Route: Medan (Pinang Baris bus terminal) to Bukit Lawang
For backpackers and ultimate budget travelers, the local public bus is the cheapest way to get from Medan to Bukit Lawang — and it’s a genuine way to experience how locals actually get around North Sumatra. It takes longer than a private car or shared transfer, and usually involves a change of vehicle along the way, but if you’re not in a rush, it’s a rewarding part of the journey in itself.
The typical route starts at Medan’s Pinang Baris bus terminal, where you’ll take a combination of local buses and minivans toward Bukit Lawang, with a transfer point along the way. It’s a simple route once you’ve done it, but it can feel confusing the first time, knowing which bus to catch, where to get off, and what to expect at Pinang Baris terminal isn’t always obvious to visitors.
That’s where we come in. If you’d like guidance, just ask, and we’ll walk you through the route step by step, which bus to take, where to transfer, and roughly what to expect along the way. We’ll arrange it directly for you.