Ultimate Penang Hill Travel Guide, Day Trip to Penang’s Hill Resort!
The views and the weather is gorgeous at the top of Penang Hill
Penang Hill, also known as Bukit Bendera, is one of Malaysia's most popular and historic tourist destinations. It’s actually a hill resort home to a diverse ecosystem, hiking trails, and an eco-tourism park called The Habitat complete with canopy walkways and educational exhibits about the hill's flora and fauna.
It’s the perfect place for a day trip and is a must visit destination whenever you are in Penang, so join me in this Ultimate Penang Hill Travel Guide as I bring you to explore this 833 meter high hilltop resort!
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My YouTube Video on Penang Hill!
If you want to see my experiences at Penang Hill as well as touring through all the amazing eats in George Town, Penang then check out my YouTube video above! Also if you enjoy the video how about supporting me by subscribing to my YouTube Channel? ;)
How to Get to Penang Hill From George Town?
Not far, but depending on the traffic it may be so
Penang Hill is located in the Air Itam suburb just on the outer reaches of George Town. To get to Penang Hill’s Lower Station from George Town, there are basically 2 options: car or bus.
Via Car, Taxi, Grab
This will be the most straight forward journey. I recommend using Grab, Malaysia’s choice of ride hailing service, because it’s convenient and widely used. In fact I use Grab as my main mode of transport while on my Malaysia Holiday.
The ride can take about 25 minutes and it’ll cost you roughly 50 MYR. You can purchase online tickets here for private transports and minivans.
Via Public Bus
The cheaper and more time consuming option is taking the public bus. You’ll want to hop on the 204 Bus. The journey takes about 45 minutes and it’ll cost you around 12 MYR. I know I just said I often used Grab but on this day I took the public bus up to Penang Hill, it was a comfortable enough ride.
The Penang Hill Funicular Railway Train
There is a lot of people at the Penang Hill Lower Station so you better come early to get your ticket
I’ve mentioned the Penang Hill Lower Station, that’s because you need to ride the Penang Hill Funicular Railway up the steep mountain to reach the actual Penang Hill Resort.
Built in 1923, this iconic railway track is the engineering pride and joy of Penang and it stretches the 2 kilometers up to the Penang hill resort mountains. It is in fact, one of the steepest railway tracks in the entire world!
The Funicular railway has been renovated twice in the past, once in 1977, and once in 2010. I believe the current iteration of the Penang Funicular Railway is in its third generation. In fact you can even see the second generation funicular train off to the side whilst riding up Penang Hill.
The pride and joy of Penang Island, the Funicular Train
The ride up to Penang Hill via the Funicular Railway costs 30 MYR for adults for a two way journey (8 MYR for one way), and the journey is roughly 15 minutes to get up to the top. However there are different price options available for children and seniors as well as a bunch of other promotions and packages. You can check the price at the Official Penang Hill Website.
A WORD OF WARNING: There are a lot of people… Especially during peak travel seasons, and there are only so many funicular railway trains. I arrived at the Lower Penang Hill Funicular Station at around 11:00 AM and my allotted time for boarding the train was at 2:00 PM! I used the time to go explore the nearby Kek Lok Si Temple, the largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia, but nevertheless, plan your visits early, or come when tourism is at low season.
And make sure you get your return tickets at counter at the Upper Penang Hill station for the ride down, because you’ll also need to wait for a scheduled time.
Exploring and Things to Do at Penang Hill
There is lots to see and do at the Penang Hill Resort
Penang Hill is part of Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, Looking at the map above, the Penang Hill resort area is quite extensive and you could spend a good day here and still wouldn’t be able to discover everything these mountains have to offer. I only spent a good half-day here and still felt like there is so much to explore!
If you watched my George Town YouTube Video, or checked out my George Town Travel Guide, you’ll have heard of Captain Francis Light, the founder of the Penang colony. He was the first to plot a track up to the peak of Penang Hill in 1788. Soon after the hill became sort of a tourist destination for the British colonists to escape the heat of George Town.
The monkey was too fast, my camera could not capture him in time
Nowadays, Penang Hill is a must visit attraction on Penang island, and in my opinion one of its most charming characteristics is the wildlife and fauna that make these hills their home. Penang Hill is home to over 100 species of birds and plenty of small mammals like squirrels and monkeys as well as nocturnal creatures like bats and colugos (flying lemurs).
