Thailand’s largest island has a beach for every kind of traveller, a handsome old town, and the Andaman Sea’s most famous day trips on its doorstep. Here is how to choose, get around and book the good stuff.
Phuket is about 48 km long, mountainous and joined to the mainland by a bridge. Its west coast is a string of sandy bays — from loud, convenient Patong to the near-empty sands of Mai Khao — and which one you pick shapes your whole trip.
Inland and to the east are the things that make it more than a beach: the Sino-Portuguese streets of Phuket Old Town, the hilltop Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, and the piers where boats leave every morning for Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay and the nearer islands. This site compares the beaches honestly, explains how to get around an island with almost no public transport, and picks the tours worth your time.
Eight best-sellers, chosen from GetYourGuide’s large Phuket catalogue by rating and number of reviews.
Speedboat day trip from €38 The most-booked Phuket tour on GetYourGuide by a wide margin, with more than twenty thousand reviews. A speedboat covers Maya Bay, the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh, a snorkelling stop and beach time on Bamboo Island, with a buffet lunch in between.
Big-boat cruise with sea canoeing from €42 A slower, steadier way to see Phang Nga Bay: a two-storey boat with shade and space, guides who paddle you into the hidden lagoons, a stop at James Bond Island and lunch on board. More than four thousand reviews.
Speedboat snorkelling day (in season) from €109 The best-reviewed Similan day trip, leaving early to reach the islands before the bulk of the boats. It is a long day from Phuket — expect a pre-dawn pickup — and it only runs while the national park is open, roughly mid-October to mid-May.
Guided sightseeing tour from €32 The easy way to tick off the island’s land sights without negotiating taxis: viewpoints, the Big Buddha and the pastel streets of Phuket Old Town in one guided loop. Rated 4.8 by more than three thousand travellers.
Elephant sanctuary visit from €74 A hands-on half day with elephants at a no-riding sanctuary: you feed them and join them at the mud and water. It is one of the island’s most-booked animal experiences, with more than two thousand reviews.
Longtail boat and sea-canoe tour from €52 A full day that goes into Phang Nga Bay by road and longtail rather than by speedboat from Phuket, adding the Monkey Cave temple on the way. Paddled canoes take you among the limestone islands before the stop at James Bond Island.
Entry ticket from €40 A night of live Thai boxing in Patong, with the ritual wai khru dance and ringside music before each bout. Seating options run from stadium seats to VIP ringside.
Afternoon and evening canoe trip from €116 An afternoon-into-evening trip that reaches the sea caves after the day boats have gone. You are paddled into the lagoons, watch the sun set over the bay and, once it is dark, see the plankton glow when the water is disturbed.
Real-time prices and dates straight from GetYourGuide.
Seven beach areas, three essential sights and six day trips, each with its own guide.
Beaches & where to base yourself Phuket’s biggest, loudest and most convenient beach town
A three-kilometre bay on the west coast backed by a dense grid of hotels, malls, massage shops and bars. Bangla Road’s nightlife is here, and so is the island’s widest choice of rooms and tours.
Beaches & where to base yourself The all-rounder: good sand, good food, a little surf
Two neighbouring bays south of Karon. Kata is the island’s best balance of beach, restaurants and atmosphere, with small surf in the green season; Kata Noi, over the headland, is shorter and quieter.
Sights on the island Pastel shophouses, Chinese shrines and the island’s best food
The historic core of Phuket Town, built on tin-mining wealth by Hokkien Chinese settlers. Its Sino-Portuguese shophouses on Thalang Road and Soi Romanee now hold cafés, museums and noodle shops, and Sunday brings a walking-street market.
Sights on the island The island’s two great Buddhist landmarks, a short drive apart
A 45-metre seated Buddha clad in white marble looks over the south of the island from Nakkerd Hill. Below it, Wat Chalong is Phuket’s largest and most revered temple. Most visitors see both in one outing.
Day trips from Phuket The day trip everyone comes to Phuket for
A small group of cliff-walled islands about 45 km south-east of Phuket. Uninhabited Phi Phi Leh holds Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon; Phi Phi Don has the village, the viewpoint and the ferries.
Day trips from Phuket Limestone towers, sea caves and hidden lagoons
A sheltered, shallow bay north-east of Phuket studded with sheer limestone islands. Its hidden lagoons are explored by canoe through sea caves, and its best-known rock starred in a 1974 James Bond film.
Twenty well-reviewed hotels across seven areas, from Patong hostels to pool villas in the north.
A big beachfront resort that has quiet Kata Noi Beach almost to itself, a short ride from the restaurants of Kata.
The flagship of the Laguna complex: an all-villa resort, mostly with private pools, set on a lagoon behind Bang Tao Beach.
A restored heritage hotel in a 1920s building in the middle of Phuket Old Town, with excellent guest scores.
Beaches compared, things to do, money, safety, entry rules and sample itineraries.
Airport transfers, the Smart Bus, songthaews, taxis, apps and the truth about scooters.
Dry season, monsoon, red flags and what is open month by month.
Which beach suits you, with hand-picked hotels in every area.
Our ranked list of boat trips, land tours, shows and transfers.
Shophouses, shrines, the Sunday market and what to eat.
Paddle into the sea caves of Phang Nga Bay, step onto Maya Bay before the crowds, snorkel the Similan reefs, eat your way round the Old Town and watch the sun go down from Promthep Cape. Compare the best-rated tours and book in a couple of taps.
Kata and Karon suit most first-time visitors: good sand, plenty of restaurants and a calmer feel than Patong. Choose Patong for nightlife and budget rooms, Kamala for families, Bang Tao for resorts and beach clubs, and Nai Yang or Mai Khao for quiet. Our where-to-stay guide compares them.
Four to five days is a comfortable minimum: two beach days, a day for the Old Town and Big Buddha, and two boat trips such as Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay. A week lets you add the Similans or an overnight in Khao Sok.
November to April, when the sea is calm and the weather mostly dry. May to October is cheaper and greener but brings rain and dangerous surf on the west coast. See best time to visit.
Very little. There is an airport-to-beaches Smart Bus and daytime songthaews between Phuket Town and each beach, but nothing direct from beach to beach. Most visitors rely on taxis, ride-hailing apps and tour pickups. Details in getting around.
For most of the year, yes, with strict visitor rules and no swimming. It has closed for about two months in recent green seasons (August and September). Check dates when booking a Phi Phi trip.
Broadly yes. The real risks are the sea in the monsoon months — obey red flags — and the roads, especially on rented scooters. Petty scams around jet-skis and taxi fares are an annoyance rather than a danger.
