Malaysia · Southeast Asia
Penang
Street-food pilgrimage site with a UNESCO old town.
Travellers come here for food, culture, slowing down and meeting people.
When to go
Aim for January, December and February. Think twice about September, June and July — that is the wet season.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 33°C91°F | 34°C93°F | 33°C91°F | 32°C90°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 31°C88°F | 30°C86°F | 30°C86°F | 29°C84°F |
What it costs
Per person per day — a bed, food, getting around, and a share of one paid thing every third day.
These are GoReady's own estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price a provider has offered you — search the dates you actually want to see real ones.
Eating
759 places to eat and drink are mapped within walking distance of the centre — 477 restaurants, 241 cafés and 41 bars and pubs. 96% carry no chain or brand operator.
Of the 311 that record what they serve, the most common are:
- chinese 61
- malaysian 48
- indian 34
- asian 17
- breakfast 14
- thai 13
37 record vegetarian options and 14 record vegan ones.
Counted from OpenStreetMap's map of Penang as of 2026-10-19. A place with no cuisine recorded is one nobody has tagged, not one without a kitchen. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting there
The airport is PEN. Penang is on an intercity rail network, so nearby stops are often better reached by train than by air.