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Pekanbaru
Capital and largest city of Riau, Indonesia

Pekanbaru

Pekanbaru is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic centre on the eastern side of Sumatra Island with its name derived from the Malay (Indonesian) word for 'new market' .

Plan a trip to Pekanbaru→From Padang (Katapiang)

It has an area of 639.00 km2 (246.72 sq mi), with a population of 897,767 at the 2010 Census, and 983,356 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 1,192,990, and was projected to be 1,228,298 as at mid 2026. It is located on the banks of the Siak River, which flows into the Strait of Malacca, Pekanbaru has direct access to the busy strait and has long been known as a trading port.

Get in

Getting to Pekanbaru

  1. 01
    Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport
  2. 02
    Sungai Duku Port

    Several companies operate ferries to Sekupang, Batam in Riau Islands.

  3. 03
    Payung Sekaki Terminal

    The main bus station is 7 km west of the town center.

See

Worth seeing

Pekanbaru is not a tourist destination for either Indonesians or foreigners, but does have some interesting buildings and places to visit, including some distinctive buildings constructed by local government:

  1. 01
    Sang Nila Utama Museum

    Museum about culture and heritage in Riau.

  2. 02
    Idrus Tintin
  3. 03
    Great Mosque of An-Nur

    This mosque is located just opposite to Great HKBP Church.

  4. 04
    Great Mosque of Pekanbaru

    Built in the 18th century at the time of Siak Sultanate.

  5. 05
    Soeman H.S

    Great building with Malay-modern architecture.

Do

Things to do

Playing golf at:

  1. 01
    Simpang Tiga Golf Course

    Simpang Tiga.

  2. 02
    Labersa Golf Course

    Labersa.

  3. 03
    Rumbai Golf Course

    Rumbai (Pertamina Hulu Rokan Rumbai Chevron Camp).

Eat

Where to eat

Aside from eating durian at durian stalls along Jl. Jend. Sudirman, here are some recommended restaurant in Pekanbaru: Koki Sunda, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No.247,. Sundanese restaurant. Pondok Gurih, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 202,. When you enter this restaurant, the staff will hit the gong at the entrance. Bumbu Desa, Jl. Jend. Sudirman. Sundanese restaurant. Riau Kuring, Jl. Jend. Sudirman no.

  1. 01
    Miso Pak Imam

    Jl.

  2. 02
    Sop Tunjang Pertama

    Pinang I No.36, Wonorejo, Marpoyan Damai,.

  3. 03
    Pondok Patin H

    Kaharuddin Nst No.1, Simpang Tiga, Marpoyan Damai,.

How locals move

Getting around Pekanbaru the local way

  • Get in}} {{go | name | url | address 0.55137 | long | phone | hours | wikidata 2022-02-21 | content=Several companies operate ferries to Sekupang, Batam in Riau Islands.
  • Get inTravel between the Riau Islands and Pekanbaru involves a 3-hr minivan ride and a 3- to 6-hour ferry.
  • Get inTickets can be purchased at the Sungai Duku port in Pekanbaru for the mini-van and ferry combination ticket.
  • Get inThe minivan picks you up at your hotel, picks up the rest of the passengers, and then drives to the ferry dock in Tanjung Buton, about 3½ hours away.
  • Get inThen you wait a bit until the ferry comes.
  • Get inThe ferry comes, you pay a Rp1000 terminal fee, and then board the ferry.
  • Get inFerries between this port and Selatpanjang include Porti Express, Naga Line ( and Meranti Jaya Express.
  • Get in}} No ferries travel from Malacca in Malaysia any more.

From Wikivoyage: Pekanbaru, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-06.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: D.W. Fisher-Freberg (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.