George Town
Penang's capital, on Penang Island: a UNESCO-listed historic core, with the Penang Hill funicular and Kek Lok Si temple above the city.
Penang's heritage city
George Town is the capital of Penang state and sits on Penang Island. Its historic core was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List on 7 July 2008, together with Melaka, as the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca; George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century, seen in its residential and commercial buildings. The listed area holds 5,013 buildings and 37 places of worship. Above the city, the Penang Hill funicular climbs towards Western Hill, the highest point at 833 metres; the hill is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve designated in 2021. Kek Lok Si, a hillside Buddhist temple complex begun in 1891, is in the same Air Itam area, so the two fit into one half-day.
Explore George Town on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
The unmissable George Town
What to do in George Town
Most visits divide between the heritage streets near the waterfront and the hill and temple at Air Itam.
In the heritage zone
- Walk Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, where the heritage body notes places of worship of several faiths on one street.
- See Little India and the clan jetties, both named by the heritage body as living parts of the site.
- Look for the street art: wall murals and wire sculptures in the old lanes.
- Take a trishaw past clan houses, temples and historic shophouses.
Air Itam
- Ride the Penang Hill funicular for views over George Town and both Penang bridges.
- Visit Kek Lok Si, which calls itself one of the largest temple complexes in Southeast Asia.
Food
- Penang's tourism office promotes street food and Peranakan cooking as reasons to visit in their own right.
Two days in George Town
The heritage zone
Follow the George Town World Heritage Site on foot: Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Little India, the street art lanes and the clan jetties, with street food in between.
Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si
Go up Penang Hill by funicular in the morning, then visit Kek Lok Si in the same Air Itam area before returning to the city.
Arriving and getting around
Penang is reached by air, road, rail and sea; the heritage zone itself is compact.
Arriving
- Penang International Airport is at Bayan Lepas, on the island.
- Two road bridges link the island to the mainland: Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge.
- KTMB's ETS trains from KL Sentral end at Butterworth, where the station connects to Penang Sentral.
- The Penang Ferry crosses the channel between Butterworth and George Town.
Getting around
- The free Central Area Transit (CAT) bus serves key points in the heritage zone.
- Rapid Penang buses cover the island from the KOMTAR interchange in George Town.
- Grab and other e-hailing services are widely available; LinkBike is the public bicycle-share scheme.
- Agree a trishaw fare before setting off.
George Town at a glance
Figures from the heritage body and Penang's tourism office.
The protected core of the World Heritage Site.
A further protected belt surrounds the core.
The Central Area Transit bus serves key points in the heritage zone.
Why the old town is listed
UNESCO's listing rests on the city's mix of communities, not on a single monument.
The listing
- The site is cited as an exceptional example of a multicultural trading town shaped by Malay, Chinese, Indian and European influences.
- It is also listed for its range of shophouses and townhouses from different periods.
A living site
- The 37 places of worship in the zone are in daily use by their communities.
- The heritage body describes festivals, languages, crafts and daily practice as part of what is protected.
Planning notes
Points that help in arranging the days.
Timing
- For the north-west of the peninsula the meteorological department puts the driest months at January and February and the wettest at October and November.
On the ground
- The heritage zone is small enough to cover on foot, with the free CAT bus for longer hops.
- Keep the hill and temple for a separate half-day; they are outside the old town at Air Itam.
Related to George Town
Journeys that include George Town — each one visits the city as part of its itinerary.
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