With kids · Penang · Malaysia
Penang with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Asiadetailfeed, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Penang suits families who like food and easy sightseeing: the hill funicular, butterflies, beaches and gardens appeal to children, and hotels at Batu Ferringhi have pools. The heat is the main challenge, so plan indoor breaks. Top picks: Penang Hill, Entopia and Batu Ferringhi beach. Families usually base themselves in Batu Ferringhi.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Batu Ferringhi
- Rainy-day options
- 1
Best things to do with kids
Viewpoint · Air Itam
1.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. At the top are colonial bungalows, a mosque and Hindu temple, and The Habitat, a rainforest nature park with a canopy walkway.
Go up in the late afternoon to see the city lights come on, and expect long funicular queues at weekends and on holidays.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
Zoo · Teluk Bahang
2.Entopia
Run by the former Penang Butterfly Farm, Entopia is a large covered butterfly garden and insect centre with thousands of free-flying butterflies, a children's discovery area and indoor exhibits on insects and reptiles.
Go in the morning, when butterflies are most active, and combine it with the national park or the spice garden.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Rainy day
Beach · Batu Ferringhi
3.Batu Ferringhi beach
The island's main beach is a long strip of golden sand backed by resorts, with parasailing, jet-skis and seafood restaurants. In the evening, a night market lines the main road with clothes, souvenirs and snacks.
Swim near your hotel's lifeguard area and ask about jellyfish; many visitors prefer the hotel pool and the beach for sunsets.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- After dark
- Outdoors
Garden · Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus
4.Penang Botanic Gardens
Founded by the British in 1884 in a valley with a waterfall, the gardens are where Penang's residents jog and walk. Paths lead past a fern house, a cactus house and old trees, and long-tailed macaques and dusky leaf monkeys live in the grounds.
Visit in the early morning; keep food out of sight of the macaques, which snatch bags.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Street · George Town Heritage Zone
5.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. More murals by local artists have been added since, especially around Armenian Street and Lebuh Ah Quee.
Start early in the morning before tour groups queue for photos at the best-known murals.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Kids
Historic site · George Town Heritage Zone
6.Fort Cornwallis
The star-shaped fort marks the spot where Francis Light of the British East India Company landed in 1786. First built of timber and later rebuilt in brick, it never saw battle; its walls, cannons and gunpowder magazine look across the waterfront Esplanade.
Combine it with a sunset walk along the Esplanade and the clock tower nearby.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Entopia — Go in the morning, when butterflies are most active, and combine it with the national park or the spice garden.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for beach, families and luxury
Batu Ferringhi
Batu Ferringhi's long sandy beach on the north coast is lined with large resort hotels, seafood restaurants and watersports operators offering parasailing and jet-skis. A night market sets up along the main road in the evenings. George Town is about 30–45 minutes away depending on traffic.
- Good
- Resort pools on the beach; Night market and restaurants; Close to Penang National Park
- Watch out
- Sea is not the clearest, with jellyfish at times; Traffic on the coast road into town
- Nearby
- Batu Ferringhi beach, Teluk Bahang, Penang National Park
Family travel tips
- Do outdoor sightseeing before 11am and after 4pm, and use air-conditioned museums or malls at midday.
- Hawker food can be spicy; ask for 'tak mau pedas' (not spicy) or choose dishes such as chicken rice.
- Pavements in George Town are uneven; a carrier is easier than a stroller.
- The Habitat on Penang Hill has easy rainforest trails and a canopy walkway that older children enjoy.
- Keep snacks hidden from the monkeys at the Botanic Gardens and on Penang Hill.
Day trips for families
- Taiping and Kuala Sepetang (About 1 hour by ETS train or 1.5 hours by car) — Taiping's Lake Gardens, laid out in the 1880s on former tin mines, are shaded by huge rain trees; nearby Kuala Sepetang has mangrove forests, charcoal kilns and boat trips to see eagles and fireflies.
When to go with children
The best months overall are December–March. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Penang good for kids?
Penang suits families who like food and easy sightseeing: the hill funicular, butterflies, beaches and gardens appeal to children, and hotels at Batu Ferringhi have pools. The heat is the main challenge, so plan indoor breaks.
+What can kids do in Penang?
Penang Hill, Entopia, Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang Botanic Gardens and George Town street art.
+Where should families stay in Penang?
Batu Ferringhi: The island's beach-resort strip with a night market and watersports.