Being a city boy myself, the windy breeze, the cool temperatures, all the luscious trees and plants, and all the interesting wildlife makes exploring Penang Hill a joy! I even saw a family of monkeys just running about and crossing roads.
You can see all of George Town from up here
The best part about Penang Hill, and the main reason why it became such a popular tourist attraction, is the weather.
Yes! Really, if you’re in George Town you’ll quickly notice how much you sweat while walking through the city’s many streets and alleyways. Penang Hill’s climate is cooler at around 20 °C to 27 °C, often 5 °C cooler compared to George Town. Not to mention the cool winds that are constantly blowing up there.
The Habitat Penang Hill
It almost looks like a crown!
One of the major attractions in the Penang Hill resort is The Habitat, a large rainforest discovery and education centre. Sitting on the edge of the UNESCO Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, The Habitat Park is where you can truly immerse yourself in nature. This is a great place for families as well as many of the activities here focus on learning about the over 2,500 species of flora and fauna found in these mountains.
I’d say the must-do things at The Habitat Penang Hill are:
Hiking Trail - A brisk hiking trail laid in the 1880s by British colonists
Curtis Crest Treetop Walk - A circular viewing platform to enjoy the views
Langur Way Canopy Walk - The Longest double span stressed ribbon bridge in the world
You can purchase an e-Ticket for The Habitat Penang Hill at the link I’ve provided for a great discounted price.
Masjid Bukit Bendera
How nice to have a mosque all the way up here
Also known as the Penang Hill Mosque, the Masjid Bukit Bendera is the only mosque in Penang Hill. Though it’s a very humble mosque it’s still quite nice to take a look as the area around the mosque feels like a school backyard, with seating, snack stalls, and a little playground for kids.
It’s also a nice contrast to the colonial atmosphere of hills
Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan
Even better to also have a Hindu temple
The Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan is one of the oldest Hindu Temples in Penang, it was built in the 19th century as a small shrine dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan, a deity associated with the Hindu festival of Thaipusam.
Though I only admired the temple from the outside, I can’t deny that the colorful art and the intricate architecture is strikingly beautiful. I especially like the dozens of carved figures and characters dotted on the top of the temple structure. The amount of time and attention to detail it must take to built this temple is astonishing. Certainly different to the Thai Buddhist Temples that I am used to back in my home country.
Places to Eat in Penang Hill
A great snack to re-energize after a hike
For being located 833 meters above sea level, Penang Hill has some surprisingly great restaurants to dine at, there is even a small stall selling a variety of Indian style snacks made of peas, peanuts, beans, and chickpeas.
MonkeyCup Garden and Kopi Hutan
Anyone up for some coffee in the jungle?
At the furthest reaches of the Penang Hill resort are two little coffee shops called MonkeyCup Garden and Kopi Hutan. These are more local style cafes amidst the rainforest with a cozy and very welcoming vibe.
Coffee is good, food is good, but what really sets these two places apart from the other restaurants is the atmosphere, the fact that you get to eat while listening to the gentle drops of rainforest dew, and the subtle chirping of wild birds, it’s really beautiful.
Though it does take a while to get there, about a 25 minute walk from the Penang Hill Upper Station.
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Location: Bukit Bendera, Penang, Malaysia
David Brown’s Restaurant
David Brown’s looks literally like someone’s back yard turned into a restaurant
The most famous and popular of Penang Hill’s Restaurants is David Brown’s, a classy and iconic British colonial style restaurant serving delicious food with a beautiful view. You can expect the menu to contain a variety of hors d'oeuvers, steaks, fresh puddings, pies, roasts, and vegetarian options.
The atmosphere at David Brown’s feels like you’re dining at somebody’s house, it really is cozy.
Opening Hours: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Location: Strawberry Hill, Penang Hill, Bukit Bendera, 11300 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia
The Astaka Cliff Cafe
A nice bowl of Ice Kacang to beat the heat
The Astaka Cliff Cafe closely resembles a food court that you find in shopping malls across Asia. It’s a three story building with stalls selling a variety of food and beverages like your classic Char Kway Teow, Laksa, fried rice, and shaved ice.
