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11 days

Highlights of Sumatra

Orangutan adventure in the rainforest. Stay on the island of Samosir in the world’s largest crater lake, Toba. Experience volcanic and lush landscapes and waterfalls. Extend the tour with Bali.

Highlights of Sumatra
Highlights of Sumatra
11 days
HomeAsiaIndonesiaHighlights of Sumatra

Highlights of Sumatra

Orangutan adventure in the rainforest. Stay on the island of Samosir in the world’s largest crater lake, Toba. Experience volcanic and lush landscapes and waterfalls. Extend the tour with Bali.

HomeAsiaIndonesiaHighlights of Sumatra
What is included in the price?
This package includes the following
  • Return flights from the UK to Medan
  • 8 nights at 2–4-star hotels
  • 8 x breakfast
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Local English-speaking guide on transfers and excursions
  • Travelling in a car or minibus with air conditioning
  • All mentioned transfers and excursions take place within international groups of 1 – 14 people and with TourCompass’ own guests only
  • Emergency hotline staffed 24/7 throughout your tour
  • ATOL certificate included
  • Departure guarantee – the tour goes ahead regardless of the number of participants

Comprehensive package of excursions:

  • Guided tour of Medan
  • Hike in Gunung Leuser National Park in search of orangutans
  • Highland area, Berastagi
  • Indonesia’s highest waterfall Sipiso-piso
  • The world’s largest crater lake, Toba
  • Round tour of the island of Samosir
  • Admission and fees to the sights and attractions mentioned

THE TOUR IN SHORT

Sumatra is the largest island in Indonesia and is known for its stunning natural surroundings and fantastic culture. The island offers tropical rainforests, rivers, waterfalls, picturesque rice paddies, terraced on the steep slopes, and lush volcanic landscapes with mountains, crater lakes and deep canyons. This former Dutch colony is rich in both natural and cultural experiences.

On this tour, you will experience Gunung Leuser National Park and its orangutans on a 3-hour rainforest hike. You will also visit the Berastagi Highland and Lumbini Park before heading to Lake Toba and Samosir Island. En route, you will visit traditional Batak villages, where you will get an insight into the inhabitants’ culture and lifestyle with oxcarts and handicrafts.

Why choose this tour

  • Sumatra offers tropical rainforests, lush volcanic landscapes, as well as unique wildlife
  • In Bukit Lawang in Gunung Leuser National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), a ranger will accompany you on a hike into the lush rainforest to spot orangutans
  • Experience waterfalls and the world’s biggest crater lake, Lake Toba, where you will stay on the gorgeous island of Samosir
  • Look forward to the enchanting views in the highlands at Berastagi and Lumbini Park with the renowned golden pagoda

Our tours always include

  • All international and domestic flights
  • All accommodations
  • All specified excursions and activities
  • 24/7 telephone – We’re with you all the way
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Flights from the UK

Departure day, where you will fly to Medan with connecting flights along the way.

Day 2: Arrival in Sumatra – Medan

You arrive in the capital of Sumatra, Medan. You go through immigration and receive your visa before collecting your luggage. In the arrivals hall, your guide awaits with a TourCompass sign, and you immediately feel the warm Indonesian welcome. Outside the airport, your driver is ready to take you to the hotel in Medan. After check-in, the day is yours to explore at your leisure, allowing you to relax and enjoy the city on your own.

Day 3: Village tour in Medan – Bukit Lawang

After breakfast and check-out, you will go on a guided city tour of Medan, where you will experience the city’s magnificent buildings. The first stop is the Sultan’s Palace, Maimun, which was designed by Italian architects. You will also visit the octagonal mosque Masjid Raya Al Mashun, known as the ‘Grand Mosque’. At the end of the morning, you will visit the Chinese temple Vihara Gunung Timur, which was founded by the Taoist and Buddhist communities in the city.

Around noon, you will be driven to Bukit Lawang, about 100 km west of Medan. On the way, you will pass rubber and palm oil plantations, and the closer you get to Bukit Lawang, the more dominant the rainforest surrounding the city becomes.

Upon arrival at Bukit Lawang, you will check in at the hotel, and the rest of the day is at your own disposal.

Bukit Lawang is a charming small town bordering Sumatra’s rainforest, which is part of Gunung Leuser National Park. The forest has one of the richest ecosystems in the world and is one of the few places where the endangered Sumatran orangutan still lives. There are also langurs, gibbon monkeys, macaques, wild boars, peacocks, giant squirrels and flying squirrels. Rarer animals such as tigers, leopards, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran rhinos can also be found here, but you have to be more than lucky to see them.

Accommodation:
Day 4: Hike in Gunung Leuser National Park

Today, one of the absolute highlights of the tour awaits you when you go looking for a sight of the rainforest’s endangered orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park. We recommend that you bring a small backpack with water and snacks.

After a hearty breakfast, you will go on a thrilling 3-hour hike in the lush rainforest. You will walk along the riverbank and cross the Bohorok River via a wooden bridge. Here you will experience Sumatra’s unique flora and fauna. You will be accompanied by a local guide as well as a ranger who knows the rainforest like the back of his hand. He will help locate the orangutans, but be aware that the orangutans are wild animals and there is consequently no guarantee of seeing them.

