The best things to do in Berastagi revolve around its setting: a cool highland town in the Karo Regency of North Sumatra, Indonesia, more than 1,300 m above sea level and framed by two volcanoes, Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung.
Berastagi has been a weekend escape from the heat of Medan since Dutch colonial times, and the district is home to about 51,700 people. If you are planning what to do in Berastagi, this guide covers nine places worth the trip, with directions, opening hours and entrance fees for each, plus the latest on the volcanoes and the road to Lake Toba.
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Top Things to Do in Berastagi Town
Berastagi Fruit Market (Pasar Buah)
The Berastagi fruit market is the centre of town life. Stalls sell strawberries, oranges, passion fruit and tamarillos, all grown in the volcanic soil of the Karo highlands, alongside cut flowers, vegetables, knitted beanies and souvenirs.
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Horse carts and ponies wait at the edge of the market for short rides around town, and a ride is still one of the most popular things to do in Berastagi with domestic visitors.
- Address: Jl. Jamin Ginting, Berastagi, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Daily, from early morning until evening
- Entrance fee: Free
Gundaling Hill (Bukit Gundaling)
Gundaling Hill rises on the northern edge of town, at about 1,575 m, and has drawn visitors for its views since the Dutch era.
On a clear day, the summit looks out to both Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung, with pine trees, flower gardens and the rooftops of Berastagi below.
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Hire a horse to ride around the hilltop, then stay for grilled corn and hot drinks at the stalls as the sun goes down. A popular local story links the name to an English phrase, but its origin is unclear.
- Address: Jl. Jamin Ginting, Berastagi, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Open 24 hours
- Entrance fee: About IDR 10,000
Bukit Kubu
Bukit Kubu is a 5-hectare park of pine trees and lawns around colonial-era buildings. Families come to picnic, ride horse carts and ATVs, and photograph the volcano views.
- Address: Jl. Jamin Ginting, Sempajaya, Berastagi, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Daily, 10:00 to 17:00
- Entrance fee: About IDR 20,000
Mikie Funland and Mikie Holiday Resort
At about 1,400 m, Mikie Funland is a theme park with more than 35 rides, including the Buzz Coaster, set against the hills outside town. Mikie Holiday Resort, the hotel of the same group, is next to the park for families who want to stay on site.
Book a stay at Mikie Holiday Resort & Hotel with breakfast
- Address: Jl. Jamin Ginting KM 50, Desa Pecen, Berastagi, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Daily, 10:00 to 17:00
- Entrance fee: Varies by package. Check current prices on Tiket.com or Traveloka.
What to Do in Berastagi: Volcano, Hiking and Hot Springs
Mount Sibayak Hiking
Mount Sibayak, at 2,212 m, is the most accessible Berastagi volcano and the top choice for Berastagi hiking. The trail from Jaranguda, on the edge of town, climbs for about two to three hours to a crater of steaming fumaroles and yellow sulphur, and most hikers set off around 04:00 to reach the top for sunrise.
The weather changes fast, so bring warm layers, rain gear, a headlamp, snacks and plenty of water, and hire a local guide if you are hiking in the dark.
- Address: Trailhead at Jaranguda, Merdeka District, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Trails open daily, subject to closures for maintenance or weather
- Entrance fee: Check the trail fee at the trailhead. Local guides charge separately.
Berastagi Hot Springs at Semangat Gunung
The best hot springs in Berastagi are at Semangat Gunung, a village at the foot of Sibayak lined with pools fed by the volcano, run by local families and open late into the evening.
A soak here is the classic way to end a Sibayak hike, and the pools range from warm to very hot, with sulphur-tinted water.
- Address: Semangat Gunung, Merdeka District, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Daily, from morning until late evening
- Entrance fee: Varies by pool, paid on arrival
Mount Sinabung
Mount Sinabung, at about 2,460 m, woke in 2010 after roughly 400 years without a recorded eruption, and has erupted repeatedly since 2013. After an eruption on 31 August 2026 sent ash 3,500 m above the summit, Indonesian volcanologists raised its alert to Level III (Siaga).
Book a night at Sinabung Hills Berastagi
Climbing is not possible. Visitors and residents must stay outside 3 km of the summit, and outside 6 km in the south-to-east sector. The best views are from Gundaling Hill and Bukit Kubu, so check the current alert level with PVMBG before you travel.
- Address: Karo Regency, North Sumatra, south-west of Berastagi
- Opening hours: No public access within the danger zone
Popular Day Trips Near Berastagi
Taman Alam Lumbini
On the road to Barusjahe, outside Berastagi, Taman Alam Lumbini is a Buddhist temple park built around a golden pagoda inspired by the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.
Recognised by the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as the tallest pagoda in Indonesia, it reaches 46.8 m and is lined with thousands of Buddha statues. It is a working place of worship, so dress modestly and keep your voice low inside.
- Address: Jl. Barusjahe, Dolat Rakyat, Karo, North Sumatra
- Opening hours: Daily, 09:00 to 17:00. Closed on religious holidays.
- Entrance fee: Voluntary donation
Sipiso-piso Waterfall
Sipiso-piso drops about 120 m from the edge of the Karo plateau, near the northern tip of Lake Toba, making it one of the tallest waterfalls in Indonesia. Its name comes from the Batak word for knife, after the thin, sharp line of the falls.
Look down from the viewpoint at the top, or take the long, steep stairway to the base. Pair it with lunch in Tongging, the lakeside village below.
- Address: Tongging, Merek District, Karo, North Sumatra, about 30 km from Kabanjahe, the capital of Karo Regency
- Entrance fee: About IDR 7,500 for adults and IDR 5,000 for children
Is Berastagi Worth Visiting?
Yes. Berastagi offers cool highland weather, a sunrise volcano hike, hot springs and some of the freshest fruit in Sumatra, all about two to three hours from Medan.
Two days covers the best of what to do in Berastagi, or add a third for Sipiso-piso and Lake Toba.
How to Get From Medan to Berastagi
Minibuses from Medan to Berastagi leave every hour or so, from Pinang Baris bus terminal and from stops along Jalan Jamin Ginting in Padang Bulan.
Join Bukit Lawang & Berastagi 5-Day Adventure Tour
The ride takes about two to three hours and costs about IDR 20,000 per person. Ask the driver to drop you at Pasar Buah or the Tugu Perjuangan monument in the town centre.
From Kualanamu International Airport, a private car or transfer takes about three hours, depending on traffic on the winding road through the hills.
Berastagi to Lake Toba and Samosir Island
Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world, is the natural next stop after Berastagi.
The drive from Berastagi to Lake Toba runs about 105 km to Parapat, the main lakeside town, and takes about two to three hours by car. There is no direct public bus, so most travellers hire a car or a driver, or stop at Sipiso-piso on the way.
Book a night at nearby Taman Simalem Resort
From Parapat, ferries cross to Samosir Island, the island in the middle of the lake, with passenger boats to Tuktuk and car ferries from Ajibata. Travelling from Parapat to Berastagi works the same way in reverse, so the two pair easily in either order.
Best Time to Visit: Berastagi and Medan Weather
Berastagi stays cool all year, and nights can drop to around 15°C, a sharp change from the heat and humidity of Medan at sea level.
Join Bukit Lawang & Berastagi 5-Day Adventure Tour
The drier months, usually June to August, bring clearer mornings for the Sibayak hike and the volcano views. Pack a jacket whatever the season, and expect afternoon showers in the wetter months.
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