Food is cheap and affordable here, and the bottom floor also has a few souvenir shops for you to browse through.
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Location: Jalan Tunku Yahaya Petra, 10000 Bukit Bendera, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Hiking Trails at Penang Hill
You can see the Penang Hill train tracks during your hike up
Hiking and rainforest mountains go hand in hand and if you remember the map of the Penang Hill resort, you’ll notice there are a plethora of hiking trails all throughout the area. Each of these trails are around 4 - 6 km in distance, so be prepared with plenty of snacks and water.
Penang Hill’s Hiking & Nature Walk Trails
This trail has been here since 1825!
In Penang Hill are various hiking trails that take you to different parts of the resort, each featuring their own points of interests. There are a few hiking trails that seem popular: the Jeep Trail, the Bukit Gantung Trail, and the Moongate Trail.
In total there are over 20 hiking trails and nature walk trails to discover in Penang Hill. If you stick to the popular tracks then you should be safe from the usual dangers of hiking, like wildlife for example.
I don’t know much about the hiking trails but I want to guide you to some useful resources if you want to learn more about them:
Penang Hills Hiking Trails Map - Official Penang Hill website with navigation guides and maps for all the hiking trails
Klook’s Blog Post - An article and sort of guide by Klook about the various hiking trails in Penang Hill
Heritage Trail
Be sure to pack plenty of water, this is going to be a tough hike
The Penang Hill Heritage trail is a bit different as it’s the trail leading from the bottom Lower Penang Hill Station up all the way to the Upper Penang Hill Station. It’s named as such because this IS the actual trail that the British colonists took to reach Penang Hill some 2 centuries ago.
The trail stretches up 2.6 kilometers and it’ll roughly take you 2 hours to go one way. Yes this is a very difficult and tiring hike as you’ll be ascending up at a steep angle. Be sure you are fit and well prepared with plenty of water and snacks.
If you want more details, I want to recommend this excellent blog post by OnPenang, they’ve detailed the entire Heritage Trail route.
Good Luck :)
Penang Hill Hotels and Accommodations
A nice cozy bungalow
You could spend a night at Penang Hill in case you didn’t get to fully explore all its activities, there are 2 Penang Hill hotels that I recommend:
The Bellevue Hotel
Rooms are simple yet very comfortable
The Bellevue Hotel a quaint little hotel that is just a little bit away from the Penang Hill Upper Station and its comfortable bungalow style rooms are a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenic views of the lush forestry and George Town city skyline. The Bellevue hotel includes breakfast as well as free WiFi. I recommend you book quickly because there are only 12 rooms available. You can book a reservation online here.
Hillside Retreat
Rent a tent and you’ll be good to go
If you want to be one with nature, then the Hillside Retreat offers camping tents in addition to regular rooms, you can also bring your own tent. This hotel is located a bit further away from the central Penang Hill resort attraction but it’s nearby The Habitat Eco-park which is a major attraction in Penang Hill.
High up in the mountains of Penang Hill, waking up to the morning fog, the beautiful nature, and the blissful weather. What more could you ask for in camping? You can book a reservation online here.
Details About Penang Hill
Penang Hill is a hilltop resort and the most popular attraction on the island of Penang, Malaysia. There are various activities like hiking, eco-tourism parks, and much more, plus there are also restaurants and hotels in case you want to stay overnight.
Phone: +6 04 828 8880
Location: Penang Hill, Bukit Bendera, 11300 Bukit Bendera, Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM | Mon - Sun
Official Website: https://www.penanghill.gov.my/index.php/en/
Looking for Things to Do in Penang?
TOP Penang - 249 meter tall observation point atop Komtar Tower, tallest in George Town
Entopia Butterfly Farm - A large farm with over 15,000 butterflies and 200 plant species
ESCAPE Penang - Water park with the world record for Longest Tube Water Slide at 1,111 meters
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price
Useful Resources for Traveling in Malaysia
Tourism Information - All the information you need when travelling in Malaysia
Private Airport Transfers - Private transfer from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the city
KLIA Ekspress Ticket - Ticket for the KLIA transfer via express train
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