Indonesia
Medan
Serious food city, and the road to Lake Toba — the largest volcanic lake on earth.
When to go
Feb, Jun, Jul tend to be the best months here. Jan is usually the one to avoid.
Daytime high and overnight low, averaged over thirty years of records from Open-Meteo. The rainfall word is the month’s measured average, not a forecast.
What a day costs
Food and getting around, per person per day. Flights are separate, see the fares above.
- Backpacking
- Rp77.500per day+ 3-star rooms from Rp153.305 a night
- Comfortable
- Rp235.000per day+ rooms from Rp372.834 a night
- Treating yourself
- Rp685.000per day+ 3-star rooms from Rp709.808 a night
Getting there
- Visa for an Indonesian passport
- Visa-free entry
- Flight time from CGK
- 2h 20m nonstop
- Airport
- KNO
Visa status from Wikipedia contributors, copied 2026-09-16. Rules change; check before you book.
Typical return fare by month
Cheapest in Sep 2026, about Rp3.050.042
Mar 2027 costs about Rp2.272.784 more.
Researched fares: Rp2.930.700 to Rp6.486.094 per person over 49 checks, last on 2026-09-07. · Cheapest direct researched: LionAir Indonesia at Rp2.930.700.
From our own live checks: for each departure we sampled in the month, the cheapest return fare per person the newest check found, averaged. The same figures as the fare index, last checked 2026-09-07. Not a quote. What you pay depends on when you book. Departures from Sep 2026 to Jul 2027. How we work this out
Flights from Jakarta by month →
Flying to Medan
- Fastest journey
- 2h 20m · Non-stop · Citilink
- Cheapest itinerary
- 2h 20m · Non-stop · Citilink
- Usually flown by
- Citilink
- Carbon, one way
- 123 kg CO₂
From the 50 fares we researched for a 2027-08-21 departure, checked 2026-09-07. Outbound journey times. Not a quote. How we work this out
Where people stay in Medan
A few properties Booking.com listed when we captured prices in September 2026, with the nightly rate at the time. This is not a quote and we don't hold rooms. Prices and availability change, so check the page for your own dates. How we work this out
- SUPER OYO Capital O 92066 Papakoel Hotel & Cafe3★ · 3.5/5 · 14 reviewsRp131.888
- Elais by ARTOTEL3★ · 4.5/5 · 6 reviewsRp774.000
- The Quadrant Hotel KNO3★ · 4/5 · 83 reviewsRp499.500
- Desatu Hotel3★ · 4.1/5 · 89 reviewsRp514.250
- Emerald Garden International Hotel4★ · 4.3/5 · 69 reviewsRp661.534
- JW Marriott Hotel Medan5★ · 4.5/5 · 593 reviewsRp2.020.700
- Wisma Syariah UINSU Medan Mitra RedDoorz2★ · 4.3/5 · 2 reviewsRp139.523
- RedDoorz Plus near Cambridge City Square 2 Medan3★ · 3.5/5 · 1 reviewsRp285.555
Common questions
When is the cheapest month to fly from Jakarta to Medan?
From what we captured across a year of departures, September is the cheapest month to fly Jakarta to Medan, at around Rp3.050.042 return. That is a researched figure from a dated snapshot, not a live quote, so check the price with a partner before you book.
Is a visa needed for Indonesia on an Indonesian passport?
On an Indonesian passport, Indonesia: Visa-free entry. Visa rules change, so confirm with the embassy before you travel.
How much does a day in Medan cost?
We budget about Rp235.000 per person per day in Medan for food and getting around locally. Flights and your room are separate.
What is the best time to visit Medan?
Going by rainfall and temperature records, February, June, July are the most comfortable months in Medan.
Things to book ahead
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