Think you’ve run out of things to do in Penang? Even if you have been here multiple times, there’s always something new to see and do!
Whether your interests lie in food, culture, history, taking pretty pictures for your social media, hiking, or even riding horses, there’s something for everybody to enjoy!
Check out this a fool proof list of must-see and lesser-known places. Some of these are not your usual tourist attractions so pay attention!
1. Eat Penang Food
This goes without saying! Savory Malaysian dishes like assam laksa and Hokkien mee are an absolute must-try!
Local food haunts like Chulia Street Night Market (we personally prefer Kimberly Street and 888 Hokkien) will satisfy your needs for a one-stop location with street food!
You’ll find many local favorites like lor bak, boiled octopus and char kway teow sold at the hawker stalls along this street.
2. Hike Up Or Ride The Train To Penang Hill (& The Habitat)
On a clear day, you can see the whole of Penang and even Langkawi from atop Penang Hill. The night view is just as nice too!
There are numerous hiking trails of varying height and difficulty to reach the top as well. But you can take the 30-minute funicular from Air Itam instead if you’re not keen on hiking!
Do expect a long wait if you go during a public holiday or weekend. However, Fast Lane tickets are available.
3. Stop By The Pinang Peranakan Museum
Allow a couple of hours at this stunning museum that is itself a restored building. There are many exquisite Nyonya-Baba (Peranakan) culture exhibits inside the museum!
It costs RM25 per adult to enter but if you have more than 5 in your group, you can book a private tour for no extra charge!
What we feel about Penang Peranakan Museum.
4. Wander Among The Clan Jetties Of Penang
Chew Jetty is one of the remaining traditional settlements left by Chinese immigrants. It is open to the public from 9am to 9pm to casually observe the local lifestyle.
But it can feel very touristy with all the vendor shops. There are other jetties you can visit if this is not what you want.
Do respect the privacy of the families that still live here and refrain from taking photos of the house interiors and families! And do time your visit for high tide if you want to photograph the sea. At low tide, you will be able to see muddy banks below the stilted houses.
5. See The Famous Street Murals
While you’re moving between places, you can keep an eye out for these street murals! They’re easy to spot as there’s often a line of people wanting to have a photo with the murals!
Here’s an overview of murals that are easy to find:
- Along Muntri Street: Girl in blue
- Armenian Street: 2 kids riding a bicycle; Children and dim sum
- Armenian Café: Old man’s face
- Lebuh Armenian: Giant orange cat
- Ah Quee Street: Boy on a motorcycle
- Cannon Street: Boy reaching up standing on a chair
- Chew Jetty: Kids in a boat
- Gat Lebuh Chulia: Kids playing basketball
- Penang Road: Man resting in trishaw
6. Visit Kek Lok Si Temple
We highly recommend a visit to this large and picturesque Buddhist temple in Air Itam. Especially when the lights are on for Chinese New Year!
Go early in the day to avoid the heat and the crowds! And for RM2, you can access the pagoda for a view of the city! If you want, prepare yourself for the climb of 300+ stairs to the top of the pagoda where you can enjoy 360° views.
Read more about our experience at Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang.
7. Admire The Flora At Penang Botanical Gardens
An impressive garden with numerous trails and a 50m-high waterfall, this was previously an abandoned quarry left by past British colonial administrators.
Today, the gardens are well kept and some of the original trees are now giants! Including the unusual Cannonball trees.
More details on Penang Botanical Gardens.
Remarks:
- Free entry
- No WiFi
- This is where you can start your hike up to Penang Hill.
8. Soak In The History Of Fort Cornwallis
Note: Moat restoration works in progress
Fort Cornwallis is another famous landmark for history buffs. It has pleasant views of the sea from the upper level!
And it’s just a 15-minute walk to this late 18th century British Colonial fort from Chew Jetty.
The entrance fee for foreigners is quite steep at RM20 per person. But you can still admire the fort from afar. The area around the fort is a popular location for sunset strolls.
9. Have Fun At An Interactive Museum
Try visiting a museum for a slice of culture or silly fun with the family! There are so many which provide welcome relief (air-conditioning) from the afternoon heat too!
Recommended museums:
- Wonderfood Museum
- Batik Painting Museum
- Straits & Oriental Museum
See even more museums in Penang.
10. Marvel At The Architecture Of Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Temple
For photographers and history buffs, you can visit this historical Chinese clan house – a cluster of ornate buildings that include a temple, a large hall and theatre.
Be on the lookout for evening cultural shows here. The lit courtyard against the temple architecture creates the perfect backdrop!
We didn’t spend to long here but still enjoyed our visit at Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.
11. Go For A Tour At The Blue Mansion (Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion)
Visitors can either choose to stay, dine (Indigo restaurant) or come for the daily tours at The Blue Mansion. You can book these 45-minute tours online on their site.
Take note of the tour times (11am and 2pm) and be punctual! They do require visitors to be 15 minutes early before the stated tour times.
There is no limit for the number of tour participants so try to go on a less busy day to avoid compromising on your experience there!
We went on quite a busy day, and missed out a lot of what the guide said since there were so many people about. Read more our experience at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
12. Visit Penang’s Oldest Taoist temple, Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Temple)
Kuan Yin Teng as Penangites refer to it, has survived its fair share of violence during the Japanese invasion and back in the 1960s.
