Berastagi Itinerary (3 Days): What to do and more
Berastagi (also spelled Brastagi) might not be the most talked-about destination in Sumatra, but for those who make it here, it’s an absolute gem – and is one of my favourite places in the whole of Sumatra!
For most, the main reason to visit Sumatra is to go Orangutan trekking, but Berastagi stood out for me more! Tucked away in the cool Karo Highlands, a couple of hours from Medan, it’s where you come to hike volcanoes, soak in hot springs, and take in sweeping views of North Sumatra’s volcanic landscape.
It’s a great stop for anyone exploring Sumatra slowly or travelling between Medan and Lake Toba. This 3 day Berastagi itinerary covers both volcano hikes (you can choose one or do both), scenic viewpoints, bustling markets, and a well-earned soak at the end.
Berastagi Itinerary in Short
- Day 1: Settling in (Arrive, Gundaling Viewpoint, Street Food)
- Day 2: The Highlights (Mt Sibayak, Hot Springs, Sipiso Piso Waterfall, Lake Toba)
- Day 3: Fruit Market, Lingga, Ghost Towns, Lumbini Temple, Sikulikap,
How to use this Berastagi itinerary: This itinerary covers what I think is the best 3 days in Berastagi. It covers the best sights, as well as extra spots which provide a more rounded and complete visit to Berastagi. Feel free to swap around or remove stops if you prefer, I have given some alternatives if you have more time (or want to extend further) at the end.
How long to spend in Berastagi?
Most backpackers that I met spent 2 days in Berastagi, which is enough time to see the main highlights. I ended up staying for 5 days, which is too much for most – particularly with the amount to do in the rest of Indonesia!
I recommend 3 days in Berastagi! This gives you enough time to see the main sights, as well as exploring some more of the surrounding nature. Also this extra day, gives you a bit more leeway in terms of bad-weather days.
When to visit Berastagi?
The best time to visit Berastagi aligns with the best time to visit Indonesia, which is June-August.
Officially, Berastagi’s high season is August, when the school holidays begin and there are more local tourists. Perhaps try to avoid this and go in July. This is when I visited and we had perfect weather and none of the activities felt too busy (which was a theme throughout Sumatra, aside from trekking with orangutans in Bukit Lawang).
Day 1: Arrive, Sunset at Gundaling Hill
Most people arrive in Berastagi from either Medan, or Bukit Lawang. If you leave Bukit Lawang in the morning, most shared taxis arrive in Berastagi in the early afternoon between 12:00 and 14:00. Be prepared for an interesting ride – all the drivers drive pretty crazily here! On the way into the city, you’ll spot Mount Sinabung, one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra!
In the afternoon, this gives you time to settle into your accommodation, and have a look around town. Perhaps take a look at a couple of markets (Pasar Buah) and see some of the town’s landmarks (Tugu Kol, St Francis of Assisi Parish Church). Then near the end of your day go in search of motorbike rental or tour for the next day.
NOTE: if you’re not renting a scooter, you can find tours that will take you to both Mt Sibayak and Sipiso Piso Waterfall.
Gundaling Hill Sunset
Next head up to Gundaling Hill for sunset. This viewpoint, who’s name comes from ‘goodbye darling’ offers the best view over the city, as well as Mount Sinabung in the distance.
There are several lookouts where you can sit and enjoy different views over the city. It costs 12500 IDR to enter, as well as 5000 IDR for any 2-wheeled vehicle. Some of the photo spots have an additional cost, but you can enjoy the viewpoint without paying for any of these.
Street Food
Return to the city to explore the street food. You will find a variety of stalls selling anything from skewers, satay, kebabs, fried chicken, mortabak and more!
The food here is very cheap and delicious. Working my way down each stall, I made my own street food tour which was great fun! Especially interacting with all the local people.
Perhaps grab some snacks to have in the morning at Mount Sibayak. We ate the rest of our Roti Bakar for breakfast.
Day 2: Mount Sibayak & Sipiso Piso Waterfall
Day 2 is your first full day in Berastagi, and the day that covers the main highlights of the area!
Mount Sibayak Sunrise
Start your day early with a sunrise hike to Mount Sibayak. It’s a short hike to the summit (I completed in less than an hour, but give yourself 60-90 minutes to reach the top).
NOTE: I was told that the government were legally obliged to offer guides. If you are at all experienced at hiking, you won’t need a guide. I personally didn’t use one.
There are two summits (either side of the crater), both offering incredible views. Most people only climb the eastern summit which overlooks the sun rising. I recommend going up both!
Hot Springs
From Mount Sibayak, head to the small town of Semangat Gunung. This small village at the foot of the volcano has harnessed the volcano’s geothermal energy and is home to an array of thermal baths – the ideal way to relax after a hike!
There are plenty to choose from, and the standard price is around 10k IDP for entrance. Pariban and Taman Wisata are two that I recommend.
You should be back in Berastagi town before lunch, so grab some food before heading off on your afternoon adventure!
Sipiso Piso Waterfall
It’s approximately one hour drive from Berastagi to Sipiso Piso waterfall. It costs 10k IDP for adults to enter which you pay at the entrance gate (children is 5k). Further down, you may be asked for money for parking. It seems the ‘parking fee’ is random, I was asked for 5k for a moped, whereas I’ve heard of 3k, 7k or 10k from others (7k for cars) – see what you’re offered and try to negotiate.
Check out the viewing spots at the top to see both Lake Toba as well as the Sipiso Piso Waterfall. After that, you can head down to the bottom. It’s several steps to get down but absolutely worth it! The walk down took around 20 minutes and slightly longer on the way back up. Therefore, give yourself 60-90 minutes in total.
