Things to Visit in Penang: Street Food, Art, and Heritage
Experience the best of Penang from its legendary hawker food and UNESCO-listed George Town to colorful street art and hilltop views. Covers food, heritage walks, art, nature, and cultural highlights.
The inner city's colonial shophouses, clan houses, and religious buildings earned UNESCO status in 2008. Armenian Street, Cannon Street, and Love Lane are the main heritage corridors. Pick up a free walking map from the Penang Heritage Trust office. The area is compact and walkable in half a day.
Visit the Khoo Kongsi clan house
The most ornate Chinese clan temple in Southeast Asia, with elaborate stone carvings, gold-leaf detailing, and a dramatic opera stage. The Khoo clan has maintained this hall since the 19th century. Entry is 10 MYR. The courtyard with its intricate roof decorations is the most impressive section.
Tour the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion
This restored 19th-century Chinese courtyard mansion is painted in distinctive indigo blue. Guided tours run three times daily and explain the feng shui principles, Cantonese architecture, and the life of its millionaire builder. Tours cost 17 MYR and last about 45 minutes. The mansion also operates as a boutique hotel.
Explore the Little India quarter on Queen Street
This colorful block of Indian fabric shops, flower garland vendors, spice merchants, and banana leaf rice restaurants brings sensory intensity to George Town. Banana leaf rice lunches cost 8-15 MYR. The Hindu Sri Mahamariamman Temple on Queen Street has an ornate entrance tower.
Street Art and Culture
Find the famous street art murals
Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic's murals of children on bicycles, swings, and motorcycles are scattered through George Town's lanes. Interactive steel-rod sculptures add to the trail. Download a street art map or follow the marked trail from the heritage office. The main murals are on Armenian Street and Ah Quee Street.
Visit the Clan Jetties on the waterfront
These wooden pier communities have housed Chinese fishing families for over a century. Each jetty belongs to a different clan, with the Chew Jetty being the most visited. Stilt houses extend over the water with small shops and shrines. Walk respectfully as these are private homes. Free entry.
Browse the art galleries on Armenian Street
George Town's creative district has independent galleries, printmaking studios, and artist collectives in restored shophouses. Many are free to enter. The China House complex at 153-155 Beach Street has rotating exhibitions across three interconnected heritage buildings plus a cafe and bar.
Hawker Food Trail
Eat char kuey teow at a hawker stall
Penang's most famous dish is flat rice noodles stir-fried with prawns, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, and egg over an intense flame. The smoky wok hei flavor is what makes Penang's version legendary. Most hawker stalls charge 6-10 MYR per plate. The best stalls have queues even at off-peak hours.
Try Penang laksa at a market stall
This sour, fish-based noodle soup with thick rice noodles, mackerel, mint, pineapple, and prawn paste is unlike any other laksa in Malaysia. A bowl costs 5-8 MYR at hawker centers. The tangy, funky flavor is an acquired taste for some but addictive once you get it.
Eat at the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre
This waterfront hawker center consolidates dozens of stalls serving Penang's greatest hits under one roof. Oyster omelette, hokkien mee, rojak fruit salad, and ais kacang shaved ice are all available. Most dishes cost 5-12 MYR. Evening is the busiest and best time for the full selection.
Sample nasi kandar at a 24-hour restaurant
This Penang specialty of steamed rice with a choice of curries ladled over the top originated with Indian-Muslim street vendors. The curry flavors mix together on the plate. Penang is the birthplace of nasi kandar and has the most legendary restaurants. A full plate costs 8-15 MYR.
Try cendol and ais kacang shaved ice desserts
Cendol features green pandan jelly noodles, coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup over shaved ice. Ais kacang piles red beans, corn, jelly, and colorful syrups over a mountain of ice. Both cost 3-6 MYR and are essential for cooling down in the tropical heat. The cendol cart on Penang Road is famous.
Nature and Hilltop
Ride the funicular to Penang Hill
The 2-km funicular railway climbs 833 meters to the hilltop, which is 5-8 degrees Celsius cooler than sea level. The summit has gardens, a mosque, a Hindu temple, and panoramic views. The funicular costs 30 MYR for foreign visitors. A clear morning offers views across to mainland Malaysia.
Hike through the Habitat canopy walkway
This 230-meter treetop walkway at Penang Hill passes through virgin rainforest canopy. Guided nature walks explain the biodiversity of the 130-million-year-old forest. The walkway sits 40 meters above the forest floor. Entry is 50 MYR. Combined with the funicular, this makes for a full half-day activity.
Visit Penang National Park and the Meromictic Lake
Malaysia's smallest national park has coastal trails, secluded beaches, and a rare meromictic lake where fresh and salt water layers do not mix. The turtle beach at Pantai Kerachut has a conservation center. A boat from Teluk Bahang to the beaches costs 30-50 MYR per person. Register at the park entrance for free.
Relax at Batu Ferringhi beach
The main beach resort strip on the island's north coast has hotels, water sports, and a night market. The beach itself is not the prettiest in the region but the sunset views and evening market make it worth a visit. Parasailing costs 80-120 MYR and jet ski rentals 100-150 MYR for 15 minutes.
Temples and Spiritual Sites
Visit Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia
This hilltop temple complex in Air Itam features a 30-meter bronze Goddess of Mercy statue, a seven-story pagoda blending Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architecture, and thousands of alabaster Buddha statues. The inclined elevator to the upper level costs 2 MYR. During Chinese New Year, the temple is decorated with thousands of lights.
See the reclining Buddha at Wat Chayamangkalaram
This Thai Buddhist temple houses one of the world's longest reclining Buddha statues at 33 meters. The ornate interior is free to enter and the Burmese temple across the street, Dhammikarama, offers an interesting architectural contrast. Both temples are free to visit.
Explore the Snake Temple
The Hokkien Temple of the Azure Cloud is famous for the pit vipers that live among its altars, believed to be guardians of the temple. The snakes are mildly venomous but docile from the incense smoke. Entry is free and it is unique among religious sites anywhere in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Penang?
Three to five days covers the heritage sites, food trail, hill attractions, and temples. Spend two days eating and walking through George Town, one day at Penang Hill and surrounding temples, and extra days for the national park, cooking classes, or deeper food exploration. Penang rewards slow travel and return visits to favorite hawker stalls.
What is the best time to visit Penang?
December through February is the driest period with the most comfortable temperatures around 27-32 degrees Celsius. The wettest months are September through November. Penang is warm and humid year-round. Chinese New Year in January or February brings spectacular celebrations at Kek Lok Si temple. The George Town Festival in July features art and cultural events.
Is Penang worth visiting just for the food?
Penang is consistently ranked among the world's top food destinations and many travelers visit specifically for the food. The combination of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan cuisines creates a diversity found nowhere else. A serious food-focused trip of 4-5 days barely scratches the surface. Budget 50-100 MYR per day to eat very well across multiple hawker centers.
How do you get around Penang?
George Town's heritage zone is best explored on foot or by rented bicycle at 15-25 MYR per day. The Rapid Penang bus network connects the main attractions with fares of 1-4 MYR. Ride-hailing apps are the most convenient for longer trips around the island. Renting a scooter costs 30-50 MYR per day for exploring beyond George Town.