Whether you’re thinking of a short trip to Malaysia from Thailand or you’re breaking up a long-haul flight with a city break in Kuala Lumpur try to make time for Penang – a wonderful island steeped in history, culture and yummy cuisines!

Even for expats, like us, living in Kuala Lumpur a long weekend up in Penang is plenty of time to catch some sea breezes, enjoy amazing street food and take in the latest additions (and renovations) in the Georgetown art and heritage scene. What’s more – it’s a great place to visit with kids.

Why should you consider 3 days in Penang?

Once you start reading about Penang, you won’t need much more persuasion. This Malaysian Island has so much to offer. Here are six reasons why you should plan for at least 3 days in Penang:

1. 3 days in Penang will give you a perfect taste of Malaysia. If you’re flying or sailing in from Thailand, Penang offers you the ‘best of Malaysia’ all in one place.

      2. There is nowhere more famous in Malaysia for its food than Penang!

      3. Like Singapore and Melaka, Penang has a colourful colonial history which has resulted in beautiful Anglo-Chinese architecture, numerous heritage sites and a UNESCO world heritage badge!

4. Nowadays, Penang may seem built-up but it is still easy to get off the beaten track to explore the wildlife and natural beauty of the island. Ancient rainforests and remote beaches are dotted around the coastal and central regions.

5. Penang’s location just off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia makes it easily accessible from both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by bus and plane. It’s also easy to reach from Thailand by boat or plane.

6. Penang is a great place to travel with kids, toddlers and babies

Is Penang a good place to travel with young kids?

Yes, definitely. Totally. 100%. In the whole of Malaysia, Penang offers some of the best of beaches, rainforest, culture and amenities all within just under 300 square kilometres. So, you can pack in a mix of exciting things to satisfy the whole family.  It’s easy to tailor your trip to what you like best. Whether to food and culture in Georgetown or trekking and water sports in Penang National Park. Plus, there are good medical facilities, public transportation is frequent and easy and many hotels are geared up for kids.

We recently travelled in Penang in a multi-generational group. A toddler, a pre-schooler, two parents and a grandparent and everyone had a great time. There were activities and sights to suit all our interests and needs. It’s also easy to find accommodation by the beach meaning less walking for little legs!

What to do in Penang in 3 days

3 days in Penang is an excellent amount of time to spend on the island. Of course, if you have longer you can really get some quality down-time exploring the rainforests and sunbathing.

If like us, you’re based in SE Asia and looking for a long weekend then 3 days in Penang will be the perfect amount of time to explore and really get a sense of the culture and history of Penang.

This Penang in 3 days itinerary will give you a great overview of all Penang has to offer in just 3 days. If you’re more into history than trekking, or vice-versa, it should give you a good starting platform which to design your own personalised 3 days in Penang itinerary.

Here is our tried-and-tested 3 days in Penang itinerary to give you a taste of this amazing island:

Penang Itinerary Day 1:  Glorious Georgetown: Food, Street Art and History

Rhino and I first visited Georgetown many years ago when the city had only just received its World Heritage status. We remember a crumbling but alluring city of open sewers, ladies of the night and seedy bars. Apart from the open sewers, so much has changed!

Following the footsteps of Hoi An in Vietnam and Antigua in Guatemala, Georgetown has been gentrified beyond recognition. Boutique hotels and coffee shops have pushed traditional businesses out of town. That doesn’t mean you should skip Georgetown though. In fact, its new tourism boom has led to fantastic murals being painted all over town – which have become tourist attractions in their own right.

Start the day with a hearty breakfast at China House and try not to be tempted for a slice of one of the many delicious cakes for breakfast. This historic shophouse turned café is part history and part art gallery. The funky and surprising interior grabs your eyes whilst the food fills your belly.  What’s not to like!!

Opposite China House behind ornate iron gates and across a manicured lawn stands Cheah Kongsi Clan House on Lebuh Pantai. This gorgeous and ornate heritage building has housed both secret societies and provided a focal point for the Cheah Clan from China over the years. The kids loved learning how to play Mahjong in the exhibition rooms. There is a small entrance fee. Other clan houses to visit include the impressive Khoo Kongsi (18 Cannon Square) and delightfully renovated Teochew Temple (Lebuh Chulia).

