What to Do in Phuket? What not to miss, and what are the must-see? There are so many answers. Phuket is blessed with many activities and attractions. Some are on the island, and the most impressive are near enough to visit one or more in a single day. After 25 years here, it is quite easy to answer, and we listed all the places we love most in this ‘Phuket Attractions’ section… have fun!
Wat Sri Sunthon (Wat Srisoonthorn) is known for the immense golden Buddha reclining at the top of a large building in the ‘Pang Sai Yat’ posture, which corresponds to “Realizing Nirvana”. The statue seems to be staring endlessly at the frantic traffic on the nearby road to Phuket International Airport. Of course, you already knew that ‘Wat’ is the Thai word for ‘Temple’.
Soi Romanee, in the historical centre of old Phuket town, is a short street with a long and colourful history. Today it is home to souvenir shops, fancy ice cream parlours and small but posh guesthouses.
The Phuket Aquarium in Cape Panwa is not immense, as the tunnel is only a few metres long, but it is still a great place to entertain you and your kids on a rainy day and might even be your chance to see baby turtles.
Rang Hill (Khao Rang), located in the middle of Phuket, is famous for its scenic restaurants, temple, monkeys, and a new viewpoint bridge.
Banyan Tree Phuket on Bang Tao Beach is the most luxurious of the five resorts in the Laguna Complex and one of the best hotels in Phuket. The hotel opened more than two decades and has always been one of the ultimate resort experiences in Asia.
Bang Pae waterfall is one of the best-known waterfalls in Phuket. There are only three significant waterfalls on the island: Bang Pae, Kathu Waterfall and Tonsai Waterfall, maybe four if you include a tiny one near Ao Yon Beach.
After Beach Bar is a legendary restaurant perched on a cliff above Kata Noi Beach in Phuket. The sunset view from the wooden terrace is one of the best on the island. Arrive 30 minutes early for a front-row seat.
The Thalang National Museum in Phuket has undergone a significant transformation and is now nearly fully reopened. As of May 2025, only one final room remains under renovation, with plans to reopen it by June 2025.
The Upside Down House Museum is one of the most surprising attractions in Phuket. Once you see it with your own eyes, there will be no need for any explanation as this pink house is standing upside down on its roof in a garden, as if some giant kid had casually dropped it after playing with it.
Our Old Phuket Town and Old Street Walking Guide will save you time and effort! The historical part of Phuket is not huge but is rich and exciting enough to explore in half a day.
Thalang Road is the most famous street in Old Phuket Town — lined with restored Sino-Portuguese shophouses, street art and the tiny Soi Romanee, voted one of the world’s most beautiful streets.
Koh Sirey is an island connected to Phuket town by a very short bridge, this small piece of land doesn’t have any particular signs, but this is where you will find the beautiful Westin Siray Bay Resort.
Wat Phra Thong (or Wat Prathong), meaning ‘Golden Buddha Image Temple is a very old temple with an incredible legend behind it, the kind of story that irresistibly attracts people. It’s not very big or impressive, but everyone first wants to see the famous half-buried golden Buddha. So what is this strange legend about a temple in Thalang on the way to Phuket Airport?
Phuket Thai temples, or Wats, are always worth a visit; from the temple hidden inside a cave to the famous Wat Chalong, a visit to Thailand would not be complete without exploring a few of these magnificent and beautifully ornamented buildings.
Phuket Mining Museum was built with unusual grandeur in a remote and isolated location behind the Loch Palm Golf Club of Kathu, somewhere in the hills before Patong.
Phuket Indy Night Market is a fun, young, creative little night market in Phuket Town, located on Limelight Avenue, a small lane off Dibuk Road, not far from the well-known Raya Restaurant.
Laem Ka Beach, in the very south of Phuket near Rawai, is a little gem hidden from view and mostly locals know about it. It was closed to the public a couple of years ago to allow the construction of a new hotel.
Chinpracha House (Baan Chinpracha) is one of the most beautiful mansions in Phuket, and it is spread all around Phuket Town. Chinpracha House is somehow unique and in its original condition.
If old Sino-Portuguese Mansions in Old Phuket Town fascinate you, you are in for a treat. There is more to Phuket than just the well-known Thalang Road, where everyone goes on a Phuket exploration.
Hidden in a vast cave in Phang Nga Province, Wat Suwan Khuha is a surprising religious site sheltering an immense reclining golden Buddha. If you feel like a little drive outside Phuket island, this is your chance to explore another side of Phang Nga!
Splash Jungle Water Park is a popular theme park on Mai Khao Beach, just next to Phuket International Airport. It’s not huge and a bit pricey, but it’s a great way to spend the day with the kids and the family having fun.
Phuket Elephant Trekking is to be avoided! Now comes the true ‘Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries’, where elephants rescued from a terrible life of labour can finally be free.
Radar Hill Viewpoint in Phuket offers a breathtaking panorama. The island certainly has quite a few viewpoints but some less visible than others such as this one are actually the most impressive.
