Plan Your Trip to Phuket Island
Phuket has over 40 beaches, hundreds of hotels and enough restaurants and activities to fill weeks. This guide covers all of it, written from 32 years of living on the island. Every page is based on places I have been to, food I have eaten and roads I have driven.
The island is easy to enjoy but tricky to plan. The right beach makes or breaks your holiday. The wrong hotel means a long ride to anything interesting. And the best food is not where most tourists eat. I have been answering these questions since 2011 on this site and since 1994 in person.
Start Here
First time in Phuket? Start with the basics: what to expect, what to pack and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Which beach should you stay on? Patong for nightlife, Kata for families, Bang Tao for beach clubs, and Old Town for culture. A full comparison to help you choose.
What is there to do? 75 things to do on the island, from temples and viewpoints to hidden beaches and night markets.
When is the best time to visit? High season runs from November to April. But the low season has its own advantages if you know what to expect.
How many days do you need? Three days is tight but possible. A week is comfortable. Ten days lets you explore the islands properly.
How do you get from the airport to your hotel? Taxi, minibus, Grab, private van or bus. All options with prices.
What to Do in Phuket in 2026?
After 30 years here in Phuket, I still find new things to do. That says a lot about this island. Yes, there are over 40 beaches, but Phuket goes far beyond sunbathing. The Big Buddha is worth the drive up the hill. Old Phuket Town is a full morning of walking, eating, and photographing old Sino-Portuguese shophouses. The temples are genuinely beautiful if you take time to explore them properly. And once you’ve seen the island, there’s Phang Nga Bay with its dramatic limestone karsts, James Bond Island, and dozens of smaller islands you can reach in under an hour by speedboat. I have listed everything I have explored over the years, from the obvious highlights to places most visitors never hear about.
The Real Phuket
Many visitors think the real Phuket is gone, lost under all the development and beach resorts. But it’s still here, just harder to spot. Old family-run restaurants still serve the same local dishes they’ve made for decades. Historic streets, Chinese shrines, Thai temples, and quiet museums still tell the story of the island’s past. You just need to know where to look. That’s what I do: help you find the places locals still love and visit every day. The real Phuket is not a show. It’s lived, it’s authentic, and it’s worth discovering.
Weather in Phuket
Phuket’s monsoon season can be unpredictable. It doesn’t rain all day, every day, but when it does, it pours. The good news? You don’t have to waste a day hiding in your hotel. I have lived here long enough to know how to make the most of a rainy day, and there are actually plenty of fun things to do when the sky turns grey. From local food adventures to indoor activities you might not expect, I will help you turn a wet day into something worth remembering.
Phuket Map and Beaches Locator
This map will help you locate the many beaches and visualise the island’s geography.
The Beaches of Phuket
I have explored more than 40 beaches to help you decide which beach to stay on and which to visit during your holiday. Keep in mind that conditions are very different during high season and low season.
- Most of the sandy beaches are on the west coast.
- The most popular beaches are in the southwest, but also the busiest: Patong, Kata, and Karon can be bustling during the high season.
- The central west part of the island is getting trendy: Kamala and Bang Tao Beaches now offer many fancy restaurants, beach clubs, and a wide choice of affordable 4- and 5-star resorts.
- The northwest beaches, such as Naithon, Nai Yang, and Mai Khao, are peaceful and have enough restaurants and great hotels for a great holiday.
- There are still some hidden secret beaches!
Phuket Hotels and Accommodation
There are usually 6 steps to plan a perfect trip to Phuket:
► When to go?
► How long should you stay?
► What kind of holiday do you prefer?
► Where to stay in Phuket?
► Which hotel is best for you?
► What to do once in Phuket?
With your precious holiday time after you have finally dropped your suitcase in the perfect hotel! I help you with each of these steps and more.
There is a vast range of hotels for all budgets, and it can be challenging to pick the right beach and hotel in Phuket. Most hotels are on the island’s main beaches: Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Bang Tao, Maikhao, and Old Town. Before diving into this section of the guide, it is good to consider what you want for your holiday.
Islands Nearby
Every time I fly into Phuket, I look out the window and count the islands below. There are so many. Phi Phi gets all the attention, and it deserves it, but the islands around Phuket go far beyond that one famous destination. Racha Island has some of the clearest water I’ve seen anywhere. Coral Island is close enough for a half-day trip. Koh Yao Noi feels like stepping back 20 years, quiet and unhurried. And Phang Nga Bay, with its hundreds of karst islands rising from the water, never gets old no matter how many times I go. If you have time, don’t just stay on Phuket. Get on a boat.
Where and What to Eat in Phuket?
Thai food is an endless discovery, and if food is as important to you as it is to me, Phuket will surprise you! Experience true local food, as there is much to enjoy in southern Thailand, from the cheapest street food to Michelin restaurants and everything in between.
Phuket with Kids 🧸
Phuket is genuinely easy to travel with children. The beaches are safe (during high season) and shallow in the right spots, there’s always something to do when kids get restless, and Thai people are incredibly welcoming to families. Beyond the usual beach days, you’ll find water parks, aquariums, elephant sanctuaries (the ethical ones), and enough night markets to keep everyone happy. Most family-friendly resorts have kids’ clubs and pools with slides, so parents can actually relax. The main thing to know: pick the right beach (Kata and Bang Tao work well for families) and book a hotel with decent facilities, and you’re set.
