The old world charm and melting pot of cultures with one of the best foods in Malaysia, Penang deserves to be all that it is.

Here you will find Chinese clanhouses and mosques alongside Indian temples and colonial buildings all in one area.

There’s old-world charm, fascinating ruins of a heritage town and there’s also abandoned antiques in Old chinese shophouses that tell you quite the story about how life was like in Penang in the 1800-1900s.

The Penang you see now is different compared to how it was in the past: there are hipster cafes, the best Michelin star restaurants that are as cheap as 2 to 10 dollars and a burgeoning speakeasy bar filled with nostalgia adding another compelling reason for you to visit Penang.

Also Read: Culture + Food Ipoh Itinerary in 2-3 Days + Nature!

How Long Should You Stay in Penang?

Three to four days is just the right amount of culture, history and food that you need to explore this town.

You could also stay back longer and visit the sleepy town of Balik Pulau if you want to stay in durian orchards or see the countryside in Penang.

Even better, you could opt to visit Taiping through the ETS train and explore the nature of this town to see their raintrees, quaint and laidback nature walks up Maxwell Hill!

(Scroll till the end of this post to read what else you can do in Penang if you’re here for more than 3 days!)

Also Read: My Offbeat Cameron Highlands Itinerary + Interesting Things To Do

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Where to stay in Penang?

some of the best colonial hotels with an open courtyard

In Georgetown

Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion: Here’s where Crazy Rich Asians were shot and it is a stunning hotel if you want to stay in a local peranakan spot!
Seven Terraces: For the most premium heritage hotel that’s connected to the Kebaya Dining room, which is worth dining at!
Yeng Keng Hotel: You get the pool, a heritage hotel and the most beautiful space and breakfast!
Nam Keng Hotel: For a budget hotel for convenience, solitude and a 100 year old guesthouse!
The 80’s Guesthouse: A great low-budget optiont that’s modern and clean!

In Batu Ferringhi

The Lone Pine Hotel: Great option facing the sea with really nice decor and modern amenities.
Doubletree Resort by Hilton: Not too expensive spot considering the beach views and full buffett experience.

In Penang Hill

Hickory Penang Hill: If you want an experience that’s away from the city, this is a nice spot!
Bellevue The Penang Hill: A nice spot if you intend to spend your entire evening here.

Day 1 - Georgetown

The most vibrant scene and only walking-friendly spot in Penang is here in Georgetown. It is afterall a UNESCO World Heritage Site that gained recognition in 2009. From street vendors with the best local delights to street art in every lane, the landscape of Georgetown is worth spending your whole day here.

You could also opt to check out this half-day historical city tour, if you really want to deep dive into the city and historical sights of Georgetown.

Exploring the street art of Georgetown

At every corner and street, you will find some of the best hidden pieces when it comes to street art. There are steel-rod caricatures which retells the history of the streets and stories of its communities in a local voice.

To-date there are 52 steel-rod caricatures — some depict an escape from a warehouse building to some showcasing a comical rendition of a wealthy man hanging out of his mistress window.

A more notable one is where Jimmy Choo started his apprenticeship at a humble shoe shop at the corner of Muntri street.

You don’t have to capture all the street art during the day, as during the night, these sculptures are well lit making it quite the perfect stop with a strong sea breeze in Georgetown.

Don’t be afraid to get lost as you explore Cintra street, Muntri Lane, Love Lane and Armenian Street!

Savour Laksa at the Laksa Houze

If you arrive in the afternoon, chances are a lot of local places to eat might be closed. But we came across this wonderful Laksa Houze that had the most wonderful burst of flavours.

The Nyonya Laksa Lemak and wok-fried Laksa in tamarind sauce are worth every bite! It is tangy, fresh and with the right amount of spice to start your afternoon exploration.

The drinks from Thai Iced Milk Tea to its Lime & Plum juice is refreshing, not sweet and a burst of flavour that reminds you of all things tropical in Penang!

After eating here, pop over to La Vie en Rose Pattiserie for wonderful french pastries, cosy ambience and an awesome dirty chai!

A bonus option on how to savour the best of what Penang food has to offer is to check out a private half-day penang street food tour. Step off the beaten track and mingle with the locals buying fresh snacks from food hawkers.

Walk over to the Clan Jetties

Imagine a complete village on wooden stilts — there are seven families and in every village lives one clan with their own temple. There were more in the past but due to construction and fires they were destroyed.

Here you will find old traditions mixed with complete prayer temples inside the house.

It was in the 19th century that many Chinese immigrants came to Malaysia and to enlarge their chances, clans were established for them to adapt to this new environment.

Their work included being close to the port such as boat operators, local sampans, ferrying people. Just taking in the sea breeze and seeing how these families live alongside each other was enough to keep you wondering about their livelihoods and day-to-day work.

