medan in 3 days, 2 nights
Maimun Palace, the Great Mosque and durian on arrival, a day trip up to cool Berastagi, and the old town and a box of bika ambon before the flight home.
Day 1 Palace, mosque and durian
- Morning
- Fly from KL to Kualanamu, about an hour; Medan is an hour behind Malaysia. The airport train gets you into the city in about 45 minutes.
- Lunch
- Soto Medan, rich yellow soto in coconut milk, with chicken or beef.
- Afternoon
- Visit Maimun Palace, the yellow palace of the Deli sultanate, then walk a few minutes to the black-domed Great Mosque, Masjid Raya Al-Mashun. Dress modestly for both.
- Evening
- Durian at Durian Ucok, the name everyone knows. Go hungry.
Day 2 Day trip to Berastagi
- Morning
- Drive up to Berastagi, about 2 hours, into the cool highlands. Check the latest volcano alerts for Mount Sinabung before you set off.
- Lunch
- Lunch in Berastagi, then browse the fruit market for whatever's in season.
- Afternoon
- Head up Gundaling Hill for views of the volcanoes on a clear day, then drive back down to Medan.
- Evening
- Mie Aceh for dinner: spicy, thick noodles from neighbouring Aceh.
Day 3 Old town and home
- Morning
- Grab to Kesawan, the old town, for the Tjong A Fie Mansion, the grand old home of a Chinese tycoon.
- Lunch
- One more soto, then stop on Jalan Majapahit, lined with shops selling bika ambon, for a box to take home.
- Afternoon
- Take the airport train back to Kualanamu and fly home.
Good to know
- Traffic is heavy. Use Grab or Gojek and leave extra time, especially on the drive back from Berastagi.
- Buy your bika ambon on the last day so it's still fresh when you get home.
- Want to see orangutans? Bukit Lawang is 3–4 hours away, so plan a night there rather than a day trip.