55 km · Moderate
Kuala Lumpur to Genting Highlands
The switchback climb to the cloud line
- Drive time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Tolls
- RM 12–16 return
Route guide
Kuala Lumpur to Penang
Penang is the reason people extend their Malaysia trip. George Town is a heritage port full of clan houses and street art, the island is ringed by a genuinely good coast road, and the food is the best in the country by a margin most Malaysians will argue about but not deny.
- Distance
- 355 km
- Drive time
- 4 hours 15 minutes
- Tolls
- RM 90–110 return including the bridge
- Effort
- Moderate
Kuala Lumpur → George Town, Penang Island
How the drive goes
The drive is simple and long. Take the E1 north and stay on it for around three and a half hours. It is a well-maintained expressway with frequent rest stops, clear signage in English, and a steady eighty-to-110 flow. Break at Tapah or Ipoh — Ipoh is worth a two-hour detour on its own for the old town and white coffee.
Approaching Butterworth you choose your crossing. The first Penang Bridge, 13.5 km, drops you close to George Town and is the one to take if the old town is your destination. The Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah bridge — the second bridge, 24 km — lands you further south near Batu Maung and the airport, and is usually quieter. Both are tolled inbound only, so you pay once on the way in and cross free on the way out.
On the island, George Town's grid is compact and one-way in places, and hotel parking is the easy answer. Once you are settled, the drive worth doing is the loop: south through Bayan Lepas, west along the coast to Balik Pulau through durian orchards and rainforest, then north to Teluk Bahang and back east along the Batu Ferringhi beach road. About seventy kilometres, two hours with stops, and by far the best road on the island.
Coming home, leave Penang before two or after seven. The bridge and the Butterworth approach are slow at commuter hours and you will not enjoy adding an hour to an already long day.
Honest notes
- This is a two-night trip minimum. Eight and a half hours of driving does not fit around a day in George Town.
- The second bridge is exposed and gets strong crosswinds. It is occasionally closed to motorcycles.
- Penang island traffic at 5pm is worse than Kuala Lumpur's, which surprises everyone.
Best time to go
December to March. Avoid the Chinese New Year and Hari Raya exodus
The right car
What to drive on the Penang run
Four hours each way on smooth three-lane motorway. This is the one drive in our route set where a big luxury saloon beats everything: quiet at speed, comfortable on the eighth hour, and with the range to do the whole run on one tank. Save the supercar for the city.
Keep going
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- Drive time
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- Tolls
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- Drive time
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- Tolls
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