Penang is an island in the North of Malaysia. It’s mainly known for its food, and virtually every post you’ll read about things to do in Penang is about food. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing else to do here. If you’re not looking to travel from restaurant to restaurant, Penang is still worth visiting. It’s a diverse and culture-rich place, with plenty of things to do, also for travelers whose main interest is not the food scene.
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Table of Contents - Things to do in Penang: A 3-day itinerary for non-foodies
How to get to Penang
Penang has an international airport and is also well-connected with the rest of Malaysia by bus. The best way to book buses to travel within Malaysia, is on Easybook.
If you want to travel overland from Thailand, you can take a minibus from Hat Yai, close to the Malaysian border. Hat Yai is well connected with the rest of Thailand, and many agencies sell combined tickets for the whole journey.
Best time to go to Penang
The best season to go to Penang is from December to February, during the dry season. The temperature is very similar year-round, but since it’s less humid during the dry season, it will seem less hot compared to the wet season. We visited in May, and we were lucky as it didn’t rain, but the humidity did make hikes extra challenging. But, not impossible.
Where to stay in Penang
The best place to stay in Penang is the capital city of the island: Georgetown. This is where busses from Thailand arrive, and the main transport hub from the island. Meaning it’s easy to get to other places on the island from here too, including the airport.
3-day Penang itinerary
Day 1
Once you arrive in Georgetown, drop your luggage at your accommodation and go for a stroll in the city center. Georgetown is very well known for its street art. I wasn’t too impressed with the art to be honest, I’ve seen better in places that are less known for it, but it’s nice to see a lot of art when you stroll through the city. The interactive art of Ernest Zacharevic is most famous.
Besides street art, you can also see a lot of nice architecture walking through the city center and there are plenty of musea to visit too.
Another famous attraction of Georgetown you can visit, are the jetties. A jetty is like a pier with wooden houses on each side, where poor people live. They are also called floating villages. The Clan Jetty is the most touristic one, and the most picturesque.
In the evening, you can go for a drink and/or food at the Color Port. Food and drinks are a little pricier here compared to other places in Penang, but it’s right next to the water and the view over the mainland is really nice.
Day 2
Today it’s time to head out of Georgetown and explore a bit of the surroundings. In the morning, head to Kek Lok Si: a huge temple complex. Entrance to the temple is free, you only need to pay to access the Pagoda and for the furnicular to the Big Bhudda. We skipped the Bhudda, but did visit the Pagoda. It’s only 2 MYR (about 50 ct, at the time of writing) and the views over the temple and Penang are beautiful.
Once you’re done here, grab some food and head to Penang Hill. It’s possible to hike up, but with the hot and humid climate, we opted for the funicular instead. If you want to hike, there are nicer hills to go, but if you don’t want to hike up, Penang Hill is a great option as you can take the funicular and walk down.
Penang Hill itself is a bit of a circus, but if you walk away a bit from the furnicular, it gets quieter and nicer. I especially loved the Hindu temple, and we saw plenty of Silvery leaf monkeys in the trees around the temple too. And of course there are some nice views over Georgetown from here too. Especially the viewing platform towards the gardens, and on the way to the path going down is very nice (towards the left with your back facing the funicular).
In the evening, you can grab something to eat at the Jetty Foodcourt. There are many options for Asian food here, it’s cheap, and they often have life music in the evening.
Day 3
Make sure your bags are packed and you’ve checked out of your accommodation, so you don’t need to worry about being back earlier than necessary. Then, head to the botanical gardens.
The botanical garden is one of my favorite places in Penang. It’s a really nice and big park full of monkeys, butterflies and water monitor lizards. Here you can stroll for hours, enjoy photographing animals and plants. Plus, entrance is free!
If you’re not leaving till late and you have time to spare, step by the Waterfall Hilltop Temple (Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple) on the way back. The temple itself has limited opening hours, but you can enter the grounds, enjoy the views and look inside through the windows if you’re curious. The temple is really plain though, the grounds are the best part of it.
Other things to do in Penang
Penang National Park is a popular tourist destination, but I didn’t think it was worth it. It’s relatively expensive and the beaches aren’t very nice and it’s dangerous to swim. The hike to Keracut beach was nice, but there are plenty of free hiking trails in the hills, so no need to head to the national park for hiking.
If you want to go to a beach, you can visit Batu Ferringhi. Unlike the beaches of Penang National Park it’s free to go here. Do note that if you’re coming from Thailand, you’ll be disappointed. The water is not nearly as blue, and the sand not so white. Penang is definitely not a beach destination, but if you have some to spare and want to go to a beach, you can take a bus from Georgetown and visit the beach here.
