Places to visit

Gunungsitoli is the main gateway to Nias and a hub for tourists before reaching their destinations elsewhere on the island. According to the city government, there are 110 tourist spots inside the city. Despite the decline of the tourist industry following earthquakes, there are still significant international tourist visits, mostly by Australians. Tourist potential includes Nias culture, as well as beaches and natural spots such as cave and waterfalls. In 2019, 64,767 tourists—mostly domestic—visited the city. The tourist sector is supported by 23 hotels in the city as of 2019.

Name of Nias Earthquake victims written on the Nias Earthquake Monument

Gunungsitoli has a number of public parks, including Ya'ahowu Park located in Jl. Saompo, a coastal area of the city. The park is often used as place for cultural events and other celebrations such as Indonesian Independence Day, Christmas, and Nias Festival. Ya'ahowu Park was built on the ruins of houses that were destroyed in the aftermath of the 2005 Nias earthquake. It was named after word "ya'ahowu" which roughly means "bless you" in Nias language, often used to greet each other. Around the park are monuments such as the Durian Monument and the Nias Earthquake Monument. Names of the victims from the 2005 earthquake are written on the monument to commemorate the disaster, and at the top is a piece of debris from the earthquake. Other parks such as Doa Bunda Maria Park and a heroes' cemetery also exist in the city.

There are also other monuments in the city such as the Salib Monument in the city's main market. The monument was built by the city government and inaugurated on 6 December 2020. In South Gunungsitoli district, there are historical buildings such as cemetery and former house of missionaries that spread Christianity on Nias, Jemaat Petrus Ombolata church, and a former dormitory building. These buildings are said by city's Department of Tourism and Culture to be more than 100 years old; they had deteriorated due to their age and were restored. The city government plans to turn the buildings into a religious tourism destination, in addition to being proposed to be cultural heritage property.