George Town, Malaysia: travel guide
Heritage shophouses, street art and hawker food on Penang Island
UNESCO Heritage Port City — a beautifully preserved colonial town on Penang Island with colorful architecture and street art.
About George Town
George Town, on the island of Penang, is a port city whose old quarter is crowded with shophouses, clan houses, temples and mosques built by successive waves of traders. Its heritage core is recognised by UNESCO, and it rewards slow wandering more than ticking off sights.
Street art along Armenian Street, the stilted waterfront homes of Chew Jetty and the shrines of Little India fill a day on foot, while Kek Lok Si Temple climbs a hillside beyond town. Eating is the main event: Penang's hawker dishes are famous across Malaysia, and the island is a natural place to compare noodle stalls.
George Town suits food lovers, photographers and short city breaks. The island is warm all year, and the drier months from about December to February are the most reliable for walking.
- Country
- Malaysia
- Currency
- MYR
- Time zone
- Asia/Kuala_Lumpur
- Nearest airport
- PEN
- Typical trip
- 3 days
Last updated
Top places to visit in George Town
Kek Lok Si Temple
Buddhist temple · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry
Covering over 12 acres on Penang's Air Itam hillside, Kek Lok Si is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. Construction began in 1891 and continues to evolve. The dramatic seven-storey Ban Po Thar (Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas)…
Penang Street Art (Armenian Street)
street-art · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Ernest Zacharevic's famous murals and wrought-iron caricatures across the old town lanes.
Chew Jetty
heritage · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Century-old stilt-house clan village over the water, the largest of the Clan Jetties.
Penang Hill
hill station · 4.2 rating · about 2 h · entry RM 40 (≈ ₹930)
Rising 830 metres above sea level, Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) offers a cool escape from the tropical heat and panoramic views stretching across George Town, the Strait of Malacca, and the mainland on clear days. A funicular railway —…
Cheong Fatt Tze — The Blue Mansion
mansion · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry RM 25 (≈ ₹580)
A stunning indigo-blue Straits Eclectic mansion built in the 1880s for Cheong Fatt Tze, a Hakka merchant who became one of Southeast Asia's wealthiest men. The 38-room mansion blends Chinese Baroque architecture with European cast-iron…
Fort Cornwallis
colonial fort · 3.5 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
The largest standing fort in Malaysia, built by the British East India Company in 1786 when Captain Francis Light first landed on Penang. The star-shaped bastion walls enclose a historical compound with old cannons, a lighthouse, a chapel,…
Penang National Park
national-park · 4.2 rating · about 3 h · free entry
Malaysia's smallest national park with jungle trails to Monkey Beach and a meromictic lake.
Little India Penang
district · 4.3 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
Vibrant quarter of garland shops, sari stores and South-Indian eateries.
Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm
nature-park · 4.5 rating · about 2.5 h · entry RM 60 (≈ ₹1,400)
Vast butterfly-and-insect discovery centre with a live indoor garden.
Penang Botanic Gardens
garden · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · free entry
Lush 1884 "Waterfall Gardens" with monkeys and jungle trails.
ESCAPE Penang
theme-park · 4.6 rating · about 4 h · check the fee at the gate
Outdoor adventure-and-water theme park with rope courses and slides.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry RM 25 (≈ ₹580)
Opulent restored Baba-Nyonya mansion crammed with antiques.
