Shopping · Penang · Malaysia
Shopping in Penang
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Penang shopping mixes air-conditioned malls with heritage-zone craft shops, Little India's textile stores and night markets. Best souvenirs: Preserved nutmeg and nutmeg balm, Tau sar pneah and Nyonya beaded slippers.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Preserved nutmeg and nutmeg balm
Where to shop
Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon
Large malls on Gurney Drive with international brands and food courts.
Armenian Street and Lebuh Acheh
Craft shops, galleries and souvenir stores in heritage shophouses.
Little India
Saris, spices, gold jewellery and Bollywood music along Lebuh Pasar and Lebuh Queen.
Queensbay Mall
One of the island's largest malls, near the airport in Bayan Lepas.
Markets
Batu Ferringhi night market
Evening stalls along the main road selling clothes, souvenirs and snacks.
Chowrasta Market
A long-running market on Penang Road known for preserved nutmeg, dried fruit and local snacks.
Hin Bus Depot creative market
Weekend market of local crafts, art and design.
What to buy
Preserved nutmeg and nutmeg balm
Penang's signature spice as candied fruit, oil or balm.
Tau sar pneah
Flaky biscuits filled with sweet mung-bean paste, a Penang speciality.
Nyonya beaded slippers
Hand-beaded Peranakan shoes made by a few remaining craftspeople.
White coffee
Malaysian white coffee in instant packs or beans.
Batik
Hand-drawn and printed batik fabrics, scarves and shirts.
Streets and markets worth a wander
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
Street · George Town Heritage Zone
George Town street art
Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic painted a series of murals in 2012, including the children on a real bicycle on Armenian Street, and dozens of steel-rod caricatures explain the history of each street.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Kids
Market · Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
Penang's best-known hawker centre comes alive in the evening at the end of the seafront promenade, with dozens of stalls selling char kway teow, asam laksa, rojak, oyster omelette and lor bak at shared tables.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
Neighbourhood · George Town Heritage Zone
Little India
Around Lebuh Pasar, Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Chulia, Bollywood music plays from shops selling saris, spices and garlands.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
Gallery · George Town Heritage Zone
Hin Bus Depot
A former bus depot on Jalan Gurdwara turned into an arts space with rotating exhibitions, murals, small cafés and studios.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Shopping
- Off the beaten path
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Cendol, Penang rojak, Lor bak and Nyonya kuih. Stalls on Lebuh Keng Kwee off Penang Road, where queues form daily, and hawker centres everywhere. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| George Town Heritage Zone | $$ | UNESCO-listed shophouse streets, clan houses, boutique hotels and cafés |
| Chulia Street and Love Lane | $ | Backpacker strip of guesthouses, bars and night-time noodle stalls |
| Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus | $$$ | Seafront condos, malls and the Gurney Drive hawker centre |
| Batu Ferringhi | $$$ | The island's beach-resort strip with a night market and watersports |
| Air Itam | $ | Hillside town of Kek Lok Si, the Penang Hill funicular and a famous laksa market |
| Bayan Lepas | $$ | Airport area with modern hotels, Queensbay Mall and the bridges to the mainland |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in MYR. Tipping is not expected in Malaysia. Many restaurants and hotels add a 10% service charge; leaving small change at a café or for a hotel porter is appreciated but optional.
- Eat at hawker centres and coffee shops, where a filling meal costs a fraction of a restaurant dinner.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in September–November; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- March: Qing Ming tomb-sweeping festival (early April or late March)
- July: George Town Festival — arts and performance events (usually mid-year)
- August: Hungry Ghost Festival (usually August or September)
- September: Mid-Autumn Festival — lanterns and mooncakes (September or early October)
- December: Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations along the Esplanade (late December)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for families, shopping and food lovers
Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus
Seafront condos, malls and the Gurney Drive hawker centre
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Penang?
Preserved nutmeg and nutmeg balm, Tau sar pneah, Nyonya beaded slippers and White coffee.
+Where is the best shopping in Penang?
Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon: Large malls on Gurney Drive with international brands and food courts.
+What are the best markets in Penang?
Batu Ferringhi night market, Chowrasta Market and Hin Bus Depot creative market.