MY · Penang · 5.39°N 100.37°E

butterworth

Mainland hawker food, then hop on the ferry across to George Town.

Best time
Any time of year. Come during the Nine Emperor Gods festival in the ninth lunar month, usually September or October, for processions and street stalls.
How long
Half a day
Getting there
About 3.5–4 hours' drive from KL on the North–South Expressway, or the ETS from KL Sentral in about 4 hours. The station sits next to the Penang Sentral bus hub and the ferry terminal.
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MY · Penangbutterworth5.39°N 100.37°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Mainland hawker food, then hop on the ferry across to George Town.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingButterworthMY, Penang
KLbutterworth
≈ 290 km from KL, as the crow flies
Drone photo of Butterworth in Seberang Perai, Penang, taken in January 2024

Photo: HundenvonPenang · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

The mainland side of Penang, facing George Town across the strait. Butterworth is a transport hub first: trains, buses and the ferry all meet here. Stay a little longer and you'll find solid hawker food with shorter queues than the island, and one of Penang's biggest Nine Emperor Gods festivals.

Makan

  1. Char koay teowPenang-style, fried over high heat with prawns and cockles.Map ↗
  2. Nasi kandarRice flooded with mixed curries, a Penang staple found all over the mainland.Map ↗
  3. Hokkien meePenang's spicy prawn noodle soup.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. The Penang ferryA short ride across the strait to George Town, with views of the island's waterfront.Map ↗
  2. Tow Boo Kong TempleThe centre of Butterworth's Nine Emperor Gods festival, with processions and vegetarian food stalls.Map ↗
  3. Sunset over the straitWatch the sun go down behind George Town and the Penang Bridge from the mainland shore.Map ↗
  4. Bukit MertajamOld-town hawker food and St Anne's Church, about 20 minutes inland.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The ferry takes foot passengers and motorbikes, not cars. Drivers cross on one of the two bridges.
  • Arriving by train? Walk straight from the station to the ferry and skip the bridge traffic.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.