Phuket itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in Phuket

1. 01

   Day 1: The south and an old-town evening

   Start early at Wat Chalong while it is cool and quiet, then drive up to the Big Buddha before the midday heat. Have lunch at one of the Chalong or Rawai restaurants, then rest. Reach Promthep Cape about an hour before sunset if you do not mind crowds, or go to Phuket Town instead and walk Thalang Road in the softer light. On a Sunday, make the Lard Yai walking street your evening and arrive close to 4 pm, before it fills up.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Wat Chalong	45 minutes to 90 minutes	Moderate	Before 10 am, on a weekday rather than a weekend or Buddhist holy day
   Big Buddha	About an hour	Moderate	Soon after 9 am opening, or late afternoon if the car park has space; clear days in the dry season
   Promthep Cape	30 to 60 minutes	Moderate	An hour before sunset for the spectacle, or a weekday daytime for space

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Wat Chalong: Parking is on site and you can see much at ground level, but the chedi's upper floors are reached by stairs, and we found no mention of a lift or seating. Firecrackers go off through the day and can startle, so keep a distance from the kiln.

   With parents at Big Buddha: A car reaches the lower terrace with its views. The upper platform is by 94 steps only, and there is little shade on the terraces, so morning is far easier. The descent road is steep, so hire a driver rather than a scooter.

Plan 02

2 days in Phuket

1. 01

   Day 1: Phuket Town

   Begin at the Thai Hua Museum, which is air-conditioned and explains what you will then see outside. Walk Krabi Road, Thalang Road, Soi Romanee and Phang Nga Road before it gets hot, stopping to see The Memory at On On Hotel from the street. Visit Jui Tui Shrine on Ranong Road and eat nearby. Rest in the afternoon and, if it is Sunday, come back for the Lard Yai walking street.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   The Memory at On On Hotel	One or two nights	Moderate	Book for a stay including a Sunday, in the dry season
   Jui Tui Shrine	20 to 30 minutes	Easy	An ordinary weekday morning; festival days only if you want the crowds

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at The Memory at On On Hotel: The building is two storeys with thick walls and arched openings. We could not confirm a lift, so request a ground-floor room if stairs are a problem. You are close to restaurants, but the drive to any beach is significant.

2. 02

   Day 2: Temple, Buddha and beach

   See Wat Chalong early and continue up Nakkerd Hill to the Big Buddha. After lunch and a rest, go to Kata Beach for a late-afternoon swim if the flags allow it, and stay for the sunset with Ko Pu in the frame. Patong's north end is the alternative if your hotel is there.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Wat Chalong	45 minutes to 90 minutes	Moderate	Before 10 am, on a weekday rather than a weekend or Buddhist holy day
   Big Buddha	About an hour	Moderate	Soon after 9 am opening, or late afternoon if the car park has space; clear days in the dry season
   Kata Beach	Half a day	Easy	December to April; late afternoon for sunset behind Ko Pu

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Wat Chalong: Parking is on site and you can see much at ground level, but the chedi's upper floors are reached by stairs, and we found no mention of a lift or seating. Firecrackers go off through the day and can startle, so keep a distance from the kiln.

   With parents at Big Buddha: A car reaches the lower terrace with its views. The upper platform is by 94 steps only, and there is little shade on the terraces, so morning is far easier. The descent road is steep, so hire a driver rather than a scooter.

Plan 03

3 days in Phuket

1. 01

   Day 1: Phuket Town

   Thai Hua Museum in the morning, then a slow walk through the Sino-Portuguese streets with stops at Jui Tui Shrine and Thalang Road's cafes. Keep the middle of the day indoors. Eat at Ubuntu Eat on Phang Nga Road or The Vegan Table on Ratsada Road, and check their weekly closing days first.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Jui Tui Shrine	20 to 30 minutes	Easy	An ordinary weekday morning; festival days only if you want the crowds
   Ubuntu Eat	About an hour	Easy	Lunch during an old-town walk, on any day except Thursday
   The Vegan Table	About an hour	Easy	An early dinner, after the old-town walk; not on Wednesdays

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

2. 02

   Day 2: Phang Nga Bay

   Take a full-day tour with hotel pick-up from the east-coast piers. Expect limestone towers, a sea-canoe paddle through caves if the tide allows, a lunch stop at Ko Panyi and a short landing at Khao Phing Kan. Ask about boat boarding and tell the operator about vegetarian or Jain meals when you book. Return to the hotel by late afternoon and keep the evening simple.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Phang Nga Bay	A full day; many tours run about eight hours	Moderate	November to April for the calmest water

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Phang Nga Bay: There is little walking but plenty of climbing in and out of boats, and sea canoes sit low and pass under rock. Our sources do not cover step-free access, so ask the operator and consider a larger boat. Shade varies by vessel.

3. 03

   Day 3: The south coast

   Early visit to Wat Chalong, then the Big Buddha. Spend the afternoon on Kata Beach, or go to the Phuket Aquarium at Cape Panwa if the sea is rough. Finish at Promthep Cape for sunset, arriving at least 30 minutes ahead, or leave it for a quieter daytime stop on the way back. Nature-minded families can swap the morning for the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in the north-east.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Wat Chalong	45 minutes to 90 minutes	Moderate	Before 10 am, on a weekday rather than a weekend or Buddhist holy day
   Big Buddha	About an hour	Moderate	Soon after 9 am opening, or late afternoon if the car park has space; clear days in the dry season
   Kata Beach	Half a day	Easy	December to April; late afternoon for sunset behind Ko Pu
   Promthep Cape	30 to 60 minutes	Moderate	An hour before sunset for the spectacle, or a weekday daytime for space
   Gibbon Rehabilitation Project	1 to 2 hours	Moderate	Morning, in the dry months; book ahead on the project's website

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Wat Chalong: Parking is on site and you can see much at ground level, but the chedi's upper floors are reached by stairs, and we found no mention of a lift or seating. Firecrackers go off through the day and can startle, so keep a distance from the kiln.

   With parents at Big Buddha: A car reaches the lower terrace with its views. The upper platform is by 94 steps only, and there is little shade on the terraces, so morning is far easier. The descent road is steep, so hire a driver rather than a scooter.

Read before you go

Guides for the stops on these routes

Pacing

Pacing a Phuket trip for parents and children

• Book a car and driver for the south-coast days. The hill roads to the Big Buddha and Promthep Cape are short but steep, and tuk-tuks are open to the heat.
• Do outdoor sights before 10 am or after 4 pm. Temperatures stay in the low thirties all year and the humidity makes midday tiring in every season.
• Take the sea seriously. Red flags mean stay out, even on a bright day, and rip currents on the west coast are strong between May and October. Use the hotel pool instead.
• Ask a tour operator exactly how you board the boat before booking Phang Nga Bay. Our sources do not cover step-free access, and transfers between boats and canoes can be awkward.
• Note Bangkok Hospital Phuket for emergencies: it has a 24-hour emergency department and international accreditation. Buy travel insurance that covers treatment and evacuation, and carry prescriptions in their original packets.
• Temples and shrines require shoes off and shoulders and knees covered. Pack a light shawl and footwear that is easy to slip off and on.

Phuket with elderly parents: the full guide →