Places to visit

Padangsche Spaarbank building in Padang old city Padang is a common transit point for surfers travelling to Batu Islands and Mentawai Islands, and for tourists visiting the West Sumatran highlands. Padang Beach (known as Taplau or Tapi Lauik), stretching from Samudra Street until Puruih, is known for its sunsets and food stalls. The Kuranji River flows in Padang and on the northern area of the river at Batu Busuk, Lambung Bukit sub-district, white water activities are quite popular. Bungus Bay, to the south of Padang, is suitable for swimming and boating. There are some offshore islands near Bungus, such as Sikuai island and Pagang Island.

Currently, the Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) of Padang has established development plans for "Padang Old City" in Kampung Pondok, South Padang district as a tourist area. The mayor of Padang has designated 73 historic buildings as cultural heritage sites of Padang.

The iconic Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, a new modern gigantic mosque that is built with Minangkabau architecture. Masjid Muhammadan, a historic mosque in PadangThere are many old buildings in Padang that still retain their Dutch and Chinese architecture. The old city of Padang, located next to Muaro Harbor on the Arau River, formerly functioned as the city's main commercial avenue. The old city was the former business district of Padang, with many important buildings such as Padang City Hall, De Javasche bank (present-day Bank Indonesia), Nederlandsche Spaarbank, Geo Wehry & Co, Escompto Maatschappij Office, warehouses, and merchant houses.

There are several historic places such as Adityawarman Museum which specialises in the history and culture of the local Minangkabau ethnic group, and the main exhibits are housed within a Rumah Gadang style building. Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, a new modern large mosque, is built according to traditional Minangkabau architecture. The mosque is located on Jalan Khatib Sulaiman, near the city centre of Padang. Ganting Grand Mosque, the oldest mosque in Padang and one of the oldest in Indonesia, is a popular tourist attraction. Muhammadan Mosque, founded by Indian merchants, is also located in the city centre. St. Leo Monastery, featuring a mixture of traditional Minang architecture on its bell tower roofing and Dutch architecture on the church building, is one of the oldest churches in Padang. Along the beachside road, just down from the Tourist Information Office is a Buddhist temple, Vihara Buddha Warman, opened in 2006 for the large Chinese Buddhist community.

Air Manis Beach is located south of Padang, location of the legendary Malin Kundang Stone. The rock formations which are found there resemble ship wrecks. Across from the Arau River is the Siti Nurbaya Park, which can be reached by bridge or boat. There are still remains of Japanese cannons and bunkers from World War II. There are also great views of Padang City, Arau River and the Indian Ocean visible from the park. Bung Hatta Nature Reserve (Taman Hutan Raya Bung Hatta) is situated east of the city, with diverse flora and fauna including a few Sumatran tigers, tapirs, wild goats, bears, as well as Raflesia Gaduansi, Balangphora and Amorphopalus.