Penang Shore Excursion: Discover Architecture and Culture with City Tour and Penang Hill
2.0
5 Ratings
George Town
Immerse yourself in the captivating architecture and rich culture of Penang on this shore excursion. Explore iconic landmarks like Penang Hill, Fort Cornwallis, and Armenian Street, and indulge in the vibrant atmosphere of Chowrasta Market and Gurney Plaza.
Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Penang Hills - Our Representative will pick up you at Hotel Lobby or Cruise Port and Proceed to City tour as follow:

Stop at :Armenian Street

Stroll through Armenian Street where its known for its street art/murals are found

Duration - 15 Minute

Stop at :Chew Jetty

The Clan Jetties of George Town only came about in the late 19th century. Part of the heritage trail, the clan jetties are a unique sight to witness as you walk through a wooden path on stilts with wooden houses beside you that are still inhabited by the locals till today. After the construction of the Quay in 1882, the waterfront was developed with short public landing stages or jetties. Settlements grew on these foundations and they were used for the loading and unloading of goods and for the mooring of sampans (boats). Gradually, each jetty became identified and dominated by certain clans and over time more huts sprung up. Be awed by the experience of going through a village atmosphere in the heart of the city. Walk through this quaint village made of wooden houses built on top of wooden stilts. Since Penang lost its free port status, most inhabitants here now dwell in many different trades.

30 Minute

Stop at : St. George’s Church

After that, take a short stroll through the famed Street of Harmony, home to all of the major religions in Malaysia. The settlement of different communities in one small location since the early 1800’s is an amazing sight to wonder. St. George’s Church is a 19th-century Anglican church in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is the oldest purpose built Anglican church in Southeast Asia. The church lies within the jurisdiction of the Upper North Archedeaconry of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia

Duration 15 Min

Stop at : Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Teng)

The Goddess of Mercy Temple is a Chinese temple in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated at Pitt Street, it was first built in 1728, making it Penang’s oldest Taoist temple. The temple is dedicated to the Taoist Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin.

Duration 15 Min

History of Penang Hill

With the oldest building (Convalescent Bungalow) dated to 1803 , Penang Hill is a good repository of bungalows featuring a fusion of architecture from British colonial to Asian and modern architecture.

Bel Retiro is a government bungalow on Penang Hill. It was built in 1789 for the Governor of Penang, and remains within the exclusive use of the government. It is the most prestigious property on Penang Hill, built in the 1800s as a resort for high govenment officials and visiting dignitaries. Bel Retiro Bungalow was the favourite retreat of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agung (King) and Tunku Abdul Rahman (Prime Minister) whenever they visit Penang. Senior government officers built their bungalows close to Bel Retiro, on the principle of closeness is next to greatness. Although the bungalow itself is out-of-bounds to the general public, one can hike up to its gate, a beautiful brick structure with an arch entranceway called the Gate House, for a nice photo opportunity.

Explore Penang Hill by Train

Explore, discover and take home sweet memories! Visit this great place with your loved ones.

Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks on Penang Island, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of the city centre of George Town. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay name Bukit Bendera, which actually refers to Flagstaff Hill, the most developed peak. Penang Hill covers a number of hills, with the highest point at Western Hill which is 833 metres (2,733 ft) above sea level. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area. It was used as a retreat during the British colonial period, and is now a popular tourist destination in Penang.

The top of the hill is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway from its base station at Jalan Bukit Bendera, Air Itam. To date, this funicular railway system is the only one of its kind in Malaysia, transporting over a million visitors to the peak of Penang Hill as of 2014.

Penang Hill is mainly a hilly granitic mass. The hill system is higher towards the northern part with its highest point at Western Hill, at an elevation of 833 m (2,733 ft) above sea level. Other than Western Hill, there are a number of peaks in the region, such as Bukit Laksamana (Malay for Admiral Hill), Tiger Hill, Flagstaff Hill, Haliburton’s Hill and Government Hill. Flagstaff Hill is 735 m (2,450 ft) above sea level. A number of small rivers and streams originate from the region. Sungai Pinang (Malay for Penang River) is the largest of the rivers, and it starts from a number of tributaries in the area

Duration 2 Hours Fast Lane Entrance pass Included

Stop at: Chowrasta Market

You will have your lunch at Chowrasta Market.Chowrasta Market is one of Penang’s oldest, dating back to the mid-19th century, and still one of its liveliest morning markets. Located in George Town’s picturesque old downtown, the market is still very accessible to visitors whilst retaining its very local characteristics. Have the opportunity to grab a small bite of some local delicacies. Lunch Own expenses

Duration - 1 Hour

Stop at : Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Built in 1833, the Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple in George Town is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, Malaysia, and features sculptures of gods and goddesses over its main entrance and facade. It is located at Queen Street, George Town. It is also known as Mariamman Temple or Queen Street Indian Temple

Duration 15 Min

Stop at : Fort Cornwallis (Photo Stop Only)

The 18th-century fort was built by the British East India Company, and while its cannons are still trained on the water, Fort Cornwallis has never engaged in battle.