You then return to your hotel, where you have the afternoon at your own disposal to enjoy Bukit Lawang’s fantastic surroundings. You may visit the nearby village, where you can feel the local atmosphere. Down by the river, you can see the village women washing clothes and the town’s children playing and bathing.

Accommodation:
Day 5: Bukit Lawang – Lumbini Park – Berastagi

This morning, you will be driven to Sumatra’s inner highland Berastagi, which is located in an area dominated by the volcanoes Sinabung and Sibayak.

Upon arrival at Berastagi, you will visit Lumbini Park, which offers beautiful views of the mountain landscape and evergreen natural surroundings. The park is especially known for its beautiful gold pagoda, which is Indonesia’s tallest and a replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.

You will then visit Berastagi’s colourful fruit market, where you can taste the excellent passion fruit.

Well arrived at the hotel, the rest of the day is at your own disposal.

Accommodation:
Day 6: Berastagi – Lake Toba - Samosir

Today, the tour continues to Lake Toba and Samosir Island.

You will be picked up at the hotel after breakfast and driven to Parapat via the Japanese road. En route, you will make a stop in the traditional Batak village of Dokan, where you will experience the old traditional houses where up to six families can live. At each end of the roofs of the houses hang buffalo horns, which were originally to protect the residents from evil spirits and demonstrate the household status. Over time, they have become simply a reminder of past traditions.

You will proceed to Indonesia’s tallest waterfall, Sipiso-piso, which has a height of 120 metres and is located in the Tonggiang village.

The tour continues to Parapat, where you will take a ferry to Samosir Island, which takes about 45 minutes. Samosir lies like a gem in the middle of Lake Toba, which is 100 km long, 30 km wide and 505 metres deep. With its enormous size, Lake Toba is the world’s largest crater lake.

You will arrive at your hotel in the afternoon, and the rest of the day is at your own disposal.

Accommodation:
Day 7: Island tour of Samosir

After a hearty breakfast, you will go on an island tour where you will visit the villages of Ambarita and Tomok. Here you will gain insight into the Batak culture and its history.

Ambarita is known as the meeting place of the Sialagan Kings, the leaders of the Sialagan clan belonging to the Batak people. The Sialagan Kings were particularly famous for their legal system, which involved trials held within stone circles. Criminals were convicted and, in some cases, executed within a stone circle in the village. The kings played an important role in society by maintaining law and order as well as protecting their people from enemies. Many of the cultural traditions and historical sites from the time of the Sialagan Kings have been preserved and can still be experienced. This includes the execution site.

In Tomok, you can experience the unique Batak houses with their characteristic curved roofs. The houses are built on stilts and adorned with ornate wood carvings. There is also a small museum offering insight into the Batak culture and its history. One of the most famous sights in Tomok is King Sidabutar’s tomb. The tomb monument is made of stone and decorated with traditional carvings and symbols.

You will be back at your hotel in the afternoon.

Accommodation:
Day 8: Samosir on your own

The day is at your leisure to explore this beautiful island. You can choose to relax or go on a combined bike ride and hike, which you can arrange on site. This tour starts at Tomok and takes you past green paddy fields and plantations. You stop at the village of Garoga, where you meet the smiling inhabitants and see their traditional houses. You can park your bicycle and hike down to a small waterfall with a local guide, a tour of about 45 minutes. From Garoga, you  cycle on through small villages, passing various plantations where chilli, cocoa, peanuts, beans, etc., are grown. The tour ends at Ambarita, and you cycle back to the hotel where you can enjoy the rest of the day.

Accommodation:
Day 9: Samosir – Medan

Today you will leave Samosir Island. You will be sailed back to Parapat, from where you will be driven to Medan – a journey of about six hours.

You will have a single night in Medan before heading home towards Danish skies.

Day 10: The journey home begins

You are picked up from the hotel and driven to the airport, from where you fly back to the UK with connecting flights along the way.

Day 11: Arrival back home

You land in the UK after a fantastic holiday.

Combine with
Choose from the options below
Beach holiday extension to Sanur, Bali
3 nights

This beach holiday extension takes you to the seaside resort of Sanur in south-east Bali.

Sanur is one of Bali’s most popular beach holiday destinations, which has managed to retain its cosy, relaxed atmosphere. The town’s major draw is its 5-km-long, wide, golden sandy beach, which is protected by a coral reef. The reef makes the beach incredibly child-friendly as the waves break quite a way out. Running along the beach is the beach promenade, which is ideal for walks, runs and bike rides. This is where you can meet the locals, busy in their small shops.

Along the main street of the town, you will find a larger selection of shops as well as good restaurants and cosy cafés where you can sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching life go by in the town. If you head off the main street, you come down into the charming side streets with their small houses, temples and local life.

Go for a stroll along the beach promenade in the evening and experience the beautiful colours of the sky and the sight of the tall swaying palm trees, small pavilions and traditional fishing boats. Then enjoy a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants and end with a drink at one of the atmospheric lounge bars.

The extension includes a 3-night beach holiday at the resort with breakfast and transfers. If you arrive from Sumatra, the flight between Sumatra and Bali is included.

You can extend the beach holiday with additional nights, just as you please.

When would you like to travel?
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All prices shown are per person
Special offers for groups of 6 or more. Request a quote today for more info.
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Millie Davies

Millie’s passion for travel sparked when she was little, and now she loves to help others fulfil their travel dreams

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