The best things to do in Phuket are split between the island and the sea around it. On land, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, the viewpoints of the south and the Old Town are free or close to it. At sea, a day boat reaches the Phi Phi Islands, Phang Nga Bay or the Similan Islands. Plan three to five days. We checked prices and dates against several sources on 14 November 2026, and we mark every figure that is only reported.
Tours and activities to book in Phuket
The five outings below are the ones travellers book most, with live prices and availability.
Phuket: Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch
Day trip by boat to Maya Bay, the Phi Phi Islands and Bamboo Island, with a buffet lunch.
- Duration: 8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.6(22,223 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $42per person
James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket
Day on Phang Nga Bay with James Bond Island and Hong Island, leaving from Phuket.
- Duration: 8 to 9 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.8(843 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $47per person
Similan Islands Early-Bird Tour From Phuket and Khao Lak!
Early start for the Similan Islands, from Phuket or Khao Lak, during the park's open season.
- Duration: 10 to 13 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.7(4,530 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $121per person
Phuket: Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Ethical Feeding Experience
Feed elephants at a sanctuary on the island, an experience without riding.
- Free cancellation
4.8(5,758 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $27per person
Phuket: Patong Boxing Stadium Muay Thai Entry Ticket
Entry ticket for an evening of Muay Thai fights at Patong Boxing Stadium.
- Free cancellation
4.7(2,959 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $44per person
What not to miss in Phuket: prices and opening hours
| Sight | Entry | Hours | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Buddha | Free, donations | 9 am to 6 pm, reported | Nakkerd Hill, 20 minutes from Kata |
| Wat Chalong | Free | 7 am to 5 pm | Chalong, south of Phuket Town |
| Promthep Cape | Free | Sunset | Southern tip, near Rawai |
| Karon Viewpoint | Free | All day | 5 minutes south of Kata |
| Old Phuket Town | Free | Sunday market from about 4 pm | Thalang Road, Phuket Town |
| Phi Phi Islands by speedboat | About 1,400 to 2,500 THB, plus park fee | Full day | Piers on the east coast |
| Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island | About 1,000 to 3,900 THB, plus park fee | Full day | North-east of the island |
| Similan Islands | About 2,900 to 3,900 THB, plus park fee | 15 October to 15 May only | Boat from Khao Lak, north of Phuket |
| Phuket Elephant Sanctuary | From 1,900 THB | By booking | North-east of the island |
| Phuket FantaSea show | From about 1,800 THB, reported | Evening | Kamala |
Boat prices are those of resellers in 2026 and change with the season and the type of boat. The temples and viewpoints cost nothing, so the south of the island makes a cheap day out.
Phuket Big Buddha and Wat Chalong
Big Buddha: open again since March 2026
The Big Buddha is a 45-metre statue covered in white Burmese marble, on top of Nakkerd Hill. It closed after a landslide below the site killed 13 people in August 2024. The Phuket News and local guides report that it reopened on 3 March 2026, after a first reopening in January that lasted three days. Check its status again before you go.
Entry and parking are free. The hours most often given are 9 am to 6 pm, with last entry at 5:30 pm, though other sources list longer days, from 6 am to 7:30 pm. Ask your hotel before you set out. There are 94 steps to the base of the statue, and a lower terrace can be reached by car.
Cover your shoulders and knees. Sarongs are lent at the entrance, and guards can turn visitors away. Keep food out of sight of the monkeys near the exit.
Outside rush hour, count about 15 minutes from Chalong, 20 from Kata or Karon, 30 from Phuket Town and 40 from Patong. The road is narrow with tight bends, so take it slowly on a scooter.
Wat Chalong
Wat Chalong is the island's main temple, in Chalong. It is free and open from about 7 am to 5 pm. Its 60-metre pagoda holds a bone fragment attributed to the Buddha. Dress as for the Big Buddha and take your shoes off before going inside. The two visits fit in one morning.