Things to do
- Georgetown UNESCO Heritage Street Art & Architecture Trail Cultural · 3 h
- Penang Hill Funicular & Habitat Treetop Walk Nature · 3 h · from MYR 94 per person
- Penang Night Street Food Tour Food Experience · 3.5 h · from MYR 275 per person
- Penang Daytime Hawker Food Tour Food · 3 h · from MYR 84 per person
- Penang Heritage & Street Art Cycling Tour Adventure · 3 h · from MYR 70 per person
- Penang National Park & Monkey Beach Boat Trip Nature · 5 h · from MYR 94 per person
- Penang Island Round Tour Sightseeing · 8 h · from MYR 84 per person
- Penang Nyonya Cooking Class Food · 4 h · from MYR 100 per person
Day trips and tours
- Penang Full Day Heritage, Hill & Hawker Night Tour 12 h · from MYR 201
- Penang Georgetown Heritage Cycle & Street Food Tour 7 h · from MYR 117
Where to stay in George Town
- Heritage Georgetown about MYR 2,500 per night
UNESCO colonial town with heritage hotels
Hotels
- Seven Terraces Heritage Hotel 4-star · MYR 450 to MYR 1,200 per night
- Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang 5-star · MYR 600 to MYR 2,200 per night
- The Edison George Town 5-star · MYR 500 to MYR 1,100 per night
- Campbell House 4-star · MYR 350 to MYR 750 per night
- Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa 5-star · MYR 600 to MYR 1,500 per night
- Eastern & Oriental Hotel Annexe 5-star · MYR 500 to MYR 1,300 per night
Where to eat
- Gurney Drive Hawker Centre Hawker, Nyonya, Chinese · about MYR 25 per person
- Nasi Kandar Pelita Indian Muslim, Malaysian, Mamak · about MYR 20 per person
- Tek Sen Restaurant Chinese, Cantonese, Penang · about MYR 45 per person
- Line Clear Nasi Kandar Indian, Malaysian · about MYR 18 per person
- Hameediyah Restaurant Indian, Malaysian · about MYR 20 per person
- Joo Hooi Cafe Malaysian · about MYR 15 per person
- Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul Dessert, Malaysian · about MYR 10 per person
- Toh Soon Cafe Malaysian, Cafe · about MYR 12 per person
Getting to George Town
Airport: George Town (PEN)
How visitors arrive in George Town
- Fly into Penang International Airport By air · common
International flights arrive directly or via Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar and Bangkok. Source: studypenang.gov.my
- Train to Butterworth then ferry By train from Kuala Lumpur / Bangkok · common
KTM intercity and ETS trains reach Butterworth; the ferry terminal beside Penang Sentral crosses to the island. Source: studypenang.gov.my
- Drive or bus over the Penang bridges By road from Mainland Peninsular Malaysia · common
The Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge link the island with the mainland. Source: studypenang.gov.my
From the airport to the centre
- Rapid Penang bus 401 or 401E
Take 401 or the express 401E towards Weld Quay in George Town. Source: en.wikivoyage.org
- Prepaid airport taxi coupon
Buy a voucher at the arrivals taxi counter and hand it to the driver at the taxi stand. Source: en.wikivoyage.org
- Grab works well in Penang as an alternative to taxis. Source: en.wikivoyage.org
From the port to the centre
- Ferry from Butterworth
Ferries run from Butterworth terminal, next to Penang Sentral, across to Weld Quay. Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Getting around
- Bus
- Car Rental Self
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Grab operates in George Town and is commonly used as an alternative to street taxis.
- Taxi
- Walking
Safety and scams to avoid
Fake Antique & Peranakan Artefact Sellers
Jalan Penang, Armenian Street, Jalan Campbell antique strip
Friendly locals guide tourists to antique shops claiming items are rare genuine Peranakan nyonya ware, colonial pewter or baba-nyonya jewellery. Items are modern reproductions sold at inflated prices, sometimes with fake certificates of authenticity.
How to avoid it: Genuine antiques require provenance documentation and sellers will not approach you on the street. Visit only Penang Heritage Trust-affiliated shops. Cross-check prices with the Penang Museum gift shop for reference ranges. If someone guided you to the shop, that is a red flag.
Unmetered Taxi Fixed-Rate Overcharging
Komtar taxi stand, Butterworth-Penang ferry terminal, Penang International Airport
Taxi drivers quote fixed fares 3-5x higher than the legal metered rate, claiming 'meters are broken' or that the destination is outside a meter zone — neither claim is legal under Penang transport bylaws.
How to avoid it: Use Grab for all Penang trips — price is fixed upfront. If using a street taxi, insist on the meter (legally required). Standard rate: MYR 3 flag-fall + MYR 1.50/km. Georgetown to Batu Ferringhi should cost MYR 25-35 by meter, not MYR 70-80.
Best time to visit George Town
- Jan 29°C
- Feb 30°C
- Mar 31°C
- Apr 30°C
- May 30°C
- Jun 29°C
- Jul 29°C
- Aug 29°C
- Sep 29°C
- Oct 29°C
- Nov 29°C
- Dec 29°C
More in Malaysia
Frequently asked questions about George Town
- How many days do you need in George Town?
- A typical trip to George Town is 3 days.
- What are the top-rated places to visit in George Town?
- The highest-rated places in our George Town guide are ESCAPE Penang, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm, Penang Botanic Gardens, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Kek Lok Si Temple.
- Where should I stay in George Town?
- Our guide covers these areas to stay in George Town: Heritage Georgetown.
- How do I get around George Town?
- Ways to get around George Town covered in our guide: City bus, Self-drive car, Ride-hailing app, Taxi.
- What scams should I watch out for in George Town?
- Scams reported to us for George Town include Fake Antique & Peranakan Artefact Sellers; Unmetered Taxi Fixed-Rate Overcharging. Each is explained in the guide, with how to avoid it.
- What is the weather like in George Town?
- Average daytime highs in George Town run from 29°C in Oct to 31°C in Mar.
- Which airport is nearest to George Town?
- The nearest airport to George Town has the code PEN.