Voyaggora
Top sights in Penang
- George Town, Penang – Capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang
- Kek Lok Si – Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang
- Penang Hill – Mountain
- Khoo Kongsi – Chinese clan temple in George Town, Penang, Malaysia
- Fort Cornwallis – Bastion fort in George Town, Penang, Malaysia
- Pinang Peranakan Mansion – Historic house museum in Penang, Malaysia
Well-known landmarks, each checked against Wikidata (CC0), which also supplies the one-line descriptions. The bookable tours below are the second layer: guided ways to see them.
Top-rated tours in Penang
Planning your trip to Penang
Climate and seasons
Penang has an equatorial climate, with temperatures of about 22 °C at night and 30 °C by day, between 70 and 90 percent humidity and about 2,400 mm of rain a year. The driest months are usually January and February, and the wettest period is usually September to November, with August also quite wet. The high season is around Christmas, New Year's Day and Chinese New Year.
Getting around
Walking is one of the best ways to see George Town: wear light clothes, start early in the morning and use plenty of sunscreen. The RapidPenang bus service has its main hub at KOMTAR and a secondary hub at the Pengkalan Weld ferry terminal.
Staying safe
Penang is relatively very safe for travellers, but take common precautions against snatch-thieves and scammers: do not walk alone in dark, deserted places, do not accept rides from unlicensed taxis (kereta sapu), and do not leave valuables in hotel rooms or on restaurant tables.
Summarised from Wikivoyage: Penang (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Where to stay in Penang
Hotels and vacation rentals around Penang with live prices from the big booking sites. Pick your dates on the map to compare.
Hotel map by our partner Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Best time to visit Penang
By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Penang are January to February and December, with average daytime highs of 82 to 85°F (28 to 29°C) and 17 to 24 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick that has not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. March is the hottest month, averaging 86°F (30°C), and October the coolest at 82°F (28°C). November sees the most rain, around 30 days, while February is the driest with about 17.
Jump to a month: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain (about, mm) | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 83°F (28°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 90 | 19 | Comfortable: 19 rainy days |
| February | 85°F (29°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 60 | 17 | Comfortable: 17 rainy days |
| March | 86°F (30°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 150 | 24 | Shoulder: 86°F (30°C), 24 rainy days |
| April | 85°F (29°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 200 | 28 | Shoulder: 85°F (29°C), 28 rainy days |
| May | 84°F (29°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 240 | 28 | Shoulder: 84°F (29°C), 28 rainy days |
| June | 83°F (28°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 180 | 25 | Shoulder: 83°F (28°C), 25 rainy days |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 200 | 22 | Shoulder: 84°F (29°C), 22 rainy days |
| August | 83°F (28°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 220 | 26 | Shoulder: 83°F (28°C), 26 rainy days |
| September | 83°F (28°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 260 | 25 | Shoulder: 83°F (28°C), 25 rainy days |
| October | 82°F (28°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 300 | 29 | Avoid: among the wettest, 29 rainy days |
| November | 82°F (28°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 270 | 30 | Avoid: among the wettest, 30 rainy days |
| December | 82°F (28°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 180 | 24 | Comfortable: 24 rainy days |
Average daily high and low, and days with rain (a day with at least 1 mm), from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted rows are the pick above. Verdicts use only these numbers.
Rainfall: NASA POWER monthly normals. Sea temperature: NOAA daily satellite data.
Plan the rest of your trip to Penang
More destinations in Asia
Closest guides to Penang
Planning guides
Right now in Penang
Is it safe to travel to Malaysia right now?
Official US, UK and Canada travel advice for Malaysia, side by side, with each source and the time it was checked. See today's advisory for Malaysia
Penang: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Penang?
- By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Penang are January to February and December, when average highs run 82 to 85°F (28 to 29°C) with 17 to 24 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick, not yet checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. March is the hottest month at 86°F (30°C) on average, and October the coolest at 82°F (28°C).
- What is the rainiest month in Penang?
- November, with roughly 30 days of rain. The driest is February, with about 17. A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain; figures are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Penang?
- Temperatures barely change through the year: average daytime highs stay between 82 to 86°F (28 to 30°C). The bigger seasonal difference is rain: November is the wettest month, with around 30 rainy days.
- What is the rainy season in Penang?
- The wettest months in Penang are March to June and August to December, with 24 to 30 rainy days a month. February is the driest.
- Is it safe to travel to Malaysia right now?
- Voyaggora shows the official US, UK and Canada travel advisories for Malaysia on one page, with the source and the time each was last checked. Open the live advisory for Malaysia before you book.
- What other places are near Penang?
- The closest Voyaggora guides to Penang are Kuala Lumpur (180 miles), Krabi (210 miles), Phuket (220 miles).
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