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Located in the tropical blue waters of the Andaman Sea, Phuket is the largest island in Thailand blessed with prolific vegetation, rich wildlife, historical landmarks and needless to say white sandy beaches. Explorers from across the world come here to enjoy the pristine atmosphere and unspoiled beaches it has in store. From history lovers to adventurers and sunbathers to families, everyone feels like holidaying in Phuket. This is why the city ranks high in the list of the most beautiful tourist destinations on the globe. Let’s take a look at the best things to do in Phuket below.
25 Top Things To Do in Phuket, Thailand
1. Explore the Pacifying Beaches of Phuket
Beaches make for the lifeline of Phuket. We can never imagine the splendor of Phuket without its dazzling beaches dotted with cafes, stalls, and huts. Watching waves crashing on the shore as you relax on white sands is surely an experience worth remembering. But finding the best beaches is no less than a herculean task. So, here we have got you covered. The major beaches that are best Phuket tourist attractions include Patong Beach, Kata Beach, Surin Beach, Karon Beach and Paradise Beach.
Recommended for: Beach lovers, families, couples
Location: Hat Karon, Hat Kamala, Patong, Kathu
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 05:00 am to 09:00 pm
Pro-Tip: The best time to visit Beaches in Phuket is from October to March.
2. Explore The Hidden Corners Of The Floating Koh Panyee Village
Koh Panyee is a small traditional village off the main shore of Phuket and set on the shining waters of the Arabian Sea. It was founded in the 18th century as a residential area for fishermen. However, the island has been developed into a popular tourist center. Today, you can take a boat ride, relish finger-licking seafood, go souvenir shopping and pray at the local mosque. Undoubtedly, one of the finest places to visit in Phuket.
Recommended for: Nature lovers, couples, photographers
Location: Mueang Phang Nga District
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: The Island also has a floating football field! Ask locals, they will guide you to the place.
3. Enter The Glamorous Yet Peaceful World Of The Phi Phi Islands
About an hour away from the mainland of Phuket are the most talked-about Phi Phi Islands. The islands that have become synonymous with not only Phuket and its surrounding provinces but to the entire Thailand. Harboring a serene environment with secluded beaches and surrounded by vertical limestone cliffs, this group of Islands offers plenty of things to do. You can ride sea gypsies, go sailing on the turquoise waters, build sandcastles, party your heart out and savor on traditional dishes.
Recommended for: Every tourist
Location: Ao Nang
Average Price: No Entrance Fee (About $17 per person from Phuket)
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: Ask the boatman to take you to the hidden Viking Beach and Nui Beach if you prefer staying away from the crowd.
4. Sit Atop Pukhet At Karon View Point
Phuket hosts a number of viewpoints from where you can enjoy the staggering views of the Andaman Sea, Kata Beach and obviously, Karon Beach. And Karon View Point is one of them. As the place is surrounded by lush green hills and is home to numerous eateries and seating areas, it is a Phuket must-see destination. Come here to step into a peaceful world and witness landscaped vistas.
Recommended for: Photographers | Nature Lovers
Location: Karon, Mueang Phuket District
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
5. Romance Your Partner At Khai Island
Even the dead ones come to life after contemplating the heavenly beauty of Khai Island. Such is its magnificence and unending glory. Tucked away in the midst of relaxing waters, this wonderful place is perfect for those who want to spend some time away from the chaotic environment of Phuket city. You can visit this secret paradise with your partners and create everlasting memories. Seize the moment and make it an important chapter in your life.
Recommended for: Couples | Photographers
Location: Phang Nga Bay (30 minutes away from Phuket)
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: Don’t forget to snorkel in the waters of Khai Island. Ask your boatman to provide you with the required kit and inform you about the safest place.
6. Experience The Divine Aura Of Phuket
Phuket isn’t just about beaches and greenery. Tourists also count on it for its mesmerizing temples and religious sites that nurture divinity. Wat Chalong is a Buddhist temple and is claimed to be one of the oldest ones in the province. It is dedicated to two highly revered monks, named Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, who helped locals fight Chinese rebellions centuries ago. Exploring its tranquil atmosphere and stepping into the spiritual sanctum sanctorum of the temple is certainly one of the top things to do in Phuket.
