If you want to travel from Georgetown in Penang to Cameron Highlands, you can get there by a direct bus / minivan from Butterworth or Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal, take a train via Ipoh or drive.
The distance from Penang to Cameron Highlands is approximately 250 km overland.
The cheapest way to get from Georgetown to Cameron Highlands is to take a direct bus to Tanah
Rata Bus Terminal.
If you are staying in Georgetown, the easiest option is to take the ferry over to the mainland at Butterworth, then take the short walk to Penang Sentral Bus Terminal (adjoining the ferry jetty),
The other alternative is to take a RapidPenang bus or taxi out to Sungai Nibong Bus Terminal on Penang Island, then catch a bus from there.
Buses to the Cameron Highlands are not that frequent with only a few bus companies operating this route.
They include:
C.S Express
New Asian Travel
Unititi Express
The duration of the bus/coach journey to the Cameron Highlands from Penang is around four and a half hours.
Bus tickets prices range between 35 RM and 45 RM.
To find see the latest bus departures times, fares or to book online click here >
From Penang, you will also find agents selling tickets for minivan/minibus to the Cameron Highlands.
Tickets for these services are quite a bit more expensive, but you can often arrange to be picked up from your hotel (for a price).
Just ask your hotel or a local travel agent for more information
If you are not in a rush to get to the Cameron Highlands, taking the train is a good option, with some interesting places to visit along the way.
If you want to make the journey by train, the most direct way to travel is to go from Butterworth to Ipoh by train, visit the sights of the "Old Town," then continue on to the Cameron Highlands by bus.
For the timetable for ETS trains from Butterworth to Ipoh click here >
The bus terminal in Ipoh (Amanjaya Bus Terminal), is located 10 km from the Old Town, so you will have to take a taxi or local bus from Medan Kidd Bus Terminal (a few minutes walk from the train station).
If you have plenty of time, other options include:
Taking a cheap KTM Komuter (commuter) train to Taiping.
From Taiping, you can then take a train or bus to Ipoh (visiting the Royal town of Kuala Kangsar along the way if you wish).
To see the KTM Komuter train schedule to Taiping click here >
There are no commercial flights available to the Cameron Highlands.
If you have your own car or a rental, you can easily make the trip by road in around 4 hours.
Just take the E1 (North-South Expressway) towards Ipoh.
At Simpang Pulai, you then take the 185 up into the mountains, then the 59 to Tanah Rata.
With your own car, you will have plenty of places to stop along the route.
We would suggest visiting Taiping, Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh.
Related pages:
How to travel from CH to Penang (PG) >
Find the newest hotels to open in the Cameron Highlands >