The first step to get to the top of Penang Hill is of course to get to the foot of the hill! This official website has detailed instructions on how to get to the Train Station at the foot of the hill.
http://www.penanghill.gov.my/index.php/how-to-get-there
The 2 best ways to get to the top of Penang Hill would be
1) By Train
2) Hiking/Walking
The Train
The Penang Hill train brings you from the bottom to the top in under 10 minutes. The train is air conditioned. Seats are pretty limited, sitting around 8 people in the middle carriages, 4 people at the top carriage and 6 at the bottom carriage. On weekends when there is a crowd, it's hard to get to seat. Standing isn't so bad though, considering how quick the journey is.
There are two trains carrying passengers up and down the hill. They usually travel at the same time and at the middle, the tracks separate and one train goes left, the other goes right. So, don't be shocked if you see the other train coming towards the train you are in. On the sides of the tracks are trees and you can also see some view of Penang from the train as it is moving.
Visit the official penang hill website for the latest ticket prices. The ticket prices below are screenshot from the website.
Visit the official penang hill website for the latest ticket prices. The ticket prices below are screenshot from the website.
The train operating hours is from 6:30am to 11:00pm daily. The wait for the train is not long, in my experience, the longest wait time was 15 minutes. Please take note of the promotion time. The ticket is sold at promotion price before 9am and after 7pm daily. I'm not sure if it applies to foreigners though. The promotion is not valid during school holidays (by Ministry of Education, Malaysia).
Hiking
For hikers, trekkers and those who like walking, this may be the most satisfying and interesting way up. Depending on the trail, the adventurous fellow who walks up may go through local farms, through the tropical rainforest and along the train tracks. The experience would be really different from going up by train. The locals farms at Air Itam have flowers and fruit trees, aside from the typical vegetables you might see. These farms are different from what you'd see in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. There are many farms in Cameron Highlands which are open to tourists. These are big and very organized. The farms on Penang Hill in the Air Itam area are smaller and feels very out of town. It's not like you went back in time. It's like you're in a different place. The hike would take an averagely fit person 3 hours. It is really recommended if you can find the time.
For hikers, trekkers and those who like walking, this may be the most satisfying and interesting way up. Depending on the trail, the adventurous fellow who walks up may go through local farms, through the tropical rainforest and along the train tracks. The experience would be really different from going up by train. The locals farms at Air Itam have flowers and fruit trees, aside from the typical vegetables you might see. These farms are different from what you'd see in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. There are many farms in Cameron Highlands which are open to tourists. These are big and very organized. The farms on Penang Hill in the Air Itam area are smaller and feels very out of town. It's not like you went back in time. It's like you're in a different place. The hike would take an averagely fit person 3 hours. It is really recommended if you can find the time.
Refer to this post if you want to hike from Air Itam area.
Penang is a city with multiple personalities. Air Itam, Balik Pulau and Teluk Bahang have farms. There is Penang Hill with forests. There are countless places of worships for numerous religions, all with beautiful designs, traditional and modern. There are malls like Queensbay, Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon. There's the heritage area in Georgetown and if you explore, there are areas with villages. We've skyscrapers and kampung houses, all in Penang.