Built in 1960, the Thavorn Hotel has a long story in Old Phuket Town. The museum originally opened decades ago as a small quirky hotel attraction that was more an anecdotal storage of all the old stuff and equipment used in the many years of the hotel’s operation
Post Views: 35,508 The real story behind it (and how I became anonymously famous) “Stop everything and look at this baby elephant’s first time on… Read More »Baby Elephant on a Phuket Beach: The real story behind the photos
Reviews of all the beach clubs I’ve visited around Phuket. From relaxing hideaways with your feet in the sand to late party clubs, there’s one for everyone!
Freedom Beach Phuket is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The 300-metre stretch of soft white sand and turquoise water is just 10 minutes by longtail boat from Patong Beach, but it feels like a different world.
The Tiger Kingdom Phuket might not be to everyone’s taste, but we took an hour to stop and see if the animals were well treated. The place is surprisingly large, clean and very well organised.
Every Sunday night, Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town transforms into a 360-metre street market: local food, handmade crafts, street performances and the best people-watching on the island.
Phuket Waterfalls are modest in size and are best visited during the rainy season (May to October or November), because during the high season, the lack of rain reduces the stream to a trickle.
Complete guide to Phuket museums: Thai Hua, Thavorn, Mining Museum & more. Entry prices, opening hours, and which ones are worth visiting.
The Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Road in Phuket Town is a pleasant surprise. We visited it a few years ago when it reopened, and despite being in a beautiful mansion, it was just an empty building.
Each Buddha statue in Thai temples represents a day of the week, a story from the Buddha’s life, and personality traits linked to your birth day. Here’s what each posture means and how locals use them.
Kathu waterfall is small but can be attractive during the rainy season when the strong stream and the tropical vegetation are dense and green. It is more pleasant than the higher Tonsai and Bang Pae Waterfalls, and access is free of charge.
Phuket Monkey Hill is the best-known monkey playground on the island, a hill covered with immense red and white antennas in the back of Phuket Town. That hill may be easy to see but not as easy to reach: the road climbing to it is opposite the provincial hall
Phuket FantaSea is a show narrating the legend of Kamala, which in this story is a jungle with a mythical palace, quite different from the Kamala, you know.
Jungceylon Phuket, located in the heart of Patong Beach, just a few minutes’ walk from Bangla Road, is still the largest mall on the island at over 200,000 square meters
Banana Beach in Phuket used to be one of those places you had to work for. The tricky parking, the steep path down the hill, the hunt for the unmarked entrance.
Phuket Naka Weekend Market (previously called Chaofa Variety Weekend Market) stands as one of Phuket’s largest night bazaars near Central Festival on the outskirts of Phuket Town.
Dino Park in Kata Beach opened in 1997 and is one of the very few attractions in Phuket that has stayed popular for almost three decades.
The charming Ya Nui Beach is a tiny bay tucked in a cove between the Windmill Viewpoint and the famous Promthep Cape in the very south of Phuket Island. It is easy to recognise for its little rocky hill in the middle. It looks like a secret beach, but it is very well known and can be busy sometimes.
Phang Nga Bay is Thailand’s most spectacular seascape, a 400 km² protected marine park filled with dramatic limestone cliffs rising straight out of emerald water.
Discover 75 things to do in Phuket… plus what to skip. Island hopping, beaches, temples, nightlife and hidden spots. By a 30-year Phuket resident. Updated 2026.
Koh Racha Island or Koh Racha Yai (also called Raya Island) is a small idyllic island just 12 kilometres south of Phuket, popular for day trips, snorkelling and scuba diving. The island is so small it can only accommodate a few resorts
There are so many big and small islands around Phuket; it would take forever to visit them all. Most are not far, and you should consider island hopping for your trip or even a private cruise. These are just a few islands near Phuket…
Spas and massages are among the many activities travellers love to experience when visiting Phuket. Here, spas are surprisingly cheap and available everywhere; you don’t have to plan; you only have to pick.
Whitewater rafting near Phuket, on the Song Preak River in Phang Nga forest, is an activity that will give you a serious adrenaline rush! Of course, nothing to compare with the Grand Canyon, but on the other hand, you don’t need to be experienced or even fit to enjoy it.
The 10 best beaches for snorkelling in Phuket without a boat. Ao Sane, Ya Nui, Freedom, Paradise and more, with what to expect at each. Updated 2026.
Browse the best things to do in Phuket with kids: Andamanda, Coral Island, Phang Nga Bay, elephants, Carnival Magic, ziplines and beaches, ranked by age group.
Wat Chalong (วัดฉลอง) is the largest and most visited Buddhist temple in Phuket. It sits about 8 kilometres south of Phuket Town, on the way to Chalong and Rawai.
There are many viewpoints in Phuket where you can see the island from above. Some are easy to reach by car or scooter, while others require a short walk.
Sunset happens every single day, and yet everyone seems to be instinctively attracted to it like a fly to a candle, including myself. I don’t pretend to know everything about sunset photography, but I can share some useful tips that might help