Recommended for: Religious Folks | Photographers
Location: Chao Fah Tawan Tok Road, Chalong
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 08:00 am to 05:00 pm
Pro-Tip: If you look closely, you would find paintings on the walls of the temple describing the journey of Lord Buddha. Do not miss out on exploring them.
7. Take Back Home the Most Unusual Selfies
A surprising world of optical illusion and an experience of a lifetime! Trick Eye Museum in Phuket is a popular destination for kids. Sit inside a bubble, hang off a cliff, get gulped down by a shark and cross a broken bridge-dangling high in the air. There are a lot of other tricky pictures in the museum when captured on camera look real.
Recommended for: Kids | Families
Location: Phangnga Road, Talat Yai
Average Price: $17
Timings: 10:00 am to 07:00 pm
8. Get Your Adrenaline Pumping
Phuket is a great holiday destination for adventurers too. Its quaint beaches and beautiful waters offer a wide variety of water activities. You can snorkel your way down to marine life, surf the towering waves of the Andaman Sea, sail down in your kayak and ski the calm seawater. Other sports one can try in Phuket include flyboarding, kitesurfing and scuba diving.
Recommended for: Adventure lovers | Water sports enthusiasts
Location: Phuket Beaches
Price Range: $35 – $100
Timings: 09:00 am to 06:00 pm
9. Overlook The Scenic Phuket And Admire The Great Big Buddha
Made from white marble and standing at a height of about 150 feet, the great statue of Lord Buddha is one of the tallest statues in Thailand and definitely one of the best places to see in Phuket. The place is a perfect mix of spirituality and nature and hence, it attracts hundreds of visitors every day. Unwind yourself as you witness the bird’s eye views of Phuket town and its beaches.
Recommended for: Photographers | Families
Location: Karon
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 06:00 am to 07:00 pm
Pro-Tip: As the place is highly revered in Phuket culture, do not visit it wearing objectionable clothes. Avoid wearing revealing clothing.
10. Take A Boat Tour On The Convincing Waters Of Phuket
Phuket is immensely popular amongst tourists for its boat tours. Covering the vast waterscape of this charming island on a boat is enough to make your visit successful. Cruise the sea and feel that cool breeze refreshing your mind, body, and soul. It is an experience you wouldn’t want to miss. You can book a tour to any place around Phuket, be it Phi Phi Islands, Khai Island or the Fishing Muslim Village.
Recommended for: Nature lovers, families, couples
Location: Karon, Kata, Phi Phi Islands
Price Range: $60 – $150
Timings: 08:00 am to 07:00 pm
Pro-Tip: Contact your hotel to book a tour for you. You are very likely to get discounts on the deals.
11. Live In A Fantasy World
One of the best things do in Phuket with the family is visiting the cultural theme park of Fantasea. This recreational center has a myriad of things to offer to its guests. You can enjoy elephant shows, indulge in the exhibition, shop for souvenirs and get amazed by magicians’ tricks. In short, a perfect place to have a wonderful family time with your kids, parents, and partners.
Recommended for: Families, kids
Location: Kamala, Kathu district
Average Price: $25
Timings: 05:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Pro-Tip: Book the last 09:00 pm show if you don’t want the crowd to intrude on your privacy.
12. Break Free From Beaches And Explore History
Take a stroll in the historic streets of Phuket city as you get amazed by incredible Sino-Portuguese architecture leaving you awestruck. If you are an avid lover of history or exploring culture has always been your priority, then the Old Phuket Town must be on the top of your list. It is where the raw culture and the bygone era of Phuket can be seen. Capturing the town when its houses are lit with colorful lanterns is one of the best things to do in Phuket at night.
Recommended for: History lovers | Photographers | Architecture enthusiasts
Location: Thalang Road, Talat Yai
Average Price: Free of cost
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: Near the fountain, circle is the tiny Amulet Market where you can do souvenir shopping and bring home good-luck objects and Buddha statues.
