Are you wondering how to get to Bukit Lawang from Medan in North Sumatra, Indonesia? If so, you’re in the right place!
Bukit Lawang is a small village on the edge of the majestic Gunung Lesuer National Park. Since you’re trying to get there, you probably already know that it’s one of the top locations for seeing orangutans in the wild.
We spent a week relaxing in the village, getting to know the locals. It’s also a very beautiful place located along a turquoise river with the jungle as a backdrop and plenty of macaque monkeys for neighbours!
The only thing is, getting to Bukit Lawang can be a little tricky, especially if you’re travelling on a budget and using public transport! That said, there are other ways to get there which are more straightforward but more expensive. I’ll go over all the options in this Bukit Lawang transportation guide.
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How To Get To Bukit Lawang
For the purpose of this transportation guide, I’ll explain how to get to Bukit Lawang from either Medan Airport or Medan Central.
Unless you are already in North Sumatra, the best way to reach Bukit Lawang is to fly into Medan Airport and take transport from there. Well, unless you have your own transport! Even so, if you’re in Sumatra, flying to Medan is still going to be the easiest option!
From Medan, there are a few ways to reach Bukit Lawang: public transport like buses and trains, private taxis, or shuttles/tourist buses (which are normally organised by a tour company/package).
It all depends on your travel style and budget. Which option do you choose? As backpackers, we went with the local transport, which is always going to be your cheapest option.
Summary Costs
✔️Train Price. 5,000 IDR p/p (one-way) – To be combined with bus price. (£0.27 or $0.34)
✔️Bus Price. 25,000 – 35,000 IDR p/p one-way (£1.35 or $1.68)
✔️Private Car/Taxi Price. From £62/ $77 – Group of 4
✔️Shuttle/Tourist Bus Price. 150,000 IDR p/p one-way (£8.00 or $10.00)
How To Get To Bukit Lawang From Medan Central
⭐ Pro tip >> My advice is that you figure out which mode of transport you’re using and how long it takes you to reach the place where you’ll be leaving from. The last thing you want to be doing is rushing around like a madman on departure day!
We had flown into Medan a few days earlier and so spent some time in the city. It’s not the most beautiful place, I have to admit, although there were a handful of areas worth exploring.
Merdeka Walk is one of them, which is a plaza/park home to many restaurants. There are also a few museums (although closed when we visited) and a Royal Palace, we also found a long street with loads of lively food stalls in the evening near our hostel – which was awful!
In total, you’re looking at around a 3-4 hour complete journey from Medan City to Bukit Lawang.
To Get To Bukit Lawang By Train
Are you surprised to hear that there is a train? I know I was! The train was pretty decent and although it will not take you the whole way to Bukit Lawang it certainly helps break up the long journey.
We left Medan mid-morning and headed to the Central Station which was near the popular Merdeka Walk plaza, mentioned above. Taking my own advice, we had already visited the train station and brought our tickets the day before.
It was quite difficult trying to understand the ticket prices and we wanted to be clear on the departure times and platform. I strongly suggest you do the same so you know where you need to be and when.
✅ Keep in mind: There are not many trains operating and if you miss the morning train you will be travelling after dark by the time you reach Bukit Lawang. I don’t advise this as it can be dangerous, especially if you’re travelling solo!
The Central Train Station is opposite the Merdeka Walk, the plaza is full of restaurants and is a good place to grab lunch (on the day before your travel). There was a small convenience shop and the ticket office is outside the main entrance. If you’re facing the entrance, ticket sales are on the left side.
The Journey: Times, Route & Cost
In total, the journey to Binjai – which is where you’ll get off – is 30 mins. Unfortunately, we can’t remember our exact departure time but it was morning. We also decided to catch a Gojek (which is similar to Uber) taxi to Medan Central Station from our hostel rather than walk with our heavy bags the 4km. For 20,000 IDR (£1.10 / $1.40) it was a no brainier!
✔️Train Route: Medan Central Station – Binjai Station (Allow 30 mins for this journey)
✔️Train Price: 5,000 IDR p/p one-way (£0.27 or $0.34)
How To Get To Bukit Lawang By Bus
You have two options. You can either catch the bus from Medan City to Bukit Lawang or you can catch the bus from Binjai to Bukit Lawang.
It is much easier to catch it from Binjai. We know this as we missed the train on our return journey and had to bus it to Medan the whole way back. The bus drops you at Pinang Baris bus station on the outskirts of Medan and it’s another long wait for the bus into central Medan.
I imagine it will be the same in reverse.
