Welcome to the Georgetown – Penang cruise port guide. Georgetown is the capital city of the island of Penang. Penang is a state of Malaysia. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The old city offers a great combination of Chinese en Muslim influences. You will find the old town is filled with colonial buildings, Chinese shop-houses and various religious shrines. Out of town you will also find spectacular attractions like Penang Hill, the funicular train and the incredible Kek Lok Si Temple. 

Georgetown – Penang Cruise Port Guide: dock or tender

Your cruise ship will dock or tender to the Swettenham pier. At the cruise pier you will find the cruise terminal which has facilities to welcome large ferries. The Penang cruise dock and cruise terminal is located right in front of the city centre of Georgetown.

Accessible Georgetown

Please note that Georgetown has rather under developed footpaths. Some streets do not have footpaths at all. Pedestrians should be advised to pay attention to traffic when walking through the city.

Penang’s cruise taxis

The official taxis of Penang are red and blue coloured. Blue coloured taxis are the newer taxis and therefore they cost a bit more. Taxis in Penang do not have a meter, therefore you need to negotiate with the driver before stepping in. Please know the taxi prices are on display in the port area. Expect the following taxi prices: To Kek Lok Si Temple, both ways: 150 RM Around 50 RM per hour per taxi (with a minimum of 3 hours) Between 80 and 120 per hour per van (with a minimum of 3 hours)

Penang’s trishaws

Alternatively to taxis you can also go around by trishaw. This is a great way to get to nearby places in town. Negotiate a price before you head off. Expect to pay between 35 and 50 RM per hour.

Penang’s public transportation for cruise passengers

The local transportation in Georgetown is rather good. Komtar is the main bus station (see marked in the map above). From here you can take buses all over the island. Bus line 201, 204 stops near the exit of the cruise terminal. Catch one of these busses to go to Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.

Wi-fi

There is no wi-fi available at the cruise port. However you can find lots of coffee places in town to connect to wi-fi when you buy a cup of coffee. Try white coffee at church street of Subway for example.