13. Party Till Dawn
When the entire city sleeps, Soi Bangla Road wakes up, such is the ambiance of this party destination that you feel alive every time you visit it. Pubs, bars, shopping centers and everything else are open throughout the night at Soi Bangla Road. So, if the night owl inside you crawls restlessly, this is the place where you should be. No wonder, exploring it is one of the best things to do in Phuket Town.
Recommended for: Party lovers, night owls
Location: Patong, Kathu
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: Make sure you leave your kids, if any, at the hotel as the place is strictly for adults.
14. Catch Delightful Sights At Loma Park
A public playground that is more of an evening destination for tourists, Loma Park is one amongst the incredible things to see in Phuket. It is because the park is filled with many natural wonders. Dotted with coconut trees that form a striking canopy and covered with flower gardens, it is an escape for all the peace-seekers. Come here to take a stroll through shadowed pavements. The park is also a good location for picnics.
Recommended for: Families | Photographers | Picnickers
Location: Thaweewong Road, Pa Tong
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: If you would love to watch the beauty of Park at its best, then visit the park on Thailand’s National Day.
15. Make Your Way Through Heavenly Parts Of Phuket
The star location of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is a place where you would come across ancient caves, archaeological sites and limestone cliffs. It is also the location where the popular James Bond Island is. Yes, the needle-shaped island that rose to prominence with the 1974-James Bond movie. Well, that makes this bay on the top of your bucket list. The spectacular surroundings of the island also deserve to be captured and appreciated.
Recommended for: Photographers | Nature Lovers
Location: Phang Nga District
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: If you go a little north of the Phang Nga Bay, you will find a number of secluded tropical lagoons.
Recommended Read: 10 Reasons Why Phuket Should be on Your Travel Bucket-List
16. Get lost In Spirituality Of Jui Tui Shrine
Jui Tui Shrine is claimed to be one of the oldest religious centers in and around the city and that’s why it is a must-see temple in Phuket. With the marvelous structural formation and commendable interior, the temple is dedicated to the god of artists and dancers, Tean Hu Huan Soy. Come here to feel positive vibes all around you as you step into its spiritual world. The temple also hosts several local festivals on a regular basis, such as Vegetarian Festival.
Recommended for: Religious people | Photographers | Culture Explorers
Location: Soi Phutorn, Talat Nuea
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 08:00 am to 08:30 pm
Pro-Tip: If you wouldn’t mind learning about your future, do visit the fortune sticks of the temple.
17. Sit Back And Enjoy Unseen Spectacles
Get delighted by the soothing breeze flowing across the Promthep Cape and enjoy picturesque vistas of the sea, waves, hills and the wondrous horizon. It is one of the few popular places in Phuket where you are less likely to encounter a tourist crowd. Hence, it makes for a peaceful getaway far from the commercialized sands and streets of the city.
Recommended for: Couples
Location: Rawai, Mueang Phuket District
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: The place is best known for its sundown views when the entire sky is lit with colors, so do not forget to bring your camera.
18. Join The Crazy Crowd Of Phuket
Every single popular beach destination across the world has insane nightlife. And Phuket is no exception. The city parties hard throughout the night as most of the clubs and bars here open 24*7. Young party lovers, thunderous music, lively ambiance, bustling streets, and colorful lights – this is all that make Phuket a partying hotspot.
Recommended for: Part lovers, night owls
Location: Old Phuket Town, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket City
Price Range: $17 – $50
Timings: 08:00 pm to 04:00 am
Pro-Tip: The best bars in Phuket are found on Bangla road.
19. Taste The Best At Chalong Bay Rum Distillery
Taking a tour of a rum distillery as you watch your favorite drink being made, checked and labeled is surely one of the unusual things to do in Phuket. The place also has an open-air bar where you can spend some time with your friends and partners. Although the bar serves every kind of drink, people come to enjoy its rum and cocktail.
Recommended for: Rum lovers | Cocktail lovers
Location: Palai, Chalong
Average Price: $8 – $11
Timings: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm
Pro-Tip: The Rum Fashioned, Don Draper and Golden Cube are the best cocktails to try here.
