Top places to visit in Manado

• Bunaken National Marine Park

  marine park · 4.9 rating · about 6 h · check the fee at the gate

  Indonesia's first marine national park (1991) and one of the world's great dive destinations. The vertical coral walls off Bunaken Island drop 300m with visibility to 40m — home to pygmy seahorses, blue-ringed octopus, sharks, and dugong.…

• Bunaken Island Coral Reef

  Coral Reef · 4.8 rating · about 4 h · check the fee at the gate

  Bunaken Island is the centrepiece of Bunaken National Marine Park, one of the world's premier dive sites. The island's north-facing wall dives drop vertically from 5 m to 400 m — a sheer coral wall covered in sea fans, black corals,…

• Tomohon Flower Market & Extreme Market

  highland market · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  Tomohon's highland market is famous for two opposing reasons: Indonesia's most spectacular flower market (roses, chrysanthemums, and exotic tropical blooms), and the infamous "extreme meat market" where bat, rat, dog, and snake are sold…

• Tangkoko Nature Reserve

  Nature Reserve · 4.7 rating · about 5 h · check the fee at the gate

  A 8,800-hectare coastal rainforest reserve on the eastern tip of the Minahasa Peninsula, 65 km from Manado. Tangkoko is the best place in the world to observe the endangered Spectral Tarsier — the world's smallest primate (120g), with…

• Manado Megamas Boulevard

  Urban Promenade · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  The modern waterfront promenade of Manado — a 2 km reclaimed-land development that transformed the city's coastline. The boulevard is lined with restaurants, cafés, and a marina. The Sunday morning car-free zone (07:00–10:00) fills with…

• Lake Tondano Minahasa Highlands

  Volcanic Lake · 4.4 rating · about 3 h · check the fee at the gate

  A 46 km² caldera lake at 600 m altitude in the Minahasa highlands, 40 km south of Manado. The lake is surrounded by fertile volcanic soil supporting clove and coffee plantations. Fishing villages line the shores, where freshwater fish…

• Malalayang Beach

  Beach · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate

  Popular sunset beach on the southern edge of Manado, lined with seafood warungs, a local weekend gathering spot.

Things to do

• Tangkoko Wildlife Trekking: Tarsier & Black Macaque Wildlife · 5 h · from IDR 400,000 per person
• Manado Night Market Food Walk: Tinutuan & Rica-Rica Culinary · 2.5 h · from IDR 200,000 per person
• Minahasa Highlands Road Trip: Tomohon & Tondano Lake Cultural · 8 h · from IDR 350,000 per person
• Bunaken Wall Diving (2-Dive Package) Water Sports · 5 h · from IDR 800,000 per person

Where to stay in Manado

• City Center about IDR 2,000 per night

  North Sulawesi diving hub with accommodation

Hotels

• Sari Pacific Manado 5-star · IDR 1,500,000 to IDR 5,000,000 per night
• Bunaken Beach Resort 2-star · IDR 300,000 to IDR 700,000 per night
• Four Points by Sheraton Manado 4-star
• Aryaduta Manado 4-star
• Sutanraja Hotel Convention & Recreation Manado 4-star

Where to eat

• Rumah Makan Wakeke Minahasan, Indonesian · about IDR 45,000 per person
• Rumah Makan Tinoor Minahasa, Indonesian · about 90,000 per person
• Pasar Beriman Food Stalls Tomohon Minahasa, Indonesian, Extreme · about 50,000 per person
• Soto Kuning Bu Nita Minahasan, Indonesian · about IDR 30,000 per person
• Tinoor Restaurant Minahasan, Indonesian · about IDR 95,000 per person
• Bukit Kasih Warung Tomohon Minahasan, Street Food · about IDR 20,000 per person
• Dego-Dego Cafe indonesian · about IDR 37,500 per person
• Ikan Bakar Kinamang seafood, indonesian · about IDR 120,000 per person

Getting to Manado

Airport: Manado (MDC)

How visitors arrive in Manado

• Fly into Sam Ratulangi Airport By air · most visitors

  The city is far from the rest of Indonesia and the guide says most visitors arrive by plane; flights come from Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, Denpasar and a few international cities. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

From the airport to the centre

• Taxi from Sam Ratulangi

  Taxis run from the airport to central Manado; you may need to negotiate the fare. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Mikrolet from Paal 2

  Minibuses called mikrolets leave from Terminal Paal 2, just past the airport gate on the main road. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Grab

  Grab has a pickup zone at the airport; Gojek pickups are from the parking area. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

Getting around

• Ride Hail useful for some trips

  Grab and Gojek are commonplace in Manado, and Grab has a designated pickup zone at the airport while Gojek pickups are in the parking area.

  Get Grab in Indonesia · Get the Gojek app

• Tuktuk
• Walking

Safety and scams to avoid

• Scooter rental damage claim

  Bunaken dive-shop price inflation · Sam Ratulangi Airport unofficial taxis · Manado seafront rental shops

  Pre-existing damage is invoiced when you return the scooter — often Rp 2–5M.

  How to avoid it: Video the scooter on pickup. Rent only via your hotel.

Best time to visit Manado

• Jan 29°C
• Feb 30°C
• Mar 30°C
• Apr 31°C
• May 31°C
• Jun 31°C
• Jul 31°C
• Aug 32°C
• Sep 32°C
• Oct 32°C
• Nov 31°C
• Dec 30°C

More in Indonesia

• Jakarta
• Bali
• Yogyakarta
• Bandung
• Surabaya
• Labuan Bajo

Frequently asked questions about Manado

How many days do you need in Manado?

A typical trip to Manado is 2-3 days.

What are the top-rated places to visit in Manado?

The highest-rated places in our Manado guide are Bunaken National Marine Park, Bunaken Island Coral Reef, Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Tomohon Flower Market & Extreme Market, Lake Tondano Minahasa Highlands.

Where should I stay in Manado?

Our guide covers these areas to stay in Manado: City Center.

How do I get around Manado?

Ways to get around Manado covered in our guide: Ride-hailing app, Tuk-tuk, Walking.

What scams should I watch out for in Manado?

Scams reported to us for Manado include Scooter rental damage claim. Each is explained in the guide, with how to avoid it.

What is the weather like in Manado?

Average daytime highs in Manado run from 29°C in Jan to 32°C in Sep.

Which airport is nearest to Manado?

The nearest airport to Manado has the code MDC.