Penang is a Malaysian State located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. Penang has dramatic landscapes, beautiful beaches, it is flooded with colonial architecture, and some of the most mouth-watering food on the planet.

Penang is known as a regional food paradise, with a rich cuisine shaped by the island's many cultures, including Hokkien, Hakka, and Teochew-speaking Chinese communities, Indian Tamils, Malays, and the British. Going on a trip to Penang means going on a trip to street food paradise! Yes, Penang is known to all travellers alike as an island full of mouth-watering street food!

**The Penang Hokkien Mee is made delicious by its rich prawn and pork soup base.**

TOP THINGS TO DO IN PENANG

Penang is an exciting destinatioon with so many free things to do.

TAKE A STREET FOOD TOUR

**Malaysian coconut milk rice, served with sambal, fried crispy anchovies, toasted peanuts and cucumber.**

One of the best things about Penang is that it sits at a cultural intersection, with at least three major ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese, and Indian).

Nowhere is this more on display than in the famous food scene of Penang! From street food to fine dining, Penang is a culinary tapestry just waiting to be explored. Since there are so many options, many tourists to Penang choose to take a guided food tour with a street food expert. This is a case where a guided tour makes a lot of sense to me – they help you to sample only the best food stations and can also help avoid any nasty tummy surprises later.

The two best reviewed Penang street food tours are:

👉 Georgetown Dinner Hop Tour – a tour led by a super knowledgeable local expert. This is the highest-rated food tour in Penang.
👉 Georgetown 4 Hour Food Tour – this one has over a hundred perfect reviews and earned Viator’s coveted Badge of Excellence.

STREET ART

**This urban murals throughout the UNESCO-listed historic district depict life & culture in Penang.**

If there is one thing that Penang’s George Town is famous for, it is the street art plastered all over buildings and walls across the town. The above photo of children on a bicycle is likely the most famous street art in George Town, but there are dozens of works to be found all over the city (use this useful street art map)!

TOUR THE TROPICAL SPICE GARDEN

Who knew that plants could be so interesting? At the Tropical Spice Garden, a popular eco-friendly Penang attraction, you can stroll through a garden showcasing 500+ species of herbs and spices.

Guided tours are available, or you can take it at your own pace with an audio tour.

Cost: Adults 45 RM (Guided) or 29 RM (Audio)

**The Penang Floating Mosque, also known as Tanjung Bungah Floating Mosque**

VISIT THE FLOATING MOSQUE

The Tanjung Bungah Mosque occupies a unique position suspended out over the ocean, leading it to earn the nickname “the Floating Mosque.” Only about a decade old, the structure is impressive and well worth a spot on your list of what to do in Penang owing to its unique backdrop of views of the city and the ocean.

**The Clan Jetties of Penang is a traditional overwater settlement that has been created by Chinese immigrants who came to Malaysia**

VISIT THE CLAN JETTY

George Town’s clan jetties are definitely one of the most unique attractions in Penang!

Clan jetties are basically stilted villages perched out over the water. There are several of them very near each other on George Town’s east coast, and they are an important part of Penang’s heritage. Chew Jetty is the most famous and most tourist friendly attraction, with lots of vendors and shops.

WANDER AROUND COLONIAL GEORGE TOWN

Another great free thing to do in Penang is to simply wander George Town’s colonial old town. The entire area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and simply strolling the streets, admiring the architecture, and taking in the attractions is a can’t-miss bucket list item for any visitor to George Town.

**Picture of Colourful Colonial Houses of Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia.**

EXPLORE LITTLE INDIA

**Little India is an ethnic Indian enclave located in the city of George Town, Penang.**

One of the most wonderful things about traveling to Penang is the incredible mixture of cultures on this charming island. And nowhere do you get a better taste of that than in Little India.

Wander the streets and just take in the sites, the smells, and the sounds. Browse local vendors, try some street food, and just generally get lost in the bustling ambiance of Little India.

COOL DOWN AT BATU FERRINGHI BEACH

The Batu Ferringhi beach is probably the most popular beach in Penang, and it is certainly the most accessible.

**Batu Ferringhi is home to a string of international class beachfront hotels, a long strip of white sandy beach.**

The beachfront itself offers really nice sand and decent, if not perfectly clear, water. You can partake in various water-sports activities here: jetski rentals, banana boat rides, and parasailing vendors are easy to find throughout the beach. There are also a small handful of beach bars – Bora Bora being the most popular.

MONKEY BEACH

It is a secluded beach buried inside Penang National Park – it’s the sort of stunning beach you’d find in Thailand, but without the crowds.