20. Be All Ears At Wat Phra Thong
Another Buddhist Temple that offers its visitors peaceful ambiance and divine surroundings! The statue of Lord Buddha is half-buried in the temple and if we go by legends and folktales, it is believed that whoever tries to dig up the statue will be cursed for life. This made the people reluctant, thereby leaving the statue half-buried under the ground. The adjacent gardens of the temple make for a good place to sit and relax.
Recommended for: Photographers, Religious folk
Location: Thep Krasatti, Thalang
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 07:00 am to 07:00 pm
Pro-Tip: There is a small museum in the temple complex which gets closed by 03:30 pm. So, you need to come early to visit it.
21. Eliminate Toxins At Spa Retreats
For a fulfilling trip to Thailand, Thailand Spa is a must. Phuket is home to numerous well-established spa resorts where you can get the best of services. From aromatherapy massages to facials and herbal scrubs to hot ozone steaming, they offer everything. Most of the detox centers located on popular beaches are quite expensive. So, if you are not looking forward to investing more, you can opt for wellness resorts that are close to the town.
Recommended for: Couples, spa lovers
Location: Patong, Kamala Beach, Kata Beach, Surin Beach
Average Price: $35
Timings: 09:00 am to 08:00 pm
Pro-Tip: Go with your partner to these wellness retreats as most of the spas in Phuket give discounts to couples.
22. Watch Nature Romancing Around At James Bond Island
If you have been a big fan of James Bond and have never missed any of his movies, then you would certainly have some idea about the James Bond Island in Phuket. It has been a popular destination for world travelers since the late 1970s. With a stunning backdrop and captivating surroundings, the island makes for a serene getaway. Visiting this natural delight would be one of the best things to do in Phuket for couples.
Recommended for: Photographers, Couples, Curious travelers
Location: Ao Phang Nga National Park, Phuket
Average Price: $65 – $100 (If you take a boat from Phuket)
Timings: Anytime
Pro-Tip: Either book your tour to the island online or ask your hotel to do it for you. The local boatmen will charge extra amount unnecessarily.
23. Buy Hand-made Items At Weekend Night Market
One of the most popular fun things to do in Phuket is shopping. And if you are looking for a place where you can shop things at reasonable prices, then the Weekend Night Market is the place for you. Handicrafts, clothing, toys, cosmetics, phones, watches and everything else for what one goes to the market – you will find here. In short, it is the ultimate destination for shopping in Phuket. It also has numerous good restaurants where you can savor the best of traditional as well as global cuisines.
Recommended for: Shopaholics
Location: Wichit, Phuket
Average Price: No Entrance Fee
Timings: 04:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Pro-Tip: The most savory dish of Tom Yam Goong on the streets of Phuket can be relished here.
24. Become A Kid And Learn Marine Life Of Phuket
If you are on a trip to Phuket with your kids, then you must not forget to visit Phuket Aquarium, one of the major Phuket points of interest. Watch marine life and explore coral reefs from behind the glass cases, pass through an underwater tunnel, explore the Phuket sea life through a touch pool. It is a great place to spend some time with family and kids. You can spot species of eel, shark and many other creatures.
Recommended for: Families, kids
Location: Wichit, Mueang Phuket District
Average Price: $6
Timings: 08:30 am to 04:30 pm
25. Satisfy The Opacarophile In You
If we talk about Phuket, its beaches, party destinations and not about its sunrise and sunset points, then it wouldn’t be justice to the enigmatic beauty the island has in reserve. Photographers come from across the world come to the heavenly island just to capture the spellbinding magnificence of the sun. There are lots of places in Phuket where you can sit and watch the best of sunrise and sunset. Exploring these must-visit places in Phuket would be an experience worth sharing.
Recommended for: Photographers, couples
Location: Promthep Cape, Kata rocks, Karon Viewpoint
Average Price: Free of Cost
Timings: 05:00 am to 06:00 am and 05:00 pm to 06:00 pm
Pro-Tip: Laem Panwa is one of the few viewpoints in Phuket which are hidden from the crowd of common tourists. Do visit here.
Also Read: Thailand 101: Best Things To Do In Bangkok
