There are ferry services between Penang Island and several destinations including Butterworth, Langkawi and Medan.
Butterworth - Penang Ferry Services
Those taking the ferry from Butterworth would have first arrived there by train or bus. From there, you can take the ferry across to George Town. The fare is RM1.20 for adults one way (service from George Town to Butterworth is not charged). This takes you to Weld Quay in George Town, from where you can get connections to other parts of the island (see the "Getting Around in Penang" section).
The ferry service with Butterworth uses Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda at Weld Quay, also known as the Jetty. In addition, there are also ferry services between Penang, Langkawi and Medan. These services use the pier at Port Swettenham. Look for the signboard pointing to the ferry services to Langkawi and Medan.
Langkawi - Penang Ferry
Langkawi Ferry Services operates a ferry service between Langkawi and Penang daily. At time of writing, there is a direct service leaving Penang at 8:15am with a return journey from Langkawi at 5:15pm. Another service, with a stopover at Pulau Payar, leaves Penang at 8:30am with a return trip leaving Langkawi at 2:30pm. Trip takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. The ticket is RM55 (adult) and RM40 (child) one way, and RM105 (adult), RM75 (child) for two-way return. Ticketing counter number is 04-2642088 (Penang) and 04-9663779 (Langkawi)
Medan - Penang Ferry
There is also a ferry service between Medan and Penang operated also by Langkawi Ferry Services. Passengers should check in one hour before departure. The ferry leaves Medan at 9:00am in the morning for Penang, and takes 6 hours. At the same time, another ferry leaves Penang at 9:00am for Medan. The fare, excluding surcharge and embarkation fee, is RM110 (adult) and RM60 (child) one way, and RM180 (adult), RM100 (child) two way. Contact number is 04-2642088 (Penang) and +62-61-4521666 (Medan).
Port Swettenham
Arrival by Cruise Ship
A small number of people arrive in Penang by cruise ship. These ships berth at Port Swettenham, the same place as the ferry services to Langkawi and Medan.
If you are arriving by other means, please select arrival by car, by bus, or by plane. Otherwise, return to the Table of Contents to select another topic.
About the Author
Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, a Council Member of the Penang Heritage Trust. The information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct. We are not responsible for its usage. Text in this website is made available under terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. To contact us, write to:
