Overview Compare via Cameron Highlands via Temerloh Taxi
How to get from Penang to Taman Negara
Being 130 million years old, Taman Negara is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world. Trekking through its lush jungle will give you a glimpse at its wide diversity of flora and fauna (some 3,000 species) and various wildlife (including the rare Malayan tiger).
There are different trails depending on your capability – from an hour hike to Bukit Teresek, to a week of jungle adventure taking you to the peak of Gunung Tahan. Other activities you can get involved in include white water rafting, bird watching, caving, and of course, the 500-metre canopy walk.
3 ways to get from Penang to Taman Negara
Are you planning on making Taman Negara your next stop after Penang? You have 3 options to cover the 540 km distance from Penang to Taman Negara: an 11.5-hour bus via Cameron Highlands; a 10-hour bus via Temerloh; and an 8.5-hour taxi. Rates range from 74 MYR ($16.00) to 1 MYR ($260.00).
Note that if you want to travel by bus, there really aren’t any convenient schedule times for this route, but there are some alternatives to make it more comfortable. We hope our detailed guide below can help you choose the best option for you!
When travelling from Penang to Taman Negara via Cameron Highlands, you’ll have to take 1 ferry and 2 buses. The problem though is that there is only 1 minibus trip from Cameron Highlands to Taman Negara, which departs at 08:00. To take this bus, you’ll have to spend a night in Cameron Highlands. Alternatively, you can just take an expensive taxi for the last leg of this journey to complete it on the same day.
With the Temerloh route, if you want to travel the whole journey by bus (apart from the ferry to reach the mainland), then you’ll have to wait a long time for your connecting transfer. However, if you’re willing to spend extra for a taxi (from Temerloh to Jerantut), this can actually be a convenient option!
Not many taxi drivers will agree to take you directly from Penang to Taman Negara. It might be easier to first get a taxi from Penang to Cameron Highlands, and then find another taxi to take you to Taman Negara. Either way, total fares start from 1 MYR ($260.00).
Penang to Taman Negara via Cameron Highlands by Bus
The bus schedules from Penang to Taman Negara via Cameron Highlands make it hard to complete the journey on the same day – unless you’re willing to spend a fortune on taking a taxi for the 2nd half of the trip.
It does, however, give you a chance to stay a night in the beautiful Cameron Highlands. Read on for more details!
Step 1: Penang Island to Butterworth by Ferry
Your first step is to travel by ferry from Penang to Butterworth, the nearest mainland town just 3 km away.
Ferries depart from Weld Quay, which can be reached from George Town by a 5-minute taxi or a 20-minute bus (Line 101). Fares start from 13 MYR ($2.80) and 5 MYR ($1.00), respectively.
At Weld Quay, ferries bound for Butterworth depart twice every hour from 05:40 to 00:40 every day. You can buy your ticket at the port for only 3 MYR ($0.60). The trip takes 10-20 minutes and the ferries dock at Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal.
From here, you can just follow the walkway to Penang Sentral, where you can find the buses bound for Cameron Highlands.
Step 2: Butterworth to Cameron Highlands by Bus
From Butterworth, you’ll have to travel 240 km southeast to Cameron Highlands.
The buses are parked at Penang Sentral and you can choose from at least 2 companies: Perak Transit and Unititi Express. Go for Perak Transit if you want more comfort and space. A ticket costs 47 MYR ($10.00) when you book on BookAway.
Bus schedules from Butterworth to Cameron Highlands
The buses park at Tanah Rata Bus Terminal in Cameron Highlands, which is also the departure point for buses bound for Taman Negara.
Alternative options from Penang to Cameron Highlands
If you’re not comfortable with the combined ferry and bus option from Penang to Cameron Highlands, there are actually three other ways you can travel this route: by direct bus (around 5 hours), by taxi (3.5 hours), and by train (5 hours).
Check out our guide for Penang to Cameron Highlands for more details.
Step 3: Cameron Highlands to Taman Negara by Minibus or Taxi
There are two minibus trips from Cameron Highlands to Taman Negara every day. However, they both depart at 08:00. With the ferry and bus schedules mentioned in the first two steps, it’s really not possible to arrive at Cameron Highlands in time for that.
So we have two recommendations: either spend a night in Cameron Highlands and then take the minibus the next day or just take a taxi to arrive in Taman Negara on the same day.
By Minibus
You’ll only be able to take the minibus if you stay the night in Cameron Highlands. We think that’s a great thing though because it’s a beautiful town.
If you arrive early, you can even enjoy its rolling tea plantations and wonderful climate. At night, you can have its famous steamboat (hot pot) for dinner! You will find many steamboat restaurants in town.
As for the minibus, you can choose from Han Travel, Eco Cameron, or NKS Hotel and Travel. Both are trusted companies for this route.
Minibus schedules from Cameron Highlands to Taman Negara
We prefer Han Travel because they offer free hotel pick-up and a direct minibus journey. Also, it’s available to book online beforehand via BookAway for only 70 MYR ($15.50).
Eco Cameron is a good option for those who want to enter Taman Negara via a longboat. The minibus will only take you to Kuala Tembeling, where you will transfer to a longboat to the national park. Tickets are available on BusOnlineTicket, also for 70 MYR ($15.50).
