Travel guide · Malaysia
Penang travel guide
Hawker food, shophouse streets and clan temples in George Town
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote . Feel free to use any of my images, but plea, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
Penang is a Malaysian state made up of Penang Island and a strip of mainland, joined by two road bridges. Most visitors stay on the island in George Town, a former British trading port founded in 1786 whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site of shophouses, Chinese clan houses, mosques, temples and churches within a few blocks. Penang is one of Asia's great food cities, known for char kway teow, asam laksa and nasi kandar at hawker stalls. Beyond the city, Penang Hill, the Kek Lok Si temple, the beaches of Batu Ferringhi and Penang National Park are all within about 45 minutes by road. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are December–March.
Key facts
- Country
- Malaysia
- Best time to visit
- December–March
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- PEN
- Mid-range daily budget
- $80–$160 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Hawker food, George Town heritage, Street art and Clan jetties and kongsi
Why visit Penang
- Hawker centres such as Gurney Drive and New Lane serve char kway teow, asam laksa, Hokkien mee and cendol for a few ringgit a plate.
- George Town's UNESCO-listed core packs Khoo Kongsi, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Kapitan Keling Mosque and St George's Church into a walkable grid.
- Street art, from Ernest Zacharevic's 2012 murals to steel-rod caricatures, turns a walk around Armenian Street into a treasure hunt.
- Penang Hill's funicular climbs to more than 800 m for cooler air and views over the channel to the mainland.
- Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan festivals fill the calendar, from Chinese New Year at Kek Lok Si to Thaipusam and Deepavali in Little India.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 18 things to do.
Historic site · George Town Heritage Zone
Khoo Kongsi
The clan house of the Khoo family, rebuilt in its present form in 1906, is the most elaborate in Malaysia: a temple hall of gilded carvings, painted beams and stone sculpture set in a hidden square of row houses, entered through narrow alleys off Lebuh Cannon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Religious site · Air Itam
Kek Lok Si Temple
Malaysia's largest Buddhist temple complex climbs the hillside above Air Itam, with the seven-storey Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas combining Chinese, Thai and Burmese styles, and a bronze statue of the goddess Kuan Yin more than 30 m tall under a pavilion at the top.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Architecture
- After dark
Viewpoint · Air Itam
Penang Hill
A funicular railway climbs from Air Itam to the top of Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera), more than 800 m up, where the air is a few degrees cooler and terraces look over George Town, the bridges and the mainland.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
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Architecture · George Town Heritage Zone
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion)
Built in the 1890s for the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze, this indigo-blue courtyard mansion mixes Chinese feng shui with Scottish cast iron, Art Nouveau stained glass and English floor tiles.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- Couples
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Museum · George Town Heritage Zone
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
A green mansion built for the Kapitan Cina Chung Keng Quee in the late 19th century, filled with more than 1,000 antiques showing the lavish style of the Straits Chinese (Peranakan): carved gilded screens, beaded slippers, jewellery and porcelain.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Art
Street · George Town Heritage Zone
Street of Harmony
Along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (Pitt Street) and nearby lanes stand St George's Church (1818), the Goddess of Mercy Temple, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and the Kapitan Keling Mosque, all within a few hundred metres — a short walk through the faiths that built George Town.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Where to stay
George Town Heritage Zone is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers
George Town Heritage Zone
UNESCO-listed shophouse streets, clan houses, boutique hotels and cafés
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and nightlife
Chulia Street and Love Lane
Backpacker strip of guesthouses, bars and night-time noodle stalls
$$$ · Best for families, shopping and food lovers
Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus
Seafront condos, malls and the Gurney Drive hawker centre
$$ · Best for quiet stays and families
Tanjung Bungah
Quiet residential seafront between the city and the beaches
What to eat
- Char kway teow — Flat rice noodles stir-fried over a very hot charcoal or gas flame with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, egg and chives, smoky from the wok.
- Penang asam laksa — Thick rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish broth flavoured with tamarind, topped with shredded mackerel, pineapple, cucumber, mint, torch ginger flower and a spoon of sticky prawn paste.