There’s also a Top Seven Wonders Of Penang Exploration Tour that takes you through the clan jetties, the Baba & Nyonya Peranakan in this mansion-turned-museum and the streets of racial harmony.

Evening Walk at The Esplanade (Padang Kota Lama)

The slow stroll and sea breeze plus the night lights from the cruises and ships far out in the horizon alongside historic buildings like the city hall is worth the trip to catch the evening sunset.

Padang Kota Lama is actually located in one of the oldest parts of Georgowtown.

When Francis Light landed at the cape in 1786, he found that this part of the island was uninhabited (there were small Malay and Acehnese riverine settlements along Sungai Pinang) and densely forested.

Beyond the history, it also has a very popular foodcourt with the best Malaysian Rojak which is made from a variety of fruits and vegetables topped with Penang's own creation of prawn paste sauce and nuts which is absolutely delightful.

The stall owner Rojak Ho Wei Heng (101 Rojak) opens from Tues to Saturday from 6pm onwards. Sitting by the sea and eating Rojak was one of my highlights in Penang!

Have dinner at Jason’s Nyonya House

Just a short walk from the esplanade along the Little India Lane is Jason’s nyonya house. It’s the perfect ending for homecook authentic Nyonya food.

Nyonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay community.

Jason’s Nyonya House is a tribute to his mother’s cooking — you’ll find traces of coconut milk, tamarind, kaffir lime leaves, pandan and galangal in the dishes. The best dishes we had were the Kapitan Chicken and Jiu Hu Char (Yam bean with dried culttlefish).

There’s also free dessert and booking on that day or earlier is recommended as it often gets full!

Day 2 - Penang Hill

After the city life and street art, it’s nice to breakway and enjoy nature and appreciate all the diverse rainforest that’s atop on Penang Hill.

The best way to savour Penang Hill is to spend atleast 5 hours here.

Taking the furnicular up to Penang Hill

You can take a grab taxi right to the lower bottom of the Penang Hill. If you come on a weekend, you’d definitely want to take the fast lane to go up to Penang Hill as the queue can be really long.

I would advise you to not visit Penang on a weekend and ensure you take this trip on a weekday!

Here’s where you can buy your tickets on their website and also follow their calendar to avoid the public holidays and peak times.

The other option is to hike to Penang Hill: I really wanted to do that but it takes atleast 2-3 hours depending on fast you’re and while it’s all stairs along the way. It’s really steep!

Penang Hill is at 830metres so that’s a lot of ground to cover but from what I heard it is worth it!

Walking over to Kopi Hutan

kopi hutan, a hiillside cafe in penang hill

delicious basil lime cheesecake at Kopi hutan

It might look a bit confusing once you reach the top as there’s several view points along the way and a lot of people trying to sell you their tours to check out some photo opportunities at Penang Hill.

Honestly, the best photos and pictures were on my walk to Kopi Hutan. Many people were taking a ridiculously priced buggy to go over this route since it is a 20-30 minute walk but I strongly advise you NOT to do this as the buggy doesn’t stop and you end up paying 60 ringgit for no reason.

The walk along the way had lovely scenic viewpoints, old cottage houses and various tropical plants that were endemic to this region which is worth the walk.

Once you reach Kopi Hutan, this lovely cafe in the woods is the perfect starting point for you to appreciate the greens and their efforts in this area!

Get the basil lime cheesecake, coffee and their reasonably priced sandwiches! On your return, the cafe offers a free ride to the town which is perfect!

The Habitat

dusky eye leaf monkey at the langur canopy walk

If you love history and nature, The Habitat is a great introduction to see what’s it like to know about the history of this place during British colonial rule and the trees and animals in Penang’s tropical forests.

The signature structures at the park were designed to protect and showcase the natural surroundings.

You can buy your ticket online here which is cheaper than walking in.

No heavy machinery was used and less than 10 trees were felled in the construction of the entire park, including a 230-m canopy bridge and 360-degree viewing platform nestled in the treetops.

Forest bathing is also a popular experience in The Habitat as there are many peaceful nooks for quiet contemplation.

The Langur Way Canopy Walk is a great way to come face-to-face with the dusky-leaf monkeys! The moment we walked in, these vegetarian and shy monkeys were hanging from tree to tree!

Another great spot is The Curtis Crest Treetop Walk which is the highest viewing platform on Penang Island and offers unrivalled views of the heritage bungalows of Penang Hill and tells their stories in the interpretative signage.

After you’re done with the walk, a buggy takes you to the centre where you can stop at the Cliff cafe for some much-needed sustenance and food!

A Temple alongside a Mosque

Your last visit before descending down is a quick walk up some stairs to see the Hindu temple, Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan which is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the hindu god of war.

Alongside the hindu temple is a mosque called Masjid Bukit Bendera. How often can you see a mosque and temple alongside each other?