Therefore, assuming you are heading to Bukit Lawang via train and bus, you will depart the train at Binjai Train Station. Directions to the bus stop are as follows:
📍 From Binjai Train Station: Come out of the station to the road and turn right. Follow the road for about 5 minutes until you reach the T-junction at the end.
Cross over the main road to reach the bus stop for the local bus which will take you to Bukit Lawang. From what we could tell there were no set times for these buses but they come often enough during the day.
This T-junction, I believe, although not 100% certain is the Tanah Lapang Binjai junction. With that in mind, you’re looking for an orange bus with Bukit Lwang on the front. However, they don’t always say it and it’s best to ask a local – we stopped almost every bus just to check!
⭐ Pro tip >> Keep in mind, they might try and charge extra for your bags – make sure your bags are not taking up any seating space and are stored on the roof/boot and don’t pay extra for them!
The Journey: Times, Route & Cost
The last buses to depart Binjai can be at 4:30 pm, 6:30 pm or 7:30 pm. There really doesn’t seem to be a set timetable so it’s just best to leave early and not risk getting stuck.
✔️Bus Route: Binjai Station – Bukit Lawang (Allow 3 hours for this journey)
✔️Bus Price: 25,000 – 35,000 IDR p/p one-way – (£1.35 or $1.68) depending on your driver and negotiating skills!
⭐ Pro tip >> Make sure you don’t pay for anything in advance. Pay on arrival in Bukit Lawang and not before!
Bukit Lawang Bus Station To Riverwalk
Something else to be aware of is that your transport from Bukit Lawang bus station (Gotong Royong) to your hotel might not be included by your hotel. If this is the case, you’re looking at around 20,000 IDR p/p (depending on where your hotel is – this should be enough).
We thought this expensive considering the price of the 3-hour bus journey! The tuk-tuk ride should only take 10 mins… try to negotiate this into your room rate if you can.
✔️Tuk-Tuk Price: Bukit Lawang Bus Station to Guesthouse est. 10,000 – 20,000 IDR p/p one-way
How To Get To Bukit Lawang By Private Car/Taxi
If you don’t fancy catching public transport and if you’re not travelling on a budget, then opt for a private transfer.
It’s the most comfortable way to reach Bukit Lawang. You can pre-arrange a private driver online through platforms like Viator, or negotiate a taxi from Medan airport to take you.
The taxis are always going to be the most expensive option for travel, however, I have had a quick look online and they are reasonable. If you’re travelling in a group then it becomes especially affordable!
⭐ Pro tip >> If you prefer to ride in private, in a relaxing and convenient way and don’t mind the price tag, then this is your best option.
Private Car Options
Unless you choose to organise this yourself with a local driver once you arrive, which might get you a better price, there are two taxi options.
You can book online, I’ve found these two companies through Viator:
👉 Sumatra Tour and Travel: From £67/ $83 – Group of 2
👉 Sumatra Tour and Travel: From £62/ $77 -Group of 4
These private transfers will pick you up from your hotel or airport and take you directly Bukit Lawang. Viator is a trusted site and I would consider paying a little more to ensure you don’t get a “no-show”.
That said, the other option is to arrange through one of the tour companies directly. It will take around 3 to 5 hours to reach Bukit Lawang according to traffic.
👉 Sumatra Orangutan Explore. A private car costs 700,000 IDR per car for maximum of 4 people with luggage.
👉 Discover Sumatra. A private car costs 50 Euro per car, for up to 4 people. You can contact them here:
👉 Sumatra Ecoventures. A private car costs 500 – 550,000 IDR, for up to 4 people.
Important Note: I just want to note that we never used these companies and so cannot vouch for their authenticity. I just wanted to give you the option as they are slightly cheaper than going through Viator.
How To Get To Bukit Lawang By Shuttle/Tourist Bus
The final way to get to Bukit Lawang is by shuttle or tourist bus. These generally leave from Medan Airport when full and stop by the city for pre-bookings. It’s therefore important to pre-book if you’re in Medan City.
The tourist buses are run by individual tour companies however they might sometimes share buses if there are not enough tourists to pick up. It will take around 3 to 5 hours to reach Bukit Lawang according to traffic.
Shuttle Options
👉 Sumatra Orangutan Explore: Tourist bus costs 150,000 IDR p/p. If you’re the only one to pick up they will charge 2 people 300,000 IDR.
👉 Discover Sumatra. Tourist bus to Bukit Lawang. They usually leave in the morning. The costs are 150,000 IDR p/p.
👉 Sumatra Ecoventures. Tourist bus to Bukit Lawang 150,000 IDR p/p (min 2+ people).
They note a caveat – “We can only book the tourist bus from the airport or Medan if we already have guests on the day you request or you have booked a trek or activity with us”. I think this would be the case for all three.
