Visiting Berastagi: 10 Incredible Things to Do, and More

10 Best Things to Do in Berastagi

1. Hike Sibayak Volcano at Sunrise 👍 Must Do

Hiking Sibayak Volcano at sunrise is hands down the main highlight of visiting Berastagi. Sibayak Volcano is probably one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world with its easy hiking route that will only take you about 1.5 hours to reach the summit.

It is also a popular spot to watch the sunrise, and it is definitely worth it to go with a sunrise hiking tour. You should be able to organize the tour via your guesthouse for about 200,000 IDR per person. I stayed at Kaesa Homestay, which is one of the best guesthouses I stayed at in Sumatra, and they run a sunrise tour every morning. You will be in a group of 6-7 people, and the tour starts around 4:30 AM, and you should be done before mid-day.

You can also go with a private tour organized by Berastagi Adventure. If you want to visit Spiso-piso Waterfall and Lumbini Temple as well, make sure you tell them and they will organize the trip for you. I went with them and they were great. The private tour should cost about 900,000 IDR.

The tour should pick you up around 4:15 AM - 4:30 AM and they will drive you to the trailhead, taking about 30 minutes along one bumpy narrow road. The area is quite prone to landslides and the road is not in great condition, so I would not recommend doing the hike independently as some blogs may suggest.

Once you arrive at the trailhead, it will only take you about 1.5 hours along a pretty straightforward inclined trail to reach the ridge where you can enjoy the sunrise. There are 2 smaller peaks you can hike to if you want to get even higher up, but my guide told me that the sunrise is better from the ridge.

From the ridge, you will be able to have a clearer view of Mount Sinabung, which is an active cone-shaped volcano that is now prohibited from climbing due to its unpredictable activities. Thankfully, the volcano you are climbing, Sibayak, last erupted in 1881, so we are pretty safe on the hike.

You will have about an hour or 2 to enjoy the sunrise, hike around, and get some awesome photos before you head down to the lake bed to check out some of the small geysers and sulfur springs before making your way down the same trail.

Most tours will also include a relaxing time at one of the many hot springs around the foothills of Sibayak Volcano, where we will be heading next.

Where to Stay in Berastagi?

Budget

Smiley's Homestay

$ | Dorm

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👍 Top Pick

Mid-Range

Kaesa Homestay

$$ | Double Room

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High-End

Sinabung Hills Berastagi

$$$ | Double Room

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2. Relax in the Hot Spring

If you hike Sibayak Volcano with an organized tour, you will be taken to Ginting Hot Spring after the hike to relax. The place is a beautiful public bath with an exceptional view of Sibayak Volcano, which you just climbed, and several hot springs of different temperatures where you can relax.

The entrance fee should be included with the tour, and you will have access to all the hot springs inside. Otherwise, it should be about 10,000 IDR per person. You can start from the least warm hot spring and make your way up as you acclimatize to the temperature.

There are simple bathrooms you can use to change into your swimming suits before you go in. After the volcano hike, it felt like heaven being able to bathe in a hot spring like this, so be sure to make the best out of it. After spending about 30 minutes relaxing in the pool, your tour should take you back to Berastagi, concluding the trip.

Again, to visit the hot spring without having to worry about the logistics of it all, you can join a sunrise tour via Kaesa Homestay or go with a private tour organized by Berastagi Adventure. You can book the private tour here.

3. Visit Spiso-piso Waterfall ☀️ Great Day Trip

Spiso-piso Waterfall is among the tallest waterfalls in Sumatra, standing over 120 meters from the ground. It is located between Berastagi and Lake Toba, which the waterfall feeds into, and it is a popular spot to stop by as you make your way to and from Lake Toba.

If you are planning to go to Lake Toba afterward, you can organize a tourist bus and ask them to stop by at Spiso-piso Waterfall along the way. You can enjoy the view of the waterfall from the top, but if you wish to hike down to the bottom, you are better off hiring a private taxi or organizing a custom tour with Berastagi Adventure.

Getting down to the bottom takes about 30 minutes, but getting up will take about an hour, so be sure to spare some time for the hike. Along the way, you will find small shops where you can take a break and buy some extra water in case you do not have enough.

