Clan Jetties of Penang: What to Know Before Visiting

Visiting the Clan Jetties of Penang has become a top island attraction in recent years—and a somewhat controversial one at that.

Lori and I got conflicting messages from online reviews and locals in George Town as to whether these communities even wanted visitors or not.

After visiting, it’s clear to us that the clan jetties do welcome visitors, but there is very much a right way (and a wrong way) to visit.

In this guide, we’ll share our experience visiting the Clan Jetties of Penang with tips and information for visiting in a way that’s a win-win for both residents and visitors, alike.

Looking for a good tour recommendation?

Here are our hand-picked choices for George Town tours that include a visit to the Clan Jetties of Penang:

✪ Viator Top-Rated George Town Bike/ Trishaw Guided Tour

✪ Get Your Guide Penang Heritage Tour with Clan Jetties

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we might receive a commission (at no added cost to you). Thanks for supporting independent, ad-free blogs!

Why We Visited the Clan Jetties of Penang

Tour advertisements for the Clan Jetties are everywhere in George Town, and our guesthouse was only a few blocks away from the most popular one—Chew Jetty. So, naturally, the Clan Jetties made it onto our list of things to do in Penang.

Deciding to actually visit the jetties, however, took a bit more consideration.

The Clan Jetties of Penang are a collection of settlements along the George Town waterfront (Weld Quay) built on long wooden piers starting in the 19th century.

They were established to house Chinese laborers during the height of British rule—each pier housing a separate familial clan for which the piers are named (e.g. Yeoh, Chew).

These settlements survive today and descendants of the original clans still reside in stilted homes along the piers.

Each Clan Jetty is a living, breathing community residing in neighborhoods seemingly frozen in time. For this reason, when George Town gained its UNESCO status in 2008, the Clan Jetties became a major tourist draw.

Are Visitors Welcome?

As tourist numbers to Old Town ballooned, so have the crowds (and seemingly endless tour groups) visiting the jetties.

Chew Jetty, the most famous, has born the brunt of this [largely unwanted] attention, and there’s been some push-back from residents in recent years for understandable reasons.

After researching the jetties, it remained unclear to us whether we’d feel welcome, awkward, resented, or something else.

We figured the best way to find out was to visit as respectfully as possible, keeping in mind that this is a living, breathing community and not a museum, and being ready to leave if it feels we’re imposing or in some place we are not welcome.

But in the end, all of our back-and-forth seemed in vain. Having visited some of the more popular Clan Jetties of Penang, it’s now apparent to us that visitors are welcome (and even encouraged) for the most part, provided that the rules of the community are followed and that visitors act in a respectful manner (more on that in a bit).

Our Thoughts on Taking a Guided Tour

When we visited, we wanted to try to stay as under-the-radar as possible and spend as much (or as little) time as we thought appropriate. The last thing we wanted was to invade these communities with a large and conspicuous group led by a loud tour guide with a bright umbrella.

While we still don’t think that a large tour group would be the best approach, in hindsight, we would definitely consider hiring a knowledgeable and local private guide who has a rapport with the community and can lend valuable context to our visit.

In that spirit, we’ve selected a couple of top-rated small group guided tours you can book online ahead of time:

✪ Viator Top-Rated George Town Bike/ Trishaw Guided Tour

✪ Get Your Guide Penang Heritage Tour with Clan Jetties

Alternatively, you can hire a trishaw (cycle rickshaw) driver at various points in the historic center who can take you to some of the more popular clan jetties and might be able to give you some insight on the way.

Keep reading to learn more about our own experience visiting Chew Jetty and Lim Jetty, plus tips for visiting on your own or with a guided tour.

Our Experience Visiting the Clan Jetties of Penang

Chew Jetty

From Weld Quay (or the other jetties) the Clan Jetties look like a stilted mishmash of structures and materials (they’re pretty hard to miss). We decided to visit the most well-known pier, Chew Jetty, first. Go big or go home, right?

Find Chew Jetty on the map.

Upon arrival, it still wasn’t clear if we’d feel welcome or resented. From some of what I’d read, I was expecting stink eyes, scowling, and angry hand gestures and shouting from elderly Chinese women.

