Penang offers an unusually wide range of experiences for a state of its size. Within a short drive, visitors can move from heritage clan houses and century-old temples in George Town to the forested slopes of Penang Hill, the coastline of the national park and the farms of Balik Pulau.
From Khoo Kongsi in the heart of George Town to the beaches of Batu Ferringhi, the places below are grouped by area, making it simple to plan each day around one part of the island. Every entry includes the location, opening hours and admission fees where current sources allowed us to confirm them, together with a practical tip from our team. Hours and prices can change at short notice, so a quick check before setting out is always wise.
George Town heritage core
These five sit in or beside the UNESCO-listed old town, all within walking distance. See our George Town guide for the wider area.
Khoo Kongsi
This is the grandest clan house in Penang, built by the Khoo clan, one of the old Hokkien families of George Town. The current building was finished around 1906 after an earlier one burned down. Inside, nearly every beam is carved or gilded.
- Where: 18 Cannon Square, reached through a small alley off Cannon Street (Lebuh Cannon)
- Hours and tickets: Daily 9am to 5pm. Adults RM15, Malaysians RM10, children RM1.
Tip: You can’t see the temple from the street, so look for the alley entrance. Go before 10am and you may have the main hall almost to yourself.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (The Blue Mansion)
You’ll spot it from the end of Leith Street, a huge courtyard house painted bright indigo. It was built for the tycoon Cheong Fatt Tze and is now a boutique hotel with 18 rooms. Non-guests see inside on a tour.
- Where: 14 Leith Street, George Town
- Hours and tickets: Guided tours daily at 11am and 3:30pm, about 45 minutes. RM25 per adult, RM12.50 per child under 12. A self-guided audio tour also runs from 11am to 6pm.
Tip: Tours cap at 24 people and often sell out. Book online a day or two ahead, especially on weekends.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
This green mansion shows how wealthy Baba-Nyonya (Straits Chinese) families lived about a century ago. The building, once called Hai Kee Chan, was the home and office of Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee. It holds over 1,000 antiques, from carved wood panels to beaded slippers and English floor tiles.
- Where: 29 Church Street (Lebuh Gereja)
- Hours and tickets: Daily including public holidays, 9:30am to 5pm. Adults RM25, children 6 to 12 RM12, under 6 free.
Tip: Join a free guided tour. The guides explain the mix of Chinese, Malay and European styles better than any sign.
Fort Cornwallis
This old British fort on the waterfront is one of George Town’s best-known landmarks. It reopened in 2026 after a long restoration, with new exhibitions and a restored moat. Look for the Seri Rambai cannon, about 400 years old, on the ramparts. Read more in our history of Penang.
- Where: On the waterfront at the north-east tip of George Town
- Hours and tickets: Daily 8am to 8pm (closes 7pm on Tuesdays). RM20 for non-MyKad holders, RM10 for MyKad holders. Card only, no cash.
Tip: Bring a card, not ringgit notes. Guided tours run Friday to Sunday at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, and the walk around the moat is free.
Clan Jetties
These wooden villages on stilts were built by Chinese clans along Weld Quay. There are seven: Yeoh, Lee, Tan, Chew, Lim, Ong and a mixed-surname jetty. People still live here, so treat it as a neighbourhood first.
- Where: Weld Quay (Pengkalan Weld), a short walk from the ferry terminal
- Hours and tickets: Free, though donations are welcome. Chew Jetty asks visitors to come between 9am and 9pm.
Tip: Chew Jetty is the busiest one, with snack shops and souvenir stalls. For a quieter look at real jetty life, wander down Lim or Yeoh Jetty instead.
Pulau Tikus and the Botanic Gardens
Just north-west of the old town, this leafy area is an easy bus ride or Grab trip away. Check our getting around Penang guide for bus tips.
Wat Chayamangkalaram and Dhammikarama Burmese Temple
These two Buddhist temples face each other across one quiet lane. Wat Chayamangkalaram is Thai and famous for its reclining Buddha, about 33 metres long. Dhammikarama, across the road, dates from 1803 and has a calmer Burmese style, with guardian statues and a fish pond.