The still-standing roof is a testament to ancient Chinese craftsmanship!
Many devotees flock to this temple during Chinese New Year, the annual feast days for Guan Yin as well as on the Jade Emperor‘s Birthday.
13. Surround Yourself With Nature At The Penang National Park (Pantai Keracut Beach)
Take a day to explore the national park when you want to get away from the busy city!
There are two main trails here – the easy coastal trek to Monkey beach or an inland jungle trek to a turtle sanctuary.
You’ll probably need 2 days to cover all the highlights for both trails:
- Kerachut Beach (Pantai Keracut) – the turtle sanctuary and meromictic lake are here
- Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung)
- Muka Head Lighthouse – additional steep climb from the coastal trail
See our detailed guide on Penang National Park.
14. Step Into The Penang Butterfly Farm (Entopia)
There’s much more than just butterflies at Entopia. This is an education and research hub that has outdoor gardens and an indoor discovery centre with interactive exhibits on insects and other invertebrates!
You can easily spend your whole afternoon at Entopia! We did and we have no regrets!
15. Tropical Fruit Farm
A tour at a local fruit farm can be a surprisingly interesting and pleasant experience outdoors. It is hot walking around the farm outdoors, so bring a hat (and mosquito repellent)!
The farm spans 25 acres of organic fruit, including durian and cherries. It is not far from Entopia.
See more photos from our visit to the Tropical Fruit Farm.
16. Set Your Sights On Balik Pulau’s Stunning Paddy Fields
Got your own car? We recommend driving out of the city for the day and escaping the touristy atmosphere for a bit. Not only is this area quieter but it is incredibly scenic with views of the sea, many durian orchards, and paddy fields.
Speaking of paddy fields, there is one field that you should see if you’re in the area. Known simply as Balik Pulau Paddy Field, it has a giant shipping container with a mural on either side.
As you might expect, you can’t do much here other than admire the mural and take lots of photos. On the plus side, it’s completely free to visit.
Note: If the paddy field has just been cut, it’s not very pretty. Keep an eye out on social media or Google reviews to check the status of the field before going.
17. Roam Penang’s Colorful And Lively Little India
Little India stretches over Chulia Street, Queen Street and Market Street with an abundance of currency exchange services!
It is busiest before and during Deepavali and Thaipusam!
Expect to find sarees to fit any budget with costume or gold jewellery shops to help you complete the look. While you’re here, try authentic and vegetarian-friendly Indian food and snacks (NR Sweets)!
See more of our photos of Little India.
18. Peek Into The 200-Year-Old Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple of Queen Street is the oldest Hindu temple on the island. You’ll probably pass by it if you’re walking around Little India!
Various puja (rituals) occur daily throughout the day and during festivals when it is full of devotees!
Inside the temple, are the Hindu deities such as Lord Subramaniamx Durga and Ganapathy. We think the temple is very beautiful – inside and out!
19. Get Your Adrenaline Going At ESCAPE Theme Park
ESCAPE Theme Park has two sections – a waterpark and an adventure park! You might want to get a multi-day pass so you can try both.
This should be in your consideration for kid-friendly activities! We had so much fun here during our visit too!
Read about our experience at Escape Theme Park in Penang.
Highlights Of The Adventure Park:
- Kite Flyer (50m swing through the jungle)
- Tubby Racer (Ride a rubber tube down a slide!)
- Zip lines
- Flying fox
- Monkey Business (High rope obstacle course)
Highlights Of The Water Park:
- Water obstacle course
- Lazy river
- Wave pool
- Water slides (Banana Flip, Family Twister, Speed Racers)
Tip: Tickets are cheaper if you book more days and in advance!
20. Relax At The Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park
A particular drain canal filled with koi at this park went viral in social media for its resemblance to clean Japanese drains.
Now, the new urban park is bringing activity back to this older part of town. The attractive and well-maintained contemporary park features a playground for kids and hot-air balloon shaped lanterns that lend a dreamy atmosphere when evening comes!
21. Watch The Sun Set At Batu Ferringhi Beach
The beaches at Batu Ferringhi are not post-card worthy, but you can do some water sports here.
Moreover, there’s a local daily night market. And restaurants that are worth checking out!
Other places we have yet to visit:
The Top Komtar (The Top Penang) – There is a glass platform (Rainbow Skywalk) on the top of this building that visitors can walk out on. Depending on which ticket you get, you may be able to access Rainbow Skywalk multiple times in a day!
Conclusion
It’s hard to run out of things to do in Penang! From museums, parks, temples, historical sites, and theme parks!
Figuring out where you want to go beforehand will help you to maximize your time in Penang. And you can use this list to help you do that!
When To Visit Penang
Do you want to be in Penang when all the other tourists are? When is Penang’s heat more bearable? Read about it in our guide on the best time to visit Penang.
What To See In George Town
Most first time visitors will want to spend their time exploring George Town. And we think this is a good idea since many places are within walking distance from each other.
Where To Stay In Penang
When you’ve figured out what you want to do in the city, try to pick a hotel close to these attractions. This will make it easier to explore on foot! And to find local eateries nearby.
