UK: M-S 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM GMT
$ 0

Get to know the history of Penang’s George Town in a 5 hours private tour

George town
Book online or call: +44 0800 015 4961
Duration: 5h
Activity Level: Intensive
Experience: Unesco, Family, Historical
Language: English
Photo permit included
Tour by public transport
Canal Boat tour included
Train tickets included
Suitable for little children
Wheelchair accessible tour
Museum ticket included
Light snack included
Lunch included
Transportation included
Walking Tour

Overview

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. George Town is Malaysia's third most populous city. The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. In this tour you will know more about the history of the city, see the main architectural sights and buildings and get closer to its mixed culture.

What's included

  • Professional licensed guide
  • Pick-up and drop off
  • Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
  • Entrance tickets
  • All fees and taxes
  • Food and drinks
  • Personal expenses

Highlights

City Hall (Penang)
The City Hall is the local government headquarters in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Built by the British, it now serves as the seat of the Penang Island City Council and was previously the seat of the George Town City Council. Originally completed in 1903 as the Municipal Offices, the building was erected at a cost of $100,000 to relieve the demand for office space at the adjacent Town Hall.[1][2] The name City Hall dates back to the grant of city status to George Town in 1957. Both the City Hall and the Town Hall are located at Esplanade Road, overlooking the historic parade ground (the Padang) within the Esplanade. The buildings are also situated within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Clan Jetties
Clan Jetties form part of the Penang Heritage Trail. There used to be seven jetties until one was demolished by fire and now six remain. Billed as one of the last bastions of old Chinese settlements on the island, this waterfront society is home to houses on stilts of various Chinese clans.
Esplanade (Penang)
The Esplanade is a waterfront location in the heart of George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It covers the field adjacent to Fort Cornwallis, known locally as the Padang, and the seaside promenade along the edge of the field. The Penang City Hall faces the Padang and the Cenotaph of Penang is also located along the promenade.
George Town (Penang)
George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. George Town is Malaysia's third most populous city with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010, while Greater Penang is the nation's second largest conurbation with a population of 2,412,616. The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Established as an entrepôt by Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. Together with Singapore and Malacca, George Town formed part of the Straits Settlements, which became a British crown colony in 1867. It was subjugated by Japan during World War II, before being recaptured by the British at war's end. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from the British in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first city in the country's modern history.
Gurney Drive (George Town)
Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade within George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by the Australian travel magazine, The Traveler. In addition, Gurney Drive has become part of George Town's second Central Business District due to the mushrooming of skyscrapers and shopping malls.
Kek Lok Si Temple
The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and other countries in Southeast Asia. The entire complex of temples was built over a period from 1890–1930, an inspirational initiative of Beow Lean, the abbot. The main draw in the complex is the striking seven-storey Pagoda of Rama VI (Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas) with 10,000 alabaster and bronze statues of Buddha, and the 36.57-metre-tall (120 ft) bronze statue of Guanyin (Kuan Yin), the Goddess of Mercy. Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism and traditional Chinese rituals blend into a harmonious whole, both in the temple architecture and artwork as well as in the daily activities of worshippers.
Penang Street Art
In 2012 Penang’s municipal council hired London-trained Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic and charged him with breathing new life into some of the atmospheric Chinese shop-houses around the inner city. An effort to spawn awareness of the rich history of the streets, the project was a success with Zacharevic turning certain areas into thriving tourist destinations that also became the much-talked about object of attention among locals. Zacharevic’s street art is pretty impressive: the most widely known is the 20-foot high ‘Little Girl In Blue’, a mural of a young child dressed in ocean blue pyjamas flanked by the two real windows of its ‘canvas’ – a building along Muntri Street.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
The Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is a museum dedicated to Penang's Peranakan heritage. The museum itself is housed within a distinctive green-hued mansion at Church Street, George Town, which once served as the residence and office of a 19th-century Chinese tycoon, Chung Keng Quee. The mansion contains thousands of Peranakan artifacts, antiques and collectibles, as well as showcasing Peranakan interior design and customs, such as the typical grand long dining table. Due to its unique architecture and interior design that reflect the lifestyles of the Peranakans in Penang, the mansion has been featured in television series and reality TV shows, such as The Little Nyonya, The Amazing Race and The Amazing Race Asia.
Town Hall (Penang)
The Town Hall is a British-built administrative building in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located adjacent to the City Hall, which now serves as the seat of the Penang Island City Council. Completed in the 1880s, the Town Hall is the city's oldest municipal building, as it once housed the Municipal Commission of George Town. It also functioned as a venue for social events for the European elites. However, its administrative function was taken over by the City Hall upon the latter's completion in 1903. The Town Hall has been gazetted by the Malaysian National Museum as a historic monument since 1993. More recently, the building became one of the filming locations for the 1999 film, Anna and the King. Both the Town Hall and the City Hall are located at Esplanade Road, overlooking the historic parade ground (the Padang) within the Esplanade. The buildings are also situated within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Itinerary

08:00 09:00

Your guide will meet you at your hotel.

You will have a ride through the town, making stops to walk and to see the highlights, such as:  Penang Street Art, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, City Hall, and so on.

In the middle of the tour, you will have time for a lunch in a local restaurant.

At the end, your guide will drive you back to your hotel.

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