How to get from Singapore to Penang

Why visit Penang?

Penang is a cultural melting pot on the northwest coast of Malaysia. For such a small island, it has so much to offer — vibrant culture, colourful heritage, amazing food, urban wonders, and untouched rainforest.

At its heart is George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a city rich in history. Famous for its street art, you can easily spend hours exploring its alleys. Sure, the island can be touristy. Yet somehow, it is able to maintain a laidback vibe and a charm that you can only find in Penang.

There are 2 ways to travel the 710 kilometre (441 miles) distance from Singapore to Penang. You can choose between the bus and flight. The journey takes 2 hours 20 minutes to 18 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 165 MYR ($39).

When taking the bus from Singapore to Penang, you can only go as far as Butterworth, a mainland town just 3 km across from Penang Island.

From Butterworth, you’ll need to continue with the ferry to Penang. See here the steps explained in more detail.

There are a few bus lines that operate the route from Singapore to Penang via Butterworth. Sri Maju Group is one of the companies on this route.

It has one trip that departs from Golden Mile Complex (5 km from downtown Singapore) at 21:00 daily. It arrives at Penang Sentral in Butterworth around 07:00 the next day, after a long journey of 18h.

A bus ticket from Singapore to Penang Sentral costs 165 MYR ($39).

Golden Mile Tower

Express 27

Butterworth

18:00

17h 57m

11:57

22:15

17h 57m

16:12

StarMart SG

From 165 MYR ($39)

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165 MYR ($39)

22:15

17h 57m

16:12

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• 24/7 customer support

270 MYR ($64)

18:00

17h 57m

11:57

Check on BookAway

Upon arrival at Penang Sentral, find the walkway that connects to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal. There are some stairs here so take note if you’re carrying a lot of luggage.

At the port, ferries bound for Weld Quay on Penang Island depart twice an hour from 05:20 to 00:10. This will also easily match the arrival time of 07:00 of the bus.

You can buy a ferry ticket for 3 MYR ($0.70). Travel time is only 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the water condition.

Weld Quay is 2 km away from Penang city centre. If you’re staying in George Town, you can take a 5-minute taxi from 13 MYR ($3.10) or a 20-minute bus (Line 101) for 5 MYR ($1.20).

The flight from Singapore to Penang takes only a little over an hour, but note that both airports are not located in the city centre. Transfers between the airports and city centres take 30 minutes for each city.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

First, you’ll need to get to Singapore Changi Airport, located 20 km east of downtown Singapore.

You can take a city shuttle for 9 SGD ($6.90), a taxi for 25 SGD ($19.20), the train for 2.70 SGD ($2.10), or the public bus for 2 SGD ($1.50).

For a combination of speed, comfort and budget, we highly recommend the city shuttle that costs 27.50 MYR ($6.50). This is a shared minivan that offers free pick-up from a long list of hotels in the city centre. You can book your ride via Klook, a popular booking platform in Southeast Asia.

Note that although the train and the public bus are cheap, they might not be the best option if you’re short on time. For more details on the train and bus schedules, visit our page on Singapore Airport.

Air Asia often offers the cheapest flights from Singapore to Penang. Airfares start from 70 SGD ($54) when you book early and travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes.

Other carriers operating on this route are Jetstar, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, and Silk Air. You can easily check fares and flight schedules through the link below.

The flights depart from Singapore Changi Airport and arrive at Penang International Airport.

Penang Airport is located some 18 km south of George Town.

You have 2 choices to reach your hotel in the city centre: a 30-minute taxi starting from 30 MYR ($7.10) or a 1-hour bus that costs only 3 MYR ($0.70). There are several bus lines operating on this route, so take one that makes a stop near your hotel.