2 days in Penang

Day by day

1. Day 1: Khoo Kongsi and Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion)

   Khoo Kongsi, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion), Pinang Peranakan Mansion and Street of Harmony, then Kek Lok Si Temple in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Khoo Kongsi

      A small museum explains the Hokkien clans that ran much of George Town's trade.

   2. Late morning

      Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion)

      It is now a boutique hotel and is shown to visitors on guided tours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Char kway teow

      Hawker stalls across George Town, including on Lorong Selamat and at Gurney Drive and New Lane hawker centres.

   4. Afternoon

      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.

   5. Late afternoon

      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.

   6. Evening

      Kek Lok Si Temple

      Take the inclined lift up to the Kuan Yin statue and walk down through the terraces; visit after dark during the Chinese New Year lighting period.

2. Day 2: Penang Hill and Clan Jetties

   Penang Hill, Clan Jetties, George Town street art and Fort Cornwallis, then Gurney Drive Hawker Centre in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Penang Hill

      At the top are colonial bungalows, a mosque and Hindu temple, and The Habitat, a rainforest nature park with a canopy walkway.

   2. Late morning

      Clan Jetties

      Chew Jetty is the largest and busiest, with shops and snack stalls along the boardwalk; quieter jetties nearby give a better sense of village life.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Penang asam laksa

      The stall at Air Itam market is the best known; also at Gurney Drive and Balik Pulau.

   4. Afternoon

      George Town street art

      More murals by local artists have been added since, especially around Armenian Street and Lebuh Ah Quee.

   5. Late afternoon

      Fort Cornwallis

      First built of timber and later rebuilt in brick, it never saw battle; its walls, cannons and gunpowder magazine look across the waterfront Esplanade.

   6. Evening

      Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

      Find a table first, note its number, then order from several stalls; most deliver to your table and take cash.

Before you go

• Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion): Tours run at set times each day and can fill at weekends; check times on arrival or book ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Entopia (Teluk Bahang): Go in the morning, when butterflies are most active, and combine it with the national park or the spice garden.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–16 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.8 hours in January to 12.4 hours in May.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most heritage sights, street art and food streets lie within about 1.5 km of each other in George Town, though heat and narrow five-foot-ways make early mornings and evenings the best time to walk.

More or fewer days

• One day in Penang
• 3 days in Penang
• 5 days in Penang

Questions travellers ask