4 Best Ways For Getting Around Penang (All Transport Options)

Penang transport like the public buses can get you across the island reliably. And there’s even a free shuttle that goes around George Town!

However, both the heritage zone, George Town and the industrial zone, Bayan Lepas are prone to rush hour traffic jams. And the narrow roads don’t help in this regard.

There have always been talks for a monorail system to connect between the north and south of the island. But till that happens, these are the current modes of transportation.

Table Of Contents:

• Public Transport
• Grab Or Taxi
• Car Rental Service
• Penang Local Tour

1. Getting Around Penang With Public Transport

The main public bus system in Penang is known as Rapid Penang.

Fares are affordable (Typically RM1 – RM4) and they have routes to cover most parts of the city!

Tip: Exact change is necessary!

1.1. Getting From The Airport To City Centre

Most first-time visitors to Penang will want to head to George Town first! Thankfully, there’s public transport (i.e. bus) available that connects the George Town with Penang International Airport.

And so, if you want to save money, this is the way to do it.

But if you’re in a hurry, a taxi or e-hailing service would be a better option! As it takes almost 1.5 hours by bus to reach George Town from the airport!

1.1.1. Penang Airport To Georgetown

The bus fare should cost RM2.70. And there’s usually a bus leaving every 30 minutes to 1 hour from the airport.

These are the bus routes to look out for. The bus numbers are displayed at screen on the top front of the bus but you should also double confirm with the driver when you enter the bus.

Rapid Penang Bus	401	401E	102
Operating Hours	5:55am to 11:30pm	5:45am to 10:30pm	6am to 11:15pm
Interval	60 to 105 minutes	20 to 25 minutes	90 to 150 minutes

The final destination of Bus 102 is Teluk Bahang which is perfect if you want to go directly from Penang airport to Gurney Drive, Batu Ferringhi or Penang National Park!

Expect the fare for this route to be around RM4.

For more details, read this guide on how to get from Penang Airport to Georgetown.

1.1.2. Airport To Queensbay Mall

If it’s a weekend, you can take Bus 306 to Queensbay Mall from the airport. This route terminates at Hospital P.Pinang I with 54 stops in between.

The journey should take around 20 minutes and cost RM1-4.

Rapid Penang Bus	306
Operating Hours	5:30am to 10:30pm
Interval	40 to 70 minutes

Note: Alternatively, you can take Bus 401E too as this bus also stops at Queensbay Mall.

1.2. Getting Around Central George Town

Once in George Town, there are basically 3 methods for getting around.

1.2.1. Getting Around George Town By CAT Shuttle

The Central Area Transit Loop Line is a free shuttle bus system with 22 stops around George Town, and some of them are close to Penang attractions!

Operation hours are from 6am until 11:45pm for this hop on and hop off bus in Penang.

Buses for this circulate come every 10 to 15 minutes which is considerably frequent.  

CAT Shuttle Route (Notable stops):

• Weld Quay’s ferry bus terminal (or Pengkalan Weld) – sit on the left for the best views

• Ferry Bus Terminal – British colonial buildings, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee and Wisma Kastam are here
• Little India (Chulia Street)
• OCBC Bank Penang – Pinang Peranakan Mansion and Wonder Food Museum are under 3 minutes’ walk from this stop

• Bank Negara – historic landmarks like the Town Hall and Fort Cornwallis
• Muzium Pulau Pinang – 4 minutes’ walk to Love Lane
• Smk St. Xavier – 4 minutes’ walk from Cheong Fatt Tze (The Blue Mansion)

• KOMTAR – With another major bus terminal for buses that go on to Balik Pulau or Batu Ferringhi; This stop is also close to Kimberly Street Food Night Market (~9 minutes’ walk. There are 2 shopping malls here (Prangin Mall and 1st Avenue Mall)
• Kampung Kolam – The Sun Yat Sen Musuem and Khoo Kongsi are under 5 minutes’ walk from this stop;

• Gereja St. George (St. George’s Church) – also within walking distance (5 minutes) to the Goddess of Mercy Temple
• Dewan Sri Pinang – Another chance to stop at British colonial landmarks (City Hall, Town Hall, War Memorial, etc)
• Padang Kota Lama – Fort Cornwallis and Queen Victoria’s Memorial Clock Tower
• Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal
• Jetty – Close to the clan jetties of Penang

1.2.2. Getting Around George Town By Bicycle

Cycling allows you to cover more Penang street art at your own pace. Or to see the more remote clan jetties of Penang!

Just watch out for traffic! And check the weather forecast for fierce sunshine or heavy rain before you decide to rent out some bicycles.