Phuket viewpoints: Promthep Cape, Karon and Windmill
The three viewpoints of the south make a loop by car or scooter. Karon Viewpoint, five minutes south of Kata, looks over three bays at once. It is free, and its car park fills up before sunset in high season. Windmill Viewpoint, about ten minutes further south, sits between Nai Harn and Ya Nui beaches and is quieter.
Promthep Cape, at the southern tip, is where the island goes to watch the sunset. A lighthouse there doubles as a small museum. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to find a place. The skies are often more dramatic from June to November, when clouds can also hide everything.
Island tours from Phuket: Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay and the Similans
Most visitors take at least one day trip by boat. The price on the ticket is not always the full price, because each area is a national park with its own entry fee.
| National park | Reported fee, foreign adult | Child | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi Islands, Maya Bay, Bamboo Island | 400 THB | 200 THB | Maya Bay closes in August and September |
| Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island | 300 THB | 150 THB | Best from November to April |
| Similan Islands | 500 THB | 250 THB | 15 October to 15 May |
Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay
A speedboat day to the Phi Phi Islands costs about 1,400 to 2,500 THB before the park fee, usually with Maya Bay, Bamboo Island and a stop to snorkel. Maya Bay was closed from 1 August to 30 September 2026 and reopened on 1 October. Swimming there is not allowed. Boats stop at a pier on the far side and you walk in, so go early, before the other boats. To sleep on Phi Phi Don, the ferry starts at about 375 THB.
Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island
Phang Nga Bay is the green, sheltered side, with limestone towers, sea caves and canoes. James Bond Island is in the north-west corner of the bay, a long way from Phuket's beaches. A long-tail boat tour costs about 1,000 to 1,300 THB, a big boat about 2,600 THB and a speedboat 2,000 to 3,900 THB with canoeing. Common stops are the village on stilts of Koh Panyi and Hong Island.
Similan Islands
The Similans have the clearest water of the three and are open for only part of the year. The 2026 to 2027 season runs from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027. A day trip from Phuket costs about 2,900 to 3,900 THB, and 2,300 to 3,200 THB if you start from Khao Lak, which is closer. It is a long day with an early pick-up.
The sea is rougher on the other islands too from May to October, and trips can be cancelled in September and October. If you get seasick, choose the bigger boat or a short hop to Coral Island or Koh Naka. For a view without a boat, the Samet Nangshe viewpoint over Phang Nga Bay is a day trip by road.
Old Phuket Town and the beaches
Old Phuket Town is the part of the island that is not about the sea. Thalang Road, Dibuk Road and Soi Romanee are lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafés and small museums. On Sundays, Thalang Road becomes the Sunday Walking Street market from about 4 pm to 10 pm. Arrive around 5 pm, before the crowd. A smaller market runs on Dibuk Road from Wednesday to Friday, according to one travel blog.
The beaches are on the west coast. Patong is the busiest and the loudest, Karon and Kata are wider and calmer, and Nai Harn in the south is the one residents choose. Foreigners who stay for months tend to settle around Rawai, Chalong and Bang Tao, and the island ranks with Chiang Mai and Bangkok among the best places to live in Thailand. For a day out of the sun, two water parks are reported on the island, Andamanda in Kathu and Splash Jungle near the airport.
Elephant sanctuaries in Phuket
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary stopped feeding sessions on 1 April 2026 and does not offer bathing. Visitors watch the elephants from a raised walkway and shelters. Its canopy walkway programme starts at 1,900 THB for visitors aged 13 and over, and the half day at 3,000 THB.
Other sanctuaries on the island still let visitors feed the animals. Whichever you choose, avoid elephant riding, shows, and the tiger and dolphin attractions, which the travel guides we read all advise against.
For an animal visit that does not exploit anything, the Soi Dog Foundation in Mai Khao rescues and sterilises street dogs and cats, and welcomes visitors.
