Padang
Padang is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra.
Padang is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. It had a population of 833,562 at the 2010 census and 909,040 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 965,050. It is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. The Padang metropolitan area is the third most populous metropolitan area in Sumatra with a population of over 1.7 million. Padang is widely known for its Minangkabau culture, cuisine, and sunset beaches.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Padang
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Grand Mosque of West Sumatra
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra is a mosque in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the largest mosque in West Sumatra and the second-largest mosque in Sumatra.
3.1 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 02Roman Catholic Diocese of Padang
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Padang ) is a diocese located in the city of Padang in the ecclesiastical province of Medan in Indonesia.
700 m · diocese of the Catholic Church · Wikipedia - 03Nurul Iman Mosque, Padang
The Nurul Iman Mosque is a mosque located at the corner of Jalan Imam Bonjol and Jalan Muhammad Thamrin in Padang, Indonesia. The mosque was built by the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the national government, as a gesture of apology following a West Sumatran rebellion in 1960.
1.2 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 04Andalas Grand Mosque
Andalas Grand Mosque is a mosque located in Andaleh Street no.56, Andaleh, East Padang district, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The mosque consists of a green building with two floors which has area of 1,200 m2, and a minaret in the southeast and an entrance gate in the south.
3.4 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 05Padang State University
The State University of Padang is a state university in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, On the 23rd of October 1954, it was established by the Ministry of Education Indonesia. Currently, the rector is Krismadinata, S.T., M.T., Ph.D. Previously, the rector was Prof.
5.8 km · national university in West Sumatera, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 06Muhammadan Mosque
The Muhammadan Mosque is a historic mosque in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was constructed in 1843 and is associated with trade and traders from Gujarat, Mughal India.
1.8 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 07Ganting Grand Mosque
The Ganting Grand Mosque is a Sunni mosque located in Ganting, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Construction began in 1805, making it the oldest in Padang and one of the oldest in Indonesia.
1.9 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 08Teluk Bayur Grand Mosque
The Teluk Bayur Grand Mosque, also known as Surau Ateh, is an old mosque in Indonesia which is located near the Port of Teluk Bayur, South Padang district, Padang, West Sumatra. Although the mosque was previously a surau which was recorded to have stood since the 17th century, the building that stands at its current location was built during the Dutch colonization around the 19th century.
5.4 km · mosque in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 09Adityawarman Museum
Adityawarman Museum is a State Museum located in Padang, Western Sumatra. As a State Museum, Adityawarman Museum is officially known as the State Museum of West Sumatra.
700 m · museum in West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia - 10Padang Beach
Padang Beach or popularly known as Taplau is a beach located in the city of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This beach is located in a dense urban area in the District of West Padang, and extends from Purus to Batang Arau estuary.
500 m · beach in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Museum Adityawarman
State-run museum exploring regional history & culture in a traditional spire-roofed building.
- 02Taman Budaya
- 03Pantai Air Manis
It is most famed for Batu Malin Kundang (Stone of Malin Kundang), a stone shaped like a prostrating man.
- 04The Great Mosque of Ganting
It is the oldest mosque in Padang and one of the oldest in Indonesia.
- 05Pantai Padang
You can ride the bendi (a horse-drawn carriage) along the beach, and stop by the rows of shops to eat some rujak as you watch the waves.
- 06Siti Nurbaya Bridge
Siti Nurbaya is the eponymous character in a classical literary novel.
From Wikivoyage: Padang, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Relaxing is the main thing to do here. This is a mainly administrative city. Honestly, there isn't too much to do downtown. But if you go uptown, some interesting spots await to be explored. These include Sikuai Island, Lubuk Minturun river (a 'natural jacuzzi') and Bungus Bay (crystal water river), all in southern Padang. Pool/Billiard is a popular sport to play and there are a few places dotted around.
From Wikivoyage: Padang, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Padang is famed throughout Indonesia for spicy Padang food (masakan Padang). These days nasi padang (Padang rice) restaurants can be found all over Indonesia, but of course, nothing beats eating it at its place or origin. Ordering at a Padang restaurant couldn't be easier: just sit down at a table, and watch the dishes pile up. Eat what you like, as you'll only pay for dishes you've actually consumed.
From Wikivoyage: Padang, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Padang
- Airports
- Minangkabau (PDG), 20 km
- Stations
- Teluk Bayur, 5.9 km · Tabing Airport, 7.7 km · Padang railway station, 2.5 km · Pulau Aie railway station, 1.9 km
- Batam → Padang470 km · quickest by air, 8h 22m · Rp1,594,540–2,473,640
- Beringin → Padang1751 km · quickest by air, 13h 38m · Rp2,471,290–3,799,840
- Jakarta → Padang928 km · quickest by air, 6h 7m · Rp1,463,280–2,269,980
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Padang
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Padang. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inFrom Bukittinggi, minibus Rp20,000, duration ~2h.
- Get inFrom Harau Valley, minibus from shop/loket 'Pt.Ricky RA.
- Get inTake an orange angkot to reach the Plaza Andalas mall in the centre for Rp5,000.
- Get aroundCrazily-decorated angkots run along the two main roads.
From Wikivoyage: Padang, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
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If you know how people move in Padang – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Padang
- West Padangdistrict in Padang City, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia1.9 km
- SMA Negeri 3 Padanghigh school in Padang City, West Sumatra, Indonesia3.6 km
- SMA Negeri 10 Padanghigh school in Padang City, West Sumatra, Indonesia1.9 km