20 Best Things to See and Do in Phuket Town

1. Thalang Road

Thalang Road is the best-known street of Old Phuket. Both sides are lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses, many of them are cafes, shops and even restaurants. This street host the famous Sunday Walking Street Market.

2. Dibuk Road

Dibuk is the second most popular street in the old town, just 100 metres from the famous Thalang Road. It’s more residential and has fewer shops, but more Sino-Portuguese mansion, a beautiful place to explore.

3. Other Old Streets

There are many other streets to explore beyond the famous ones listed above. Each street has its own charm, history and activities, and since they are all in the central area, they are easy to explore in a day.

4. The Shrine of the Serene Light

The Shrine of the Serene Light is a small but beautiful Chinese temple on Phang Nga Road. Once a hidden gem, this temple has now become a must-see when exploring the old streets.

5. Jui Tui Shrine

Jui Tui Shrine is a bit away from the old streets, but it plays an essential role during the opening of the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival that occurs every year around October.

6. Thai Hua Museum

Thai Hua is a modest museum set in what used to be a school a long time ago. It mostly narrates how the first Chinese immigrant arrived in Phuket.

7. Baan Chinpracha

Chinpracha House (Baan Chinpracha in Thai) is a private home museum. It’s quite modest, but it retained its true identity. It appeared in a couple of old films such as ad Heaven and Earth, a 1993 movie with Tommy Lee Jones.

8. Phuket 3D Museum (Trickeye Museum)

Phuket 3D museum, often called Trickeye Museum, is an interactive playground where you get to be part of a large painting and take surprising and fun selfies. The place is vast, with more than 100 scenes to blend in, and the result is up to your creativity.

9. Rang Hill Viewpoint

10. Wat Khao Rang

Wat Khao Rang is a hidden and not very well-known temple despite the large sitting golden Buddha that is not to confuse with the Giant Buddha of Phuket.

11. Aquaria Phuket

Aquaria is a massive set of massive aquariums located in the basement of Central Floresta Shopping Mall, on the outskirt of Phuket Town. The purpose of this aquarium, which includes a restaurant in an underwater tunnel near the fish, is more for entertainment purpose rather than educational.

1. Tu Kab Khao Restaurant

Tu Kah Khao is an excellent restaurant serving local southern Thai food in a renovated shophouse. The food is delicious and can get spicy. Locals often come to eat here, which is usually a sign of good cuisine.

2. Raya House

Raya House (or Raya Restaurant) is one of the oldest restaurants in Phuket Town, and it seems that it was never really renovated for decades. The food is excellent, but the place has become a little pricey since the word came out. Today, even celebrities from Bangkok stopover to try their famous crab curry with rice vermicelli.

3. One Chun Restaurant

One Chan is a popular local restaurant serving excellent Thai food at a reasonable price, including some Phuket specialities.

4. Blue Elephant Phuket

Blue Elephant Phuket is both a Fancy Thai restaurant and a renowned cooking school, the sister of the famous Blue Elephant in Bangkok. The restaurant is in a superb old house that was once the governor’s mansion. The food is elaborate and really god, but expensive. The kind of place you save for a special occasion.

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1. Phuket Walking Street Market

The Phuket Walking Street Market on Thalang Road every Sunday was a success from day one. It’s packed with food, fun shopping, street performances and a fun, friendly atmosphere. Night markets are very much part of Thailand culture, and this one is the most scenic.

2. Chillva Night Market

Chillva market has become very popular because it is open the evening of weekdays, and is in a convenient location for people living in Phuet town. It’s vast and fun, with a lot of fun food and casual shopping.

3. Naka Weekend Market

The Naka Market is a vast and famous weekend market on the outskirt of Phuket Town. Note that it has many names, from ‘Phuket Weekend Market’ to ‘Naka Market, or ‘Chaofa Variety Weekend Market’, and shouldn’t be confused with the even more popular Phuket Walking Street Sunday Market listed above.

4. Endless Summer

Endless Summer is a trendy boutique and coffee shop inside a beautifully renovated Sino-Portuguese mansion. The shop is just next to Dibuk Road, making it a perfect stop when exploring the old streets of Phuket Town.

5. Central Phuket Shopping Mall

Technically there are two Central Shopping Malls in Phuket Town. The old one that opened more than 10 years ago and the new wing called ‘Floresta’. Since they are connected by a wide covered bridge, they are actually one place. Expect to find hundreds of shops, dozens of restaurants, a movie theatre and food stalls, plus a giant aquarium.

1. The Memory at On On Hotel

The Memory at On On Hotel is a heritage building that was featured as a backpacker hostel at the beginning of the movie ‘The Beach’. The hotel has been entirely renovated since the release of the movie and is now a trendy but affordable hotel.

2. Casa Blanca

3. Novotel Phuket Phokeethra