Home > Penang > Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple Afternoon Tour
USD $53.00
Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple Afternoon Tour
Penang, Malaysia
Visit top sights in Penang on a half-day tour that includes a ride on Penang Hill Railway and a tour of Kek Lok Si Temple and Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas. On a clear day, you can even take in views that extend from Georgetown over to mainland Malaysia. You'll travel with an expert guide who explains the history behind some of Penang's top landmarks on this tour, which includes pickup and drop-off at your Penang hotel.
After pickup from your hotel, travel by air-conditioned vehicle with a guide who shares informative commentary on Penang.
Drive to the Georgetown station where you board the Penang Hill Railway, a funicular train that takes approximately 20 minutes to climb Penang Hill, Malaysia's oldest hill station. During the ride, look for monkeys and other creatures that live in the lush forest. At the summit, situated 2,695 feet (821 meters) above Georgetown, enjoy the cooler air and panoramic views of the lush mountains and city below.
Then hop back in your vehicle to visit Kek Lok Si. Also known as the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Kek Lok Si is considered one of the largest and most impressive Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. Built in 1890 by a Chinese Buddhist immigrant, Kek Lok Si remains an important cornerstone of the Malay-Chinese community. Carved into the slope of Air Itam, close to Penang Hill, the temple features a seven-tiered pagoda with a combination of Chinese, Thai and Burmese craftsmanship and architectural features.
Your guide shows you around the vast temple complex, pointing out important features including a bronze statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, that stands 99 feet (30 meters) tall. Stop at the Pond of Longevity, where hundreds of tortoises live after being set free by devotees; your guide explains how tortoises represent longevity, endurance and strength in Chinese culture.
At the end of a fascinating 4-hour tour, your guide returns you to your hotel.
The Penang Hill portion of this tour was really superb. Got a change to take the funicular, which is a spectacular climb, and wander around the hilltop by electric cart. Our guide knew how to maneuver us into the right part of the car, so we could get some good photos on the way up. He also showed us around the hotel up there, which is neat and made us wish we'd booked a night's stay. The temperature on the hilltop was nice as well--it was great to be cool for a change!_br/_ The Kek Lok Si portion could use some work. Much of the temple is under construction, and there were many places at the top where we were not permitted to go. The turtle pond was nice, but our time at the temple was short and it kind of felt like an add-on. Our guide told us that the lights at night were spectacular perhaps that should be part of the tour?_br/_ Our guide was pleasant, informative, and spoke excellent English, He finished up the tour by driving us through the historic district on the way back to our hotel, and provided an informative running commentary about the various buildings we saw. All in all, a good day and worth the money. Thanks!
Review by: Stephen F, April 2018
Good tour with a knowledgeable guide. Had some time to at the top to explore Penang Hill on our own. The air conditioning in the tour van could have been better.
Review by: Peter M, February 2018
Guide was excellent. Schedule worked well. The sites on this trip were extraordinary. On the hill, I even had some extra time to take tea and scones at the restaurant built into a beautiful British colonial building.
Review by: cyril w, February 2018
Excellent tour, just my husband and I, was picked up by our lovely guide from our cruise terminal and had a one to one tour of the city and the temple.On the penang hill railway he even made sure we had the best view as we traveled up the hill, would highly recommend afternoon tea in the gardens of the old colonial tea rooms.
Review by: James R, December 2017
This presentation was only slightly better than a high school play._br/_ Whatever the ad says about this do not expect food nor pickup from hotel.
Review by: Gordon R, October 2017
Excellent tour with very informative guide. He went out of his way to explain the sights seen along the way driving to and from and between the 2 main sites
Review by: Veronica E, September 2017
Lawrence, our guide, was very knowledgeable in his craft. He knew which part of the Penang Hill would be best, upward and downward, and the good spots to take photos from. I am really impressed! He was also well-versed with explaining to us the backgrounds of the Temple. Again, he made a difference in this tour!
