George Town Heritage Trail offers visitors to Penang great options for immersion in its rich cultural tapestry.
SmartDory recommends an overnight holiday stay in the heart of the city.
This 4-star is housed in a colonial building that dates back to 1892.
The hotel faces the Weld Quay, one of the major ports in Malaya.
Once teemed with ships worldwide, the Penang Waterfront was once a transportation hub with warehouses next to The Royale Chulan Penang.
There’s plenty to check out for visitors and travelers keen to discover Penang’s iconic heritage buildings and monuments without wandering too far.
Start Your George Town Heritage Trail Here
Here’s a handy guide to 10 iconic sights and colonial buildings worth checking out.
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
The Jubilee Clock Tower was a gift given to Cheah Chen Eok, a philanthropist, to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
The clock tower was built from 1897 to 1902. It stood over 60 feet (18 meters), with each foot representing a year in Queen Victoria’s reign.
The architecture is Moorish.
The best photograph of the Jubilee Clock Tower can be taken at the junction of Light Street and Beach Street.
Take this as your bearing for the start of the Heritage Trail.
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, also known as the Jubilee Clock Tower, Penang Photo: SmartDory.
Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal
Swettenham Pier was established in 1903, at the height of shipping activity in George Town.
Massive ocean liners and coastal steamers used to dock at the pier.
In 2010, the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal was completed.
Locals join the popular cruise to nowhere on weekends for a beautiful night in the casino offshore in international waters.
Today, Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal caters to the infrequent berthing of large passenger and cargo ships. Visitors can depart Langkawi / Medan from here.
On arrival at Kuah Jetty in Langkawi, visitors can take a ferry to Koh Lipe, Thailand.
The Esplanade
Visitors enjoy a drive along the seaside promenade called the Esplanade along the edge of the field known locally as the Padang towards Fort Cornwallis, Penang.
Cars parked on both sides of Jalan Padang Kota Lama in George Town. On the left is the seaside Esplanade. To the right is Fort Cornwallis. Photo: SmartDory
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis faces the sea north of George Town. Built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century, it is the largest standing fort in Malaysia.
Built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century, Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia.
Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia.
Look out for the largest canon, Seri Rambai cast in 1603! Photo: SmartDory
Old cannons decorate the fort. The most extensive canon, Seri Rambai, was cast in 1603.
Ten years later, the Acehnese took possession of Seri Rambai and carried it to Aceh. After more than 300 years, Seri Rambai was returned to the fort in the 1950s.
Here’s a legend I heard as a convent girl in the 1970s, for a bit of a chuckle.
Seri Rambai rose from the sea unassisted when it sank on board a ship. Barren married women place flowers on the canon and sit astride it to ask for fertility.
Of course, naive teenage Convent girls tried that, but no one got pregnant as it was for married women.
Watch out for the big sign, “Please do not sit on this canon.”
Entrance Fee (2018)
Adult: RM 20.00 |Children: RM 10.00
With a MyKad | Adult: RM 10.00 | Children: RM 5.00
Opening Hours: Open Daily from 9 am – 10 pm
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal Penang | Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal Butterworth
The Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal was completed in the 1960s.
Ferry steamers now carry train passengers and vehicles from Butterworth into George Town (and vice-versa).
The ferry terminal is adjacent to the Weld Quay Bus Terminal. Ferry commuters can take the Rapid Penang public buses to various destinations within the city, where they can enjoy great Penang food.
There was a joke about a young boy who wanted to take a ferry to the ‘Pulau Pinang’ ferry to Penang.
He watched the ferry come and go.
There were ferries to Pulau Angsa, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Payar, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Talang Talang, and Pulau Undan but not Pulau Pinang!
Don’t worry—all the ferries head to Pulau Pinang. The scenic ferry ride is also one of Penang’s main tourist attractions.
You only pay the ferry fee when you board the Butterworth terminal.
Weld Quay Bus Terminal, Penang. Photo: Doris Lim
Beach Street
On Sunday morning, take a five-minute stroll from the hotel and enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere of Project Occupy Beach Street.
The no-car day temporarily closes the streets for the locals and tourists to use for physical activities.