Phuket Nightlife
Patong Beach nightlife has always been legendary; it’s pretty unique and as fun and wild as you want it to be. Bangla Walking Street, also known as Bangla Road, is where you will find clubs with famous international DJs, excellent live music bands that won’t cost you more than a drink to enjoy, dozens of easy-going beer bars, and, of course, the go-go bars that always trigger curiosity.
Shopping
I love shopping in Phuket, and there’s no shortage of places to do it. The night markets are where I spend most of my time. The Sunday Walking Street in Old Town is the most popular, and it’s worth going for the food alone, but the stalls selling local crafts and clothes are just as good. Chillva Market has a younger vibe on weekday evenings. Naka Weekend Market is huge and chaotic, which is part of the fun. For air-conditioned shopping, Jungceylon in Patong has everything you’d expect from a big mall, plus it’s a good escape when it rains. Central Phuket, near the town, is even bigger and has become my go-to for serious shopping. But honestly, the real finds are still at the markets, not the malls.
Useful Information
This section of the guide covers all the aspects and elements you need to plan your first time in Phuket or next trip, from the correct Phuket pronunciation to weather information, when is the best time to come, weather information month by month (even with a live webcam!), where to exchange money at the best rates as there are many options for getting Thai Baht, but the best rate is in the street and at the many ATMs around the island. I also share some information on driving, car rentals, and scooter rentals, but remember that driving here can be challenging for beginners!
Phuket 101 Directory
1,400+ Phuket businesses listed – The Phuket 101 Directory is a fast-growing resource for anyone planning a trip to Phuket. Joining the directory is free, and it continues to expand, so you’re sure to find the latest local updates. Travellers can easily search for restaurants, shops, attractions, and nightlife venues close to their hotels or favourite beaches. With options sorted by type, location, and popularity, the directory helps make every trip simple and organised. Add your own business for FREE to the directory here.
Latest Additions:
CLC Restaurant
View Cafe at Phuket
Events and Festivals in Phuket
The Phuket Event Calendar helps travellers discover what’s happening across the island. Submitting your event is completely free, and the calendar continues to grow with fresh updates every week. Travellers can browse festivals, dining promotions, sports events, concerts, and special celebrations happening near their hotels or favourite areas. Events are sorted by date, type, and location, so planning becomes simple and organised. From major island-wide festivals to intimate hotel gatherings, the calendar connects visitors with Phuket’s lively lifestyle. To add your events, click here.
Insider Tips
Most first-time visitors book a hotel in Patong because it is the most famous beach. Patong is fine if you want nightlife and convenience, but if your priority is a beautiful beach, Kata, Bang Tao or Naithon are better choices. Patong beach is wide and long, but the water is not as clear as on the west coast beaches further north.
Do not book the cheapest island tour you can find. The difference between a 1,500 baht Phi Phi tour and a 3,000 baht one is not just comfort. Cheaper boats leave later, arrive when the crowds are already there and rush through every stop. A better operator leaves earlier, gives you more time at each place, and the experience is completely different.
If you rent a car, avoid driving in Patong. The one-way streets are confusing, parking is limited and traffic barely moves in the evening. Park outside and walk in, or use Grab. For the rest of the island, driving is straightforward. The roads are good, distances are short, and a car gives you access to beaches and restaurants that are impossible to reach without your own transport.
Exchange money at the exchange booths in town or at the beaches, not at the airport. The rate difference is significant. SuperRich and other exchange booths on Rat-U-Thit Road in Patong or in Phuket Town consistently offer better rates than banks and airport counters.
Eat where Thai people eat. The best food in Phuket is not in restaurants with photos on the menu. It is in the small local places on side streets, at the markets and in Phuket Town. My list of 50 local restaurants is a good starting point.
Phuket Through the Years
I arrived in Phuket in 1994 to work at Club Med in Kata Beach. The island was a very different place. Patong had a handful of small hotels along a quiet road. Bangla Road was a short lane with bamboo bars, one go-go bar and a small zoo at the corner. There were no shopping malls, no beach clubs and no traffic jams. Kata and Karon were almost empty. The airport was a single building that could barely handle the few flights it had.
I spent nine years with Club Med across Thailand, Malaysia, Greece and Turkey before settling permanently in Phuket. In 1995, I founded Andaman Graphics, one of the first Thai companies offering advanced web design and early SEO. I then joined what became Expedia Group and spent 23.5 years building destination guides for Hotels.com and Wotif, growing a single local site into 30 destination guides reaching 10 million pageviews and 4 million visitors a month through organic search alone. My last title was Senior Manager, SEO, Destination and Experience Research.
I launched Phuket 101 in January 2011 to share everything I had explored and photographed over the years. The site now has over 500 pages covering every beach, hotel area, restaurant, attraction and practical detail on the island. Everything is based on personal visits with my own photos and videos.
I lived through the 2004 tsunami, 100 metres from where the wave stopped. I have visited Phi Phi since 1990, Maya Bay before “The Beach” was filmed, and Phang Nga Bay more times than I can count. I watched Phuket transform from a quiet island with a few beach bungalows into one of Asia’s biggest resort destinations. Through all of it, the things that make Phuket special have not changed: the food, the people, the water, and the feeling you get when you drive over the hill and see the Andaman Sea for the first time.