Malaysia
Penang
George Town hawker food and colonial shophouses. Arguably the best eating in Asia.
When to go
Jan, Feb, Jul tend to be the best months here. Apr is usually the one to avoid.
Daytime high and overnight low, averaged over thirty years of records from Open-Meteo. The rainfall word is the month’s measured average, not a forecast.
What a day costs
Food and getting around, per person per day. Flights are separate, see the fares above.
- Backpacking
- Rp272.739per day+ rooms from Rp390.726 a night
- Comfortable
- Rp621.844per day+ 4-star rooms from Rp752.058 a night
- Treating yourself
- Rp1.909.171per day+ rooms from Rp1.292.364 a night
Getting there
- Visa for an Indonesian passport
- Visa-free entryup to 30 days
- Flight time from CGK
- 2h 25m, 1 stop
- Airport
- PEN
The visa table we copied says: Visa not required
Visa status from Wikipedia contributors, copied 2026-09-17. Rules change; check before you book.
Typical return fare by month
Cheapest in Apr 2027, about Rp2.622.564
Dec 2026 costs about Rp652.011 more.
Researched fares: Rp2.396.800 to Rp5.519.540 per person over 54 checks, last on 2026-09-07. · Cheapest direct researched: Indonesia AirAsia at Rp2.396.800.
From our own live checks: for each departure we sampled in the month, the cheapest return fare per person the newest check found, averaged. The same figures as the fare index, last checked 2026-09-07. Not a quote. What you pay depends on when you book. Departures from Sep 2026 to Jul 2027. How we work this out
Flights from Jakarta by month →
Flying to Penang
- Fastest journey
- 2h 25m · 1 stop · Indonesia AirAsia + Scoot
- Cheapest itinerary
- 2h 25m · 1 stop · Indonesia AirAsia + Scoot
- Usually flown by
- Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Indonesia AirAsia
- Carbon, one way
- 145 kg CO₂
From the 50 fares we researched for a 2027-08-28 departure, checked 2026-09-07. Outbound journey times. Not a quote. How we work this out
Where people stay in Penang
A few properties Booking.com listed when we captured prices in September 2026, with the nightly rate at the time. This is not a quote and we don't hold rooms. Prices and availability change, so check the page for your own dates. How we work this out
- VENO HOTEL3★ · 4.4/5 · 265 reviewsRp716.083
- Citadines Connect Bertam Georgetown Penang3★ · 4.5/5 · 712 reviewsRp2.012.966
- Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion4★ · 4.7/5 · 1,086 reviewsRp3.192.985
- The Century Hotel George Town 乔治市世纪酒店3★ · 4.2/5 · 1,695 reviewsRp721.849
- Urban Suites JSW GEORGETOWN PENANG, MALAYSIA4★ · 4/5 · 322 reviewsRp726.850
- Le Dream Boutique Hotel4★ · 4.1/5 · 1,895 reviewsRp792.464
- Urban H Hotel3★ · 4.1/5 · 98 reviewsRp733.824
- Areca Hotel Penang4★ · 4.5/5 · 1,275 reviewsRp1.171.375
Common questions
When is the cheapest month to fly from Jakarta to Penang?
From what we captured across a year of departures, April is the cheapest month to fly Jakarta to Penang, at around Rp2.622.564 return. That is a researched figure from a dated snapshot, not a live quote, so check the price with a partner before you book.
Is a visa needed for Malaysia on an Indonesian passport?
On an Indonesian passport, Malaysia: Visa-free entry. Visa rules change, so confirm with the embassy before you travel.
How much does a day in Penang cost?
We budget about Rp621.844 per person per day in Penang for food and getting around locally. Flights and your room are separate.
What is the best time to visit Penang?
Going by rainfall and temperature records, January, February, July are the most comfortable months in Penang.
Things to book ahead
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