From Berastagi, it should take about an hour to reach Spiso-piso Waterfall and another hour to get back, so if you plan to rent a scooter and drive there yourself, be sure to spare some time for the trip. You can ask Kaesa Homestay to help you find a scooter to rent or a taxi to take you there and back. I can't recommend this guesthouse enough!

4. Visit Lumbini Temple

It's not often you find a golden Buddhist pagoda soaring in the sky in Sumatra, but there is one in Berastagi nonetheless, and it is called Lumbini Temple. The temple is located about 5 km away from the city and is adorned with beautiful golden decor, much like the temples in Myanmar.

The temple was completed in 2010 by Buddhist devotees in this part of Sumatra, and the design is based on the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, with its 45-meter high central pagoda soaring into the sky, making it the second-highest Shwedagon replica outside of Myanmar.

Getting there can be a little tricky as it is not within walking distance. You can either take public transportation or a private taxi, which your guest house can help you with, or you can ask your tour guide to stop by the temple as you make your way to Spiso-piso Waterfall on a private tour. The temple is open from 9 AM to 5 PM every day and the entry is free.

5. Stroll Around Berastagi Fruit Market

For tourist attractions within Berastagi City itself, Berastagi Fruit Market is a great place to stroll around to get the lay of the land when you arrive. It is a busy fresh fruit market with plenty of stalls and narrow pathways zig-zagging around each stall.

In the market, you will find fresh fruits you can buy. Sometimes, they will increase the price if they see you as a tourist, so be sure to haggle with them. It's part of the fun here, so don't be scared to do so. Be sure to try Salak, one of Indonesia's most famous fruits, while you are here.

The market is an excellent place to stroll around and interact with the locals. People in Sumatra are some of the kindest people you will meet in Indonesia, so be sure to mingle with them when you are here. The market is open from 9 AM to 8 PM every day.

If you prefer to stroll around in a busier and more raw local market that locals often shop at, you might also want to check out Pajak Buah Berastagi. This market is not for the faint of heart as it is as raw as it comes with livestock being slaughtered out in the open.

People are very nice there, though, and it's a great way to mingle with the locals. Just make sure you manage your expectations when you visit this market.

6. Learn More About the Karo Culture at Museum Pusaka Karo 🏛️ Best Museum

Berastagi is home to the Karo tribe, and in order to learn more about them, I highly recommend you check out Museum Pusaka Karo located right in the center of Berastagi. The museum displays the diverse culture of the Karo people showcasing all kinds of aspects of their lives from traditional dresses they wear to interesting traditions and events.

At the museum, you will get a good introduction to the Karo tribe with a collection of artifacts and old photographs taken by Europeans during colonial times that you can see. Sumatra is home to many indigenous people, and what better way to learn about them than to visit the local museum.

The museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM from Tuesday to Saturday. The museum is open from 2 PM to 5 PM on Sundays and closed on Monday, so be sure to plan your trip accordingly. The entry to the museum is 8,000 IDR per person. If you love history and want to learn more about Karo culture, don't forget to drop by this museum.

7. Check out the View from Gundaling Hill Top

Looking for a place to get a glimpse of all the volcanoes surrounding Berastagi before your sunrise hike the next day? The view from Gundaling Hill Top is definitely what you are looking for. The place provides a great vantage point to see both Sibayak and Sinabung Volcanoes out in the open, and really appreciate the true scale and just how close these volcanoes are to the town.

The hilltop itself is fenced off, and you will have to pay an entrance fee of 12,500 IDR per person to get in. But to tell you the truth, you don't really have to pay, as you can easily get the same view from anywhere else along the road leading up to it for free.

I just walked to this specific location and got a pretty unobstructed view of Sinabung Volcano. You can also see Sibayak Volcano pretty openly along the way, so if you want to save some money, just walk to this location, and you will get a similar view as from Gundaling Hill Top. The walk is pretty simple and it should take you around 20 minutes from Berastagi.

8. Enjoy a Cup of Coffee at Biji Hitam Coffee Shop

My guesthouse owner tipped me about this and he emphasized that I have to drop by and have coffee at Biji Hitam Coffee Shop, an awesome local coffee shop that serves a delicious Coffee Jelly Cheese Cream, which is one of their signature drinks the guesthouse's owner highly recommends.

The coffee shop feels very local, with many local tourists coming in and out every minute. They have a wide selection of drinks, both coffee and non-coffee, as well as some basic Indonesian food like Nasi Goreng and more. It has a lovely balcony area where you can look out at the dynamic landscape of Berastagi.

