Explore Phuket Town with guides to cafés, local restaurants, and heritage attractions. Discover the island’s Old Town, street art, and unique cultural spots.
The Shrine of the Serene Light is a beautifully decorated Chinese Temple on Phang Nga Road, one of the most famous streets of Phuket Town. It used to be ‘the little hidden Chinese temple’ tucked away at the end of a small path, right under your nose.
Blue Elephant Phuket is a high-end Thai restaurant built in a renovated Thai house set in an immense garden in Old Phuket Town. Pracha Phra Pitak Chinpracha Mansion is a fantastic old mansion that used to be a governor’s house, but was abandoned for a long time.
Wat Khao Rang (Kao Rang Temple) is a modest temple in Phuket town that would be somewhat anonymous if it was not for its large and majestic golden sitting Buddha. But is the giant Buddha not supposed to be much bigger and made of white marble?
Tunk Ka Cafe is one of our favourite restaurants in Phuket Town, a long-established hillside place beautifully built on top of Khao Rang Hill, with striking panoramic views of Phuket city. Tunk Ka Cafe is a romantic place, with three separate terraces framed with large trees, and a nice breeze flowing through always keeps the place cool.
Natural Restaurant Phuket looks at first a bit confusing. Locally known as ‘Tamachart Restaurant’ it has been a long-time favourite for many Thai and expats.
There are quite a few Chinese shrines in Phuket, and each has its own characteristics and unique features, which always offer excellent photo opportunities. The large ones are very popular during the Chinese New Year in February or the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in October.
Phuket Uptown Restaurant is not exactly what we would call a ‘local restaurant’, it’s just a little too clean and too westernized to be considered so and a good third of the customers are usually farangs (foreigners). But the food is good, the prices are right and the staff is always friendly.
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
Had enough tourist food and want to try real Phuket specialities? When visiting Phuket Town, if you have a bit of time and are curious about Phuket’s real local food, you have to stop by Lor Rong Market.
Kopitiam by Wilai is a recently renovated restaurant serves classic Thai food in an old-style Chinese shop on the most popular street in Phuket Town. Thalang Road changed from just an old busy street to a full-scale tourist attraction, bars and restaurants have started to appear like flies on honey.
Super Cheap is quite amazing: you could organize a giant treasure hunt in it. We were writing a ‘Phuket Price Check’ story, trying to find 10 simple items we had written down on my list, but gave up halfway when we suddenly realized there was no way we could spot half of them.
Saphan Hin in Phuket Town doesn’t look like much during the day: a dull-looking rectangular lake, a waterfront with not much to enjoy except for a sunken boat, a vast empty parking lot, a massive abandoned shopping mall once called ‘Lucky Plaza’ and a Chinese shrine.
Phuket Amulet Market might not be the most exciting attraction in Phuket, but if you happen to be exploring the town, it might be worth a look.
One Chun Restaurant is one of the best Thai restaurants in Phuket Town. Serving southern Thai and uniquely Phuket cuisine without compromise. They first succeeded with locals who are not easy to impress when it comes to their food: great food, reasonable price, fun atmosphere, excellent service and good location.
The Westin Siray Bay Resort is a 5-star hotel built on the hillside of Koh Sirey, a tiny island on the east coast of Phuket island, not far from Phuket Town. From your balcony, at night, you will be surprised how close the city lights of Phuket Town are!
Wat Mongkol Nimit or Wat Putta Mongkon might not be the most impressive temple in Phuket but this one means a lot to people living around Phuket Town. All temples are of course worth visiting but since Wat Mongkol Nimit is close to Thalang Road, the historical streets of Phuket Town it would complete your visit perfectly.
Central Phuket is one of the biggest malls on the island, split into two massive wings on either side of a wide road: Festival and Floresta. If you’re just exploring, it can feel like two different malls, but it’s actually one big complex.
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.
Rang Hill (Khao Rang), located in the middle of Phuket, is famous for its scenic restaurants, temple, monkeys, and a new viewpoint bridge.
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.