Review by: Sally-ann P, July 2017
I was the only person on this tour not a bit deal, I've done many other tours that I have also been the only person, but generally that has enhanced the tour. The bus was not air-conditioned and Malaysia was experiencing an extreme heatwave and my driver/guide, although very nice was not really informative or knowledgeable about the history or any other aspect. It was kind of like having asked a taxi drive to take me around, where he just pointed at things and would indicate if it was a temple etc, they type of things I generally could figure out myself. He stayed downstairs and had a snooze on the plastic chair while I climbed the Kek Lok Si temple to be fair it WAS very hot and chatted to his friend on the cable car. _br/_ The best part of the tour to be honest, was when the driver talked to me about his life and family on the way home, at which time I think we were both feeling considerable relief that is was nearly over._br/_ I chose this tour because it got such rave reviews and I suspect that perhaps the regular tour driver/guide was ill and I got a fill in, because there is simply no way this tour matches up with what I'd read online. It's the only explanation really. My guide though nice was clearly bored and desperate for it to be over and couldn't be described as informative by even the most generous person.
Review by: miltonpres, July 2017
Excellent tour of Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely recommend this tour
Review by: Theresa, June 2017
A very small group which was nice, was taken up to the beautiful temple and fed the longevity turtles and then was sent up to the top of Penang hill wich had spectacular views of Penang and its surroundings. Queue to board the tram up and down to Penang hill can be long and tiresome due to the heat and crowds.
Review by: jcniduaza, May 2017
Me and my wife visited Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill as a side trip after we finished our cruise ship tour. I would say that on this tour we are lucky to have the best or if not, the excellent tour guide for our trip. He is very knowledgeable of the temples, the images/statues, almost all that we passed along the way, he has information to share, which we enjoyed. He was even pro-active to take pictures of us during this tour. We are very happy with the quality of this tour.
Review by: Egm1, April 2017
Had a very nice guide with good English skills. Penang Hill is neat, but if you don't rent a golf cart to take you around it is alot of walking. Kek Lok Si is a lovely temple with lots of interesting history.
Review by: Jenny G, March 2017
Really good tour with excellent guide, a 'must do' trip in Penang. I would recommend doing this tour on a weekday rather than weekend as Penang Hill can get very busy on a weekend. The Temple is impressive and well worth a visit. The tour was very well organised, they called me the night before to confirm pick-up time and were exactly on time.
Review by: Annabelle P, March 2017
My mother and I had a fantastic time on this tour. Philip, our guide, was extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. He punctually picked us up from our hotel in the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle and gave us detailed and informative commentary about the tour as well as various other places in Penang and the history and culture of the city._br/_ Penang Hill itself is amazing-and can be reached by a 7 minute funicular ride. It has breathtaking views of Penang, and landmarks including a Hindu temple, a mosque, an owl souvenir shop and a restaurant. As Penang hill is a very popular tourist destination, you may need to factor in additional time to queue up at the funicular. _br/_ Kek Lok Si Temple is another must see in Penang-being one of Asia's most iconic temples. Once again, Philip was very helpful and informative, providing us with a wealth of information about the history and religion surrounding the temple. _br/_ Philip went above and beyond to make this a memorable experience for us-including taking photos for us, providing us with detailed commentary and making restaurant recommendations to us and even dropping us off at a restaurant at the end of the tour! My mother and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and I highly recommend it.
Review by: Ann Lesley W, February 2017
We had a fantastic guide/ driver who couldn't have been more helpful and was also very knowledgable. His English was of a high standard. The Buddhist temple is very interesting. Wonderful view from Penang Hill of the island. Plenty to see and do there. Enjoyed the ride up the hill. Allow time to queue to get the tickets if it's a holiday time.
Review by: Ann Lesley W, February 2017
We had a fantastic guide/ driver who couldn't have been more helpful and was also very knowledgable. His English was of a high standard. The Buddhist temple is very interesting. Wonderful view from Penang Hill of the island. Plenty to see and do there. Enjoyed the ride up the hill. Allow time to queue to get the tickets if it's a holiday time.
Review by: CIA, November 2016
This tour was great. Lawrence out tour guide couldn't have been better, knowledgable, friendly and professional. Great train ride to Penang Hill and the temple was amazing. A must do when in Penang!
