Sumatra Jungle & Wildlife Adventure - 9 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Medan

Welcome to Medan, Sumatra's vibrant capital. A driver will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Take some time to settle in before venturing out to explore the city.

Medan sits on the northern coast of Sumatra and is Indonesia's third-largest city. Known as the jumping-off point for jungle, volcano, and lake adventures, it's also a culinary hotspot. Spend your afternoon soaking up Medan's blend of Asian and Dutch-colonial culture, then head to Merdeka Walk, a sprawling food court decked out with lights come evening. Sit out under the trees and tuck into delicious Indonesian specialties such as arsik, a stewed carp dish loved by the local Batak Toba people, and nasi goreng, fried rice topped with an egg.

Day 2: Explore Medan & Transfer West to Tangkahan

After breakfast, you'll spend your morning on a guided city tour of Medan. Highlights include visiting Istana Maimoon, a grand palace built in 1888 by the Sultan of Delhi, and Masjid Raya Al Mashun, an octagonal-shaped mosque and pilgrimage site for Muslims. During the tour, your guide will talk about Medan's famous Dutch architecture and ornate Chinese temples. 

In the afternoon, it's time to escape the city and drive west to Tangkahan, a jungle village known as the "hidden paradise" for its remote, idyllic setting. This ecotourism destination borders the Gunung Leuser National Park. It lies on the Buluh and Batang rivers, making it a popular base for trekking, tubing, and whitewater rafting trips.

Day 3: Jungle Trek & River Tubing Experience

Today you'll head deep into Tangkahan to discover its natural wonders, starting with a three-hour jungle trek, where your guide will show you native plants, trees, and fungi. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for colorful toucans and hornbills in the treetops, primates like leaf monkeys, and macaques. If you're lucky, you might even spot an elusive orangutan.

Relax after your hike with some tubing in the afternoon, which offers an entirely different perspective of the jungle as you drift down the river in an inflatable tube. You'll stop to cool off in a forested waterfall and then head back to your hotel on foot, passing through vast palm oil plantations and a local village.

Day 4: Jeep to Bukit Lawang, Spot Primates

This morning, after breakfast, you'll board a Jeep for the journey to the village of Bukit Lawang, a beloved nature hub on the fringes of the Gunung Leuser National Park. On the way to Bukit Lawang, you can soak up the views of the thick jungle scenery through your window. 

Bukit Lawang became a tourist destination in the 1970s when two Swiss women founded the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in the village. Although the center is now closed, the area remains a haven for primates thanks to its lush jungle, which lies on the banks of the Bohorok River. In the afternoon, you'll check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing ahead of tomorrow's hike.

Day 5: Tigers & Rhinos Trek in Gunung Leuser National Park

You'll need the energy today, so tuck into a big breakfast before you set off for a hike in Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO heritage site and one of the most biodiverse conservation areas in the world. The park stretches over 3,060 square miles (7,930 sq km) and is home to 750 species of animals, including endangered tigers, elephants, and rhinos. It's also a great place to spot orangutans in their natural habitat. 

As you trek, your guide will teach you about the forest's unique plant species and explain how locals use them to make traditional medicine. You'll be surrounded by wildlife, from giant ants and lizards to leaping black gibbons, long-tailed macaques, and rainbow-colored birds. En route to your hotel, you'll stop at a limestone cave where hundreds of sleeping bats hang.

Day 6: Wildlife Spotting & Jungle Hike

Today you're in for more incredible scenery and hiking, so a big breakfast is necessary. You'll start the morning with a walk to the jungle for a trek to explore the unspoiled flora and fauna of Leuser National Park. There's plenty of opportunity to spot more spectacular wildlife in their tropical rainforest habitat, like orangutans, Thomas leaf monkeys, long-tail macaques, gibbons, and black gibbons. Taking around three hours, you'll return to your hotel afterward. 

After a short rest at the hotel, you'll set off for your afternoon adventure with a drive to Berastagi, stopping off at the Sembahe River en route. After you arrive at Berastagi, you'll have free time to visit the fruit market and Gundaling Hill before checking in to your hotel for the night. 

Day 7: Mount Sibayak Sunrise Climb, Transfer to Samosir Island

It's an early start this morning, ready for your epic three-hour trek up Mount Sibayak. You'll begin with a transfer to the base of this famous stratovolcano, aiming to arrive at the 6,870-foot (2,090 m) peak in time to watch the sunrise. Sibayak is one of Indonesia's most accessible volcanoes, and although it remains active, the last eruption was in 1881. 

The hike takes you through a lunar-like geothermal landscape of sulfur lakes and steam vents to the crater top, where you'll enjoy panoramic views over Sumatra as the sun rises. Descend via a hot spring where you can rest your aching muscles. Return to your hotel to pack before you drive to Samosir, a large volcanic island in Lake Toba. Along the way, you'll visit the Sipiso-Piso waterfall and a Batak Karo village called Dokan.

Get your first look at sparkling Lake Toba from Rumah Bolon, a former palace for Simalungun kings. At 660 square miles (1,707 sq km), Toba is the largest lake in South East Asia. When you reach Parapat, you'll catch a public ferry directly to Samosir and check into your hotel.

Day 8: Motorbike Around Samosir Island

Set out this morning to explore Samosir by motorbike. Along with Toba Lake, this volcanic island formed when a supervolcano erupted around 75,000 years ago. Samosir is sacred to the resident Toba Batak people, who you'll meet as you stop in small villages like Lumban Suhi-suhi and Ambarita, which was once an ancient meeting place for Siallagan kings.

Learn more about the local culture at the Batak Toba Museum in Simanindo, where villagers will perform traditional dances for you. As you drive around the island, stop to watch women weave in Batak handicraft markets and visit Tomok's eerie tombs belonging to Sidabutar kings. Don't miss Samosir's highest point, which offers sweeping views over Toba Lake. After your exhilarating motorbike adventure, you'll return to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

Day 9: Return to Medan, Depart

After breakfast, you'll return to Parapat and drive back to Medan. On the way, you'll stop at several plantations for rubber, cocoa, and palm oil. Upon arrival in Medan, you'll head straight to the airport for your journey home.