- Where: Lorong Burma (Burmah Lane). Wat Chayamangkalaram is at No. 17.
- Hours and tickets: Both free. The Thai temple grounds open 7am to 6pm, and the reclining Buddha hall 8am to 5pm. Dhammikarama opens 5am to 6pm.
- Getting there: Rapid Penang bus 101, then a 5-minute walk
Tip: Shoulders and knees should be covered, and shoes come off at the hall doors. Give yourself about an hour to see both.
Penang Botanic Gardens
Families jog here at dawn, and the lawns, lily ponds and tall old trees feel far from the city traffic.
- Where: Jalan Kebun Bunga, north-west of George Town. A Grab is the easiest way in.
- Hours and tickets: Daily 6:30am to 7pm, including weekends and public holidays. Entry is free. The small tram costs a little extra.
Tip: Keep food out of sight. The resident monkeys are bold and will grab a plastic bag in seconds.
Air Itam and Penang Hill
This inland suburb holds two of Penang’s biggest sights. Bus 204 links them, so many people do both in one day.
Penang Hill and the funicular
The funicular train climbs 2 km up the hillside in about four and a half minutes. At the top, the air is a few degrees cooler and the view stretches over George Town to the mainland. Our full Penang Hill guide has walking routes.
- Where: Lower station in Air Itam. Rapid Penang bus 204 goes there.
- Hours and tickets: Trains run daily 6:30am to 11pm, every half hour. Last train up is 10pm. Return tickets for non-MyKad adults are RM40 (normal lane) or RM80 (fast lane). MyKad adults pay RM16. Children 4 to 12 pay RM20 standard or RM8 with MyKid.
Tip: Weekend afternoon queues can be long. Buy online in advance, or go up at 7am for the clearest views and the shortest wait.
The Habitat Penang Hill
The Habitat is a private nature park near the top station, inside the UNESCO Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve. A boardwalk leads through rainforest to the Curtis Crest treetop walk, the highest viewing platform you can reach on the island.
- Where: Short walk from the Penang Hill upper funicular station
- Hours and tickets: Open daily 9am to 9pm, with last standard entry at 5:30pm. A standard ticket costs RM60, according to booking site Klook. The funicular ticket doesn’t include it.
Tip: The evening walks start around 7:45pm from Curtis Crest and cost extra. They’re a good way to see the forest without the midday heat.
Kek Lok Si Temple
Kek Lok Si is Penang’s best-known Buddhist temple. It climbs a hillside in tiers, past a tortoise pond and the tall yellow Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, up to a 30.2-metre bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy. Our Kek Lok Si guide covers it in detail.
- Where: Air Itam. Buses 201, 203 and 204 stop at the bottom of the hill.
- Hours and tickets: Daily 9am to 6pm. Temple grounds are free. The pagoda costs RM2, and the inclined lift up to Kuan Yin costs RM2 each way.
Tip: Take the lift up and walk back down the road. The lane up from the bus stop is lined with souvenir stalls, so leave time to bargain.
The north coast: Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang
Rapid Penang buses 101 and 102 run along this coast road from George Town. Allow 30 to 45 minutes by car, and longer on weekends.
Batu Ferringhi
This is Penang’s main beach strip, lined with big resorts. Resort booths along the sand offer parasailing, jet skis and kayaks, and you don’t need to be a hotel guest to book. After dark, the night market fills the main road with stalls selling clothes, souvenirs and snacks.
- Where: North coast, about 30 to 45 minutes’ drive from George Town
- Hours and tickets: Beach is free. The night market runs nightly from about 7pm to 11pm.
Tip: Be honest with yourself about the water. Jellyfish are common here, so it’s better for a paddle and a sunset drink than a long swim.
Tropical Spice Garden
This garden is planted on a steep hillside above the sea, with spices, herbs and tropical plants along shaded paths. There’s a café and a cooking school on site.
