Parks and the outdoors in George Town

14 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around George Town.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple
Waterfall Temple
Located at a hilltop next to the Penang Botanic Gardens, the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple was built in the mid-19th century, making it one of the oldest Hindu temples in George Town. It was last renovated in the 2000s, with visitors now having to climb over 500 steps to reach the temple. It also serves as a focal point of the annual Thaipusam celebrations.
6:45AM-12:30PM and 4:30-9:15PM
Do
Batu Ferringhi
The sandy beaches of Batu Ferringhi also offer various activities, ranging from parasailing to riding a beach buggy.
See
Beach Street
Lebuh Pantai
As the main Central Business District (CBD) of George Town, Beach Street is lined with mercantile buildings constructed between the 1880s and the 1950s. Among the landmarks along the street are the Standard Chartered Building, HSBC Building, the Penang Islamic Council Building, OCBC Building, Bank of China Building, Whiteways Arcade, India House and the Logan Heritage Building.
Do
ESCAPE Theme Park
The ESCAPE Theme Park consists of two parts - one for jungle-themed activities and another for aquatic games. The former includes zip-lines, bungee jumping and rock climbing, whilst the latter contains water tunnels, slides and pools - all within a refreshing jungle setting.
Tue-Sun 10AM-6PMTicket prices start from RM42.50/pax; free for children below 3
Do
Hin Bus Art Depot
Art aficionadi can head to this art gallery, which periodically curates art exhibitions. It also contains open spaces for events, a garden and cafes. A pop-up market featuring local artists and other retailers is held every Sunday.
Mon-Fri noon-10PM, Sat Sun 11AM-8PMEntrance is free of charge
Eat
New World Park Food City
Local specialities including curry mee, prawn mee, laksa, chee cheong and fun. For dessert try the ais kacang special with ice cream on top.
Do
Occupy Beach Street
Every Sunday morning, Beach Street, Bishop Street, Church Street and Church Street Ghaut are turned into car-free zones. Family-friendly recreational activities and roadside stalls will be set up along these roads.
Sun 7AM-1PMEntrance is free of charge
See
Penang Botanic Gardens
The gardens were established by Charles Curtis way back in 1884; it's generally known as the Waterfall Gardens by the locals because of a waterfall within it. The botanical gardens hosts a wide variety of flora and fauna, including orchids, cannonball trees and monkeys. Many locals will come to the gardens to perform their daily exercises like walking, jogging, jungle trekking, aerobic dance, and to practice Tai Chi or Qi Gong.
5AM-8PM
See
Penang National Park
Taman Negara Pulau Pinang
This small national park contains easy walking trails in the jungle. Along the way you will see white sandy beaches, monkeys and a light house, all while spending up to half the day in the jungles far from the noise of the city. Entrance is free, you just have to write your name on the register as you get in and out. The trails are well marked and boat services are available to various points inside the parks. Visitors keen on trying out the Canopy Walkway are required to pay a fee of RM5. As of late October 2018, the path to Monkey Beach is closed due to landslides. It's possible to get to the beach by boat, which can be arranged to go directly to Monkey Beach from the entrance, or pick you up from Turtle Beach if you want to experience a hike in the park. The Canopy Walkway is also closed for renovations.
8AM-5PM
See
Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower
At the Intersection of Light Street, Beach Street, Fort Road and King Edward Place
The high clock tower was presented by local millionaire Cheah Chen Eok in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Eat
Red Garden Cafe
Local food: satay, roasted and BBQ'd chicken, duck and pork variations with noodles or rice (Chinese stall in the right corner). Also Thai, Filipino, western and fusion food.
early morning till late
Eat
Seoul Garden Korean Restaurant
Long established venue that attracts Korean expatriates during lunch and dinner. Nice views.
Do
The Habitat
The Habitat offers well-constructed jungle trails. The Curtis Crest Tree Top Walk is an elevated semi-circular platform, the highest of its kind in Penang - providing an all-round bird's eye view of Penang Hill out to the vast expanse of the Malacca Straits. The Langur Way Canopy Walk gives tourists a panoramic view of the greenery below whilst being right inside the forest canopy.
9AM-7PMTicket prices start from RM55/person
See
Tropical Spice Garden
An eight-acre collection of secondary jungle filled with various types of spices that are in common use in the kitchens of Penang.
9AM-5:15PM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to George Town (CC BY-SA 4.0).