Since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage city, Penang has added another tourist attraction to its historic shops, clan houses and jetties. Painted on the side on the old buildings are imaginative murals, sometimes blending paint with real-life objects. Some of these murals have become so famous that they have come to define Georgetown itself. You can pick up leaflets from the tourist office and hotels showing you how to locate the artwork. Many of the most famous murals are by the Lithuanian street artist, Ernest Zacharevic. Our kids were really engaged in hunting down each mural and loved posing with them too.

One Georgetown attraction to potentially avoid is Fort Cornwallis. There’s not a lot there and isn’t really worth the money. But, next door to the fort in Padang (the central field) is a great public playground. Surrounded by grandiose colonial buildings, the City Hall and the Town Hall. With its own food centre, this is a great place for the children to burn off some energy. I really enjoyed the rickshaw ride over to there pass the old banks and so did the kids.

In the afternoon, stroll around one of the rickety wooden jetties. Chew Jetty is the most famous and has become a bit of a tourist attraction filled with tacky souvenir shops. It is the largest though. Over 75 wooden houses on stilts cluster together. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Penang was one of the most important ports in the world. These clan jetties grew to house the numerous Chinese immigrants and created vibrant and supportive communities. Our young kids loved running through the narrow alleyways but just be aware that there are no barriers to stop kids from falling in the dark and murky water!

You can wander around some of the other clan jetties but remember they are still neighbourhoods so don’t be surprised if the locals aren’t too happy at seeing yet more tourists wielding cameras.

If you get peckish walking around Georgetown, don’t fear. There are hawker stalls, snack shops and cafes on every street corner. In fact, Georgetown could be considered the food capital of Malaysia.  Which means the food capital of the world to most Malaysians! I would highly recommend stopping for some Roti Canai (delicious at any time of day!) and also try sampling the Nyonya cuisine. We had delicious meals at Junk Cafe, Viva Victoria and Lagenda Cafe. They were all very family-friendly and welcoming to our kids.

Penang Itinerary Day 2: Penang Hill and Beaches (Batu Ferringhi)

Penang Hill – Rise early and take a quick trip up the funicular at Penang Hill, the kids will love the ride alone. Once up the top, you’ll be treated to views across the lush island. There are some trails to walk on too, but you might want to save some energy for watersports and to jump in the waves at Batu Ferringhi.

In the late afternoon, make your way back East to Penang’s tourist hotspot Batu Ferringhi. Whether you like this beachside collection of highrises, mammoth resorts and tacky souvenir shops is a matter of personal choice. But, the crowds make it a fun beach to visit. You can hire jet skis or ride on banana boats too. There are only a few beach cafes right on the shore, I recommend Bora Bora Beach Bar for evening beers. Bring buckets and spades for the kids and you could easily spend a few hours here! Returning tourists from the resorts, swear by Andrew’s Kampung restaurant. Located in a run-down shopping mall, this little restaurants serves up classic Nyonya (Chinese-Malay) food.

Penang Itinerary Day 3: Beaches, Penang National Park and Tropical Spice Garden

Start the day early with a visit to Penang National Park before the heat and the crowds move in. Currently, reviews on the Park on Tripadvisor are very mixed, many mention over-tourism, scams and poorly-maintained walkways. Perhaps read some of the most recent reviews and decide if the park is suitable for you – especially if travelling with young children. The highlights of Penang National Park are the small pools at Teluk Tukun beach, Monkey Beach (Teluk Duyung) and a longer walk to Pantai Kerachut (a green turtle nesting ground).

In the afternoon, visit the Tropical Spice Garden – our children (and their grandmother) LOVED meandering around this gorgeous spice garden. The audio tour tells the story of the spice trade that has played a huge role in Penang’s history. Hands-on exhibits allow children to touch and smell spices as well as tea. Best of all for children (and adults!) is the giant swinging bench!

Before the Tropical Spice Garden, we enjoyed a delicious Thai lunch at the Tropical Spice Garden’s onsite restaurant, Tree Monkey. Set high in the trees overlooking the ocean, it’s an idyllic place to dine. The tamarind-flavoured green curry went down extremely well!

Across the road is a lovely white-sand public beach with lots of rocks for clambering and climbing over. There are a couple of basic cafes and toilet facilities too. This is a lovely spot to spend late afternoon and sunset.  H and Zizi were entertained for hours by the combination of rocks, sand and sea.

