must30
Español
Sunset over the Andaman Sea from Promthep Cape at the southern tip of Phuket
A white-sand bay with clear water on Koh Racha Yai, south of Phuket
Stalls and shoppers at the Sunday walking street market on Thalang Road, Phuket Town
Restored Sino-Portuguese shophouses with shuttered windows on Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town
The rocky headland of Laem Phromthep at the southern tip of Phuket

Things to do in Phuket: 9 experiences

Updated Leer en español

Up next

Photo: [email protected], CC BY 2.0

Koh Racha Yai

Snorkel off the white-sand bays of Koh Racha Yai

Check dates and prices

Photo: Nicolas Vollmer, CC BY 2.0

Thalang Road, Phuket Town

Graze the Lard Yai Sunday walking street in Old Phuket Town

Check dates and prices

Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0

Phuket Town

Walk the Sino-Portuguese shophouse streets of Old Phuket Town

Tours in Phuket

Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 4.0

Rawai

Watch the sun drop into the Andaman Sea from Promthep Cape

Tours in Phuket

Photo: edwin.11, CC BY 2.0

Phuket is Thailand's largest island and its busiest beach destination, joined to the mainland by a bridge and served by the country's second airport. Most visitors stay on the west coast, from Patong's nightlife to the family beaches of Kata and Karon and the quieter south around Rawai.

The island has more to it than the sand. Phuket Town, inland on the east side, keeps the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of its tin-mining past, its Hokkien food and its Taoist shrines. Boats leave from Chalong and Rawai for the Racha islands, and from the island's piers for Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi.

9 things to do in Phuket

We earn a commission when you book through our GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.

Restored Sino-Portuguese shophouses with shuttered windows on Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town

Walk the Sino-Portuguese shophouse streets of Old Phuket Town

Phuket Town

Half a dayFree

Pastel shophouses built by Hokkien tin-mining families, a former Chinese school turned museum, and lanes few beach visitors ever see.

Tours in Phuket
Been there?
Stalls and shoppers at the Sunday walking street market on Thalang Road, Phuket Town

Graze the Lard Yai Sunday walking street in Old Phuket Town

Thalang Road, Phuket Town

2 to 3 hoursFree

Every Sunday evening Thalang Road shuts to traffic and fills with food stalls, music and craft sellers in front of the old shophouses.

Check dates and pricesSunday tour ending at the Lard Yai market
Been there?
The Grand Pagoda of Wat Chalong against a blue sky

Climb the relic chedi of Wat Chalong, Phuket's main temple

Chalong

1 hourGo alone or with a tour

Phuket's largest temple, where a 60-metre chedi keeps a fragment of the Buddha's bone and firecrackers go off when wishes come true.

Check dates and pricesGuided tour: Wat Chalong, a viewpoint and Old Town
Been there?
The rocky headland of Laem Phromthep at the southern tip of Phuket

Watch the sun drop into the Andaman Sea from Promthep Cape

Rawai

1 to 2 hoursFree

The island's best-known sunset: a rocky headland at Phuket's southern tip with nothing between you and the sea.

Tours in Phuket
Been there?
A white-sand bay with clear water on Koh Racha Yai, south of Phuket

Snorkel off the white-sand bays of Koh Racha Yai

Koh Racha Yai

A full day, or a night on the islandBook ahead

An island about 20 km south of Phuket with coral close to shore, white sand and, unlike Phi Phi, no national park fee.

Check dates and pricesSpeedboat day to the Racha islands, snorkel and lunch
Been there?

Watch retired elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Paklok, Phuket

90 minutes to half a dayBook ahead

A home for elephants retired from riding and logging, where visitors observe from a canopy walkway and the forest instead of riding or bathing them.

Check dates and pricesHalf-day programme with a vegetarian meal
Been there?
The red pillars and gilded roof of Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town

See Jui Tui Shrine, the heart of Phuket's Vegetarian Festival

Phuket Town

30 minutes, or several evenings in festival weekFree

A Taoist shrine in Phuket Town where the nine-day Vegetarian Festival begins, with processions, fire-walking and pierced mediums.

Been there?

Reach Freedom Beach by long-tail boat or jungle trail

Between Patong and Karon

Half a dayNo booking needed

A white-sand cove between Patong and Karon with no road in, reached by a short long-tail ride or a steep forest path.

Tours in Phuket
Been there?
Koh Tapu, the limestone spike known as James Bond Island, in Phang Nga Bay

Paddle into the sea caves of Phang Nga Bay

Phang Nga Bay

A full dayBook ahead

Paddle through sea caves that open only at certain tides into lagoons enclosed inside limestone islands.

Check dates and pricesSea canoe into the hongs from Phuket, into the evening
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Phuket yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Phuket International Airport (HKT), in the north-west of the island, has very frequent flights from Bangkok and direct flights from across Asia, the Middle East and Australia. The Phuket Smart Bus runs from the airport down the west coast to Rawai, and a municipal bus goes to Phuket Town. Ferries link the island with Phi Phi and Krabi.

  • Getting around

    Public transport is thin: the Smart Bus along the west coast, and songthaews and buses from Phuket Town to the main beaches. Most visitors use taxis, ride-hailing apps or tours. Hiring a scooter is common, but you need a licence that covers motorbikes, and the hill roads are steep.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, five days is a good length: two on the beaches, one for Phuket Town and the south (Wat Chalong, Promthep), one on a boat to the Racha islands or Phang Nga Bay, and one for Phi Phi. With fewer days, pick one boat trip and one evening in Phuket Town.

  • When to go

    November to April is the dry season, with calm, clear water on the west coast: the time for boat trips and snorkelling. From May to October the south-west monsoon brings rain and big swell; red flags fly on the west beaches, and some boat trips are cancelled at short notice.

  • Where to base yourself

    Patong for nightlife and the most restaurants, Kata and Karon for families, the far south around Rawai and Nai Harn for quieter beaches near Promthep and the piers, and Phuket Town for food, culture and lower prices, with the beaches a ride away.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need to book the boat trips from Phuket ahead?

In high season, yes, at least a day or two ahead, especially for speedboats to the Racha islands and Phi Phi. Trips can be cancelled when the sea is rough, mostly from May to October, so keep a spare day.

Is the Big Buddha open?

Its status changed several times after a deadly landslide below Nakkerd Hill in August 2024, which led to closures and court cases. Check its current status locally before you go; this page leaves it out until it is settled.

Which elephant places in Phuket are ethical?

Look for observation only: no riding, no bathing, no shows. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary works that way, with a canopy walkway and guided walks. Many other places use the word sanctuary, so read what the visit includes.

Is Phuket Town worth a visit if I am staying on the beach?

Yes, for half a day at least: the old shophouse streets, the Thai Hua Museum and Jui Tui Shrine are a short ride from the beaches. Go on a Sunday for the Lard Yai walking street market.

More places in this region

Things to do in Thailand

Photo credits (8)