Stepping into Chew Jetty, however, it was immediately apparent that our reservations about visiting were all for naught.

The entire pier, it seems, has transformed itself into a kitschy wharf-style tourist attraction, with little shops selling everything from ice cream to locally-made clothing, souvenir trinkets to gourmet coffee.

Our hearts sank a bit. We wanted to visit Chew Jetty to get a sense of the unique lifestyle, fascinating history, and rich cultural heritage of this over-water community. Instead, we got Penang‘s version of Fishermen’s Wharf.

I get it, local residents see an opportunity to leverage the disruptive hordes to improve their lives, and for that, I can’t blame them. I just can’t help but feel we barely missed the boat on this one.

What might we have encountered on a stroll through here five years ago?

man walking in the clan jetties of Penang

Chew Jetty still offers glimpses of the past here and there, but it’s clear that this community is in transition with an uncertain future.

Chew Jetty is ground zero for Chinese New Year celebrations, as well as the Dragon Boat festival every year.

Portable street altar for offerings at the end of the pier.

Other area Clan Jetties, as viewed from Chew Jetty.

Penang Bridge, as viewed from the jetties.

Tips for Visiting Chew Jetty

Chew Jetty, wasn’t what we expected, but we’re still glad we visited. Here are a few tips to make the most of your visit:

Go to Chew Jetty with the right mindset. It’s no longer the authentic experience it might have been a few decades back. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting to learn about the history and experience the unique culture of the jetty.
They do ask that visitors only come between the hours of 9am and 9pm, so you’ll want to definitely plan your visit within that timeframe.
You can also hire boats from the jetty for a 10-minute sightseeing tour around the pier. We didn’t do this, but wish we had.
Despite it’s commercialism, remember to keep in mind that lots of people do live here and you are a guest in their community.
Go early (9am) to avoid the crowds and big tour groups.

After leaving Chew Jetty, we decided to head north towards historic Church Street Pier. On the way, we encountered a sign for another Clan Jetty and thought we’d check it out.

Lim Jetty

For those looking for a subdued and perhaps more authentic (i.e. less commercial and touristic) alternative to Chew Jetty, we think nearby Lim Jetty is worth considering.

Here’s our experience.

A small temple marks the entrance to each of the Clan Jetties. This here is lesser known Lim Jetty (see map).

Immediately upon entering Lim Jetty, we knew we’d made the right decision. There were no shops and no other visitors. Daily life here seemed to continue unabated and unaffected by tourism.

We were further buoyed after seeing the welcome message at the entrance to the pier. It read:

“Lim Jetty, a serene and unique community living above the sea. We are over 100 years old and one big family, living harmoniously till today.”
“Please enjoy our quiet way of living, free from commercialism.“

There is no cost to enter these communities, but a small contribution is appreciated for maintenance of the wooden planks from the increased amount of foot traffic from visitors (look for the official red box near the entrance to the jetty).

Seems the old ways aren’t completely lost among the Clan Jetties.

If you plan to visit the Clan Jetties of Penang, we recommend exploring the jetties on your own. If you’re planning to go to the less-visited jetties, you’ll likely need to visit independently anyway, as most tours only visit Chew Jetty.

In a nutshell:

Take a stroll down Chew Jetty, but with the right mindset. If souvenirs and ice cream are your aim, you won’t be let down.

If you’re looking to get a sense of the people and heritage of this special place, it’s probably better to visit one of the others such as Lim Jetty.

Church Street Pier

Not a clan jetty, but an integral part of George Town’s historic waterfront, nonetheless, nearby Church Street Pier is worth a stop if you happen to be visiting the clan jetties on your own.

2024 Update

As of October 2024, the commercial area of Church Street Pier is now closed. We’re not sure why or if/when they plan to re-open.

Historic Church Street Pier is much quieter these days than a century ago, but it’s still very much worth a visit.

We weren’t sure what we’d find on the old pier, and in all honesty, there isn’t much. There are, however, two large restaurants at the end of the pier that offer excellent views of the channel. Of the two, we chose Muchachas.