How to get from Penang to Cameron Highlands

Why visit Cameron Highlands?

Cameron Highlands is a picturesque hill station in Pahang, which enjoys a cooler climate than most states in Malaysia. Its temperature almost never surpasses 30 degrees so it’s a favourite weekend and summer destination for locals.

The lush tea plantations in Cameron Highlands provide a refreshing escape from city life. Its temperate climate also makes for beautiful flora and continental fruits and vegetables. (Tip: Try out their strawberries!) Cameron Highlands can be touristy on weekends, so go on a weekday, if you can.

There are 3 ways to travel the 250 kilometres (155 miles) from Penang to Cameron Highlands. You can choose between the bus, taxi and train. The journey takes 4 hours to 5 hours 35 minutes and the quickest way is by taxi. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 44 MYR ($10.40).

There are several direct buses operating from the city centre of Penang to Cameron Highlands daily. However, many of them “drop by” Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal (located 10 km south of George Town) to pick up passengers before continuing to Cameron Highlands.

Past passengers say this adds about an hour to the travel time. If that’s the case, then you might want to consider taking the indirect bus option instead.

Most buses travelling from George Town to Cameron Highlands depart from Komtar Terminal, within walking distance from many accommodations in town. Bus ticket prices start from 44 MYR ($10.40) for the entire trip that is 5h 15m long.

You can buy your ticket at the bus terminal, or if you prefer to book your ticket beforehand, there are 2 trips available for online booking:

If you decide to take a bus from Butterworth, the advantage of this is that there shouldn’t be any stops along the way to Cameron Highlands. The only downside is that to get to this bus, you’ll first have to take a ferry from Penang Island to the mainland where Butterworth is located.

From George Town, you’ll need to take a 5-minute taxi or a 20-minute bus (Line 101) to Weld Quay. Fares start from 13 MYR ($3.10) and 5 MYR ($1.20), respectively.

At Weld Quay, you’ll transfer to a ferry. This will take you across to Butterworth in 10 to 20 minutes. Ferries operate from 05:20 to 22:00, with a 20 to 30-minute interval. And then every 40 minutes until its last trip at 00:40. A ferry ticket costs 3 MYR ($0.70).

The ferry docks at Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal, where Penang Sentral is connected then by a walkway.

Perak Transit and Unititi Express offer several trips from Penang Sentral to Cameron Highlands. You can buy your tickets at the bus station.

If you’re travelling on a weekend or during busy season, make sure you book online beforehand to secure a seat. Here are the bus trips available online via BookAway:

Travelling by train from Penang to Cameron Highlands involves 3 transfers. It’s not very convenient, considering there are direct buses available, but if you’re determined to travel by rail rather than road, read on for the details.

As with the indirect bus option, you’ll first have to travel by ferry from Penang Island to Butterworth on the mainland.

The port (Weld Quay) is located some 2 km from George Town. To reach it, you can take a 5-minute taxi for around 13 MYR ($3.10) or a 20-minute bus (Line 101) for 5 MYR ($1.20).

Then you’ll take a ferry for 3 MYR ($0.70). This docks at Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal, which is connected to Butterworth Train Station by a walkway.

There are 3 trains operating from Butterworth to Ipoh, a city 150 km south, on weekdays and 5 on weekends. Ticket prices change daily, although they normally cost around 34 MYR ($8).

You can easily book online via Baolau.

From Ipoh Train Station, you’ll first need to get to Amanjaya Terminal, which is some 10 km away. To do that, you can either take a 30-minute taxi or a 50-minute bus. Fares start from 30 MYR ($7.10) and 4 MYR ($0.90), respectively.

There are buses operating from Amanjaya to Cameron Highlands from 08:00-18:30 every day. You can choose from 3 companies: Perak Transit, CS Travel, and Unititi Express. Tickets are available at the terminal from 22 MYR ($5.20).

CS Travel & Tours and Unititi can be booked online on BookAway with fares from 37 MYR ($8.70). If you’re travelling during busy season, it’s really worth spending extra dollars for a guaranteed seat!

As this is a long-distance trip, we recommend that you ask your hotel for taxi recommendations. Drivers on the island are known for overpricing fares, so it would be good to have a local help you in haggling.

Fares start at 870 MYR ($205) for the journey from Penang to Cameron Highlands, which is 4 hours long.

Taxi options from Penang to Cameron Highlands