Visiting Penang Waterfall Hill Temple: everything you need to know

Just next to Penang Youth Park, perched high up on a hill, is Penang Waterfall Hill Temple, also known as Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple. Very few tourists visit this temple as it’s not as accessible as those around George Town and isn’t as impressive at the Chinese Buddhist temple of Kek Lok Si Temple, but it’s a fascinating insight into the Hindu traditions of the island. Indeed, it features on our suggested off-the-beaten-track places in Penang. The hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6m-tall gopuram (main tower), is often cited as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India.

Where is Penang Waterfall Hill Temple located

Penang Waterfall Hill Temple is located along Jalan Kebun Bunga. Along this road, you’ll also find the Penang Botanical Gardens and Penang Youth Park. The temple is around twenty minutes drive from central George Town, and it’s easiest to reach it in a Grab that will drop you right outside the entrance (located here).

The area isn’t especially well served by the Penang bus network, the closest you can get is St. Christopher’s School or St Nicholas bus stop, but both are still twenty minutes walk away.

Opening times and entry fees

Entry to Penang Waterfall Hill Temple is free.

It opens at 6.00am and closes at 12.00pm, then re-opens at 4.30pm until 9.00pm (give or take a few minutes).

What to wear

As with all Hindu temples, it’s important to dress respectfully and follow the guidelines posted at the entrance. Before you start the climb, you’ll see a shoe rack where you should leave your shoes for the duration of your visit.

You should also wear long trousers/skirts and shoulders should be covered at all times. Unlike at some other temples you may have visited, there isn’t usually a guard enforcing the dress code, but you should still follow the rules. You may see some tourists wearing shorts and trainers, but it’s a sign of respect to do as the locals do.

As you need to leave your shoes at the bottom, there’s no need to bring any specialist footwear for your visit, so you’re fine visiting in flip-flops etc.

Climbing the 513 steps

The journey to the temple is an adventure in itself, involving a climb of 513 steps, which makes the temple higher than the one in Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. Although this may sound like a daunting feat for your feet, it’s actually not too much of an arduous climb as the steps aren’t steep and there are a couple of flat sections to take a break. Plus the view at the top and the beautiful temple make the effort worthwhile.

Keep an eye out for macaques who patrol the area, they’re mostly harmless if you avoid eye-contact and don’t have any food, drink or sunglasses on display.

What to expect at the temple

There have been several hilltop temples built in and around this site over the past couple of hundred years, culminating with the beautiful structure you’ll now find at the end of the 513 steps. Completed in 2012, the seven-storey Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple is well worth the climb.

As you approach the final few steps, there are a few places to buy ice-cream and drinks for you, or to purchase offerings.

During the Thaipusam Festival, the temple has space for an astonishing 800,000 visitors, a truly staggering figure that brings this whole area of Penang to a standstill. If you’re visiting at other times of the year, the numbers are vastly reduced, and you’ll usually enjoy a relaxed and peaceful visit to the temple.

Take your time looking up and around the exterior of the temple, with all the carvings, colour and details creating a stunning spectacle. In the surrounding grounds, there are plenty of other smaller temples to visit, plus excellent views back over the rest of Penang and out towards the mainland.

How much time to allow

Depending on your fitness levels, you should expect the climb to the top to take around 30 minutes (less coming back down, around 20 minutes). The hilltop temple will need at least another 30 minutes of your time (perhaps substantially longer if Hindu temples are of particular interest), so you should allow at least one and a half hours in total for your visit.

Where to go after your visit to Penang Waterfall Hill Temple

After your visit, we recommended taking a short walk to Dim Sum Cha Yun for a bite to eat, it’s just a few minutes walk back along the road in the direction of George Town.

As the Penang Botanical Gardens and Youth Park are so close by, it makes sense to combine a visit to one or both after you’ve finished at the Waterfall Hill Temple.

Final thoughts on Penang Waterfall Hill Temple

The dramatic location of the Penang Waterfall Hill Temple, combined with the sense of achievement of climbing over five hundred steps, make this a recommended Penang attraction, especially if you arrive early in the morning before the heat becomes an issue.

With a beautiful and significant temple awaiting you at the top, this might be one of the lesser-known tourist attractions on the island, but it’s certainly one of the most appealing.