Cheap Flights to Penang

Why Travel to Penang? 

Penang is the destination for travelers who desire a small, memorable taste of Malaysia! It is one of the best street foods in the world, a living heritage of the city, and beaches and rainforest all within easy driving distance, making it a unique destination. George Town's UNESCO-listed streets, colourful street-art walkway and Sino-European shophouses offer a taste of the island's Malay, Chinese and Indian cultural blend. While Penang Hill/The Habitat and the magnificent Kek Lok Si temples blend nature with true culture and great photography opportunities.

Food is one of the most popular attractions here! Hawker centres and night markets offering dishes. For example, char kway teow, assam laksa, nasi kandar and local desserts! These are a foodie haven that people travel the world to visit. In addition to food and history, Penang offers easy family fun (Entopia, beaches, mangrove tours), outdoor thrills (hikes in national parks and canopy tours) and a thriving arts scene. So, whether you prefer culture, relaxation or active days, Penang combines them into one easy island destination.

How to Find the Cheapest Flights to Penang

The easiest way to find cheap flights to Penang is to start with flexibility. November and shoulder months often have lowest fares, so if you can travel off-peak. For example, mid-week departures and outside school holidays, you will usually see the better prices. One-stop itineraries via regional hubs (such as Kuala Lumpur or Singapore) are preferred over occasional direct long hauls.  And, if you split your one-ways ticket it can save on the fare. Don't book during the peak holiday times when prices are higher. For timing, try to book major international routes at least 4-8 weeks in advance (earlier for peak dates) and be prepared to snap up a deal when it comes. With many carriers, tiny tweaks in your dates can knock off hundreds of the ticket price. 

Oceans Travel assists with your specific Penang flight deals you can find on the website or by signing up to our newsletter! Additionally, instead of contacting us, you can book your tickets all online by using our flight search tool. You are able to find one way or return routes to Penang along with filtered options from the cheapest to being able to choose your desired airline! So you don't have to search every site, as our tool has everything you would need. Combined with some basic tricks (flexible dates, KUL/PEN/SIN connections, mid-week travel, shoulder-month departures) you will often find cheap flights to Penang without the hassle.

When to Visit Penang

The best time to visit Penang is December-February. These months provide the driest and sunniest weather in which to enjoy beaches, walks around Penang Hill and outdoor sightseeing. Hence it is the least challenging to enjoy everything the island has to offer. Occasionally, the northeast monsoon delivers some rain to Peninsular Malaysia. However, Penang has a dry season on its west-coast, which is lighter and more predictable than the wetter seasons. This is good for hilltreks, mangrove tours and island beaches.

To other types of traveller, beach and sun-seekers should aim for December-February also. When the seas are calm there is the entire range of activities. Families will also want to aim for this time of the year for school-holiday-friendly weather. Although, there will be bigger crowds and higher fares around Christmas and Chinese New Year. Budget travellers and deal-hunters in search of cheap flights to Penang should consider shoulder months (April or October) when there are not many tourists travelling. There will be a little more rain, however there are cheaper prices and quieter locations for you to visit.

Most Popular Routes and Airlines

The Penang flight scene is all regional flights particularly on the KUL-PEN route! It has approximately 200+ flights per week which draws most of the traffic and thus this route is the key mode of entry to Penang. International feeding follows next, Singapore, then Medan, but the majority of the arrivals are short regional flights, rather than long-haul fly-to-fly flights.

AirAsia is fundamentally the  most popular airline for traffic from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore, With approximately 900 departures a month in and out of PEN. The domestic and regional routes are still linked by Malaysia Airlines and domestic low-cost champions such as Firefly and Batik Air/Malindo. To add, Penang has scheduled and seasonal long-haul with airlines such as SIA, Cathay, Scoot, Thai, China Airlines, and Qatari Airways, as well as charters by other Asian markets occasionally.

PEN is the second-busiest airport in the country after KLIA which serves approximately 26 airline companies. So be it in search of cheap flights to Penang or simply wanting to know direct flights. The combination of regular KUL-LGK/PEN routes, good SIN connections and every now and then international pushes gives the traveller plenty of options. Most bargain hunters begin with a KUL, PEN or SIN one-stop connection to scoop the best deal!

Top Things to See and Do in Penang

Penang is a cultural, food, historical, and adventure destination and therefore a lot of travellers seek flights there. Take the funicular to Penang Hill to see clear views/have jungle walks. To add, you can visit Kek Lok Si Temple with its pagodas and bright Kuan Yin statue. Explore the street art, museums and old streets of George Town by trishaw or foot. Penang hawker stalls are available to food lovers. Don’t miss char kway teow, assam laksa, nasi kandar, and cendol at the night markets or on Gurney Drive. 

Cooking lessons and street-food tours will make you able to taste more. To get culture, visit the fancy Pinang Peranakan Mansion, huge Fort Cornwallis and get to know about Baba-Nyonya tales. Families may go to Entopia Butterfly Farm, take boat tours of the mangroves or rainforest hikes of Penang National Park to Turtle Beach. It is these basic, easy to remember experiences that make many travellers find flights to Penang and organise their trip around the island's main attractions.

Neighbourhoods and Surroundings

When planning your flights to Penang, you might want to know the location of the various different areas to settle on the best location. George Town is the commercial and cultural hub. It contains a historic area listed by UNESCO, numerous restaurants, and a host of city services. Therefore, it is the best place to visit as a first-time visitor. Batu Ferringhi is a place to try in case you wish to spend your stay at the beach. It is the primary resort district that has hotels, restaurants, and night-life. Newer condos are found in the coastal suburbs such as Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong and they are also close to the seaside cafes. Penang International Airport and the large industrial zone are located in Bayan Lepas. Which makes it convenient to business travellers and quick airport transfers.

Balik Pulau in the more peaceful west side has a rural green atmosphere with rice fields and local markets and fruit orchards. Pulau Tikus, a mix of markets, boutiques, and traditional Penang street food. Including the famous Gurney Drive hawker stalls, is the place to go in case you want a local, residential feel. On the mainland, Butterworth and the rest of the Seberang Perai region is where transport and ferry services are provided to visit the country by sea, and convenient to organize a multi-leg journey into Penang. Select your area according to your preferred city culture, beach time, airport convenience, or rural tranquillity. It will make your Penang trip a lot easier once you land.