If you are looking to take it slow in Berastagi and enjoy a good cup of coffee, Biji Hitam Coffee Shop is definitely the place to be. The cafe is open from 10 AM to 11 PM every day.

9. Hang Out at Jabu Berastagi 🥘 Place to Eat

If you are looking for a place to hang out with a drink or two in the evening, the best place to be is Jabu Berastagi, a lovely restaurant located atop a small hill with an open-air seating area, a bar, and a nice cozy atmosphere, perfect for the cooler climate of Berastagi.

They serve food as well as many alcoholic drinks like cocktails, which makes for a great place to hang out with friends. The restaurant is open from 1 PM to 11 PM on the weekdays and 11 AM to 11 PM on the weekends. If you are looking for a place to hang out with friends, this is the best place to be.

10. Explore the Street Food Scene in Berastagi

The main road in Berastagi is turned into an all-out night market at night with many street food stalls lining up on both sides of the road, and if you are looking to explore the street food scene of Sumatra, this is a great place to be.

The market begins from Monument Historique Berastagi all the way down to the famous cabbage monument, where you will find local restaurants and stalls selling all kinds of local food from Satay to Rendang and more.

Iyo Restaurant comes highly recommended, especially if you want to try real local dishes. They have all their menu items displayed in front of the restaurant and you can point and pick whichever item you like. Rendang, the famous Indonesian dish, which originated from Sumatra, is especially good here, so be sure to try it out.

The night market starts at around 6 PM and goes on until late at night, so if you wish to try some street food for dinner in Berastagi, be sure to go for a stroll along Veteran Road in the evening.

How to Get to Berastagi?

Most people arriving in Sumatra will land at Kualanamu International Airport in Medan. In order to get to Berastagi, you will have to travel southwest from the city for about 70 km.

Since Berastagi is located between Medan and Lake Toba, which is another popular travel destination to visit, I highly recommend you either stop by Berastagi on the way to or from Lake Toba. That's also how I did it. I went to Lake Toba first and stopped by Berastagi on my way back to Medan.

By Public Transportation: If you are coming from Medan, whether from the airport or the city center, you can travel to Berastagi via public buses that leave from Loket ALMASAR Medan. There should be plenty of AC buses and vans to take you there. It should take about 2.5 hours and cost around 20,000 IDR.

By Shared Taxi/Bus: If you are staying overnight in a guesthouse in Medan, you might be able to organize a tourist bus to take you to Berastagi, but this will depend on whether your guesthouse can help organize one for you.

Usually, they will call up PT Bagus company and if there's a car running that day, they will pick you up at your accommodation at a specified time, usually around 12 PM. It should cost around 100,000 - 150,000 IDR per person and it will take about 2.5 hours before arriving in Berastagi.

By Private Taxi: For a more comfortable ride, you can also hire a private taxi to take you there. It will cost you about 600,000 IDR for a car and it will take around 2 hours as you will be traveling directly. You should be able to organize one at the Airport's exit or via your guesthouse in Medan.

How to Get Around Berastagi?

Berastagi is not a big city, and you should be able to reach most of the attractions on foot. For further away places like Sibayak Volcano and Spiso-piso Waterfall, you are going to have to go with an organized tour instead.

For Spiso-Piso Waterfall, you can probably rent a motorbike and ride there, but the road is not in the best condition as there is always construction all over the place. It is also quite a long way to ride, at around 1.5 hours, so if you are not experienced, I wouldn't recommend it.

What most people do is visit Spiso-piso Waterfall together with the Sibayak Volcano sunrise hike via a privately organized tour which will cost around 900,000 IDR. I went with Berastagi Adventure and they helped me organize a tailor-made tour that included Spiso-piso Waterfall for me. They were great!

The cheaper way to do it is to join a sunrise volcano tour that can be organized via your guesthouse (I highly recommend Kaesa Homestay!). It should cost around 200,000 IDR per person. Then, on the day you plan to travel to Lake Toba, you can ask your taxi driver to stop by Spiso-Piso Waterfall. The shared tourist taxi/bus to go to Lake Toba should cost around 250,000 IDR per person. This way, you will save more money and not waste time traveling back and forth between Lake Toba and Spiso-piso Waterfall.