George Town Heritage Highlights Tour by Vehicle, Penang

George Town by trishaw: the UNESCO heritage core

George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, together with Melaka, for its living multicultural townscape: rows of two-storey shophouses, clan temples, mosques and colonial offices built by Malay, Chinese, Indian and European communities since the late 18th century. The heritage core is compact and flat, which is why the trishaw, a three-wheeled bicycle rickshaw with the passenger seat in front, is still the classic way to see it.

On this George Town heritage tour you ride for about an hour, two guests per trishaw, past pastel facades, shaded five-foot ways and painted walls. The pedaller concentrates on the traffic, so your driver-guide explains the route before and after the ride. Many visitors ask whether George Town is worth visiting on a short stay; this format answers it by covering the main quarters in three hours without long distances on foot.

Fort Cornwallis, the Esplanade and Beach Street

Fort Cornwallis stands at the north-eastern tip of the island, on the spot where the British East India Company landed in 1786. First built of palm trunks, it was rebuilt in brick and stone in the early 1800s in its star shape. Today its low ramparts, old cannons, chapel and gunpowder magazine make an easy stop of 20 to 30 minutes; the entry ticket is not included, so you can pay at the gate if you want to go inside.

Next to the fort, the open Esplanade, known locally as Padang Kota Lama, is framed by the white colonial Town Hall and City Hall, and the seafront promenade catches the breeze from the strait. The drive then follows Beach Street, George Town's old banking street, lined with grand early 20th-century facades and clock towers. It is a favourite photo stop and shows the British side of Penang's past.

Armenian Street and George Town street art

Armenian Street, or Lebuh Armenian, is one of the most photographed lanes in Penang. Its restored shophouses hold craft shops, cafés and small museums, and in 2012 a series of wall murals, among them two children riding a real bicycle fixed to the wall, turned the street into an open-air gallery that now belongs to the identity of the city.

Alongside the murals, witty iron-rod caricatures fixed to the walls tell short stories about the old trades and characters of each street. Your guide points out the best pieces and gives you time for photos. If you are planning when to see George Town street art, early morning and late afternoon are best: the light is softer, the lanes are quieter and you can take pictures without crowds in front of the walls.

Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Goddess of Mercy Temple

Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling is often called the Street of Harmony, because a mosque, a Chinese temple, a Hindu temple and an Anglican church stand within a short distance of each other. The Kapitan Keling Mosque was founded in the early 19th century by Indian Muslim traders; its present form, with onion domes and a slender minaret in Moorish and Mughal style, dates from the early 20th century. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, and robes are usually lent at the entrance.

A few steps away, the Goddess of Mercy Temple, Kuan Yin Teng, is one of the oldest Chinese temples in Penang, dating from around 1800. Incense smoke, carved granite pillars and a steady flow of worshippers show that this is a living place of faith. Together the two stops take about 30 minutes and give a clear picture of the many cultures that shaped the city.

Little India: spices, garlands and halal food

Little India fills the lanes around Lebuh Pasar, Lebuh Queen and Lebuh King. Shops sell saris, brass lamps, jasmine garlands and sacks of spices, and Tamil music drifts out of the doorways. On Lebuh Queen, the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, founded in 1833, is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, its gateway tower covered with brightly painted deities.

The tour finishes here, so you can enjoy the quarter at a relaxed pace before the transfer back to your hotel. The area is also known for nasi kandar, Penang's Indian Muslim rice dish served with curries, and many eateries around Little India and the Kapitan Keling Mosque are halal, which is useful if you want to stay on for a meal. The nearby mosque also makes it easy for Muslim travellers to pray during the afternoon.