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What are the best day trips from Penang?
Penang is known for its wonderful food scene, rich heritage, impressive temples and wonderful street art created by a Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, and other international artists. Often called “the Pearl of the Orient”, Penang is one of the most popular destinations in Malaysia, and deservedly so. We have visited Penang a few times, and still have a feeling that there’s a lot left to be explored.
Below are 7 great Penang day trips / things to do in Penang.
Table of Contents
Awesome Day Trips From Penang, Malaysia
What are the options? What tours in Penang you must not miss?
Check out some of the coolest Penang sightseeing tours / activities.
1. Georgetown Heritage Tour (click for more details)
A guided, half day tour of Georgetown, Penang.
Overall, one of the very best day trips from Penang.
Georgetown is the main city of Penang island. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Georgetown is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. Known for its historical buildings and interesting street art, Georgetown is a wonderful mix of old and new. During this tour, together with a Penang tour guide you’ll visit historical Chinese temples, Hock Teik Cheng Sin and Cheah Kongsi, as well as a large Chinese clan house, Khoo Kongsi, and an old historical mansion, Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
DURATION: 4 hours
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Learning more about the history of Penang
- Exploring ancient temples of Penang
- Visiting on old Peranakan mansion
2. Penang Tropical Fruit Farm Guided Tour (click for more details)
A guided tour to Penang Tropical Fruit Farm.
Book this tour to learn more about Malaysia’s tropical fruits and plants!
Penang Tropical Fruit Farm boasts one of the largest collection of fruits in Southeast Asia. The fruit farm has an area of 25 acres, and is home to over 200 species of edible fruits. With an elevation of 245 m (800 ft), the tropical fruit farm boasts milder climate and provides a great location for cultivating tropical fruit trees.
On the tour you will see how the fruits like dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, bananas and others grow, and will learn how they are harvested. You’ll have a chance to taste fruits.
DURATION: 1+ hour (as you wish)
HIGHLIGHTS:
- One of the largest collection of fruits in Southeast Asia
- Learn more about tropical fruits
- Tasting delicious tropical fruits
3. The Habitat Penang Hill (click for more details)
A visit to the highest viewpoint in Penang.
Penang Hill is one of the best places to visit in Penang. It boasts wonderful views of the city, especially during sunset and sunrise. The hill is home to the iconic rainforest discovery centre, Habitat Penang Hill. This pass lets you experience the pristine jungle and explore the walkways of the Habitat Penang Hill. You’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy treetop and canopy walks. There’s a zip-line, too (at extra cost).
Keep in mind that Penang Hill Railway ticket (or other transportation for that matter) is not included in the price.
DURATION: as you wish
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Taking a walk in the pristine rainforest
- Enjoying the peace and quiet of the jungle
- Exploring the walkways, treetop and canopy walks
- Seeing Penang from above
4. A Trip to Kek Lok Si Temple (not only) (click for more details)
Visit the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, Kek Lok Si.
The temple offers one of the best views of Penang.
Featuring numerous imposing buildings, striking pagodas and other amazing structures, Kek Lok Si is truly an impressive and unforgettable place. The temple is quite old – the construction began in 1890, and it was completed in 1905. What’s interesting about Kek Lok Si is that pagodas and structures feature a mix of styles: Burmese, Thai and Chinese.
The temple is an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from countries in Southeast Asia. You can also visit Kek Lok Si on your own.
DURATION: 6 hours
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Seeing striking pagodas
- Learning more about the culture of Penang
- Enjoying sweeping views of the city
5. A Trip To Taiping & Kuala Sepetang (Self-Guided)
Visit a less visited Malaysian town and explore its surroundings.
One of the coolest day trips from Georgetown, Penang.
Located some 100 km / 60 miles from Penang, Taiping is a lesser known destination in Malaysia, but a place worth a visit! Taiping is known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and hill resort, Bukit Larut. By the way, Taiping and Bukit Larut are considered to be the wettest places in Peninsular Malaysia. What else it is there to see in Taiping? Other things to do in Taiping?