NKS makes a short stopover in Jerantut, a town south of Taman Negara. This makes the total travel time longer. If you want to book with them, you’ll have to contact them directly through their website.
By Taxi
If you don’t mind spending more money to arrive in Taman Negara on the same day, you can also just take a taxi. Long-distance taxis should be available just outside Tanah Rata Bus Terminal.
Fares start from 582 MYR ($125.00) for the 5.5-hour journey.
Penang to Taman Negara via Temerloh by Bus
This bus route from Penang to Taman Negara via Temerloh can be quite complicated because of the bus schedules. However, if you’re travelling in a group and willing to add a taxi ride to this journey, it can be a convenient but more expensive option.
Step 1: Penang to Butterworth by Ferry
The first step is to travel to the mainland by ferry. Butterworth is the nearest mainland town only 3 km away.
You will find the ferries at Weld Quay, which you can reach from George Town by a 5-minute taxi with rates from 3 MYR ($0.60) or a 20-minute bus (Line 101) that costs 5 MYR ($1.00)
At Weld Quay, transfer to a ferry bound for Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Butterworth. A ride costs 3 MYR ($0.60) and takes 10-20 minutes. Ferries depart twice every hour from 05:40 to 00:40.
Step 2: Butterworth to Temerloh by Bus
Next, you’ll need to take a bus to Temerloh, a quiet town in central Pahang. This leg of the journey covers 470 km around the mountainous area of Pahang.
There are several companies offering bus trips for this route. Be aware that the bus time you pick for this leg will determine the rest of your journey. A ticket costs from 45 MYR ($10.00) when you book with BusOnlineTicket.
Bus schedules from Butterworth to Temerloh
A few things to consider when choosing your bus schedule:
- If you take a late-night bus, you’ll arrive early morning in Temerloh. You won’t have much to do here though except to have breakfast. And then, you can either wait for the first available connecting bus at 13:15 or just take a taxi to Jerantut.
- If you take one of the day buses, you’ll only have to wait a few hours for your connecting trip to Jerantut. However, you won’t make it in time for the minibus trips from Jerantut to Taman Negara and will have to settle for a taxi.
Step 3: Temerloh to Jerantut by Bus
From Temerloh, you’ll have to take a northbound bus to Jerantut, the main transport hub when visiting Taman Negara. Transnasional offers three trips every day and a ticket costs 6 MYR ($1.30) when you book online beforehand through BusOnlineTicket.
Bus schedule from Temerloh to Jerantut
Keep in mind that you are only assured a connecting minibus in Jerantut if you take the 1st bus from the three schedules above. With the 2nd bus, you still have a chance if there’s no traffic, but if you take the 3rd bus, you’ll have to take a taxi from Jerantut to Taman Negara.
Alternative Option: Temerloh to Jerantut by Taxi
If you take a late-night bus from Butterworth, you’ll have quite a long waiting time in Temerloh. Another option that we recommend is to just travel by taxi to Jerantut. With rates from 145 MYR ($32.00), it might be worth considering, especially if you’re travelling in a group.
This way, you will arrive early in Jerantut, where you can take a cheap minibus to Taman Negara.
Step 4: Jerantut to Taman Negara by Minibus or Taxi
Similar to the earlier option, you have two choices when travelling the remaining 70 km from Jerantut to Taman Negara. You can take a minibus for 7 MYR ($1.50) or a taxi for around 125 MYR ($27.50).
Option 1: Jerantut to Taman Negara by Minibus
There are seven minibus trips from Jerantut to Taman Negara. If you arrive early with a taxi, you can take one of the cheaper minibus trips that cost only 7 MYR ($1.50). But if you take the earlier buses from Temerloh, you’ll also have to settle for a more expensive minibus transfer to the national park.
Minibus schedules from Jerantut to Taman Negara
You can buy your tickets at Jerantut Bus Terminal. If travelling with NKS, you can also contact them beforehand through their website.
Option 2: Jerantut to Taman Negara by Taxi
If you arrive in Jerantut in the evening, you’ll have no other choice but to take a taxi to Taman Negara. Rates start from 125 MYR ($27.50) for the 1-hour journey.
Penang to Taman Negara by Taxi
Travelling in a group? Especially if you’re on vacation with your family, you might be thinking of taking a direct taxi from Penang to Taman Negara.
Sadly, this is an uncommon route so you might have a hard time finding a driver who’s willing to take on this journey. You can always ask your hotel for assistance, but be prepared to pay at least 1 MYR ($260.00) for the 8.5-hour taxi ride from Penang to Taman Negara.
If you don’t mind paying that much, but are not having any luck in finding a driver, you can also divide this trip into 2 taxis – one from Penang to Cameron Highlands and then another one to Taman Negara.
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Kate is a writer, (ex)Management Consultant and avid traveller. She recently returned from a 2-year career break exploring the world and decided corporate life wasn’t for her. She’ll soon be testing life as a digital nomad. She’s visited over 40 countries and fell in love with Latin America in particular. Her travelling has inspired a passion for yoga, salsa, hiking and Spanish.
