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Lake Toba (Samosir) in December
Mixed month: December is outside the recommended season (May – September). Against it: North Sumatra Rainy Season. Plan around: Christmas and New Year at the Lake.
The season opens in May, 5 months away.
3 days in Lake Toba (Samosir) in December · from ₹9,901 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in December
What the season does to Lake Toba (Samosir) this month.
Heads up
North Sumatra Rainy Season
From about September to December, heavy afternoon rain is common round Medan and Lake Toba, roads can be cut by landslides on the way to the lake, and the views across it are often in cloud. Mornings are usually clearer; keep a spare day for the journey back to the airport.
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Lake Toba (Samosir) this month.
Heads up
Christmas and New Year at the Lake
The Toba Batak are mostly Christian, and at Christmas and New Year families come home from all over Indonesia: Parapat's ferries queue, Silangit flights and guesthouses fill, and prices rise. Book early, or come in the weeks either side.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹9,901 for two
- Room a night₹1,590
- Food a day, each₹689
- Main sight entry, each₹110
Mid-range
₹23,980 for two
- Room a night₹3,980
- Food a day, each₹1,590
- Main sight entry, each₹110
Luxury
₹54,587 for two
- Room a night₹9,540
- Food a day, each₹3,710
- Main sight entry, each₹110
What December does to prices
- The Toba Batak are mostly Christian, and at Christmas and New Year families come home from all over Indonesia: Parapat's ferries queue, Silangit flights and guesthouses fill, and prices rise.
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Indonesia yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Jakarta (CGK), 1323 km away
Then: Flight · 7h 30m (Jakarta–Silangit (DTB) non-stop + car to Parapat + ferry to Tuktuk)
Flights from India: from 2 cities, one way from ₹15,000
Fly into Kuta (DPS), 2207 km away
Then: Flight · 11h (Flights via Jakarta to Silangit (DTB) + car to Parapat + ferry to Tuktuk)
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹14,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa on arrival for up to 30 days, about ₹2,650
- Before you fly, buy the e-VOA (visa on arrival) at evisa.imigrasi.go.id: IDR 500,000, about ₹2,700, valid for 30 days. You can also pay at the visa-on-arrival counter in Bali or Jakarta, but the queue is long.
- Within 3 days before landing, fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id. It replaces the old customs (e-CD) and health forms. Save the QR code. Do one card per traveller.
- Going to Bali, Nusa Penida or Lembongan: pay the IDR 150,000 (about ₹810) Bali tourist levy per person at lovebali.baliprov.go.id and keep the QR voucher. It is checked at the airport and at some attractions.
- To stay longer than 30 days, extend once by 30 days (IDR 500,000) on the same portal before the visa expires. The first extension may need a visit to an immigration office.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with blank pages; Confirmed return or onward ticket out of Indonesia; e-VOA approval (printout or PDF), or a card or cash for the visa on arrival; All Indonesia arrival card QR code; Love Bali levy QR voucher, for Bali; Hotel bookings for the stay.
India is not on Indonesia's visa-free list, so you need the visa on arrival or e-VOA. India was proposed for visa-free entry in June 2026 but left off the July 2026 list. Indonesia proposed in August 2026 raising the fee to IDR 750,000 online and IDR 1,000,000 at the counter; as of October 2026 it is still IDR 500,000 with no start date, so check evisa.imigrasi.go.id before paying. Use only the .go.id sites: look-alike sites charge extra for the e-VOA, the arrival card and the Bali levy.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Indonesia in December
Instead in season this month.
- Raja Ampat · great month
- Labuan Bajo · good month
Nearby in North Sumatra:
Want this as a real plan?
Lake Toba (Samosir) in December, day by day, priced for your group.