Gunung (Mount) Sinabung is an active volcano located around 50km (by air, much further by road) from Bukit Lawang, in the Karo region of North Sumatra. The closest towns are Berastagi and Kabanjahe, around 14km distant. It is around 55km from Medan, and further still from Medan's Kuala Namu airport.

The volcano was dormant between 1600 and 2010. It erupted continuously every few months until March 2021. However, it has not erupted since then, although should not yet be considered dormant.

For tourists visiting Bukit Lawang and North Sumatra, please understand that Sinabung is a long way from Medan, Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba, so these areas are not threatened or at risk from volcanic eruptions.

As a result of the eruptions, it is not possible to climb Sinabung volcano at any time. The other tourist attraction affected is Lau Kawar lake, which is situated northwest of the volcano. Since the volcano has become less active, Lau Kawar has returned to normal as a lake tourist attraction, though climbing the volcano is no longer popular.

Eruptions from the volcano resulted in the abandoning of several small villages close to the mountain. These villages on the slopes of the mountain benefited from the fertile volcanic soil. Since the volcano has not erupted since 2021, the agricultural activity has since resumed and life is returning somewhat to normal.