Review by: Carol B, October 2016
Our tour guide Lawrence was excellent.His knowledge was brilliant before we even got to the temple and Penang Hill. We had commentary all the way from our pick up to the end of the tour. He was friendly and informative and the trip was excellent.
Review by: eam1963, September 2016
Our guide was Philip and was wonderful,picked up on time and adjusted our tour as there was only two of us. we visited Penang Hill first The train ride was fantastic and the view to die for, a very clear day. We even had time for High Tea, and a whole heap of photos were taken by Philip for us. He then took us to the temple and was so informative. There was nothing that he wouldn't do for us. An amazing tour and afternoon. kevin and Liz McHugh
Review by: Thomas P, September 2016
My experience on this tour was highly enjoyable. The tour guide, Lawrence, was very knowledgeable, not only about the temple and penang hill, but on various buildings in Georgetown on the drive to the temple. Views from penang hill are spectacular. One down side to the trip was that tour bus didn't pick me up from my hotel, I had to get my own transport to a pick up point.
Review by: Richard G, July 2016
Great guide. Interesting tour. Good value. Great way to get an overview of the older part of town. Easy to book online and they confirmed the day of the tour they called our hotel room. No hesitation in recommending.
Review by: Laura C, July 2016
Lawrence was the best tour guide! He was very nice, knowledge and accommodating. The Temple and the Penang Hill funicular train ride were amazing!
Review by: Erna C, July 2016
Amazing! Our guide, Lawrence, was absolutely fantastic! He was on time, friendly and very informative. The information given in an interesting way and we were his 1st priority. Sites visited interesting and jaw dropping. Even took us for coffee tasting - delightful outing...not to be missed!
Review by: PEK U I, June 2016
My first time in Penang! Joined this tour and met an Australian girl who was also travelling Penang on her own. Our guide and driver, Mr. Lawrence, is very knowledgeable anout this city. He's also very friendly. No delay for picking up guests. This is what I appreciated most!
Review by: Keith D, June 2016
knowledgeable and helpful - thank you
Review by: Theresa H, June 2016
This is such a terrific tour. A definite must do while in Penang. My tour guide, Moye, sp? was highly knowledgeable and VERY professional. He was as interesting as the tour. I will use this company again when I book my next tour. Keeping my fingers crossed that I get the same guide. So wonderful!
Review by: annabelle.hui, May 2016
i enjoyed the tour very much. Definately worth the money spend!
Review by: karenalk, February 2016
Highly recommend this trip. Great views of Penang when you go up Penang Hill. The temple is amazing so much to see,_br/_ My tour guide Philip was fantastic he came on time and was so knowledgeable. I even booked with him for a private tour the next day. I would highly recommend him and this tour._br/_ A must see in Penang.
Review by: Paul M, February 2016
Excellent day with a very knowledgeable guide
Review by: rosemary m, January 2016
we were met by our guide and Driver Philip, he embarked on a ver fine tour, which included the reclining Budha, botanical gardens, a tip round Georgetown, showing us the murals, the Eastern Peninsula hotel, Suffolk house and little India. He the took us to the Chew jetty where we had free time and did some shopping._br/_ As we have found Phillip spoke exceptional English was very well informed and wonderfully informative. All in all a very good tour and experience
Review by: Jacklyn, January 2016
Came back on Last Saturday and I had no regrets in choosing the tour package by Viator..and the tour agency whu had arranged dis tour guide for me was superb n I really liked his explanation..Very detailed.thevwhole trip was a great experience and an eye-opener for me .
Review by: andrew t, January 2016
Very friendly, informative guide. Great views of Penang. Well worth doing this tour.