Day 3: Penang National Park & Batu Ferringhi & Dinner at Michelin Star Restaurant

In Penang National Park, you could easily spend half a day here. There’s a conservation fee required to enter which is about RM50 for foreigners and RM10 for locals.

You can book a boat before entering the park where you can share with other people as there’s no signal in some of the beaches like Turtle beach.

Monkey Beach

The trail takes you to couple of remote places and a fishing village before you arrive at the beach. But another thing there are several dozen macaques at Monkey Beach and they’re notorious for opening bags and stealing stuff.

Turtle Beach

If you don’t want to do Monkey Beach, you can go straight to Turtle Beach aka as Kerachut Beach where there’s a turle conservation centre. You could opt to hike here from Monkey Beach and get a boat back but try to ensure that your return journey is pre-arranged.

Batu Ferringhi

Since you’re all the way at Teluk Bahang, a good way is to stop at Batu Feringghi on your way back. Check out the sunset and head to Biru Biru on the island cafe to chill out and have some amazing seaviews!

Sundown views at a Beach Blanket Babylon

sunset views in georgetown from beach blanket babylon

We made a reservation for sunset at around 6.00pm — the old colonial mansion called Beach Blanket Babylon. The happy hour drinks which were cheaply priced at RM23 and view of the ocean was the perfect ending to our time in Penang.

The food is not spectacular here so I would recommend coming here just for drinks, snacks and great views.

Dinner at a Michelin Star Restaurant

There are 4 restaurants in Penang that were awarded the Michelin Star, and we went to Bibik’s Kitchen. The reservations were made two days earlier and bear in mind that this restaurant is reasonablly priced.

I always thought fine-dining meant expensive but it blew my mind how affordable and on-point the taste were starting with drink from RM6 to dishes for sharing at RM25.

“Bibik” is an honorific used to address older Peranakan women, and the room is aptly decorated with classic Nyonya motifs. The menu showcases the owner’s heirloom Peranakan recipes that are slightly less spicy than their counterparts elsewhere.

We tried the Rendang chicken, sambal Prawns (which was very spicy!) and otak-otak and their dessert. The wait time was really long for some reason but I would recommend you give this restaurant a try or Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery.

Check out the speakeasy bar scene

If you don’t want the night to end and check out some of the local bars, some recommended places are Backroom Bodega, Manchu Bar or Archipelago and also Narrow Marrow for a nice cafe mix of local cocktails like toddy and amazing desserts!

Day 4: Other Things to do (if you have more time!)

If you have more time and have a flexible schedule, these are some places absolutely worth the stop.

Blue Mansion Tour of the Crazy Rich Asians

The Blue Mansion Tour doesn’t just tell the story of the mansion’s conception and history, but also its heritage, significance to the city of George Town, and its depiction in popular movies such as Indochine, The Red Kebaya and CrazyRichAsians.

The tour is followed by a special viewing of the short film: Within Indigo Walls produced and directed by London-based Michael Gosbee. You can book your tour experiences here — there are usually two timings 11am and at 2pm.

The experience culminates with a cocktail at the hotel bar and the sweet serenade of the resident Guzheng artist.

Hike to Freedom Hill at Batu Ferringhi

Overlooking the blue sea and the beach, the best way to take in the views is to hike the Freedom Hill or also known as Carla’s rock. It takes about 30 minutes to get up to the top which is not that difficult and easy enough if you want a medium hike to check out the views of the sunset!

Batik Painting @ Rozana’s

On a pre-drawn batik material, you get to learn from Rozana herself on what’s it like to mix the right colours to come up with your own masterpiece. For one hour at RM35, you get to forget about the hustle and bustle of Georgetown and immerse yourself in the wonderful colours of Batik.

Here’s where you can find her on Google and book her via Instagram.

Balik Pulau Countryside Cycling

The best way to see the other side of Penang is to check out this day-trip cycling tour that takes you to the countryside on a bicycle.

You get to check out the paddy fields, play with animals at a local farm and see the areas where durian orchards thrive during peak durian season!

Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden

The Tropical Spice Garden is essentially a place where nature meets culture. It’s a bio-diverse living museum of spices and where you get to stroll through the place and be well-versed with all the different kinds of plants.

The place also has various events happening sometimes like cooking classes which you can check out their place to know the latest!

Also just opposite this place is quiet secluded beach called Tropical Beach (Pantai Tropika). A good way to combine a day out with nature and the beach!

Escape Outdoor Theme Park

Perhaps something that you’d never imagine in Penang? Yes, a theme park!

It has the world’s longest slide and various outdoor and water activities to spend an entire day here if you have young kids and want to take them out somewhere!

The best way is to purchase here so you can get a great discount!

Like this story? Share with me some of your experiences in Penang in the comments below.

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3 Days or More Penang Itinerary Adventure: Things To Do + What To Eat