Stand at the corner of Jalan Masjid Raya and Jalan Sisingamaraja and you can take in two of the city's landmarks in a single turn: the Great Mosque of Medan with its domes and minarets, and a short walk away the Maimoon Palace of the Deli Sultanate. Between them runs a stretch of the old colonial city, where Art Deco buildings from the Dutch era still line the streets.
Medan suits travellers who are passing through Sumatra and want more than an airport stopover, and those who are comfortable in a large Indonesian city that sees relatively few western visitors. English is less widely spoken here than in Jakarta or Denpasar, but a little Bahasa goes a long way. This guide covers the sights within the city and the practical details you need to string them into a day.
Top things to do in Medan
1. Maimoon Palace (Istana Maimun)
The royal palace of the Sultanate of Deli, built by Sultan Makmun Al Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah between 1887 and 1891. Its interior mixes Malay, Islamic, Spanish, Indian and Italian elements, and a small number of rooms can be visited, holding the sultan family's history along with artefacts, portraits and photographs. Part of the building is occupied by shops.
It is a short five-minute walk from the Great Mosque of Medan, so pair the two. The palace is busy with locals and tourists, there is no English text on display, and there is an additional fee if you want photographs taken in traditional costume.
2. Great Mosque of Medan (Masjid Raya Medan or Masjid Raya Al Mashun)
Built in 1906 and completed in 1909, the mosque was designed by a Dutch architect who mixed Moroccan, European, Middle Eastern and Malay styles. It stands at the corner of Jalan Masjid Raya and Jalan Sisingamaraja, across from the Yuki Simpang Raya department store and a five-minute walk east of Maimoon Palace. A graveyard for the sultan's extended family surrounds the building.
Women can visit, entering the central hall through a separate door and staying behind a partition. During Ramadan the whole of Jalan Masjid Raya closes for a night market selling food and merchandise.
3. Tjong A Fie Mansion (Rumah Tjong A Fie)
The mansion of a leading figure in Medan's Chinese community, who built successful business ventures working with Dutch colonial authorities, Indonesian Muslims, plantation owners and exporters. His philanthropy funded mosques, hospitals, temples and orphanages, and he campaigned against indentured servitude and degrading conditions for ethnic Chinese labourers on tobacco and rubber plantations. The ornately decorated building tells his story, that of his descendants, and some of the city's past.
It sits on Jalan Ahmad Yani, a ten-minute walk south of the train station and across from the Tip Top restaurant.
4. Gunung Timur Temple (Vihara Gunung Timur)
A Daoist temple of significant scale on Jalan Hang Tuah, about 500 m from Sri Mariamman Temple. It has a large paved area with an impressively scaled incense burner, two covered badminton courts, a very large main hall, and is partly surrounded by a moat and walls. It is particularly crowded with worshippers on Chinese New Year and Cap Go Meh. Entry is free.
5. Maha Vihara Maitreya
One of the biggest Buddhist temple complexes in Medan, on Jl. Boulevard Utara No. 1 in Cemara Asri, decorated with statues of mythical Chinese creatures including dragons, kirin and phoenixes. The left wing has a pond housing koi fish; the right wing holds a playground, souvenir shop, vegetarian canteen and coffeehouse. The main hall houses statues of Buddha Sakyamuni, Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva Satyakalama Avolokitesvara.
It is open most of the time and entry is free. As this is a holy site, obey the regulations stated by the temple.
6. Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni
A Catholic shrine with Tamil Hindu-style architecture, devoted to Our Lady of Good Health, at Taman Sakura Indah, Jalan Sakura III No. 10 Tanjung Selamat. It is open 08:00-18:00 and entry is free. Local buses 10, 26 and 61 plus 6 run from downtown and Little India, roughly an hour, or you can use a car-hailing app.
7. Sri Mariamman Temple (Kuil Shri Mariamman)
A Tamil Hindu temple featuring brightly coloured statues of the major gods of the Tamil Hindu pantheon and a few naga stones. Events take place here regularly. Be aware that there are two temples of this name: this is the one on the corner not far from town, while the other sits down a long alley and is closed up. Entry is free.
8. Tirtanadi Water Tower (Menara Air Tirtanadi)
One of Medan's icons, built by the Dutch government in 1908 to a height of 42 m and still state-owned by PDAM Tirtanadi. It stands at the intersection of Jalan Sisingamaraja, Jalan Pandu and Jalan Cirebon. Entry is free, and it is easy to fold into a walk along Jalan Sisingamaraja between the mosque and the palace.
9. Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery
Opened in 1999, this is chiefly a global taxidermy collection assembled by Doctor Rahmat, covering creatures of sea, land and sky alongside the collected flotsam of a life spent hunting big game, fishing and travelling. It is open 09:00-17:00 on Jalan S. Parman No 309. Entry is Rp50,000.
10. North Sumatra Museum (Museum Negeri Sumatra Utara)
The largest museum in North Sumatra, displaying historical and cultural relics and arts and crafts from the various ethnic groups of North Sumatra. It is on Jl. HM. Joni No.51 and opens Tuesday to Sunday, 08:30-16:00.
11. Lapangan Merdeka
A central park in the city, useful as a breathing point between the sights along Jalan Ahmad Yani and the old colonial buildings in the surrounding streets. Combine it with a walk past the Art Deco architecture of the Dutch era, including the Old City Hall and the Post Office.
12. Medan Zoo (Kebun Binatang Medan)
On Jl. Bunga Rampai IV in Simalingkar, the zoo is a place to see critically endangered local fauna including the Sumatran tiger. It is open 08:30-17:30. Entry is Rp15,000 on weekdays and Rp20,000 at weekends.
13. Sikh Temple
Located in the old Chinese school, 50 m to the right of the Shri Mariamman Tamil Hindu Temple and opposite the maternity hospital. Walk into the impressive grounds, turn left and walk behind the stairway; the humble temple hall is to your left. Do not enter without both permission and proper attire. Entry is free.
14. Pantai Cermin Theme Park & Resort
A water theme park at Cermin Beach in Serdang Bedagai, organised by a Malaysian investor and the local government, with swimming, sun bathing and kayaking. Weekday hours are 11:00-17:00, and weekends and public holidays 09:00-18:30. To get there, take a rental car, private car or mini bus (sudako) from Jalan MT. Haryono in front of Medan Mall and stop at Perbaungan city, then take a machine trishaw to the beach; the whole journey may take about 1-2 hours.
15. Quan Spa
On the 17th floor of the JW Marriott Hotel, with full five-star hotel spa facilities and a one-hour massage from Rp250,000, more for elaborate rituals. It is open daily 10:00-21:00. Most hotels in Medan also have their own spa, so you can ask your receptionist.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Great Mosque of Medan at the corner of Jalan Masjid Raya and Jalan Sisingamaraja, then walk the five minutes to Maimoon Palace (Istana Maimun) and take in the royal rooms and the shop-lined courtyard. From there, walk south along Jalan Ahmad Yani to the Tjong A Fie Mansion, ten minutes from the train station and across from the Tip Top restaurant.
Afternoon. Head to Gunung Timur Temple on Jalan Hang Tuah, then continue the short 500 m to Sri Mariamman Temple on the corner. If you have time left, walk the grounds of the Sikh Temple in the old Chinese school, 50 m to the right of Sri Mariamman and opposite the maternity hospital, remembering that permission and proper attire are required.
Evening. Finish at Maha Vihara Maitreya in Cemara Asri, which is open most of the time, and take a slow turn past the koi pond, the statues of dragons, kirin and phoenixes, and the vegetarian canteen and coffeehouse. If you would rather end the day indoors, book a one-hour massage at Quan Spa on the 17th floor of the JW Marriott Hotel, open until 21:00.
Frequently asked questions
Is Medan worth visiting, or just a transport stop?
Most tourists stop in Medan only to get transport elsewhere in Sumatra, but the city offers a glimpse of a large Indonesian city still unfrequented by western tourists and should not be quickly dismissed. Expect more chaos and litter than Jakarta or Denpasar, and open sewers in places.
Do I need to speak Indonesian?
Fewer people speak English in Medan compared with other large Indonesian cities, but even a little Bahasa goes a long way, and Sumatrans are still unjaded by westerners.
What is the best time of year to visit?
Medan has a tropical rainforest climate with no real dry season. January is the driest month on average and October the wettest, with September to November the rainiest season. Temperatures average around 27 °C throughout the year, and December and January are the coolest months.
Can I visit the Great Mosque of Medan as a woman?
Yes. Women can visit, but they have to enter the central hall through a separate door and stay behind a partition that separates the hall in two.
With the palace, the mosque and the mansion all within walking distance of each other, you can start planning a Medan itinerary around a single unhurried day.