Where To Get A Bicycle:

• Some hotels offer bicycles for rent (or free) for their guests.
• You can also find bicycle rental shops along Armenian Street or Chulia Street. A simple single-gear bike costs between RM10 and 20 to rent per day.

Note: Check that the rental shop provides a helmet and bike lock!

• Link Bicycles have convenient docking stations around the city that make the returning process so much easier.

Read more: Love Lane Penang: What To Love About This Popular Street In George Town

1.2.3. Getting Around George Town By Vespa

Here is the recommended Vespa rental service that you can check out:

• La Belle Vespa Rental – Google Maps

1.2.4. Getting Around George Town By Rickshaw

Although not as common as they used to be, the 3-wheeled trishaw is another advantageous way to get around George Town.

You can find rickshaws at touristy areas like:

• The junction of Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian) and Cannon Street (Lebuh Cannon)
• Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
• Citidel Hotel at Penang Road (Jalan Penang)
• Close to Fort Cornwallis

It’s a competitive business so peddlers will usually be willing to negotiate.

Cost: ~RM40 – 50 for 1.5 hours

Note: Tip them after your ride! It’s not an easy job!

1.2.5. Walking Around George Town

For photography buffs especially, walking is the slowest but still the way to take stellar shots of architecture, street art, Penang food and people!

You can stop anywhere you want to (except busy roads of course) and it’s free!

Tips for walking in Penang:

• Watch out for broken pavement and other obstacles like hawker stalls or construction works
• Be extra alert at night
• Malay words to look out for: Jalan (Road), Lorong (Lane) and Lebuh (Street)

1.3. Getting To Central Penang

Somewhere in the middle of the island (Air Itam) are 2 must-see Penang attractions! The majestic Kek Lok Si and Penang Hill!

Here is how you can get to these locations if you don’t have your own ride.

Duration: ~1 hour

1.3.1. Getting To Penang Hill

If your destination is Penang Hill, you need to get yourself over to the Penang Hill Lower Station where you can get tickets for and board the funicular that goes up to Penang Hill.

For those starting their journey from George Town, look for the Rapid Penang Bus 204 from Pengkalan Weld (close the old jetty terminal).

Bus 204 operates daily from as early as 5:30am to 11:30pm with intervals of around 30 minutes.

With this bus, there are about 40 stops between Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) and the jetty. And therefore, the journey can take 40 to 50 minutes.

But bus 204 will take you to the Penang Hill Lower Station where you can buy tickets for the funicular train up to Penang Hill.

Note: This same bus does a detour to Kek Lok Si Temple too!

1.3.2. Getting To Kek Lok Si

Likewise, you can take a bus from George Town to Kek Lok Si Temple. Albeit with more options of bus routes.

Bus numbers include 201, 203, 204 & 502.

The journey will take 30 minutes or more. And none of these buses will take you to directly to the temple.

You’ll still have to take other transport from Air Itam (e.g, e-hailing service) to reach the temple.

1.4. Getting To Northwest Penang

The north-west coast of Penang has a lot in store for people who want to spend time outdoors!

And when it comes to public transport, there are currently 2 bus routes from Rapid Penang that you can take to reach Batu Ferringhi (Bus 101 and bus 102).

Note: If you take Bus 102 from the Penang International Airport to Batu Ferringhi, it might take more than an hour.

Cost by bus is around RM4.

1.4.1. Getting To Batu Ferringhi

Highlights Of Batu Ferringhi:

• Batu Ferringhi Night Market (Daily from 7pm)
• Batu Ferringhi beach

From George Town: Bus 101 & 102 from KOMTAR

Duration: 1 hour

1.4.2. Getting To Teluk Bahang

Both bus routes, 101 and 102 will also take you to Teluk Bahang. This area is further west of Batu Ferringhi and here, there are several attractions that you can check out.

Highlights Of Teluk Bahang:

• Penang National Park
• Entopia By Penang Butterfly Farm

• Penang Batik Factory
• Tropical Fruit Farm
• Teluk Bahang Dam (Annual dragon boat festival, jogging venue, great views, etc)
• ESCAPE Theme Park
• Waterfall (Air Terjun Taman Rimba is family-friendly)

From George Town: Bus 101 and 102 from KOMTAR

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1.4.3. Getting To Balik Pulau

Balik Pulau is known for durian but there are other rural sights to see in this quieter side of Penang.

Those heading to Balik Pulau have plenty of options for bus routes that go towards the south of the island. Although you might have to transfer between different buses.

