Travel Options to Nias: Flight and Ferry
Updated: Oct 10
Planning a trip to Nias? There are several travel options to Nias, depending on where you're travelling from and how you prefer to travel. You can fly or take the ferry, and we've included some practical tips for travelling with surfboards.
Flying to Nias Travel Options to Nias
Most flights to Nias go via Medan, Kualanamu International Airport. From Medan, you can take a Wings Air flight to Binaka Airport (GNS), Gunungsitoli on Nias.
There are also direct flights to Nias from Padang and Pekanbaru.
Booking Your Flight:
For a smooth booking experience, we recommend booking your ticket through www.traveloka.com. Payments, rescheduling, and refunds are easy to manage there, while booking directly with the airline or contacting its call centre can be frustrating.
It's good to book early, as flights are sometimes sold out for several days.
Luggage Policy
Hand luggage: 7 kg
Checked baggage: Depending on your booking, 10 kg may be included. If not, you can purchase extra baggage online or directly at the check-in counter. The kilo price is around 22,000 IDR.
Surfboards: Wings Air charges 1,000,000 IDR per surfboard. Surfboard transport must be paid at the airport and can not be booked in advance (card accepted in Medan, cash in Gunungsitoli).
Practical Tips for Surfers
At Medan airport, a guy named Charlie may offer to help with your boardbag, even tough he doesn't have an official badge and uniform. Just say no if he offers you to help and go straight to the official check-in counter to check in your boardbag. Even if Charlie claims your board won't be accepted because it's too big, don’t worry — that’s not true.
To try to avoid high fees for each surfboard, some surfers bundle two boards into one boardsock and politely say they are carrying only one board. Staff at the check-in counter in Medan usually don't open the bag, especially if you're not the very first person in line. Waiting until the queue is longer and staff are busier may improve your chances. However, the airline may still check your boardbag and charge the official fee for each surfboard.
Can I Bring My Mid-Length or Longboard to Nias?
Airlines may have strict size rules on paper, but in practice they're often flexible. If you've made it to Medan with a mid-length or longboard, chances are good it will be accepted for the flight to Nias. It might be possible that the airplane's baggage compartment is already full, in which case your board may be sent on the next available flight.
Sending Your Boardbag between Medan and Nias
For our guests, we can arrange surfboard transport between Medan and Nias. The shipment takes approximately 24 hours and costs IDR 1,200,000 per boardbag. Contact us if you'd like us to arrange this service.
Transfer to the Lodge
From Binaka Airport (Gunungsitoli), our driver can pick you up and bring you directly to Jamburae Lodge. The drive takes about 2.5–3 hours. Price: 600,000 IDR.
Travelling to Nias by Ferry
Depending on where you're travelling from, taking the ferry can be a convenient way to reach Nias. For example, if you're coming from the Lake Toba area, travelling overland to Sibolga and taking the ferry may make more sense than travelling back to Medan for a flight.
Ferries from mainland Sumatra arrive either at Gunungsitoli or Teluk Dalam, depending on the route.
Ferry Details
Sibolga → Teluk Dalam: The Wira Ono Niha usually operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It departs around 9–10 pm and arrives early the next morning. Teluk Dalam is just a 20-minute drive from our lodge. Our driver can pick you up right at the harbour for IDR 300,000.
Sibolga → Gunungsitoli: Ferries usually depart between 9 and 10 pm on most nights and arrive the next morning. From Gunungsitoli, it's a 3.5–4-hour drive to Sorake. Our driver can meet you at the harbour for IDR 800,000.
Singkil → Gunungsitoli: Ferries usually operate three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays), departing at 10 am and arriving around 6 pm the same day. Our driver can pick you up at Gunungsitoli harbour for IDR 800,000.
These are the usual schedules. Ferry schedules can change, and services may be temporarily suspended due to maintenance or weather conditions, so always confirm the latest schedule before travelling.
Ferry Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at www.wjl-line.com, but it's often easier to book through local travel agents in the area where you're staying. Booking early helps secure a comfortable sleeping cabin. Tickets usually go on sale 7 days before departure (sometimes only 2 days before for the Teluk Dalam route).
Important Tip When Booking Your Stay
If you take the night ferry from Sibolga, book your stay at Jamburae Lodge starting from the day the ferry arrives in Nias, not the day it departs from Sibolga. Many guests forget this and end up paying for an extra unused night.
How to get to Jamburae Lodge from…
Bukit Lawang
Return to Medan (around 4–5 hours by car). From there, you can fly to Nias or continue overland to Sibolga and take the ferry.
Lake Toba
There are several options:
Overland + ferry: Travel to Sibolga and take the ferry to Teluk Dalam or Gunungsitoli.
Via Medan: Travel to Medan and take a flight to Nias.
Susi Air flight: Susi Air operates small flights from Sibisa (Parapat, near Lake Toba) to Gunungsitoli. The schedule changes often, so check susiair.com.
Singkil / Aceh
Take the ferry from Singkil to Gunungsitoli (3 times weekly, check www.wjl-line.com). From Gunungsitoli harbor, it’s 3.5–4 hours to Sorake. Pick-up: 800,000 IDR. Alternatively, travel via Medan and fly.
Banyak Islands
Transfers from the Banyak Islands to Nias are usually arranged by your accommodation. They can organise a speedboat to North Nias and a driver to take you to Sorake. The same can be arranged in the opposite direction. Ask your accommodation for details.
Mentawais
If you're travelling from the Mentawai Islands, you can connect through Padang, which has direct flights to Nias several times a week. Check www.traveloka.com for the current schedule and availability.
