Berastagi is a former Dutch hill resort, 66 km away from Medan, which at an altitude of 4,600 feet, is a cool and pleasant town. It is an ideal starting and ending point for travels in Sumatra as it is near the main Sumatran entry point of Medan. There are hotels of all standards, moneychangers, and restaurants serving both Indonesian and western style food, nice scenery, and very friendly and polite people. No guides and salesman will bother you when walking through the town.

The four-hour drive from Lake Toba to Berastagi, skirting the lake for a long way, is picturesque. It is a narrow, winding road through pine forest, terraced plantations and verdant meadows in the Karo hills, with hardly any people around. On the way, at the tip of the lake, is a waterfall named Sipiso-piso. It is a tourist spot with food stalls and souvenir shops.

Berastagi lies between two volcanoes. The area is known for its cool climate, orchids, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Back-packers use it as a base for climbing the two volcanoes, jungle trekking and for visiting the nearby Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre.

Up to and around Bukit Gundaling is a nice and not very demanding walk. The area is pretty with some grandiose villas and great views over Berastagi, toward Gunung Sibayak, and towards Gunung Sinabung. On the top there are many stalls. It is very populer on Sundays.

Tahura is a protected forest covering 51,500 ha. The main gate is 5 km from Berastagi towrds Medan. At the gate is a 100 m wide park-like forest popular for picnics, especially on Sundays. Behind this area is untouched forest.There are many villages around Berastagi and many have at least a few traditional houses, often inhabitated by eight families each. It can be a good idea to visit such a village that is not a tourist object if one wants to see normal everyday life of the Karo people.