Medan: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Medan is a city of 2.5 million people in Indonesia (North Sumatra), 26 m (85 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre. It has 8 railway stations on record, including Medan railway station. It is a port city: Port of Belawan. Our booking partner lists 621 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Medan runs from about 11 h 57 min a day in late December to 12 h 22 min in late June (computed for 3.58° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Medan is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre, whose 12,303-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Alas Leuser Airport (LSR, 92 km).
Flights to Medan: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Medan railway station, Bandar Khalipah railway station, Pulu Brayan railway station, Medan Pasar railway station, Helvetia railway station, Belawan railway station. Trains to Medan
Buses to Medan · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 621 places to stay in Medan. Of the 570 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (367), and 5 are five-star. Across 35 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.3 out of 10. Guests have left 13,624 reviews in total.
Hotels in Medan: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 6 hostels in Medan, out of 621 places to stay of every kind — 1% of everywhere it lists in the city, a small share: this is a city where nearly everything on offer is a hotel or an apartment. Guests have left 196 reviews across them.
Hostels in Medan: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kuala Lumpur, 339 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Kampung Baru Subang, 322 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Petaling Jaya, 331 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Ipoh, 290 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Shah Alam, 323 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Bukit Rahman Putra, 324 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Kota Kuala Muda, 292 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Sungai Petani, 306 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Selayang Baru Utara, 335 km (Malaysia) — flights
- Kota Damansara, 327 km (Malaysia) — flights
Twin towns and sister cities: Jeddah, Ichikawa, Chengdu, Gwangju, Milan, George Town.
Common questions
Which airport serves Medan?
Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Medan?
About 2.5 million people live in Medan, across 265,100,000 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Medan in?
Asia/Jakarta, currently UTC+7.
What currency is used in Medan?
The Rupiah (IDR). Traffic drives on the left.
Are there hostels in Medan?
6 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Medan.
How many hotels are there in Medan?
Our booking partner lists 621 places to stay in Medan, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Medan?
Kuala Lumpur (339 km), Kampung Baru Subang (322 km), Petaling Jaya (331 km), Ipoh (290 km), Shah Alam (323 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.