Old town
First-timersChulia Street, Armenian Street and Love Lane.
George Town city guide
Things To Do In George Town
Penang's UNESCO-listed capital: Chinese shophouses, clan temples, stilt villages on the water, street art on every corner, and Malaysia's best hawker food.
15
Hostels in the city
6.8
Average, from 243 reviews
1786
George Town founded
2008
Joins UNESCO
2012
The street art begins
Street food and street art
George Town was founded by the British East India Company in 1786, and it grew into a trading port of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Peranakan communities. Its old town of shophouses, clan houses and temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shared with Melaka.
Since 2012, murals and iron-rod sculptures have turned its lanes into an open-air gallery.
Most of all, George Town is famous for its hawker food, the best in Malaysia by common consent. Three days is right.
Where to stay
Stay in the UNESCO-listed old town, around Chulia Street, Armenian Street and Love Lane, where the hostels, street art and hawker stalls are all walkable. Batu Ferringhi, on the north coast, is the beach area, about 40 minutes away. Gurney Drive, north-west of the centre, has the malls and a famous hawker centre.
Gurney Drive
FoodMalls and a famous hawker centre.
Batu Ferringhi
BeachThe north-coast beach, 40 minutes away.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in George Town
George Town, founded by the British in 1786, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its mix of Chinese shophouses, clan houses, temples, mosques and colonial buildings.
Walk the old town to find the street art: the murals painted by Ernest Zacharevic in 2012, such as the children on a bicycle on Armenian Street, started a craze, and there are dozens more, alongside wrought-iron caricatures telling the history of each street.
Khoo Kongsi, the grandest of the Chinese clan houses, is covered in carvings and gold. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Blue Mansion, built by a Hakka merchant, runs guided tours. The Clan Jetties are stilt villages over the water, still home to Chinese families; visit respectfully, as people live there.
Penang Hill, reached by a funicular railway, has views over the island and the strait. Kek Lok Si, at Air Itam, is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, with a huge bronze statue of Guanyin. Penang National Park, in the north-west, has jungle trails to quiet beaches and turtle nesting.
Free things
Free things to do in George Town
The street art, the old town's lanes and its temples, mosques and churches are free to see. The Clan Jetties are free to walk, respectfully.
The free Central Area Transit (CAT) bus loops around the old town. Penang National Park is free to enter; you pay only for boats back from the beaches.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in George Town
Penang is often called the food capital of Malaysia. Char kway teow, flat noodles fried in a hot wok with prawns and cockles, assam laksa, a sour fish-and-tamarind noodle soup, and nasi kandar, rice with a choice of curries, are the classics. Cendol, shaved ice with coconut milk, palm sugar and green jelly, is the dessert.
The hawker centres are the place to eat: Gurney Drive, New Lane, and the stalls along Chulia Street at night. Little India has banana-leaf rice and Indian sweets.
A hawker meal is €2 to €4.
Nightlife
Going out in George Town
Love Lane and Chulia Street have the backpacker bars, and a few rooftop and heritage bars are scattered around the old town. Batu Ferringhi has beach bars.
Alcohol is heavily taxed, so beer is pricey.
A beer is €4 to €7.
Getting around
Getting around George Town
Penang International Airport is about 30 to 40 minutes from George Town by Grab or bus.
The old town is walkable, and the free CAT bus loops around it. Rapid Penang buses reach Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si, Batu Ferringhi and the national park; Grab is cheap.
The ferry crosses to Butterworth, where ETS trains run to Kuala Lumpur in about four hours. Buses reach Ipoh and the Cameron Highlands, and ferries run to Langkawi in about three hours.
Costs
What George Town costs
George Town is cheap to mid-priced. Dorms start around €8 and a careful day is €20 to €30.
The Blue Mansion and Penang Hill's funicular are the main tickets, several euros each; most sights are free. A hawker meal is €2 to €4.
Foreign visitors pay a tourism tax of RM10 per room per night, added to accommodation bills.
The currency is the Malaysian ringgit (MYR or RM); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 5 ringgit to the euro. Cards and e-wallets work widely in cities; carry cash for hawker stalls and smaller towns.
Safety
Staying safe in George Town
George Town is safe. Traffic is the main hazard: footpaths are narrow or blocked, so walk carefully.
At the Clan Jetties and in temples, remember people live and worship there: dress modestly and ask before photographing.
Complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card online within three days before arriving.
Emergency number is 999.
Day trips from George Town
Views, a vast temple and jungle beaches.
Penang Hill
Views over the island and the strait.
Penang National Park
Jungle trails to quiet beaches.
Kek Lok Si
One of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Chinese New Year and the George Town Festival are the big events.
31 October
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Hostels
Where to stay in George Town
The top-rated places to stay in George Town right now, live from Hostelworld.
Sustainable
Love Linn
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
A Cozy Place Penang
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Sustainable
Pine Muntri
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Heritage House 123
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
39 Love Lane - Smart Intelligent Inn Georgetown
Dorms from €10 a night
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Sustainable
Swing & Pillows @ 75 Chulia St, Georgetown Penang
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Sustainable
Swing & Pillows @ Beach Street
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Sustainable
AiGoh Hotel
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Hotel O GHC Near Penang Street Art Formerly Queen City Hotel
See dates and book
Sustainable
Great Shanghai Guest House
Dorms from €10 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Aayu Muntri
See dates and book
Sustainable
Heliconia by Treebridge
Dorms from €22 a night
See dates and book
When to go
December to March is driest. September to November is wettest.
Jan
Chinese New Year
Feb
Dry
Mar
Dry
Apr
Good
May
Good
Jun
Good
Jul
Good
Aug
Good
Sep
Wet
Oct
Wet
Nov
Wettest
Dec
Holidays
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in ringgit locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
George Town travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Where is the street art?
Around Armenian Street, Lebuh Cannon and the surrounding lanes of the old town; maps are sold in shops and online.
What should I eat?
Char kway teow, assam laksa, nasi kandar and cendol at the hawker centres.
How do I get to Kuala Lumpur?
By ferry to Butterworth, then the ETS train, about four hours, or by bus.
Can I visit the Clan Jetties?
Yes, freely, but people live there: be respectful and ask before taking photos.
How many days do you need?
Two or three.
When is the best time to visit?
December to March is driest.
Is there a free bus?
Yes, the CAT bus loops around the old town.
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