- Hokkien mee — In Penang, Hokkien mee means prawn noodles: yellow noodles and rice vermicelli in a deep red broth of prawn heads and pork bones, with prawns, pork slices, egg and kangkung.
- Nasi kandar — A Penang Tamil-Muslim speciality: steamed rice with a choice of fried chicken, fish roe, squid, okra and eggs, flooded ('banjir') with a mix of curries.
- Cendol — Shaved ice with green rice-flour jelly, red beans, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup, the classic cooler on a hot afternoon.
- Penang rojak — A salad of fruit and vegetables — guava, pineapple, cucumber, mango, jicama — with fried dough fritters, tossed in thick prawn-paste sauce and crushed peanuts.
When to go
The best time to visit Penang is December to March, when the weather is driest and slightly less humid, though Chinese New Year (late January or February) brings crowds and higher prices along with spectacular lanterns at Kek Lok Si. April to August is hot with afternoon storms but still fine for sightseeing. September to November is the wettest period, with heavy storms most afternoons, but prices are at their lowest.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Dry season | December–March | The sunniest, least rainy months, with Chinese New Year and Thaipusam festivals and peak hotel prices. |
| Hot season | April–May | The hottest, most humid period, with afternoon thunderstorms building and Wesak Day processions. |
| Southwest monsoon | June–August | Mixed sunshine and showers, durian season, school-holiday crowds and possible haze from regional fires. |
| Wet season | September–November | The rainiest stretch, with heavy storms most afternoons, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Deepavali, and the lowest prices. |
Getting there and around
Penang International Airport is at Bayan Lepas, about 16 km south of George Town; Grab or a taxi takes about 30–45 minutes and Rapid Penang buses about an hour. The KTM station at Butterworth on the mainland has ETS trains to Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.
George Town's heritage core is best explored on foot or by trishaw, and ride-hailing with Grab is the easiest way to reach the hill, the beaches and the airport. Rapid Penang buses cover the island cheaply but slowly, and traffic is heavy at peak hours.
Plan your days
Two days covers George Town's heritage core, the clan houses and an evening at a hawker centre. Four days adds Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si, a beach afternoon at Batu Ferringhi and a hike in Penang National Park; a week leaves room for Balik Pulau or a trip to Ipoh.
Practical information
- Currency
- MYR
- Language
- Malay, English, Penang Hokkien and Tamil
- Plugs
- Type G sockets (British three-pin), 240 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is treated, but most residents filter or boil it; drink bottled or filtered water.
- Emergency number
- 999 (all emergency services); 112 from mobile phones
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected in Malaysia.
Penang is generally calm for visitors. Watch for bag snatching by passing motorcyclists and traffic on narrow streets, take the heat seriously, and avoid swimming where currents or jellyfish are reported. Haze from regional fires occasionally affects air quality.
Flights to Penang
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Penang?
Two days covers George Town's heritage core, the clan houses and an evening at a hawker centre. Four days adds Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si, a beach afternoon at Batu Ferringhi and a hike in Penang National Park; a week leaves room for Balik Pulau or a trip to Ipoh. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Penang?
The best time to visit Penang is December to March, when the weather is driest and slightly less humid, though Chinese New Year (late January or February) brings crowds and higher prices along with spectacular lanterns at Kek Lok Si. April to August is hot with afternoon storms but still fine for sightseeing. September to November is the wettest period, with heavy storms most afternoons, but prices are at their lowest.
+What is Penang known for?
Hawker food, George Town heritage, Street art, Clan jetties and kongsi, Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si and Peranakan culture. Hawker centres such as Gurney Drive and New Lane serve char kway teow, asam laksa, Hokkien mee and cendol for a few ringgit a plate.
+Is Penang expensive?
Penang is affordable for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $80–$160 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Penang?
Not necessary. Grab and buses reach most places, and parking in George Town is tight. A car or scooter helps for exploring Balik Pulau and the rural west coast.