Welcome to our Georgetown Guide, where we explore the city’s culinary wonders and streamline its transit options. From savory local dishes to global cuisines, we’ll navigate you through Georgetown’s diverse food scene.

Additionally, we’ll simplify your transportation experience, ensuring your journey through Georgetown is smooth and hassle-free.

Join us as we discover the flavors and pathways of this dynamic city.

Georgetown is a colorful and multicultural city in Malaysia. It is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is the second-largest city in Malaysia.

The oldest portion of the city has been designed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2008. Georgetown serves you with several beaches, parks, museums, and temples that will attract you for sure. Georgetown is the birthplace of a unique Chingay Procession.

Here at Georgetown, you can enjoy views of the famous Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Kapitan Keling Mosque, and capital golden-crowned Buddhist temples.

There’s guaranteed to be something for everyone to see.

Things to do in Georgetown:

1. Visit Fort Cornwallis, Georgetown:

Fort Cornwallis is Malaysia’s largest fort covers an area of 39 square meters. In 1786, authorities opened this fort to protect Penang from the rising incidents of theft and piracy.

This fort is located near the Esplanade and Penang Clocktower. Near the main entrance of the fort, you will find a bronze statue of Captain Francis Light. In earlier times, this fort also served to signal incoming ships and housed an original flagstaff.

Inside the fort, you can see the prison cells, barracks, and munitions storage area. Another attractive element in this fort is the Seri Rambai, a bronze cannon popularly regarded as a fertility symbol. The fort opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 6:30 in the evening.

2. Kek Lok Si Temple, Georgetown:

This is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia located on a hilltop at Air Itam, about three kilometers from Penang Hill. The temple is also known as the “Temple of Supreme Bliss”, divided into three complexes overall.

At the ground level, you will find the hill entrance, a turtle liberation pond, and stalls selling souvenirs, food, and drinks.

According to the Chinese tradition, the turtle symbolizes longevity, strength, and endurance. In the mid-section, you will see temples, gardens, the pagoda, and the four heavenly kings pavilion. In the topmost section, you will see the enormous statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.

The main attraction of this temple is the impressive pagoda of Rama VI  and at the centre, you will find a seven-story and 30-meter high tower acknowledged as the “face of Keh Lok Si”. To enter this temple you have to buy a ticket cost RM2.

. Visit Penang Hill:

Penang Hill was the first hill station developed in Peninsular Malaysia. This hill station is located about 821 m above Penang’s capital, local people call it Bukit Bendera and it is generally 5 degrees cooler than Georgetown.

On a clear day, you can see the mountains of Langkawi and north Kedah from the top of Penang Hill. The view of lit-up Georgetown at night is the main attraction here. This hill serves as a house for more than 100 species of birds.

To go to the top of the hill the most popular way is the Penang Hill Railway. The journey in a Swiss-designed funicular covers a 2,007m-long track in just 30 minutes.

On your way to the top, you can enjoy the luxuriant greenery, the occasional macaque, and the originally built bungalows for the British officials.

Another way to reach the top is a five km drive

4. Bangunan KOMTAR:

KOMTAR is the tallest skyscraper in the city of Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia. It is also the 11th tallest building in the whole of Malaysia. KOMTAR is the acronym of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak, named after the second prime minister of Malaysia.

The skyscraper has 65 floors and is 232 m in height. In 2015, three more stories were added to this sky-kissing building.

In this huge building, you will find almost everything that you are looking for including bookstores, galleries, an aquarium, a house of music, an auditorium, a 7D discovery motion theatre, a musical carousel, a gym, restaurants and lounges, an observatory deck, Coco Cabana Bar, and Bistro and the Gravity Outdoor Rope Course.

5. Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Georgetown:

It is the part of the goh tai seh (five big clans) that forms the backbone of the Hokkien community. Kongsi is a place where Chinese families of the same surname gather to worship their ancestors.

Dragon Mountain Hall is another name for Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.

It is standing on a square of granite with stone carvings that adorn the entrance hall. Inside the Kongsi you will see the pavilions, murals portraying birthdays, weddings, and 36 divine guardian statues scattered throughout its interior.

It opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 5 in the evening. 

6. Street art, Georgetown :

Georgetown’s street art underscores its reputation as a modern heritage town. As you roam Georgetown’s streets, vibrant and stunning street art adorns every wall, catching your eye at every turn.

Some of the murals involve objects such as chairs, bicycles, and rickshaws to pull your attraction toward creativity. These street arts will tell you a lot about daily life, history, heritage, and Georgetown’s culture.

The streets are closed for vehicles at 3 pm to give tourists a free walk around the street.

Food to try in Georgetown

1. Penang Curry:

Penang curry is the traditional dish of Penang island in Malaysia. It is similar to red Thai curry but it is more creamy, spicy, and thick with underlying peanut and coconut.

This curry consists of chilli peppers, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, coriander root, coriander seeds, cumin seed, shrimp paste, and salt to taste.

This dish is usually made with meat cut into thin strips. This curry is eaten with rice and chicken.

2. Panang Assam Laska:

It is a traditional Malaysian fish-based sour noodle soup. The dish consists of rice noodles, shredded fish, and sliced vegetables including cucumber, onion, and lettuce.

It has a tangy and sour taste because of tamarind. This dish is served with hae ko which is a dark and rich Malaysian shrimp paste. 

How to reach, Georgetown:

1. By flight:

You can take a flight to Penang International Airport. Hire a metered taxi and reach Georgetown city center which is about 18 km from the airport.

2. By waterways:

Ferries in Georgetown are very convenient for traveling. You can get a ferry to Georgetown from Butterworth. From the port/ stop you can hire a taxi to the city center or your hotel.

The first ferry from Butterworth to Georgetown departs at 5:20 in the morning and the last one at 00:10 in the midnight.

To reach Georgetown from Butterworth by ferry it will take 20 minutes 

3. By bus:

Get a bus from the Butterworth Bus terminal that is going to Sungai Nibong Station. After getting off at the terminal you can get a ferry or a taxi to reach your hotel.

Another option is to take a bus from Penang Sentral to Komtar Bus Terminal and then walk for 1.1 km to reach Georgetown. 

How to get around Georgetown:

Buses are the most common means of transport in Georgetown. If you want to go to a remote area that the bus route doesn’t cover then you can get a rickshaw or metered taxi.

You can also rent a bike from shops on Chulia Street and Penang Road. 

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