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A wide view of Samosir Island across the water of Lake Toba

Things to Do on Samosir & Lake Toba

Twelve places worth your time, from a guesthouse jetty in Tuk Tuk to the rim of the caldera.

Lake Toba is bigger than most visitors expect. Samosir alone takes the better part of a day to ride around, and the famous viewpoints on the caldera rim are hours apart. It pays to decide what matters to you before you set out.

We group the sights three ways: those on Samosir Island, most of them an easy scooter ride from Tuk Tuk; the towns, hills and waterfalls around the lake; and the gateways and side trips you pass through on the way from Medan. Each guide covers what to see, how to get there, practical tips and the tours that include it.

On Samosir Island

The green Tuk Tuk peninsula and its lakeside guesthouses seen from a boat On Samosir Island

Tuk Tuk

The laid-back peninsula where almost everyone stays

A small, green peninsula on Samosir’s east coast, ringed by a single lane of guesthouses, lakeside restaurants and swimming jetties. Passenger boats from Parapat drop you at your hotel’s own pier, and everything else on the island is a scooter ride away.

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Carved stone sarcophagi of the Sidabutar kings in Tomok On Samosir Island

Tomok

Royal stone tombs and the dancing Sigale-gale puppet

The village where the car ferry from Ajibata lands, and Samosir’s busiest sight: the carved stone sarcophagi of the Sidabutar kings, a small Batak museum, the Sigale-gale puppet dance and a long lane of souvenir stalls.

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The circle of stone chairs and carved figures in Huta Siallagan, Ambarita On Samosir Island

Ambarita & Huta Siallagan

The stone chairs where Batak kings held court

A walled Batak village a short ride north of Tuk Tuk. Under an old tree stands a ring of stone chairs where the Siallagan chiefs met and passed judgement, with a second set behind the houses where, the guides will tell you, sentences were carried out.

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Traditional Batak houses with saddle-shaped roofs at the Huta Bolon Museum in Simanindo On Samosir Island

Simanindo & Huta Bolon Museum

A king’s house turned museum, with morning dances

At the northern tip of the island, the former home of Raja Sidauruk is now the Huta Bolon Museum: a handsome row of restored Batak houses, a collection of household and ritual objects, and traditional dance performances most mornings.

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The Aek Tano Ponggol bridge linking Samosir to the mainland at Pangururan On Samosir Island

Pangururan & the Hot Springs

Samosir’s little capital, hot springs and a white-sand beach

The island’s administrative town sits on the west side, where a short canal and a bridge link Samosir to the Sumatran mainland. Across the water, sulphur hot springs steam at the foot of Pusuk Buhit; on the way there, Parbaba has the lake’s best-known white-sand beach.

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Around the lake

The grassy ridges of Bukit Holbung above the blue water of Lake Toba Around the lake

Bukit Holbung & Efrata Waterfall

Grass-green hills over the lake and a wide curtain of water

On the mainland shore south-west of Pangururan, a chain of rounded, grass-covered hills looks straight down on the lake — the most photographed viewpoint in Samosir Regency. A few minutes away, Efrata waterfall spills over a broad rock face among rice fields.

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The cone of Pusuk Buhit rising above Lake Toba, seen from the road to Tele Around the lake

Pusuk Buhit, Tele & Lake Sidihoni

The sacred mountain of the Batak and the view from the rim

Pusuk Buhit is the volcano Batak tradition names as the birthplace of the Batak people. Below it lies the valley of Sianjur Mula-mula; above it, the Tele viewing tower looks over the whole western lake. Back on the island, little Lake Sidihoni is the famous “lake on the lake”.

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Sipiso-piso waterfall falling from the cliff into a green gorge Around the lake

Sipiso-piso Waterfall

A 120-metre plunge at the northern tip of the lake

One of Indonesia’s tallest waterfalls, shooting out of the caldera wall above the village of Tongging and falling about 120 metres into a green gorge, with the whole northern end of Lake Toba spread out behind it. A classic stop between Berastagi and the lake.

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The town of Parapat on its peninsula, seen from a boat on Lake Toba Around the lake

Parapat & Ajibata

The lakeside town and the ferries to Samosir

Parapat is the main town on the eastern shore and the place almost every overland traveller reaches first. Passenger boats to Tuk Tuk leave from Tigaraja harbour; car ferries to Tomok and Ambarita leave from Ajibata next door.

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The southern arm of Lake Toba seen from the Huta Ginjang viewpoint Around the lake

Balige & Silangit

The southern shore, a Batak museum and the nearest airport

Balige is the main town on the southern shore, known for its market halls with Batak-style roofs and the museum at the T.B. Silalahi Center. Silangit airport, a short drive up the hill, is the closest airport to Lake Toba; Huta Ginjang viewpoint lies between the two.

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Gateways & side trips

The rocky crater floor of Mount Sibayak above Berastagi Gateways & side trips

Berastagi & Mount Sibayak

Cool Karo highlands and a volcano you can climb before breakfast

A hill town about two hours from Medan on the scenic route to the lake, surrounded by vegetable farms and two volcanoes. The sunrise walk up Mount Sibayak, the fruit market and the hot springs make it the favourite stop between Medan and Lake Toba.

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The yellow façade of Maimun Palace in Medan Gateways & side trips

Medan

North Sumatra’s big, busy gateway city

Indonesia’s largest city outside Java and the arrival point for most visitors, through Kualanamu International Airport. Few people linger, but Maimun Palace, the Great Mosque, the Tjong A Fie Mansion and some of the country’s best street food repay a spare day.

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Planning your days

Start early. Mornings are clearer and calmer on the lake, cloud builds on the rim after midday, and afternoon showers are common for much of the year. Keep Sunday in mind too: the Toba Batak are overwhelmingly Christian, and villages are quiet until church is over. Our travel guide has sample itineraries and a primer on Batak culture, and the tours page lists everything you can book in advance.

Plan your Lake Toba days

Let someone else handle the long road from Medan to Samosir

Cross the world’s largest volcanic lake by ferry, sit in the stone chairs of the Batak kings, stand above the 120-metre drop of Sipiso-piso and swim from your guesthouse jetty in Tuk Tuk. Compare the available tours and book in a couple of taps.

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