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Penang Hill
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Penang Hill

See all things to do
See all things to do
Penang Hill
4
8,436 reviews
#24 of 138 things to do in George Town
Trams
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6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
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About
Penang Hill is the oldest British hill station in Southeast Asia, dated late 1700’s. The highest peak of Penang Hill stand at 833 metres (2,732ft) above sea level. Penang Hill funicular train service started on October 1923 The current funicular trains is the 4th generation system which started its operation on 24th April 2011. The funicular track stretches a distance of 1,996 metres (1.99KM) from lower to Upper Station which is the longest in Asia. Penang Hill funicular tunnel, at 79 metres (258ft) long and 10feet (3.0m) wide with a steepness of 27.9degree, is the steepest tunnel track in the world. There are a total of 52 hill bungalows located on Penang Hill (42 of them are private-owned and 10 bungalows are state-owned). Most of them are more than 100 years old and Bel Retiro (Governors Bungalows) built in1789 is the oldest. Number of visitor to Penang Hill in 2016 exceed 1.6million.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
218 within 5 kms
David Brown's Restaurant and Tea Terraces
330
0.1 km$$ - $$$ • European • British • Vegetarian Friendly
Monkey Cup Garden
35
1.4 km$$ - $$$
Ayer Itam Penang Assam Laksa
355
2.8 km$ • Asian • Malaysian
118 Cafe
3
2.5 km
Beng Chin Garden Foodcourt
1
2.7 km
Seng Seng Heang
5
2.7 kmAsian • Malaysian
Spink In the Sky
2
2.8 kmChinese • Barbecue
Kek Lok Si Vegetarian Restaurant
6
2.8 km$$ - $$$
Ayer Itam Sister Curry mee
42
2.9 km$ • Chinese • Asian • Malaysian
Kooper
1
2.8 kmAsian • Malaysian
See all
Attractions
198 within 10 kms
Little Village Penang Hill
2
14 mHistoric Sites • Ancient Ruins
Masjid Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill Mosque)
30
59 mReligious Sites
The Habitat Penang Hill
718
69 mNature & Wildlife Areas
Monkeycup@penanghill
3
0.2 kmNature & Wildlife Areas • Gardens
Escape Penang
3,028
Amusement & Theme Parks
Penang House of Music
222
Speciality Museums
Kek Lok Si Temple
3,952
3.5 kmArchitectural Buildings • Religious Sites
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
4,444
History Museums
Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple
168
3.4 kmReligious Sites
Entopia
1,651
Farms • Gardens
See all
See what other travellers are saying
  • Nikos
    Singapore, Singapore34 contributions
    The best part of my trip to Penang
    Many different activities to do and places to visit there. You might want to get the fast lane tickets for the funicular as the queues can be really long especially on weekends or public holidays. It is considerably more expensive but it is worth it imo as it saves you a lot of time and frustration (you might wait more than 30-45 mins on the line until you board the funicular to penang hill!). After you arrive at Penang Hill you can go to David Brown's restaurant for lunch or afternoon tea, you can enjoy the view of Georgetown from Bellevue Hotel and have a nice walk at the Habitat natural park. There is a mosque and a hindu temple to visit nearby as well as the colonial Gate House.
    Penang Hill Corporation
    Dear sir/madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. We are delighted to hear that you have enjoyed your recent visit. We also hope you have the opportunity to join free guide nature walk and explore nature at Penang Hill at its best. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
    Written 28 January 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written 28 January 2020
  • TinpusherCheshire
    Meriden, United Kingdom104 contributions
    Great location ruined by amusements.
    Quite what possessed the authorities to allow an Owl Museum, Camera Museum tacky photo joints and a ‘Love Boardwalk’ in this idyllic hilltop spot is beyond me. Some nice gardens and walking are available but we didn’t have the time. Great views as darkness falls over Georgetown and the lights of the city and bridges begin to sparkle. Beautiful Hindu temple and Mosque give some indication of the peace and tranquility that may once have been found at this Hill top station. Do not get ripped off by the 4x4’s charging 180RM from the Botantic Gardens/Waterfall Cafe. Our Grab driver dropped us here under the pretence that the funicular was closed for repair that evening.
    Visited January 2020
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 January 2020
  • Louis and Judi L
    Mijas, Spain67 contributions
    Worth a visit!, if only for the views!
    We took a Grab Taxi (Uber-type) from our hotel to the bottom station of the funicular. It was fairly busy, but we got up to the top station pretty quickly/ From there we walked up past stalls where you could have a henna tattoo, your caricature done, and various other interesting things. There was an amphitheater in the centre at the summit, and various cafes etc... The views of Georgetown were amazing and we were lucky enough to go up on a day with very little haze. There was a golf buggy ride available here to take you to parts of the hill which you could easily walk, and at S$30 for 15 minutes, (after we had done it) we thought this was little bit steep! At the very top there was an amazing temple which was worth visiting.
    Penang Hill Corporation
    Dear sir/madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. We are delighted to hear that you have enjoyed your recent visit. We also hope you have the opportunity to join free guide nature walk and explore nature at Penang Hill at its best. Hope to see you again. Thank you
    Written 9 March 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
8,437 reviews
Excellent
2,716
Very good
3,314
Average
1,717
Poor
433
Terrible
257
Haytham Abu Firas
Qatar14,239 contributions
Penang Hill
Sep 2023 • Friends
There are 2 ways to go up. One by Jeep car for RM160 two ways, and the other by train for I think RM 30 or 40. We choose the second way. No long queue, minutes to be in, and others few minutes to be at the top of the hill. Penang hill is a wonderful spot to visit with family, friends or solo. Nice view to the city. Many places for photos. A lot of cafes, restaurants and photographers.
