How to get to Samosir Island on Lake Toba — A fantastic boat ride you shouldn’t miss

Samosir Island is a large volcanic island in Lake Toba, located in the north of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Most of the tourist accommodations are concentrated in the small town of Tuktuk, which is located a one-hour ferry ride across the lake from the town of Parapat. From Parapat there are frequent ferries to Tuk Tuk and the neighbouring town of Tomok, on Samosir. There are also private boats for hire. If you are going to Tuk Tuk, ask the ferry master to drop you at the jetty of your hotel or guesthouse.

The crossing normally takes around an hour, but the water can get choppy during the northeastern monsoon season (September to January) when strong winds sweep down the steep sides of the caldera. The passenger ferry leaves from Tiga Raja harbor every hour between 8.30 and 19.00. For those running late there is an option to take the passenger boat from Aji bata to Tomok until 8.30 pm. A car ferry leaves the mainland from Ajibata and lands in the small town of Tomok, about a 10-minute drive from Tuktuk until 9 pm. There are also other passenger ferries and individual hotels may also have ferries available.

The last ferry to the the island depatruer just after 6pm. If you are late, you will have to spend the night in Parapat.