Duration 15 Min

Stop at :Gurney Plaza

If time permits, you will go to Gurney Plaza to shop around for some souvenirs

Duration - 30 Min

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • Parking fees
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Through our Penang shoreline tours, we invite you to explore the stunning island frequently referred to as the “Oriental Pearl”. This place serves as a remarkable fusion point for Eastern and Western cultures, resulting in a distinctive charm. Penang enjoys the honor of being deemed a World Heritage site. Historically, Penang was one of the crucial islands on the maritime route through the Straits of Malacca and fell under the early British colonial rule. Nowadays, our Penang shoreline tours offers an enchanting blend of unique architecture and cultural highlights. We showcase various attractions in our Penang shoreline tours. These include:

• Penang Hill with Penang Hill Train Pass (Fast Lane)
• Fort Carnwallis
• Armenian Street
• Chew Jetty
• St: George Church
• Kuan Yin Teng
• Chowrasta Market
• Sri Mariamman Temple
• Gurney Plaza

Location
Georgetown Cruise Terminal
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
2.0
(5 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lawrence_s
Apr 30, 2024
Excellent Guide - Excellent guide. Very agreeable. Very knowledgeable. Big clean car. On time. Great communication. Very appreciative.
Review provided by Viator
Carol_b
Dec 2, 2023
Overall..... not a great... - Overall..... not a great experience. Great difficulty finding the driver (who was not holding any sign). Tour was paid in full for 4 persons....... only 2 of us were able to attend. When the driver realized there were only 2.....he contacted another driver and "dumped" 2 of us with another couple ( who were also not happy as they anticipated a private excursion). No "guiding" was provided (perhaps our fault as we didn't realize it was driver only). A number of the sites mentioned on the site were not visited. The "fast track" tickets to the funicular were an hour waiting in line. We feel the tour was misrepresented and we would not recommend this particular tour to others. This is the third tour we have booked on Viator thus far on our vacation; the first 2 being excellent. We had planned to book other tours with Viator, but now are quite hesitant about doing so. Carol
Review provided by Viator
Fincabiggs
Mar 14, 2024
Bad company & bad customer service Viator - We thought we had booked a private tour for just us two, however, it turned out to be a tour for 6 people. The driver picked my wife and I up as my wife has an ESIM so he could WhatsApp us. He did not wait or park up we had to jump in the car with all the traffic beeping at him for stopping where he did. The other 4 passengers we knew nothing about and he didn’t wait for them as they didn’t have WhatsApp, even though they had been waiting long before us. We went to the train station to go up the hill. He collected us plus the other 4 people who he had had to go back for as his boss kept calling him. The next site to see, he pulled up in the car park and would not let us out as he said it would take us over an hour. We had friends there at the same time and they said the wait was 10 minutes. The air conditioning in his car did not work so as we all complained he decided to change his car. He then drove to his home, which took an hour to get to. NOT acceptable. By then we had had enough of his attitude and driving skills. We asked for a taxi to take us back to the ship from his home. He said he would drop us off at the ship but he wasn’t happy. The whole experience was appalling. We applied for a refund from Viator but they refused. We will not use this company again and we cannot recommend Viator as we booked other trips with them and drivers didn’t turn up.
Review provided by Viator
Howard_b
Feb 10, 2024
0/100 avoid - Avoid turned up late after we made 5 phone calls did not have a clue 2 broken car One had to be pushed to start on did a fraction of the tour Viator no help
Review provided by Viator
Terry_n
Jan 1, 2024
Beware of this tour operator - I had to gave a star inorder to review but wouldn't have and here's why...things took a downward turn on the day of the tour. We were informed that the vehicle for our private tour had been swapped, and to our surprise, another car and driver were randomly picked up at the pier. Suddenly, what was supposed to be a private tour became a group tour with two additional guests who had booked the same tour. To make matters worse, I found myself acting as the tour guide, responsible for redeeming all the tickets to Penang Hill. In addition, I had to take charge of deciding the next sightseeing stops since the assigned driver was unfamiliar with the itinerary. It was an incredibly disappointing and bewildering experience. I felt like an orphan child being handed over to another driver. I cannot recommend this tour to others. I sincerely hope that Viator will conduct more thorough due diligence to avoid promoting poorly run tours and maintain their reliable image.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today