- Where: Jalan Teluk Bahang, Teluk Bahang
- Hours and tickets: Friday to Sunday 9am to 6pm, Monday to Thursday 9am to 4:30pm. Last entry is one hour before closing.
Tip: Join the free guided walk at 9am or 11am. Mosquitoes love the place, so bring repellent.
Entopia
Entopia is a butterfly and insect park with a huge indoor jungle where butterflies land on you. Indoors, there are displays of beetles, stick insects and other bugs.
- Where: 830 Jalan Teluk Bahang
- Hours and tickets: Daily 9am to 6pm, last entry 5pm. Standard adult RM75, child (4 to 12) RM55. MyKad adult RM65, child RM45. Entopia by Night runs Thursday to Sunday, 7pm to 10pm (adults RM40, online booking only).
Tip: Butterflies are most active on sunny mornings. Go early and save the indoor galleries for the afternoon.
Escape Theme Park
Escape is an outdoor adventure park built into the jungle, with zip lines, rope courses and water slides. It holds Guinness records, including the world’s longest tube water slide at 1,111 metres. Wear proper shoes.
- Where: 828 Jalan Teluk Bahang
- Hours and tickets: Daily 10am to 6pm, with the water area from 11am. Buying online can save up to 30%.
Tip: The park suggests two days to do everything. With one day, start with the water slide before the queues build.
Penang National Park
The park covers the north-west corner of the island, and it’s real jungle. Trails lead to quiet beaches such as Monkey Beach and Pantai Kerachut (Turtle Beach). Kerachut also has a rare meromictic lake, with fresh water floating on top of seawater.
- Where: Teluk Bahang, at the end of bus route 101
- Hours and tickets: Daily 8am to 5pm. Register with your passport or IC at the entrance. Non-Malaysian adults RM50, Malaysian adults RM10. Children 3 to 12 pay RM15 or RM5. Cash only.
Tip: The walking trail to Monkey Beach has been closed, so most people take a boat. Expect to pay about RM50 to RM70 one way per boat, and agree the price before you leave. The Turtle Beach trail takes about one to two hours each way.
Balik Pulau: the quiet side
Balik Pulau
The name means “back of the island”, and it feels like a different Penang. Roads wind past paddy fields, orchards and kampung (villages). Balik Pulau is best known for durian, which is in season from about May to August, and for its sour, fishy assam laksa. Several coffee shops in town are well known for it, including Nan Guang Coffee Shop, though stall hours change often.
- Where: West side of the island, over the hills from Air Itam
- Hours and tickets: Free to explore. Durian farms charge for tastings.
Tip: Hire a car or book a Grab for the day. Buses run, but they’re slow, and the best views are between stops. After lunch, see our hawker food guide for laksa back in town.
Penang attractions at a glance
| Attraction | Area | Best for | Approx. time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khoo Kongsi | George Town | Architecture, history | 1 hour |
| Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion | George Town | Architecture, guided tour | 1 hour |
| Pinang Peranakan Mansion | George Town | Peranakan culture | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Fort Cornwallis | George Town | History | 1 hour |
| Clan Jetties | George Town | Local life, photos | 45 minutes |
| Wat Chayamangkalaram and Dhammikarama | Pulau Tikus | Temples | 1 hour |
| Penang Botanic Gardens | Jalan Kebun Bunga | Morning walks, families | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Penang Hill | Air Itam | Views, cooler air | Half a day |
| The Habitat | Penang Hill | Nature walks | 2 hours |
| Kek Lok Si Temple | Air Itam | Temples, views | 2 hours |
| Batu Ferringhi | North coast | Beach, night market | Half a day |
| Tropical Spice Garden | Teluk Bahang | Plants, cooking class | 1.5 hours |
| Entopia | Teluk Bahang | Families, kids | 2 to 3 hours |
| Escape Theme Park | Teluk Bahang | Active families | Full day |
| Penang National Park | Teluk Bahang | Hiking, beaches | Half a day |
| Balik Pulau | South-west | Food, countryside | Half a day |
With one day, stick to George Town and walk our street art trail between sights. With three, add Air Itam on day two and the north coast on day three.