Trekking prices in Bukit Lawang confuse a lot of travellers: every website quotes a different number, in a different currency, usually without a date. The reality is simpler than it looks, because guide rates here follow an official rate card. This is the full breakdown, checked in June 2026.
The official rate card
Trekking prices in Bukit Lawang are set by the Indonesian guide association (ITGA-HPI) together with the local community, deliberately, so operators compete on quality instead of undercutting each other into bad practices. Most reputable operators, including us, charge the same official per-person rates:
- —4-hour trek: €55
- —1 day: €70
- —2 days / 1 night: €120
- —3 days / 2 nights: €170
- —4 days / 3 nights: €250
- —5 days / 4 nights: €320
What that price includes
At the official rate, a trek is close to all-inclusive. Always confirm before you book, but the standard package covers:
- —Your licensed guide (plus an assistant guide for larger groups)
- —The Gunung Leuser National Park entrance permit
- —Meals and fresh fruit in the jungle
- —Tents, camping gear and a camp cook on overnight treks
- —Often the river return: tubing back down the Bohorok to the village. Some operators include it, others charge a small supplement (around €10)
The park permit, explained
The Gunung Leuser National Park permit is the part travellers find the most conflicting information about online, mostly because old prices are never taken down. As of June 2026 the permit is Rp 150.000 per person, camera fee included. We pay these permits at the park office for our guests every week, so this is first-hand.
With any reputable operator the permit is included in the trek price. If someone asks you to pay it separately on top of an official-rate trek, ask why.
Travelling solo? The minimum-of-two rule
Almost every operator prices treks with a two-person minimum, so a solo traveller pays roughly double, or joins an existing group, which is the standard solution. Ask about joining a group when you book; on busy dates it is usually arranged within a day.
Paying: bring cash
There is no reliable ATM in Bukit Lawang: the few machines in the area are often empty. Withdraw rupiah in Medan or at the airport. Most operators accept cash in rupiah or euros; where cards are accepted at all, expect a surcharge of around 3%.
If a trek is much cheaper, ask why
The rate card means everyone plays by the same rules, so a price far below it is being subsidised somewhere: an unlicensed guide, oversized groups, or wildlife baited with food so the photos look better. The few euros you save are paid by the forest. If you want to know what good practice looks like on the trail, read our guide on ethical orangutan trekking.
Planning your own trek?
We arrange jungle treks, experiences and transfers daily, planned personally by our local team in Bukit Lawang. Questions cost nothing, we answer fast.