Lake Toba
Lake Toba is the world’s largest volcanic lake, formed from an eruption over 70,000 years ago. You can drive down to the village at the edge of Lake Toba easily from the waterfall to take a closer look.
If you are visiting Lake Toba anyway, you can skip this. But as part of this Berastagi itinerary, I think it’s a nice addition as it doesn’t take much more time out of your day, and the road down there is super beautiful!
After a busy day, take a well-earned drink at my favourite restaurant in Berastagi – Sehken Cafe. On the top floor of the Hotel Kalang Ulu, you can have views over Sinabung in the distance. Obviously, if you go too late and it’s already dark you won’t have the amazing views, but the vibe is still great!
Day 3: Lingga, Ghost Towns, Lumbini Temple, Sikulikap
Your third day of this Berastagi itinerary can be spent exploring the area in more depth, seeing things that other people usually miss!
Start by heading to the local market to pick up some snacks. There are a variety of fruits here! You’ll also see a few people riding horses. I’m still yet to figure out why that is…
Lingga Traditional Village
Then, explore the small town of Lingga, which is home to the traditional village. This is one of the best places to see Karo culture up close.
Here there are several old woodern longhouses, which display the traditional curved roofs. Seeveral of these houses are hundreds of years old, and still have families living inside.
There’s usually a small entrance fee of around 5k IDR. We found a guide who told us all about the homes and let us have a look around and gave us some background.
Lingga feels slower, more grounded, and offers a refreshing contrast to volcano hikes and waterfalls, particularly if you’re curious about how people lived here long before tourism arrived.
Ghost Villages from Mount Sinabung
After this, explore some of the so-called ghost towns surrounding Mount Sinabung. These villages aren’t official attractions, but more like forgotten villages where time has stood still.
These towns were left abandoned following the eruptions in 2021, and are a firm reminder of the damage and destruction that can be caused by the volcano.
You’ll come across abandoned or rarely used traditional houses scattered through the countryside, giving the area a slightly eerie, but fascinating feel. There’s no entrance fee to explore most places, although if someone invites you inside a maintained house, it’s polite to leave a small donation.
There are 6 main ghost towns:
- Gamber
- Guru Kinayan
- Kuta Gugung
- Sibintun
- Simacem
- Sukanalu
If you follow the road towards the lake, you will pass through several of these towns and get a good view of Mount Sinabung (though don’t get too close).
There’s also a really nice cafe near the volcano called SARUNE Coffee and Eatery. It’s more expensive by Indonesian (and Sumatran) standards, but the view overlooking the volcano is unmatched! It’s a great spot for lunch, before heading back to town in the afternoon.
Lumbini Temple
Next, visit Lumbini Temple, a beautiful gold temple located on the edge of Berastagi. Inspired by the Schwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, with its decadent exterior, Lumbini temple helped me reminisce of my visit to Myanmar!
Anyway, this Buddhist temple feels wonderfully out of place surrounded by the misty mountains and jungles of Berastagi. It’s a great place to find peace, as well as a quick and unique stop for photos and shake up your time in Sumatra.
It’s free entry here, there is a car park outside, and there is a shoe stand as you enter.
Sikulikap Waterfall
There’s also another waterfall called Air Terjun Sikulikap (or Sikulipkap waterfall) which you can visit. Having visited Sipiso Piso the day before, I was happy just seeing the monkeys in the forest and looking out from the viewpoints here.
If you want to visit the falls, it’s a short walk through thick rainforest all the way down to the waterfall. Watch out for monkeys along the way as they can be aggressive. It costs 5k IDR per person, plus the vehicle fee if you’re arriving by bike.
Tips for Berastagi
I spent almost a week in Berastagi so learnt a few things there. Here are a few useful things to know before you go:
- Use the bus network: Orange buses go through the main road; green buses head up towards Mt Sibayak. Depending on the distance you travel, the price will change.
- ATMs: There are plenty of ATMs throughout the city which is helpful as most places only accept cash.
- Arriving in Berastagi: From Bukit Lawang, the shared taxi costs around 230k (rupiah). I would recommend sitting on the right-hand side as you will have the best views of Mt Sinabung on the way in!
- Bike rental: There are several places to rent a moped in Berastagi, and it’s the easiest way to get around if you’re comfortable. Prices range between 130k-180k rupiah for 24 hours. Though speaking to locals, I heard that 100k is probably a more reasonable price.
- Grab: The primary taxi-hailing application, Grab makes is super easy to get around Berastagi if you don’t want to ride a scooter.
Where to stay in Berastagi:
Berastagi doesn’t exactly have loads of options for accommodation, but there is still plenty for the number of tourists that it receives! In fact, on arrival, I just met a girl who hadn’t met anyone else in her building (and this was during peak season).
Anyway, here are my top choices:
- GINTRIBU Hostel: The owner is really helpful and friendly. It’s a little out of the centre, but I recommend this as the main street can be rather noisy! It’s probably one of the more social places in an otherwise quiet town.
- Kaesa Homestay: Located a short walk from town, this cheap and well-rated homestay offers breakfast and super hosts!
Where to go after Berastagi?
If you’re exploring more of Sumatra, you have a couple of choices for where to visit after Berastagi.
The most popular option is heading further south towards Lake Toba, the largest crater lake in the world! You can either take the public bus or a shared taxi.
You will have had a glimpse of the lake after visiting Sipiso Piso Waterfall, but staying by the lake is a completely different experience!
Otherwise, you can head north towards Bukit Lawang or Ketembe in search of Orangutans.
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