FAMILY TRAVEL TIP: If you’ve had a super efficient morning or decided against visiting Penang National Park, you may have time to pop into Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm. Having recently visited the Butterfly Park in Kuala Lumpur we didn’t visit Entopia but hear it’s a really great and well-designed child-friendly attraction.

If you only have 2 days in Penang

If you only have 2 days in Penang, opt for days 1 and 3 of the 3 days in Penang itinerary above. These two days will give you a great overview of the island as well as a sprinkling of beach time. Personally, I’d never recommend that you miss vibrant, historic Georgetown but I’m a history buff who loves a latte! If you’re more of an outdoor enthusiast or a beach lover, you might prefer less time there. There are short half-day tours and tourist buses around Georgetown that you can easily book.

Alternatively, if you only want to spend half a day in Georgetown negotiate with the rickshaw drivers (haggle hard) and design your own personalised tour of this captivating World Heritage City. Just make sure you grab at least two meals there, the food is amazing!

If you have 4 days in Penang…

Escape Theme Park – this theme park billed as Malaysia’s best looks incredible. When Rhino was relaxing in a bar, some adult tourists told him how amazing their experience was. And treated him to all the videos of their big adventure. It looks amazing and there is a huge waterpark there too. We decided not to visit this time as H and Zizi are a bit young and the crowds would have been huge due to Chinese New Year.  We’ll go next time though! Check it out and if you do decide to go tickets are up to 50% cheaper online. So, if you have more than 3 days in Penang, then Escape could make a great bolt-on.

How to get to Penang?

Penang has an international airport on the island itself. It’s around 18km south of Georgetown. In heavy traffic, it can be quite a long taxi journey from the airport to your hotel. So bear that in mind when you calculate your travel time. The taxi app Grab can be used for taxis from the airport and elsewhere in Penang. It works very efficiently in Georgetown but less well in more remote parts of the island.

The main train station is in Butterworth. It’s part of Penang State but is on the mainland, not Penang island. From the train station, you’ll need to walk to the ferry terminal (there’s a walkway). Ferries depart roughly every 10 minutes during the day. It’s a very quick journey of only 10 mins. Note: it’s free to take the ferry in the Penang-Butterworth direction but you must pay in the other direction.

There are also two incredibly long road bridges (13km and 24km long!) for those driving in their own vehicles from the peninsula.

Where to stay in Penang?

Travelling with two small children, we made the decision to stay near the beach. We found a reasonably priced Airbnb apartment right at the Eastern end of Batu Ferringhi. Although it wasn’t five-star luxury it suited our budget and there was plenty of space for our extended family.

My parents recently stayed at the Edison Hotel in the heart of Georgetown which they absolutely loved. It’s a boutique hotel housed in a heritage building with impeccable service and perfectly located for exploring the city.

I’ve heard good things about Penang’s ultimate family-friendly resort – the Hard Rock Hotel – but it’s not really our type of place. Similarly, the Shangri-La offers a really good family pool. So if resorts are your cup of tea definitely check these two out.

Is it easy to travel around Penang?

You could hire a car but you don’t really need to. There are bus routes running the North coast of Penang. If waiting for buses in the heat does work for you, use the Grab app to book private taxis. We never waited for longer than 10 minutes – and we were on the island during Chinese New Year when it’s very busy.

Alternatives to 3 days in Penang

If you want a good taste of Malaysia in a short amount of time, then I’d highly recommend 3 days in Penang. It offers a really good mix of experiences and awesome food! Georgetown is pretty unique too. Here are some alternatives though, particularly if you are based in Kuala Lumpur and can take advantage of the excellent transport options.

Why not explore Langkawi with kids? Langkawi is a Malaysian tropical island located near Thailand. Just a short hop from Penang with great beaches and lots of family-friendly attractions.

If you’re heading North, spend some time exploring the islands and beaches of Southern Thailand. Check out our popular post Southern Thailand Itinerary: 10 days in Thailand with Kids

Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed this post don’t forget to subscribe to World for a Girl to stay up-to-date with our latest travels.

Check out World for a Girl on Facebook and Twitter.

No time to read now? Pin for later?