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Transport on Sumatra is sometimes rather difficult. The island is huge, the roads are bad and full of lorries and motorbikes. Public transport is limited and an adventure in itself. Be prepared for endless hours on crowded buses with drivers driving like crazy.
Local minibuses are the cheapest way to get to Bukit Lawang, but this is anything but a comfortable journey. The minibuses have no air conditioning and can be very cramped. You sit very close to other passengers. There is no real legroom. Many people don’t speak English, but are always friendly and may want to take a selfie with you. The road is bumpy and the bus stops frequently to pick up and drop off passengers on the way. The driver will usually put your luggage on the roof, but if there is room, you can take it on the bus.
The current governor of North Sumatra is from Bukit Lawang. One of his promises was to improve the road in order to get to Bukit Lawang from Medan. The work has already started and the road has improved a lot compared to previous years. However, the work is not yet finished. There are still some bumpy spots, but in general the road is getting better.
Read here our lists on how to get to Bukit Lawang from various directions:
From Banda Aceh/Pulau Weh to Bukit Lawang
Local bus
If you are on Pulau Weh, first take the ferry to Banda Aceh.
From Banda Aceh, you can take an overnight bus (approx. eight hours) to Medan. You can book this locally or online at redbus.co.id.
From here, take a becak (tuktuk) or taxi to Pinang Baris bus station. For further information on how to get to Bukit Lawang, see below.
Airplane
From Banda Aceh you can fly to Medan Kuala Namu Airport. There are several flights daily. To find out how to get to Bukit Lawang from the airport, see below.
From Berastagi to Bukit Lawang
Tourist bus/shared taxi
There are daily schedules for the shared taxis. The price is 170,000 IDR/person. Duration ca. 5 hours.
Private car
We are happy to arrange a hazzle free private car waiting from your accommodation in Berastagi to Bukit Lawang. Just contact us.
From Ketambe to Bukit Lawang
Local Bus
Here you have to change three times.
- From Ketambe first take the local bus to Kutacane.
- From here several buses leaving to Padang Bulan in Medan daily. The ride takes about 6-9 hours.
- Take a becak to Pinag Baris bus station.
- From here take one of the local orange mini busses to Bukit Lawang.
Note: The last bus leaves around 5pm. The fare is something between 15,000IDR – 30,000IDR payable on arrival in Bukit Lawang, not before! There are usually men hanging around at Medan bus station waiting for tourists going to Bukit Lawang. They tend to demand high fares up to 100,000 IDR to Bukit Lawang, where it is actually something between 15,000 – 30,000IDR payable on arrival. It depends on your negotiation skills, but sometimes tourists also get kicked out of the busses if they refuse to pay the high price. It can help if you pretend that you have already been to Bukit Lawang and know the prices.
Tourist bus/shared taxi
There are daily schedules for the shared taxis from Ketambe to Bukit Lawang. The price is 450,000 IDR/person. Duration ca. 10 hours.
Private car
You can ask your accommodation in Ketambe to arrange a private driver for you.
From Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang
Local Bus
This can be a long ride, because you have to go via Medan.
- Take the ferry to Parapat.
- From the ferry catch a local bus to Pematang Siantar (ca. 20,000 IDR, 1 hour).
- From there take an air-conditioned bus named “Intra” to Amplas Bus Station in Medan (ca. 25,000 IDR, 3,5 hours)
- Here you need to change the bus stations. Take a becak to go to Pinang Baris Bus Station.
- From here you can catch one of the orange local busses to Bukit Lawang (ca. 30,000 IDR, 3,5 hours). Note: The last bus leaves around 5pm.
Tourist Bus
A more convenient way is taking the tourist bus from Bukit Lawang. Thisshared car leaves daily from Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang. The price is 270,000/person including the cost of the ferry. Duration: Approx. 8 hours. We are happy to arrange this for you. Just contact us.
Private car
We are happy to arrange a hazzle free private car for your transport from Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang. Just contact us.
From Medan airport to Bukit Lawang
Medan Kuala Namu airport is located around 30km outside Medan. The drive to Bukit Lawang takes about 4 hours.
Local Bus
From the airport, take the ALS bus to the town of Binjai, just past Medan on the road to Bukit Lawang, leaving the airport building and going straight into the railway station building. Exit the building on the right before the Indomaret. All buses leave from there. Large signs indicate the direction of travel.
The cost from the airport is fixed 40,000 IDR. This bus takes ca. 2 hours depending on traffic and runs roughly every 45 minutes between around 3am and 10pm.
It’s best to try to get off the bus at Medan Supermall. Here you should catch one of the orange minibusses. They’re marked with Bukit Lawang on the front window. Just hail at them as they pass by. The fare is something between 15,000IDR – 30,000IDR payable on arrival in Bukit Lawang, not before!
Sometimes the ALS busses also drop passengers at Binjai’s main bus station. From here you need to take a becak (tuktuk) to Tanah Lapang, which is a junction 2km away, where buses to Bukit Lawang stop to pickup passengers. The becak costs around 10,000-15,000/person depending on your negotiating skills.
From Tanah Lapang you wait for a minibus to Bukit Lawang. There are usually men hanging around waiting for tourists going to Bukit Lawang. They tend to demand high fares up to 100,000 IDR to Bukit Lawang, where it is actually something between 15,000 – 30,000IDR payable on arrival.
There have been red direct buses from Medan airport to Bukit Lawang for some time. These are somewhat more modern and larger than the usual minibuses. BUT: If you travel from Bukit Lawang and not enough travellers want to go to the airport, you may have to get off at Binjai or at the Pinang Baris bus station in Medan and continue before there.
Tourist bus/shared taxi
Before Corona, there was a counter for tourist buses (shared cars). This service was no longer available when we last checked. However, if you land before 12 noon, we can organise a tourist bus for you. The cost is 210,000IDR/person. Just contact us.
Private car
We are happy to arrange a hazzle free private car waiting for you upon arrival. The costs are 55 Euro/car for up to 4 people. Just contact us.
From Medan city to Bukit Lawang
How to get to Bukit Lawang from Medan city.
Local Bus
From Medan city take a grab or becak to Pinang Baris Bus Station. From here you can catch one of the orange minibusses. The last bus leaves around 5pm. The fare is something between 15,000IDR – 30,000IDR payable on arrival in Bukit Lawang, not before!
Note: There are usually men hanging around waiting for tourists going to Bukit Lawang. They tend to demand high fares up to 100,000 IDR to Bukit Lawang, where it is actually something between 15,000 – 30,000IDR payable on arrival. It depends on your negotiation skills, but sometimes tourists also get kicked out of the busses if they refuse to pay the high price. It can help if you pretend that you have already been to Bukit Lawang and know the prices.
Tourist bus/shared taxi
Your accommodation can also organise a shared taxi to Bukit Lawang. They usually leave in the morning. The costs are 150,000IDR/person. If your accommodation does not offer this, please contact us and we will organise it for you.
Private car
We are happy to arrange a hazzle free private care from your accommodation in Medan to Bukit Lawang. The costs are 55 Euro/car for up to 4 people. Just contact us.
bookings
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