You can’t drive here, so you’ll need to either take a boat from the entrance to the national park (cost is around RM 50 per boat) or brave the 1.5-2 hour hike through the jungle to reach the beach.

Once there, kick back and enjoy a drink while relaxing at one of Monkey Beach’s shack bars. There are even very basic huts that you can rent and stay over night!

It may be the smallest national park in Malaysia, but don’t count it out of your list of the best things to do in Penang. Located on the north-west tip of the island, Penang National Park offers several great hiking trails through the jungle, most of which will spit you out on one of the park’s many secluded beaches! Be sure to pack extra water for your hike, and consider camping overnight in some of the huts available on the beaches.

TOP AT KOMTAR

The Top at the Komtar is an entertainment complex at the pinnacle of a skyscraper loaded with great views and lots of fun (if a tad cheesy) things to do. You can walk out over the glass “Rainbow Walkway” or sit and have a drink on the excellent rooftop (a great place to watch the sunset in Penang).

If you’re the daring type, you can even walk around the the outside of the tower on a ropes course!

TOUR THE BLUE MANSION

This charming mansion once belonged to a 19th century Chinese industrialist so famous he was nicknamed by The New York Times “The Rockefeller of the East.”

**The Blue Mansion. The most iconic boutique heritage hotel in historic George Town, Penang.**

A major renovation in the 1990s won the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion UNESCO status, and its gorgeous interior of this heritage hotel has served as the set for multiple movies – including the mahjong scene in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians.

CLIMB THE ARULMIGU BALATHANDAYUTHAPANI WATERFALL TEMPLE

You’ll have to climb 513 stairs to check this one off your list of things to do in Penang, but you’ll be rewarded with some time to explore a fascinating Hindu temple honoring the deity Murugan.

ASCEND PENANG HILL

The next item on our list of what to do in Penang also involves a bit of an ascent (sensing a trend here?), but at least this time you have the option to be whisked to the top of Penang Hill in a funicular!

This funicular track is the longest and steepest in Asia, and will take you to the top of this former colonial hill station, where you’ll be able to take in some incredible views of the island. You can pre-purchase your funicular tickets here.

VISIT KEK LOK SI TEMPLE

One of the largest Chinese Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, Kek Lok Si is definitely one of the top Penang attractions on the island. It is one of the most well known attractions in Penang, and a pilgrimage site for some Buddhist followers throughout Southeast Asia.It’s a small walk up followed by a quick lift ride (cost 3 RM), but for a real treat trek all the way to the pagoda at the top for some incredible views.

Cost: free entrance, but 3 RM for lift, 2 RM for pagoda

**This has to be the best way to see Georgetown.**

TAKE A TRISHAW RIDE

This is definitely one of the coolest activities in Penang. A trishaw is basically a type of traditional rickshaw where a bicyclists push you in a chariot.

Although no longer really a traditional way of getting around Penang, you can find trishaw drivers offering you rides around George Town’s old town and even in the Batu Ferringhi area. Sure, it’s a little corny but it’s a fun and unique experience to have in Penang!

WANDER FORT CORNWALLIS

Built by the British East India Company in the late 1700s, For Cornwallis is the largest remaining fort in Malaysia. Still, you have to keep your expectations in check: if you’re used to forts from Europe or Latin America, you may be a little underwhelmed.

Nonetheless, it’s easy to access location in George Town makes it worthy of consideration on your list of things to do in Penang.

Cost: 20 RM for foreigners

VISIT THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN

One of the most popular things to do in Penang with kids is to pay a visit to the Entopia butterfly farm, where you’ll find the Natureland – an indoor living garden filled not just with butterflies but with all kinds of invertebrates. You can also visit the Cocoon, a two floor learning center perfect for the younger folk.

Cost: Adult RM 60, Child RM 40

VISIT THE MASJID KAPITAN KELING MOSQUE

A stunning mosque located in the heart of George Town, Masjid Kapitan Keling Mosque was built by Indian Muslim traders over 200 years ago. It was an important part of George Town’s successful bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.

The mosque is a place to visit in Penang that you should definitely at least walk by to admire from the outside. While visitors inside are permitted, you’ll need to make sure you are properly attired.

EAT AT HAWKER STALL

There are way too many hawker street food markets and stalls in Penang to list them all, but you definitely have to putting eating hawker food on your list of things to do in Penang

VISIT THE GODDESS OF MERCY TEMPLE

The Goddess of Mercy Temple has a unique style and is definitely worth a quick visit.

A Lovely Place Called Penang

“Inspire & Inform”