Families with children, young couples, and visitors walk, jog, cycle, dance Zumba, and even skateboard for fun.
Street stalls sell homemade food, drinks, cottage crafts, and artisanal products.
If you’re into photography, this is the best time to shoot the colonial architecture found along the Heritage Trail, the central banking district of George Town.
Catch the market between 7 am and 1 pm every Sunday.
Tanjong City Marina (formerly known as the Church Street Pier)
Ferry steamers for cars used to embark from the Church Street Pier, built in 1897 before the Tun Uda terminal replaced it.
The vibrant orange and white structure is known as Tanjong City Marina. This is Penang’s first inner-city marina.
Hai Nan Town Restaurant (海南) is a popular Peranakan restaurant serving Nyonya cuisine.
Malayan Railway building | Wisma Kastam
The only railway station without any rails or trains, the Malayan Railway building served as a railway administrative center.
Passengers could buy railway tickets here or at the Boon Pharmacy (defunct) in George Town.
The passenger could board the Railway Jetty on China Street Ghaut for Butterworth, where the trains are stationed.
Today, the building serves as Penang’s Customs Office, and its clock tower greets all approaching by sea.
Clan Jetties
Clan Jetties are billed as the last of the island’s old waterfront clan-based Chinese communities.
This is a collection of cramped single-story wooden houses connected by a maze of plank way.
The clan jetties were initially constructed to house port laborers and boatmen transporting cargo from the bigger steamship to shore.
The Chew Jetty clan members’ annual celebration of the Hokkien New Year is not to be missed.
On the 9th day of the Chinese New Year, they offer thanksgiving prayers to the Jade Emperor.
The large-scale community celebration has roasted pigs, cooked meats, fruits, and sugar cane stalks.
They set firecrackers off, and the night sky is ablaze at midnight with thunderous fireworks and skyrockets.
A bright cafe at Chew Jetty Penang. Photo: Doris Lim
Check out Chew Jetty Penang at night for a different view. Photo: Doris Lim
Murals
If the highlight of your trip is looking for Ernest Zacharevic’s murals, the best place to see all of his works is at the Hin Bus Depot.
You can quickly get an Uber or Grab car to the Armenian Street Heritage Trail.
Otherwise, if you prefer to walk around, head to the Acheen Street/Armenian Street Enclave, where you can visit Zacharevic’s most famous “Little Children on a Bicycle” mural.
The Street Art Brochure has both wire art and murals for reference.
There is a long queue to take photos with the Children on Bicycle Mural, Armenian Street, Penang. Photo: Doris Lim
Head to Hin Bus Depot Penang to take Ernest Zacharevic Murals at leisure.
Eat like a Penangite Along George Town Heritage Trail!
Numerous cafes and Kopitiam are within walking distance on the George Town Heritage Trail.
Sri Weld Food Court is the biggest and most popular eatery along Beach Street’s central banking district.
It is a 2-minute walk from The Royale Chulan Penang. The Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang stall at the entrance is popular with office workers and locals who “tapau” from their vehicles.
The nasi lemak here is fantastic, with a few add-on dishes, and it may be too spicy for non-Penangites. The food court opens on weekdays only.
Union Street has Indian Muslim vendors and halal food.
Kareem Pasembor Rojak is a must-try meal that has been operating since 1945! Watch out for the mountain of prawn fritters!
If you like Thai food, there’s a tasty and economical stall at CF Food Courts.
This is worth checking out.
At night, you can join the locals and eat while standing at the Jetty Lok Lok Stall just outside Chew Jetty.
If you head toward the Street of Harmony, check out Penang’s Sticky Lor Mee next to the Guan Ying Temple.
After an inspiring walk along the George Town heritage trail, you can dine in any fine Colonial Mansions.
Many of these buildings are beautifully restored.
Every foodie must eat the best Kareem Pasembor Rojak In Penang Since 1945! Photo: Doris Lim
Everybody stops by for a cheap dinner of Lok Lok. Photo: Doris Lim
Travel Tips for Visiting George Town Heritage Trail
One of the best ways to see the inner city is by walking.
If you’re traveling in a bigger group, George Town apartments can accommodate more people and might be a good alternative where you can stay near places of local interest.