Bangla Road, shows and markets
Bangla Road in Patong is closed to traffic at night and lined with bars and clubs. Closing times vary by venue and are not applied evenly. Check your bill and your change, and agree the price of drinks bought for staff before ordering them. Alcohol sales are banned on major Buddhist holidays.
For a show, resellers list Phuket FantaSea in Kamala from about 1,800 THB without dinner and Simon Cabaret in Patong from about 24 USD. Karon has a temple market on Tuesday and Friday evenings. A one-hour massage starts around 300 to 400 THB, reported by a travel blog.
Cannabis shops are still common. Rules have tightened several times since 2022 and keep changing, so skip it, and never take any home with you.
How many days in Phuket: a 3-day itinerary
Three days are enough for the main sights and one boat trip. Stay four or five to add a beach day or a second island.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| 1, the south | Big Buddha and Wat Chalong | Nai Harn beach, Windmill Viewpoint, sunset at Promthep Cape |
| 2, the sea | Boat to the Phi Phi Islands or Phang Nga Bay | Back around 5 pm, dinner near your hotel |
| 3, town and beach | Old Phuket Town on foot | Kata or Karon beach, then Bangla Road or a market |
Put the Old Town on a Sunday if you can, for the walking street. Phuket follows naturally after a few days of things to do in Bangkok, and travellers heading north usually move on to Chiang Mai. Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay, and Koh Lanta are the closest of the other Thailand destinations.
When to visit Phuket, and when not to swim
High season runs from December to February, with dry days and calm sea. March to May is hotter. The monsoon starts around June with showers, and September and October are the wettest months, when boat trips are sometimes cancelled. Temperatures stay between 25 and 32°C all year.
During the monsoon the west-coast beaches have large waves and rip currents. Lifeguards put up red flags, which mean do not swim. In May 2026 the governor extended a wave warning, with red flags at Patong and other beaches. A man was swept away at Nai Thon on 16 May, and two tourists were rescued there on 11 July after entering the water under red flags.
On a wet day, the Old Town, a cooking class, the aquarium or a spa fill the time. Prices for rooms drop in these months, which is one reason the cost of living in Thailand looks different on Phuket in July and in January.
Getting around Phuket and from the airport
Phuket is large, about 50 km from north to south, and has little public transport. The airport is in the north, an hour from the southern beaches.
| From the airport | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Bus to Patong, Karon, Kata, Rawai | 100 THB flat | About every 30 minutes in the daytime, cash or contactless card |
| Grab or Bolt to Patong | About 550 to 950 THB | 150 to 200 THB more to Kata |
| Taxi from the official counter | About 600 to 1,000 THB | Check the price posted at the counter |
On the island, taxis and tuk-tuks have no meter and often charge two to three times the price of a ride-hailing app. Guides give 400 to 600 THB for a tuk-tuk between Patong and Kata. Grab and Bolt need mobile data, so set up a SIM or an eSIM on arrival, along with your Thailand Digital Arrival Card before the flight.
Renting a scooter
A scooter costs about 250 THB a day. To ride legally you need a motorcycle licence from home and an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles. Police run checkpoints on the roads between Patong, Karon and the south, and local press reported 20,901 foreigners stopped for riding without a licence in Phuket in 2025. Rental insurance is basic, and a travel policy may not pay out if you ride unlicensed.
Phuket scams: jet-skis and taxis
The jet-ski scam is the island's best known. After the rental, the operator points to damage that was already there and asks for hundreds of dollars. Film the jet-ski before you leave, never hand over your passport as a deposit, and call the tourist police on 1155 if a dispute starts. In July 2026 officials fined 23 operators in a sweep on illegal jet-skis.
With taxis, agree the fare before getting in. On 15 September 2026 a driver charged an Australian visitor 3,500 THB from the airport to Chalong and later refunded 2,700 THB. Photograph a rented scooter from every side too, for the same reason as the jet-ski.