Review by: Rebecca J, December 2015
This tour is a must do. Our tour guide Philip was amazing, he was very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions. Talked in depth to us about each place and then let us go off and explore. He didn't once rush us and even took us to a pewter factory and a tea, chocolate and coffee tasting tour at the end of the trip. It was fabulous but also very bad as we brought as much coffee as we could fit in our case. Philip also has lots of recommendations for things to do and places to eat, all of which we did. This trip made our time in Penang! Thank you Philip
Review by: Jenny, November 2015
Highly enjoyed this tour. Kek lok si is a must see temple and the grounds were absolutely beautiful. Penang Hill was amazing and loved seeing so many monkeys at the top of the hill. Highly recommend Phillip as your tour guide. He was extremely friendly and funny and taught me so much about Penang in just a few hours.
Review by: M M, November 2015
The trip was great and the guide very knowledgeable. As a woman by myself for the afternoon I really appreciated being picked up from my hotel and I felt comfortable with my guide and it was a wonderful opportunity for me. Many thanks
Review by: preronade, August 2015
I was the only one on the tour, and Tan my guide was very good.He took me to 2 other Buddhist temples as Kek Lok Si was closed.The panoramic views from Penang Hill were awesome! Tan, later went out of his way to show me some major sights Penang and also a quick trip to the Botanical Gardens.
Review by: Stephen T, June 2015
Fascinating tour, the guide was very good and arrived on time. The views from Penang Hill were amazing as was the ride to the top as our guide managed to get us in the first carriage. Well worth the money
Review by: George L, June 2015
Interesting tour and the journey to Penang Hill a great experience and fantastic views from a high elevation.
Review by: Parvinder S, May 2015
The train ride was amazing. The hills had a panoramic 360 degree view of George town. The temple was located in a foothill of dirty market. Seemed not to be a tourist attraction in comparison to Thai and Burmese Buddhist temple we visited in Penang.
Review by: chris F, April 2015
Lovely tour with Lawrence as our guide he was great and very informative
Review by: Julie C, September 2014
Some confusion initially about when our tour was (we had booked for afternoon but we were reported as no-show for the morning), we had an excellent time. Our guide, Philip, was a local who was very friendly and willing to add in some extra sightseeing when we got through the temple and hill early. We could take our own time, the vehicle was spotless and ran very smoothly, and we had no concerns for our safety despite Penang traffic.
Review by: Kathleen A, September 2014
I lived in Penang in the late 70's so it was great to be able to see some of the old sites again. However I must say the hi light of this tour was our tour director Phillip, he was outstanding.
Review by: mark.hardy, August 2014
I have done thhis tour previously and had the same tour guide again - Lawrence, he is a very good tour guide, his knowledge of the sights on the way to the temple and railway are excellent and he shares lots of information with you.
Review by: Marlene G, May 2014
not good, car not appropriate, guide didn't talk and more
Review by: Sheli B, May 2014
Enjoyed the tour. Unfortunately, we were expecting to also visit the Penang Botanical Gardens on this tour as was mentioned in the tour description ("Stroll through the beautiful Penang Botanical Gardens"). Our tour guide said it wasn't part of this tour. Viator should update their website if this is the case!
Review by: dlmosolf, March 2014
This was my fav of the 6 tours that I took with this company. Our guide stayed with our group and pointed out different sites. He made sure that we were in the 1st seats of the 1st car on the trip down. It would not have been as much fun without our guide.
Review by: Arno B, March 2014
Top tour. Excellent guide.
Review by: macca, February 2014
Great tour with a Pleasant guilde
Review by: Johanna K, January 2014
We were EXTREMELY happy with this tour! We had Moy (sorry if I butchered your name), and he was a very excellent tour guide. We paid for the group tour but there were only 2 of us. He said the rest were still sleeping (even though it was 2 pm) :). He was very informative, pointing out landmarks and buildings on the way to the Temple and Penang Hill. As we stopped at these places, he always greeted one or 2 locals, which was nice to see. You can tell his friendliness wasn't an act. Also, he was very prepared with 2 umbrellas when he saw the rain clouds come in. Luckily, it didn't rain (just a light drizzle) but still it was nice to see that he took care of his guests. At one point, he chatted up with the train conductor and we actually got to see his switchboard. Pretty neat. Definitely would do another tour with Moy again!
Review by: Thomas M, January 2014
Thoroughly enjoyable trip. Helpful and informative guide
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