Written 21 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan
Singapore, Singapore2 contributions
You can also hike up there
Sep 2023 • Family
You may hike the hill and take the train back. Please bear in mind with the queue of train going down. It may get very long later in the day.
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
supriya
Singapore, Singapore1 contribution
Fast Track your way
Sep 2023 • Friends
Lot of fun going up and down the funicular. Fast track really helped with getting on board fast as well as with getting seats in the first cabin. Just be aware that ALL fast track customers crowd into the same compartment and jostle for viewing space.
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
922Mauve
35 contributions
Disappointing
The funicular railway is very good although a bit busy on the day we went. The views over to the mainland are interesting although it was very misty the day we went.
There is not much else to do. The white bungalows are not able to be visited.
The Habitat entrance is on Penang Hill but is a different activity and needs a separate ticket
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 2 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. You may refer to the visitors’ guide, which is available online at our official website at https://penanghill.gov.my/, to check out all the attractions on the hill. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 3 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hugh S
Rawai, Thailand54 contributions
Longest waiting time ever (going up & coming down)
We decided to go to Penang Hill during our recent trip to the island. The Funicular Train journey is probably one of the best I have experienced, however the wait at the Lower Station to go up the hill was almost 2 hours, with in excess of an hour at the top to come back down the hill.
I appreciate that there is a fast track system in place, but there is a severe lack of information of expected waiting times at the ticket office area.. This should made be clearly visible to everyone so that they can decide whether to upgrade, reschedule the visit, or wait for the displayed times.
We didn’t buy the fast track ticket, and bought the standard non-Malay tickets @ 30RM per person.
After we had seen the amazing views, we were surprised to see the length of the queue to return to the Lower Station.. We found out that there was an option to upgrade tickets to the Fast Track option, but when we went to the ticket office, we were told that this service had been suspended due to high numbers of fast track tickets already purchased on that day..
All in all, a very tiring day and disappointing experience.
If I can offer any advice, go on weekdays only. Or if you are going at the weekend, either get there early morning or late afternoon.. avoiding 10am to 3pm..
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 27 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. For your kind information, like any popular tourist destinations in Malaysia, queues at Penang Hill will inevitably be long during school holidays, popular weekends and public holidays. Penang Hill Corporation always advises visitors to come early to avoid long queues and plan their trips in advance to maximise their experience at this must-visit destination in Penang. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 3 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynhue wong
1 contribution
Avoid the buggy and the route to monkey cup
Aug 2023 • Family
I’m so regretted to put Penang hill as part of our itinerary! It’s not fun at all for the overcrowded train ride, and we felt cheated to get a buggy ride to monkey cup garden (approximately 1.8km) for rm30! It’s way too expensive and the driver said it’s only for one way, no return! If you don’t want to stay there , you have to either spent another rm30 for buggy, or pay for a coffee or entrance ticket for the monkey cup garden to get free 4 wheels ride back to the station. The queue was superb longgggg. I’m fine with the monkey cup garden anyway but it’s really need more types of carnivores plants. We only felt disappointed and tiring after the visiting.
Written 14 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. Please note that the buggy service and Monkey Cup Garden/Kopi Hutan are privately managed. However, PHC will investigate this matter. We hope you will visit Penang Hill again in the future. Thank you.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steven S
Pattaya, Thailand681 contributions
Dual pricing policy attraction
I visited on a Saturday but in low season. Virtually no wait to buy a return ticket. Note that dual pricing is in effect here ie a foreigner pays more than double. Only waited about 15mins to go up.
Walked around and tòok some great scenic pics overlooking Georgetown. Encountered some dusty leaf monkeys, so cute. Walked up to the chinese temple which is very ornate.
Major food center, restaurants, food stalls and souvenir shops available.
Waited around 20-25mins to come back down.
Never to return because of their dual pricing policy.
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shane
Rangiora, New Zealand2 contributions
An enjoyable cable car adventure.
The efficiency of being in the Fast Lane was well worth the slightly higher price. An amazing environment at the top of the ride. The cable car is well run and an enjoyable ride.
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. We are delighted to hear that you have enjoyed your visit. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karen A
Launceston, Australia171 contributions
Express ticket or a very long wait in a queue
If you can not get an express ticket consider changing your days. We learnt the hard way. We queued for 2 hours to get on.
The ride itself was very adventurous and fun.
We were unlucky as when we got to the top there was a lot of cloud.
The queue on the way back took less time but it was still over hour.
Express tickets wait about 15 minutes!
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 5 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. For your kind information, like any popular tourist destinations in Malaysia, queues at Penang Hill will inevitably be long during school holidays, popular weekends and public holidays. Penang Hill Corporation always advises visitors to come early to avoid long queues and plan their trips in advance to maximise their experience at this must-visit destination in Penang. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thieuke
Huizen, The Netherlands320 contributions
Mediocre experience
Very touristy and non qualitative. Hike down could be nice i believe. Views are interesting but if you miss it no problem!
Review of: Penang Hill Funicular Ticket
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penang Hill Corporation
Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings from Penang Hill Corporation! Thank you for visiting Penang Hill. We hope you have the opportunity to visit the latest attraction on the hill -- Penang Hill Gallery@Edgecliff -- a must-stop to know Penang Hill during your next visit. You might as well want to join our free guided nature and heritage walks to explore Penang Hill's nature and heritage at their best next time. Hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 23 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PENANG HILL: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Penang Hill
Penang Hill is open:
  • Sun - Sat 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM
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