WHAT TO DO

Our recommend tours during your stay - you’ll ideally need a 3-night stay with two full days to include all of the below…

1 Your first night in Penang should get right to the heart of the issue: joined a guided food walk around the very best hawker centres and have an enthusiastic foodobsessed local introduce you to the key dishes and the multi-generational stalls which serve them.

2 Your first full day should see you continue your exploration with a guided city tour of Georgetown. Key sites in the UNESCO World Heritage city are Fort Cornwallis, a British bastion from 1786 onwards; the Khoo Kongsi clan house and nearby Peranakan Mansion to tell the story of Penang’s Chinese influences; visits to Wat Chayamangkalaram and the Dhammikaram Temple to taste the island’s Indian and Burmese links respectively; and highly entertaining walks through Little India and Chinatown.

3 A full-day tour of Georgetown can be rounded out to include a street art walking tour. The city streets are littered with colourful graffiti projects, many of which have a photogenic and immersive element. Don’t miss the art on Weld Quay, Leith Street, Armenian Street, and Muntri Street.

4 Should you have a second full day a wider round-the-island tour takes in attractions of the island beyond Georgetown. Stops include the sprawling Kek Lok Si Buddist temple; tropical spice gardens, educating you on key ingredients in Penang cuisine; a scenic funicular train up to Penang Hill; butterfly farms; and a drive through the beach resort of Batu Ferringhi.