampire deer) with their peculiar fangs.
Besides the Nias Museum, Gunungsitoli has welcoming people, fresh seafood, and yummy avocado shakes. It’s a genuinely off-the-beaten-path Indonesian city to explore for a day or two.
Hotel Nasional is a no-frills place to stay, but it’s clean, comfy, and a good location for exploring Gunungsitoli. The nasi lemak for breakfast is FANTASTIC!
Variations for Your Backpacking in Sumatra Itinerary:
Banda Aceh and Pulau Weh: Instead of heading to Asu island for your beach time, divers and snorkellers might want to consider Weh island in the far north of Sumatra.
Banda Aceh, infamous for the Boxing Day Tsunami and Shariah law, will be an insightful city to visit too, and is the gateway to Weh Island.
Berastagi: Located between Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang, Berestagi is home to two of Sumatra’s biggest volcanoes. Sinabung and Sibayak volcanoes are truly majestic.
Only Sibayak is open for climbing, as Sinabung eruption patterns are too unpredictable. Climbing Mt Sibayak for sunrise followed by a good old soak in the Lau Debuk-Debuk Hot Springs sure sounds like a wonderful adventure to add to our itinerary.
Mentawai Islands: Surfers or anthropologists probably had wet dreams of the Mentawais already.
Located just south of Nias island, the Mentawais have some of the best surf and most fascinating tribes on earth.
The Mentawai people are semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers and still live very traditional life. They are also known for their incredible tattoos and body art.
Bali or Lombok: If you’ve had enough adventures in Sumatra but still want to chill, spoil yourself and get a flight to Bali or Lombok (via Jakarta). Here you can see a totally different side of Indonesia, which balances very well with Sumatra as it shows the incredible diversity of Indonesia.
How I Shot This Guide
Every photograph in this article was taken with the exact same gear I carry on every journey. It is a setup refined over years on the road to keep travel light without compromising the final image.
- Camera: Sony A7 V
- Lens: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art.
- My cheap underwater camera: AKASO EK7000
- Storage: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
- Software: Adobe Lightroom Classic
- My Indonesia travel essential (trust me): Ray-Ban Wayfarer
- Outerwear: My North Face Antora Rain Hoodie was a lifesaver more than once on this Sumatra trip in the rainy season
Enjoy Backpacking in Sumatra
Sumatra is an incredible place, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. If you have any questions about this Sumatra itinerary, ask away in the comments below, and I’ll try my best to help.
Happy Travels
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Much Useful information and details. A bit of info on food, drinks and costs would have been also useful to budget travelers. Thank You so much.