Penang, just like Kuala Lumpur, is an incredible destination and has so much to offer: rich history, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Town, delicious food and some of the best street art I’ve seen. In this blog post I will share the coolest Penang hidden gems so you can visit them while you’re in town. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Street art
Penang has so much cool street art! It’s literally everywhere and it makes the city so beautiful and colorful. It gives it life.
I think you can see the murals in two ways. The first option is to just get lost on its streets and find each work of art.
The other way is to find the locations of the different murals through blog posts and use Google maps to create an itinerary. This way you create your own street art tour.
You could easily spend a few hours just hunting for cool street art and taking pictures.
Armenian Street
Armenian Street is a narrow street in George Town that has a lot of street art, shops that sell souvenirs, and Chinese clan houses.
The famous children on a bicycle street art mural is on Armenian Street. There are always people there taking pictures with the mural, but everyone is waiting their turn.
It’s a first come first served queue and everyone is waiting patiently for their turn to take pictures.
This street is a good place to take a leisurely walk. Just enjoy everything you find here.
Food tour with a local guide
Penang has the best food in Malaysia. There are people who come here just for the food. There are so many restaurants in Penang and most of them offer incredibly delicious food.
My recommendation is to go on a food tour on your first day in Penang. That’s what I did. I joined this food and walking tour where I sampled about 15 different kinds of food, including the famous char kway teow.
My guide was born and raised in Penang, so she was able to take us to all the great local spots. She explained the history behind every dish, told us how we are supposed to eat each item, and recommended extra places to try.
The advantage of joining one of these tours on your first day is that you’ll be able to try a lot of different dishes. And you’ll be able to discover hidden gem restaurants that you can return to. Plus, you’ll support small, local businesses.
My tour lasted for 4 hours. So make sure you go hungry! You’ll eat a lot.
The Clan Jetties
The Clan Jetties are rustic houses built on stilts. It’s a historical neighborhood by the water.
You can find a lot of street vendors selling food, souvenirs, and clothes as you walk from the entrance all the way to the back to reach the end of the houses and the little pier.
There is also a street art mural on the last jetty. I’m telling you, you’ll find street art everywhere in Penang!
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion or the Blue Mansion is one of the two most famous Peranakan mansion on Penang Island. The other one is Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
The term Peranakan describes the descendants of Chinese men who came to Malaysia and married Malay women. The other word for it is Baba-Nyonya, where Baba is the name used for a boy and Nyonya for a girl.
Many Chinese men came to Malaysia to set up the tin mining business since they had previous experience with it. And of course, they stayed and built families there, which led to the creation of this new culture.
Cheong Fatt Tze was a very successful businessman, nicknamed the Rockefeller of Asia. He used to be the richest man in Asia.
He expanded his trading and banking businesses to Penang, where he used to reside occasionally. So he built the Blue Mansion in Penang.
This building was restored and became a heritage building. It is now part hotel, part museum. And it was featured in a lot of movies, including Crazy Rich Asians. So if you want to stay in this historical building while in Penang, make sure you book a room in advance.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
The other famous Peranakan Mansion, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, is a museum dedicated to the Peranakan heritage. The mansion used to be the home and office of a 19th century Chinese tycoon.
This one is a green building. I loved the bright colors of the two Peranakan Mansions!
They offer free guided tours in English and Chinese that are included with your ticket. These tours start at set times, so you’ll probably have to wait a bit before the tour starts.
I attended a guided tour and I loved it. I learned a lot about the history of the house and of Peranakans in general.
Kek Lok Si Temple
Kek Lok Si Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. It is pretty close to Penang Hill and it is built on multiple levels on a hill.
You can hike all the way up or you can buy a ticket that you can use to take funiculars or golf carts from one level to the next. I opted for the ticket because it was really hot outside.
The temple is beautiful and it’s worth exploring everything. The pagoda is not included in your ticket price, so if you want to visit you will have to buy a separate ticket. It’s really cheap, so worth it.
If you want to go up the pagoda you have to make a donation. And if you want to hang a few wish ribbons you also have to pay 1 ringgit per ribbon.
I respect that they are trying to monetize as much as possible, but I want you to know this to make sure you have cash with you if you want to do all these things.
Penang Hill
One of the most incredible panoramic views of Penang is from Penang Hill. You can either hike up the hill or take the funicular. I opted for the funicular because I would have probably passed out if I attempted to hike in that heat and humidity.
They sell 2 types of tickets for the funicular: regular and express. When I visited there weren’t that many people waiting in line, so I bought the regular ticket. I had to wait about 5 minutes and I could hop on the funicular.
Just gauge the size of the line when you get there. If it’s long, you should buy an express ticket. Express ticket holders board before regular ticket holders, so you don’t have to wait that long.
Once you reach the top of the hill there are multiple balconies where you can take pictures with the view. Everyone stops at the first one and it gets crowded. My advice is to keep going and find another spot that’s not as busy.
I have to warn you that if you go up the hill on a cloudy day you won’t be able to see much. You’ll basically be in the clouds. This is what happened to me, but I don’t regret the experience.
There are some food places on the hill and if you walk 5 kilometers you will get to the botanical gardens.
Another attraction you can find there is the Habitat Penang Hill. a rainforest where you can walk and do forest bathing.
The Rainbow Skywalk
While Penang is famous for its historical center it also has a more modern side. The TOP is a skyscraper that houses the largest indoor theme park with 18 different attractions.
They have the Jurassic Research Center that has over 200 dinosaurs as part of an interactive activity, an aquarium, a magic mirror maze, toboggans, and so many other things.
My favorite one was the Rainbow Skywalk, their observation deck at the top of the skyscraper where you can walk on a transparent glass walkaway.
The Rainbow Skywalk experience is in the open air and it offers one of the best views of Penang. I loved it! When I visited there weren’t that many people, so I was able to truly enjoy this place.
They also have a water fountain called “Pot of Gold”. The fountain has a bell in the middle. Legend says that if you make a wish, hit the bell with a coin and you can hear the bell ring your wish will come true. I totally did this and it was a lot of fun!
The 17th most beautiful street in the world
The 17th most beautiful street in the world, Jalan Kek Chuan, is just a short walk from the TOP. It’s a very small street that has old, traditional houses that were renovated and painted in bright colors.
It looks beautiful and you can take some great pictures here. I love cute, colorful, artsy places, so I had to stop by.
FAQs about Penang
Is there a local guide you can recommend?
Yes! His name is Lee and you can reach out to him here. Lee was my Grab driver when I went to Penang Hill. That’s how we met, as he drives Grab on the days he doesn’t lead tours.
He was so friendly and told me about other areas of Penang I should explore when I visit again (it was my last day in Penang).
He used to work in sales and he realized he didn’t like his job and life, so he pivoted to offering guided tours. We bonded because I have a similar story where I worked in corporate, I was miserable and then I left to become a travel blogger.
I’m glad he decided to be a tour guide because he has the right personality for this job. He’s bubbly, funny, and you can tell he loves showing people around. Next time I’m in Penang I will definitely book him to show me the hidden gems of Penang I didn’t have time to visit.
How many days should I spend in Penang?
Two days is enough time to see the main attractions, but it will be a fast-paced trip. If you like to explore at a more relaxed pace then you should aim to spend 3-4 days in Penang.
Where should I stay in Penang?
I stayed at SAVV Hotel, a boutique hotel by the Clan Jetties and I loved it. I got a cozy single room that had a view of the water and the Clan Jetties.
The windows had an oval shape that was trying to mimic the windows of a ship. I found that really cute.
The hotel was clean, the staff was friendly, and the location was perfect. I could walk anywhere in Georgetown.
The hotel had an outdoor pool as well. It wasn’t very deep, but it was great to cool down a bit after exploring in the hot and humid weather.
Malaysia has affordable hotel prices, so if you prefer staying in luxury hotels, this is the perfect opportunity to do it. I recommend Eastern & Oriental Hotel or The Prestige.
Another really cool accommodation option is the Blue Mansion. You would be staying in a historical mansion with a lot of history that was also featured in many movies, including Crazy Rich Asians.
How can I get to the city center from the Penang International Airport?
Public transportation
In Penang the most common public transportation option is the bus. You can take the Penang Airport bus to George Town. This is also the cheapest option to get to the Old Town.
Grab
Grab is the most popular e-ride app in Asia. It’s basically the Uber of Asia. So make sure to download the app before your trip.
The app is super easy to use. The service is very reliable and you can easily get a car.
This is the most convenient option to get to your hotel from the airport. Plus, Grab is really affordable.
If you don’t want to download yet another app, then you can schedule a private transfer.
How can I get around Penang?
George Town is a walkable area of Penang. You can cover the entire place by walking.
When you have to go to Kek Lok Si or other attractions that are further away from George Town I recommend you get a Grab car. The prices are really affordable. It usually costs only a few dollars and it’s the easiest way to get around.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Penang safe for a solo female traveler?
Yes! I felt safe the entire time I was in Penang. I didn’t see any pick pockets or scammers. People are used to seeing tourists and are very friendly.
Penang, along with Kuala Lumpur, could be great destinations for a first solo trip to Asia since they use the Latin alphabet, they speak English, and they are more developed compared to other places in Southeast Asia.
Do I need cash for my trip to Penang?
Yes, you need cash when you visit Penang. Most local restaurants and stores, as well as street food vendors, only accept cash. Compared to Singapore, cash is a lot more used in Malaysia.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the country you’re visiting instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Penang?
No, you do not have to tip in Penang. Malaysia does not have a tipping culture.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. The popular tourist attractions can get sold out if you don’t book in advance.
Do people speak English in Penang?
Yes, they do. The level of fluency varies from person to person, but I had no problems communicating in English with everyone during my trip.
Do you recommend Penang as a solo destination?
Yes, I think Penang is a great place for a solo trip. There are plenty of things to do, the food is delicious, the people are friendly, and I felt safe.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.