✔️Tourist Bus Route: Medan City – Bukit Lawang
✔️Tourist Bus Price: 150,000 IDR (That’s around £8.00 / $10.00 p/p)
How To Get To Bukit Lawang From Medan Airport
If you’re visiting Bukit Lawang on a pre-arranged tour it’s very likely that you will have transportation from Medan Airport straight to Bukit Lawang. In the unlikely event that you’ll have to make your own way, and you feel like an adventure, getting to Bukit Lawang on public transport will always be an experience!
The private car transfer noted above will also cover getting to Bukit Lawang from the airport. The prices remain the same except for Sumatra Ecoventures who increase to 650,000 IDR per car.
In total, you’re looking at around a 4-5 hour complete journey from Medan Airport to Bukit Lawang.
By Local Bus
If you’re going direct from Medan Airport to Bukit Lawang you’ll need to transfer buses at Binjai bus station. From the airport find the local ALS bus (Antar Lintas Sumatera) to Binjai, it will be orange and cost 40,000 – 50,000 IDR p/p (£2.20 – £2.70 or $2.75 – $3.35)
From Binjai bus station, you have to take a tuk-tuk costing 5,000 IDR to Tanah Lapang Binjai junction. Ask a local once you arrive for the L300 or PS bus to Bukit Lawang bus station. It takes around 3 hours and costs 30,000 IDR per person.
The Journey: Times, Route & Cost
The bus from Medan Airport to Binjao runs roughly every 45 minutes between around 3 am and 10 pm and will take around 2 hours. From Binjai to Medan expect roughly 3 hours, although this can be faster or slower depending on traffic.
✔️Bus Route: Medan Airport – Binjai – Bukit Lawang
✔️Bus Price: 75,000 – 85,000 IDR p/p (one-way)
Note: I’ve also read there is a bus available which goes from Medan Airport straight to Bukit Lawang. You’re looking for the bus company Amasar and their ticket sales office is inside Medan airport. The journey takes about 5 hours and costs 80,000 IDR. However, if they aren’t full they will make you transfer at Binjai!
By Shuttle/Tourist Bus
When you leave the airport building go to the counter on the right and say you want to go to Bukit Lawang. They arrange a shared taxi. You may need to wait until enough people are there for the car to start.
👉 Sumatra Orangutan Explore: Tourist bus costs 210,000 IDR per person from the airport. If you’re the only one to pick up they will charge for 2 people 420,000 IDR. It will take around 3 to 5 hours to reach Bukit Lawang according to traffic.
👉 Discover Sumatra. Tourist bus to Bukit Lawang. They arrange a shared taxi. You may need to wait until enough people are there for the car to start. The costs are 210,000IDR/person.
👉 Sumatra Ecoventures. Tourist bus to Bukit Lawang 210,000 IDR p/p (min 2+ people).
✔️Tourist Bus Route. Medan Airport – Medan City – Bukit Lawang
✔️Tourist Bus Price: 210,000 IDR (That’s around £11.50 / $14.00 p/p)
Resources For Indonesia
Is it your first time visiting Indonesia? We’ve written lots of useful posts to help you plan your trip. You can check them all out on our Indonesia Page here, but below are some of our most popular articles:
- Read this post to find out why Indonesia is a fantastic country to visit!
- Bukit Lawang is known for its jungle trekking; here’s what we thought.
- Afterwards, head to Lake Toba. It’s a fantastic place in the heart of Sumatra.
- Bali is known as the Island of Gods, but is it worth visiting?
- We fell in love with the sleepy fishing town of Amed. Here are all the things to do in Amed.
- Have you ever wanted to ride a scooter in Bali? Here’s how!
- If you’re heading to Indonesia and making a quick stop in Bali, we’ve written this 5-day itinerary to help you plan.
👉 Guess what? The Komodo National Park is in Indonesia! Find out if Komodo Island is somewhere you would enjoy visiting.
Conclusion: How To Get To Bukit Lawang
Hopefully, you’re ready for your adventure into the jungle and now know exactly how to get to Bukit Lawang! I’ve tried to make it as straightforward as possible, however, this is Indonesia and things don’t always run on schedule.
My biggest tips are to be patient and don’t rush into the first car, taxi, or bus that offers you a ride. If you’re in doubt, ask the locals but not the men by the bus stops who try to get you into their buses. They often want a tip for hailing a bus down for you.
Otherwise, with a little luck, you’ll have no issues getting to Bukit Lawang. All in all, we found it relatively easy. The transfer at Binjai was a little confusing but you’ve got this guide (which we didn’t) so I doubt you’ll have any problems… just remember to follow my directions if you’re catching the local transport!
