If you have free time on the weekend, you should plan a day trip to Penang. Why? Because there are endless Penang attractions that you can explore, and it will be a day full of nature, culture, and of course, street food.

All of those Penang attractions are making the city popular as a holiday destination in Malaysia, even for tourists. George Town is one of them, and it’s already a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture from the colonial era, the street art (so popular too), and the multicultural heritage.

Of course, George Town is not the only attractive one. Like we said, plenty of Penang attractions can be visited in a day. Hence, if you’re planning to go there, you should read our recommended day trip itinerary here.

Location: Sri Weld Food Court, Beach St, 10200 George Town, Penang
Opening Hours: 7 AM - 4 PM (Monday - Friday), 7 AM - 2 PM (Saturday), Closed every Sunday
Estimated Price: Starts from RM 2

Street food for breakfast is indeed a must-try Penang attraction. Why don’t you start your day trip in Penang by having breakfast in the famous Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang. It tastes so delicious, even a pack of it feels not enough.

As the name suggests, they sell Nasi Lemak with 5 different condiments that you can pick: prawn, fish, salted fish with egg, anchovies with boiled egg, and squid. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself can’t decide which one you want, because everything here seems so tempting, especially when every condiment is served with sambal on top of it. Surely, the sambal makes the pack even more tasty.

Opening Hours: 6.15 AM - 8 PM, the funicular service open at 6.30 AM - 10 PM
Entrance Fee: RM 559.24 (for full tour of Penang Hill)

Penang Hill is one of many famous Penang attractions. There’s a lot of things to do in Penang Hill, including the funicular railway that will reach the peak. Believe it or not, riding the funicular railway itself is quite boosting the adrenaline due to its slope.

There’s more than the funicular railway. The Habitat Penang Hill, where the refreshing tropical rainforest’ll greet you, hence it’s recommended to visit the place in the morning. Don’t forget to experience the Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk, where you can see the forest in 360 degrees , and cross the Langur Way Canopy Walk.

If you want to go on a full tour in Penang Hill (which will be held for 6 hours), you can join the Panoramic View at Penang Hill The Habitat Nature Discovery - Day Tour.

Location: Jln Balik Pulau, 11500 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 8.30 AM - 5.30 PM
Entrance Fee: Free, around RM 2 to enter the lift to the pagoda

You’ll feel the serenity when you visit this famous Penang attraction: Kek Lok Si Temple. It’s a large Buddhist temple with beautiful settings. You can go here after visiting Penang Hill because the location is quite close. The temple is also known as the Temple of Supreme Bliss.

The temple is an important place for Buddhists, and they even come from Hong Kong, the Philippines, or Singapore. The main attraction of the temple, aside from its magnificent building, is the giant statue of the fortune goddess, Kwan Im. You can climb to the front of the goddess statue with an additional fee.

Location: 5, Esplanade Park, Lebuh Light, 10300 George Town
Opening Hours: 11.30 AM – 8 PM (Monday-Thursday & Saturday). 11.30 AM - 1 PM then 2.30 - 8 PM (Friday), Closed every Sunday
Estimated Price: Starts from RM 4

What’s for lunch? A plate of tasty mee goreng is indeed one of Penang attractions that should be on your list. The best one is served at Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, which is located in Esplanade Park Food Court. FYI, the place is certified halal too.

Well, the signature Hameed Pata Mee Sotong is perfect. The noodles are mixed with the delicious sauce and served with tasty sotong–their taste completes each other. Anyway, it tastes spicy, so if you’re into spicy food, you should have lunch here. Complete your lunch with a cold drink that will also cure the hot sensation in your mouth. Our recommendation: Coconut Shake.

Location: 316, Beach St, Georgetown, 10300 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 24 Hours
Entrance Fee: -

Yup, this Penang attraction is suitable to visit in the afternoon, but make sure that the weather is not too hot to stroll around. Penang Street Art is probably the most known Penang attraction, especially for tourists. Pictures of street art are everywhere, and you should have one of yours there for your collection.

Penang Street Art is located in the Georgetown area, like Armenian Street, the Acheh Street Mosque, Muntri Street, Lebuh Ah Quee Street, and more. Those streets are full with mural arts, and some of the iconic ones are made by Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic. The rest are made by the talented locals.

Location: Pejabat Taman Negara P. Pinang jalan Hassan Abbas, 11050 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM
Entrance Fee: Free, but there will be an additional cost to enter the canopy walk (RM 5 for adults and RM 3 for children)

Let’s go back to nature! Penang National Park is the next Penang attraction that you must see. It’s the smallest national park in Malaysia, a fit destination for families. The popular part of it is the Canopy Walk. If you want to enter, there will be some additional cost, but it will be worth it since the view from up there is super stunning.

There’s more to do in Penang National Park, from relaxing on the beach (Teluk Bahang Beach or Pantai Kerachut), you’ll also love learning about the turtle sanctuary, jungle trekking or hike to the lighthouse at Cape Rachado, to snorkeling and see the marine life around the park.

Options: Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, New World Park Hawker Centre, JJ Gardens Hawker, New Lane Hawker Centre
Opening Hours: Varied, usually open around 10 AM and closed around 10 or 11 PM
Entrance Fee: -

Tired yet? Well, you can take a break while having dinner in Penang hawker centres. It’s your time to cool down for a while… and explore for some delicious street food for your dinner. You can choose one among so many hawker centres here. Gurney Drive is probably the most popular one, located near the Gurney Plaza. Delicious local foods are spreading everywhere in Gurney Drive.

The most attractive one right now is the New World Park Hawker Centre in George Town. It is large, even the parking area is large too. People said the prices here are reasonable even compared to other hawker centres in Penang.

So, what to buy in a hawker centre? Well, everything! They usually have the favorite local dishes, including dim sum, char kway teow, laksa, nasi lemak, otak-otak, and more. You can easily spot Japanese food like sushi, Thai food, and Western food like burgers or pizzas.

Location: Pengkalan Weld, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 9 AM - 9 PM
Entrance Fee: -

From here, the activity won’t be as active as the day. Let’s just stroll around and see some beautiful views that you rarely see during regular days. One of Penang attractions that you can visit at night is the Penang Clan Jetties.

The clan jetties of Penang are worth visiting both during the day or night. At night, the view will be so much different, especially with the lights here and there. It is actually a floating village, each jetties have the typical wooden houses, said to be owned by one clan.

What can you do in Penang Clan Jetties? You can sit and relax while facing the water, take some photos, and hunt for some seafood around. Some nearby areas will have a night market where you can browse for some souvenirs, snacks, or local crafts.

Anyway, there are 6 clan jetties left now: Chew Jetty, Tan Jetty, Lee Jetty, Mixed Clan Jetty (New Jetty), Lim Jetty, and Yeoh Jetty.

Location: George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 24 Hours
Entrance Fee: -

When you stroll around Lebuh Campbell, it’s not only a regular stroll. You won’t only see the Chinese Clan Houses that trademark the street, but you’ll know how it feels living in the past. You can even join historical walk tours for a guided experience.

The most iconic clan house there is the Khoo Kongsi, with its typical architecture that shows you a lot of history. To make the street more alive, there’s street food and live street performance that you can enjoy while you wait for midnight to come.

Anyway, don’t forget to take a lot of aesthetic pictures here! Well, what do you think? We’re sure you are now more encouraged to go to Penang and check out all the Penang attractions we mentioned. If you need a place to crash in Penang, browse for the best hotels in Penang and book it in a best price only with Traveloka!

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