Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau province in Indonesia. It is a centre of oil production. Pekanbaru has the reputation of being one of the cleanest big cities in Indonesia, and is the third largest city of the island of Sumatra after Medan and Palembang. The city is developing rapidly, but still has much unique architecture with a taste of Malay culture.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
There are mikrolets (minivan share taxi), buses, ojek (motorcycle taxi), and taxis (including Grab and Gojek e-hailing apps). A new mode of transport is the Trans Metro Pekanbaru, a bus rapid transit system like the Transjakarta in Jakarta. Tickets must be bought at the bus stop before riding, and the one-way fare is Rp 4,000. Only part of the system is operational, and other lines are still under construction The intercity/interprovincial (AKAP) bus terminal is 5km from downtown. From the bus station to town there are many public buses that stop at pre-determined stops. Tickets cost Rp 4,000 and can be purchased inside the bus stop from a ticket agent.
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 Sang Nila Utama Museum, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. Museum about culture and heritage in Riau. The one and only museum in Pekanbaru. 2 Idrus Tintin (MTQ) Building (Anjung Seni Idrus Tintin), Jl. Jend. Sudirman. A great building with Malay and modern architecture. One of the city's landmark. Some great events held here from Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur'an (MTQ) to Indonesian Film Festival. 3 Great Mosque of An-Nur, Jl. Syekh Burhanuddin. The largest mosque in Pekanbaru.
Playing golf at: 1 Simpang Tiga Golf Course, Simpang Tiga. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Labersa Golf Course, Labersa. (updated Jul 2025) 3 Rumbai Golf Course, Rumbai (Pertamina Hulu Rokan Rumbai Chevron Camp). (updated Jul 2025)
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, ☏ +62 761849998. Sundanese restaurant. Pondok Gurih, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 202, ☏ +62 76127069. 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. 405-409 (Located behind VanSquare). Bebek Goreng H. Slamet, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 201, ☏ +62 76144886. Restoran Taman Anggrek, Jl. Tuanku Tambusai No. (Komp. Taman Anggrek), ☏ +62 761 571398, +62 761 571425.
Kedai Kopi Kim Teng, Jl. Senapelan. A Chinese kopitiam (coffee shop). Kedai Kopi Seleraku, Jl. Teuku Umar No.90 C. Famous for Nyonya food, lots of choices. One of the oldest Kedai Kopi in PekanBaru. Kedai Kopi Gundaling, Jl. Juanda. You can taste the most authentic localized Chinese food in this Chinese kopitiam, especially an original menu from Bagan Siapi-api that cannot be found anywhere else. A specialty named Karipeng contains pork and is non-halal.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Pekanbaru typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 14 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-30. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy