Things To Do In Phuket

Each one comes with who it suits, roughly what it costs in rupees, and when to go. For a longer roundup of offbeat ideas, see our fun and unique things to do in Phuket guide; to price a full trip, jump to Phuket tour packages.

Things To Do In Phuket at a Glance

Short on time? This is the quick way to match an experience to who you are travelling with, roughly what it costs per person and when it is at its best. Costs are indicative rupee ballparks; the full breakdown is further down.

With kids? the Phang Nga sea-canoe trip, Andamanda water park, the elephant sanctuary and a FantaSea show are the easy family wins.

On a budget? the beaches, Big Buddha, Promthep Cape sunset and Old Town are free, and a street-food dinner at the night market costs a few hundred baht.

Islands and Day Trips From Phuket

The single best reason to base a trip on Phuket is that the boats leave from here. A day on the water is the thing most travellers remember, so build the itinerary around one or two of these and fill the rest around them. For the full island hopping options and prices, and the island-hopping fees, , see the dedicated pages.

Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay

The Phi Phi islands are the postcard: limestone walls dropping into water the colour of a swimming pool, an hour or so by speedboat east of Phuket. The headline stop is Maya Bay, the beach from the film The Beach, though it now closes to visitors every year from 1 August to 30 September so the reef can recover, and it is shut on those dates. The rest of the year a Phi Phi day trip pairs snorkelling stops, Pileh Lagoon and Monkey Beach; go on the earliest boat to beat the crowds. Budget roughly Rs 2,850 to Rs 7,150 depending on speedboat versus the slower ferry.

Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island

If Phi Phi is about the water,  Phang Nga Bay  is about the rock. This is the bay of sheer limestone towers you sea-canoe between, ducking through tidal caves into hidden lagoons called hongs. The famous needle of James Bond Island (Koh Tapu) from The Man with the Golden Gun is here, usually paired with a floating Muslim fishing village for lunch. It is calmer and more family-friendly than the Phi Phi run and works most of the year. Reckon on Rs 2,850 to Rs 5,700 for a guided day.

Similan Islands (the diving trip)

Serious divers and snorkellers make the longer trip north-west to the  Similan Islands, a nine-island national park with powder-white sand, granite boulders and the clearest water on the coast. The catch is the calendar. The park is open only from about 15 October to 15 May and closes for the monsoon, so this is strictly a dry-season plan, done as a long day trip or an overnight liveaboard by speedboat from Khao Lak. A national-park fee applies on top of the tour, so carry cash and check the current rate at the pier.

Island hopping: Coral, Racha and Khai

Not every boat day needs a two-hour crossing. Closer islands like Coral (Koh Hae), Racha and the tiny Khai group are 20 to 45 minutes out and better suited to families who just want a clear-water swim, a snorkel and a beach lunch. Most trips bundle a few stops with gear and food. See the Phuket island hopping for the routes and the entry fees for the current costs.

Best Beaches in Phuket

Phuket's west coast is one long run of sand, and each beach has a different character. You can hop between them by scooter or taxi in an afternoon. For the full rundown of every beach, stay and viewpoint, read the places to visit in Phuket guide.

Patong, Karon and Kata 

Patong is the loud one: the widest choice of watersports, the beach clubs and, behind it, the Bangla Road nightlife. A short drive south, Karon is longer, quieter and better for a relaxed swim, and Kata next door is the beginner-surf beach on the shoulder-season swell and a favourite with families. All three face west, so all three do sunsets.

Kamala, Surin, Nai Harn and Paradise Beach

For calmer sand, head to Kamala (home of the FantaSea show), upscale Surin, or Nai Harn near the southern tip, a locals' favourite with a lagoon behind it. Tucked just south of Patong, Paradise Beach is a small, sheltered cove reached by a short hop over the headland. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and cash for a sunbed, and check the flag before you swim in the May to October monsoon, when rip currents on the west coast turn dangerous.

Water Sports and Diving in Phuket

Phuket sits on the Andaman Sea, so the water is the point. Whether you want to breathe underwater or just skim across the top, the operators are all here on the west-coast beaches. Our scuba diving in Phuket   page has the dive sites and courses in detail.

Scuba diving and snorkelling  

Phuket is one of the cheaper places in the world to learn to dive and a springboard to the Similan and Phi Phi reefs. A Discover Scuba intro dive with no certificate runs about Rs 8,600 upward, and a beginner is back on the boat by lunch; a full open-water course runs over three to four days. Non-divers get most of the colour with a mask and snorkel on any island day trip, and life jackets are standard, so weak swimmers are fine. Minimum age to dive is 10.

Jet-ski, parasailing and sea kayaking

On Patong and Kata you can hire a jet-ski (from about Rs 2,850 for 30 minutes), fly a parasail (around Rs 1,450 to Rs 2,850) or take a banana-boat ride. One honest warning from operators: the jet-ski damage-claim scam is real on Patong, where a renter is chased for pre-existing scratches. Photograph the machine before you ride, and hire through your hotel or a licensed desk rather than the loudest tout on the sand. For a calmer hour, sea kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are on hire on most beaches, and the guided kayaking through the Phang Nga sea caves is a highlight in its own right.

Adventure and Family Things To Do

When you need a break from the beach, Phuket has a full day of dry-land activities, and most are built for kids as much as adrenaline-seekers.

Andamanda Phuket water park

The island's big water park, near Kathu, has slides, a wave pool and a lazy river themed on Thai mythology, and it is the easiest way to keep children happy for a full day. Tickets run roughly Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,300, with online rates cheaper than the gate.

Ethical elephant sanctuary

Skip elephant riding. Phuket now has several ethical sanctuaries where you feed, walk and bathe rescued elephants rather than ride them, and a half-day visit with hotel pickup is one of the most rewarding family mornings on the island. Book ahead, as the reputable ones cap numbers.

ATV, ziplining and Tiger Kingdom

Inland Phuket is jungle, and the operators there run ATV quad-bike trails and long zipline courses through the canopy, usually as a half-day with transfers. For a close-up with big cats,  Tiger Kingdom near Kathu lets you enter the enclosures for a photo. Check the current entry rules and the ethical debate before you go, and follow the handlers' instructions to the letter.

Culture, Temples and Viewpoints

Phuket is more than beaches. A half-day inland trades the sand for the island's history, its temples and its best sunset spots, and most of it is free.

Big Buddha

The 45-metre white marble Big Buddha sits on the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata, visible from half the island. The drive up is worth it for the panorama alone, over Chalong Bay on one side and Kata on the other, and entry is free (a donation keeps the site going). Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and time it for the late-afternoon light.

Wat Chalong and Old Town

Wat Chalong is Phuket's most important and most visited Buddhist temple, a gold-and-white complex whose tall pagoda enshrines a relic of the Buddha. Afterwards, head into Phuket Old Town, where the Sino-Portuguese shophouses along Thalang and Dibuk roads have been restored into cafes, galleries and street art. Time it for Sunday evening and the Lard Yai Walking Street on Thalang Road becomes the island's best street-food market.

Promthep Cape sunset

For the classic Phuket sunset, everyone gathers at Promthep Cape, the headland at the island's southern tip where the land falls away into the Andaman Sea. Arrive an hour before dusk for a parking spot and a place on the wall. It costs nothing and it is the fitting end to a day.

Nightlife, Shows and Markets

After dark Phuket has two speeds: the full-throttle bar strip of Patong, and the big-production evening shows the whole family can watch.

Bangla Road and Patong nightlife

Bangla Road in the heart of Patong is the island's nightlife spine, a pedestrianised street of bars, clubs, live bands and neon that fills up after 9 pm. It is loud, cheap to walk and easy to dip in and out of. Keep an eye on your drinks and agree prices before you sit down, and you will have a big night.

FantaSea and Simon Cabaret

For a show rather than a bar, the FantaSea cultural theme park at Kamala Beach wraps a stage spectacular, elephants and a huge buffet into one family evening (see the FantaSea ticket prices for the current rates). The Simon Cabaret at Patong is Phuket's famous ladyboy cabaret, a slick hour of song, costume and comedy that is a lot more fun than first-timers expect. Both suit couples and families alike.

Night markets and malls

For shopping and street food, the rotating night markets are where locals eat: the weekend Chillva and Naka markets for clothes and cheap plates, and the Sunday Old Town Walking Street for the best atmosphere. For an air-conditioned afternoon, Jungceylon and Central Phuket malls in Patong and Phuket Town cover the brands and a food court.

Thai Massage and Wellness

No Phuket day should end without a massage. Parlours are on every street, and an hour of traditional Thai massage or a foot reflexology session costs a fraction of what it would at home, roughly Rs 700 to Rs 1,700 depending on the spot and the treatment. See the Thai massage in Phuket page for what to expect, plus the  typical timings and prices. Beach-front tents are cheapest; an air-conditioned spa costs a little more and is worth it after a long day in the sun.

Best Time To Visit and Getting Around

Phuket's best months for everything on this page are November to April, the dry season, when the sea is calm and clear, every boat runs and the diving is at its best. December to February is the busy, pricier peak. The May to October monsoon brings rain and rough west-coast surf, so island trips are cancelled more often and the swimming flags matter; it is quieter and cheaper, but plan flexibly. For the month-by-month detail see the best time to visit Phuket  guide.

Getting around is easiest on two wheels if you are confident: scooters hire for a few hundred baht a day, but wear the helmet, since police checks and accidents are common. Otherwise, metered taxis and Grab work in the tourist areas, tuk-tuks are pricey and worth agreeing on first, and the cheap local songthaew trucks link the beaches to Phuket Town. For airport transfers and routes into the island, see how to reach Phuket.

Plan Your Phuket Trip

Most travellers give Phuket four to six nights, enough for two island day trips, a couple of beaches, one culture half-day and a night out, with time left to do nothing. Pair it with Krabi or Phi Phi if you have longer. If you would rather have the flights, ferries, transfers and day trips arranged end to end, TravelTriangle's Phuket tour packages and Phuket honeymoon packages bundle the island into customisable trips through verified local agents, backed by 40 Lac+ travellers since 2011.

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