Bus Routes You Can Take To Balik Pulau:

• Bus 202 from the jetty to Paya Terubong where you can change to bus T502 to continue your journey to Balik Pulau; This takes close to an hour with a 2-minute walk
• Bus 502 – a direct journey from Jetty A stop to the bus terminal of Balik Pulau (Terminal Bas Balik Pulau); This takes about an hour
• Bus 401E from the east side of Komtar is a direct journey to Balik Pulau (Terminal Bas Balik Pulau) that takes 1.5 hours

Highlights Of Balik Pulau:

• Street art
• Saanen Dairy Goat Farm
• Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory
• Pulau Betong fishing village
• Bao Sheng Durian farm
• Countryside Stables Penang
• Cycling tours in the countryside

From George Town: Bus 202/T502, 401 or 502 from Jetty A

Duration: ~1 to 1.5 hours

1.5. Getting To Mainland Penang

Penang island may capture most of the attention from visitors, but the mainland does have its own attractions too:

• Auto city – entertainment and food hub suitable for families
• Design Village Penang (premium outlet) and IKEA at Batu Kawan
• Nine Emperor Gods temple
• Froghill of Tasik Gelugor
• Penang Bird Park

Just to name a few!

1.5.1. Take A Taxi Or Ferry From Penang Island To Butterworth

By taxi, you’d get an immediate transfer from your hotel in George Town to where you want to get to in Butterworth. A drive across to the mainland from Penang Island will take at least 40 minutes.

Or you can take the 20-minute Rapid Ferry from Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Butterworth!

It costs RM1 to RM8 and Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal is walking distance (10-20 minutes’) from George Town!

Read this detailed guide on how to get from Penang Georgetown To Butterworth.

Read more: The Top KOMTAR Penang (Detailed Guide): Things To Do, Tickets, Food

Pros & Cons Taking Public Bus Around Penang

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Covers most places of interest
• Environmentally friendly (shared transport = less emissions!)
• No need to find parking

Cons:

• Subject to Penang traffic
• Need to have exact fare (no change given)
• Takes considerably longer than driving or taking a taxi
• No immediate transfer/ pick-up from your hotel
• Not convenient if you have a lot of luggage, elders or young children in your group

Tips For Taking The Public Bus Around Penang

• Have exact change ready before you board the bus!
• Let the driver know where you want to get off.
• There won’t be any announcements of bus stop names during the bus trip
• If you plan to rely on the bus to get around Penang, pick accommodation close to KOMTAR

2. Getting Around Penang With Grab Or Taxi

Like in most major cities in Malaysia, the e-hailing service, Grab in Penang is not too expensive and very convenient! Especially for one-way journeys from the airport or to and from popular shopping malls and your hotel.

Pros & Cons Taking Grab Around Penang

Pros:

• Prices are more or less fixed (unlike taxis – the ones that don’t use a meter!)
• No worry about finding parking
• Widely available in the city

Cons:

• Will be affected by Penang traffic
• Can be hard to find a return Grab from more remote locations (e.g. Penang National Park)
• Prices are higher on public holidays and peak times (e.g., lunch or dinner)

3. Getting Around Penang With A Car Rental Service

Numerous car rental companies in Penang will rent out a small car (5 pax) for around RM150/day.

It’s possible to rent them from the airport too!

Pros & Cons Driving Yourself Around Penang

Pros:

• Flexible travel at your own pace
• Less worry about missing departure as is the case for buses!

Cons:

• Difficult to find parking in George Town
• Have to pay parking fees (except on Sunday)
• Need to avoid rush hour
• Not advisable for those with no prior experience driving in Malaysia

4. Getting Around Penang With A Local Tour Guide

And lastly, there’s hiring a private tour service like RayTheTour!

Pros:

• Choose your own itinerary or let the guides take you around their hometown!
• English or Chinese-speaking guides
• Direct pick-up from your hotel, airport or anywhere else in Penang
• Drop off to your hotel after the tour
• Tour hours around 9am to 6-7pm
• Comfortable transport (either MPV or van)
• Parking fees and petrol costs are included
• RayTheTour does tours for Cameron Highlands, Ipoh and Taiping too!

Cons:

• Travel time is dependent on Penang traffic
• Costly for solo and couple travelers

For inquiries and bookings, message them on WhatsApp!

PS: They don’t do car rentals!

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Further reading:

• How To Get To Penang Island From Kuala Lumpur (KL)
• Best Way To Travel From Langkawi To Penang (All Methods + Cheap Option)

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Conclusion

Getting around Penang is straightforward if you know which areas you want to explore! Because besides George Town, there is central Penang and north-west Penang.

You can review the advantages and disadvantages of the available transportation in Penang in this guide. From bus, taxi, ferry, rental car services and private tours!

If your travel group has less than 3 people and you don’t need a guide but want to travel as quickly and as comfortably as possible:

We recommend taking a mix of the CAT shuttle (within George Town) and an e-hailing service for places further out.