One day 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

      Look at the ceiling beams and the roof ridges from the courtyard; the carvings are densest there. Allow 1 hour.

   2. Late morning

      Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion)

      Join a guided tour; the stories of the family and the restoration make the visit. Allow 1 hour.

   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

      Visit with the Blue Mansion on the same morning to compare two very different merchant houses. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Street of Harmony

      Dress modestly so you can step inside the places of worship; the mosque provides robes for visitors outside prayer times. Allow 1.5 hours.

   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.

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 7–7 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Penang
• 3 days in Penang
• 5 days in Penang

Questions travellers ask