Visit Taiping Lake Gardens and try local food at the city’s night-markets. Explore Kuala Sepetang, a sleepy little fishing village half an hour drive away from Taiping. On your way, stop at the old-fashioned Kuala Sepetang Charcoal Factory to learn more about the traditional charcoal making process. Head to Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island to meet the endangered orangutan. Located some 20 km / 13 miles from Taiping, it is one of the best places to visit near Taiping.
It’s easy to get to Taiping from Penang. First, take a ferry to Butterworth, then catch a bus to Taiping. The bus journey takes two hours, and costs about 15 MYR. Taiping bus station is located outside the city, so you have to take a public bus or taxi to the city.
DURATION: full day
HIGHLIGHTS:
-
- Visiting Taiping
- Fishing village Kuala Sepetang
- Seeing more of Malaysia than most tourists
6. ESCAPE Theme Park in Penang (click for more details)
Spend an active day in a theme park / water park.
Zip lines, water slides, obstacle courses, all of that and more you you’ll find in the ESCAPE. Located just a 30-minute drive away from Georgetown, the park is a great place both everyone who loves active entertainment. Just remember, if you want to see something more than this park, one day in Penang is not enough for you.
If you’re planning do Penang in one day, you’ll have to choose what to see and do. And you’ll have to skip a lot of places and activities.
DURATION: 4+ hours
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Zip lines
- Water slides
- Obstacle courses
7. Obstacle Rope Course Experience in The TOP Penang (click for more details)
Visit the tallest building in Penang!
Take a selfie from the highest point in Georgetown, Penang, take a seat on the top of the skyscraper or walk on it — the choice is yours. There are several options you can choose from. Not a Penang day trip itself, but just a fun activity. An activity, which can be part of your day trip in Penang – an adventurous day trip.
DURATION: 1+ hours
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Visiting the tallest building in Penang
- Highest observation deck in Georgetown, Penang
Penang Travel Tips
Penang is a wonderful, multicultural island in the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia. It is a top tourist destination in Malaysia, and deservedly so. It boasts rich heritage and wonderful architecture. Besides that, Penang is considered to be one of the best destinations for foodies in South East Asia.
We’ve been to Penang a few times, and we really love the island.
Here are some of the things we have learned about Penang.
Some of our best Penang tips.
- Don’t skip Penang. First things first, don’t skip this city. Visit Penang, Malaysia. Visit this awesome city. At least for a day. One of the options how you can incorporate it in your Malaysia itinerary, is to make it a stop between Kuala Lumpur (day trips from KL) and Langkawi island (day trips from Langkawi) , two places we can highly recommend you to visit in Malaysia.
- Travel around Penang by bus. Penang has a good bus network. They operate to most of the main sites and parts of the island.
- Use Grab in Penang. Grab is the Asia’s Uber. Grab is the most popular way how to get around Penang. It’s a good alternative to taxi.
- Explore Penang on foot. You can easily get around Georgetown on foot. Georgetown is the biggest city in Penang. In fact, walking is the best way how to explore Penang’s capital.
- Try local food in Penang! It’s so good! Penang is considered to be one of the best destinations for food in South East Asia. So definitely try local street food and snacks. The most iconic dishes of Penang are: Penang Asam Laksa, Penang Char Koay Teow, Hokkien Prawn Noodles, Cendol, Nasi Kandar, Nasi Lemak, Penang Tau Sar Piah, Oyster Omelette, Wanton Noodles, and many more.
- Penang is not a beach destination! Even though Penang is an island, it’s beaches aren’t that good. There are a few nice enough beaches where you can swim and relax, but they surely are not among the best beaches in Malaysia.
- Visit Penang in winter. The best time to visit Penang is between November and February. The weather is pleasant, not that hot, and dry.
Have you visited Penang? Did you do any Penang day tour or day trip from Penang,? Which, in your opinion, are the best day trips from Penang you could recommend?
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