Phuket itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Phuket, day by day: Karon Beach, Patong and Sirinat National Park first, then Kata Beach, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Phuket Old Town and the evening shows as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Phuket in 1 day
Day 1
Sirinat National Park
Protected coastal park in the north with Nai Yang and Mai Khao beaches, pine trees and turtle nesting grounds.
Patong
Phuket's busiest resort town, with a long beach, markets, shops and the nightlife of Bangla Road.
Karon Beach
Long, wide beach on the west coast with soft sand and a quieter feel than Patong, backed by restaurants and shops.
Phuket in 2 days
Day 1
Sirinat National Park
Protected coastal park in the north with Nai Yang and Mai Khao beaches, pine trees and turtle nesting grounds.
Patong
Phuket's busiest resort town, with a long beach, markets, shops and the nightlife of Bangla Road.
Phuket FantaSea
Evening theme park and cultural show in Kamala, with a large theatre show, a buffet and carnival games.
Day 2
Karon View Point
Viewpoint on the road between Nai Harn and Kata Noi, looking over the three beaches of Kata Noi, Kata and Karon.
Kata Beach
Popular curved beach in the south-west with soft sand, gentle surf in season and easy access to shops and restaurants.
Karon Beach
Long, wide beach on the west coast with soft sand and a quieter feel than Patong, backed by restaurants and shops.
Phuket Big Buddha
Large white marble Buddha, about 45 metres tall, on Nakkerd Hill, with wide views over Chalong Bay and the island.
Wat Chalong
The largest and most visited Buddhist temple in Phuket, with a tall pagoda holding a relic and richly painted halls.
Phuket Simon Cabaret
Evening cabaret show in Patong, known for its glamorous costumes and dance numbers; a ticketed evening activity.
Phuket Old Town
Historic district of Sino-Portuguese shophouses in pastel colours, with shrines, cafes and a Sunday walking-street market.
Watch: Phuket
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Phuket
The dry season from November to April is the best time to go, with sunny days and calm seas. May to October is the rainy season, with heavy showers, rough seas and red flags on west-coast beaches. March to May is hottest. Christmas and New Year are the busiest and most expensive weeks.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Phuket on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Phuket on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Phuket on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Phuket with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Thailand from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Phuket with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
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Tips for Phuket
- Swim only where red and yellow flags show it is safe, as the west-coast beaches have strong currents from May to October and drownings happen each year.
- Wat Chalong and the Big Buddha are religious sites; cover shoulders and knees and take shoes off before entering buildings.
- Traffic between beaches is heavy, so allow plenty of time and group stops by area to avoid long drives.
- Evening cabaret and fantasy shows usually need a ticket booked ahead, often with hotel pick-up.
- Sun is strong all year, so use sun protection and carry water; mornings are the best time for the viewpoints and temples.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Karon Beach: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Karon View Point: Bennypc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kata Beach: HutheMeow, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Patong: unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Phuket Big Buddha: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phuket FantaSea: Walter Lim from Singapore, Singapore, CC BY 2.0
- Phuket Old Town: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phuket Simon Cabaret: shankar s., CC BY 2.0
- Sirinat National Park: Andy Mitchell from Glasgow, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wat Chalong: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
