Phuket is a beautiful island with many nearby destinations that are perfect for day trips. You may want to combine a few of these places together on a single-day trip, or plan for several half-day excursions, with the remainder of your day set aside for relaxing poolside or at the beach.
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Private Tour or Join a Tour Group?
The big difference between the two is always cost; on a private tour, you get transport to yourselves and the undivided attention of your guide and driver. For a family group, you may find your pricing works out very similar to having a private tour mini-bus as joining a group.
On the contrary, it becomes a lot more expensive when you’re talking about heading out to any of the islands on a catamaran, for example. Generally speaking, when you book these tours, lots of small mini buses are sent all over Phuket to fetch passengers, and then you all congregate at a pier to join a larger group on the boat.
If you book a private catamaran or speed boat just for your family, expect this to be substantially more costly than joining a group – though bargains can be found in the rainy season where private charters work out cheaper than paying per head.
Visiting off-peak, though, you never know! You may still be the only ones on board if passenger numbers are low that day, so it will feel like a private tour without the price tag! But you do run the risk of last-minute cancellations if seas are particularly rough that day.
Best Phuket Day Trip Destinations – On Phuket Island
If you don’t fancy taking a boat, all of these day tours are easy to reach by road (traffic-dependent!) from your accommodation in Phuket.
1. Phuket Old Town Tour
Phuket Old Town is located in the heart of Phuket City and is known for its colourful Sino-Portuguese buildings. You can take a walking tour of the town and visit the many cafes, restaurants, and boutique shops.
Taking a walking tour is highly recommended as you’ll gather a lot more about the historical significance of the buildings with a local guide. You can choose the length of your tour and whether you only want to learn about the history or indulge in some local delicacies that the area is famous for.
In our experience, these are not great to join with young kids; we’d recommend a private tour or self-touring the Old Town if you are with littles, for the sake of their enjoyment and others in the group.
We have a more detailed guide to the sites of Phuket Old Town here.
Recommended tours:
NB – It can be great to enjoy the atmosphere of Phuket Old Town during the Sunday Night Walking Street Market, but be aware of just how crowded this event can get; with kids, we prefer to make a separate day trip to Phuket Old Town to get a greater appreciation of what’s on offer and take our time exploring the shops and cafes without the fear of losing our children!
2. Wat Chalong
Wat Chalong is a famous Buddhist temple located in the southern part of Phuket. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture and is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists.
A visit will take around one hour, which is often incorporated with other stops in the southern part of the island, including a visit to Big Buddha.
Recommended tours that include a stop at Wat Chalong:
3. Sirinat National Park
Sirinat National Park (formerly Nai Yang National Park) is a small protected area on Phuket’s northwest coast. The park is home to several beautiful beaches, including Mai Khao Beach, one of Thailand’s longest beaches.
The area is perhaps most famous for the low-flying aircraft that are coming in to land at HKT airport, but there’s some natural beauty to explore here, too. (Although claims that there are nesting turtles to be found, we believe, are incorrect due to over-development of the surrounding beach areas; there’s been no turtle nesting spotted for over a decade). Many bird species can be spotted as well as sea snakes and lizards.
As it is a national park, the entrance fee is 200 THB per adult and 100 THB for kids.
We’d recommend this as a day trip if you’re looking for a change from the busy beaches in the south
4. Bang Pae Waterfall
Bang Pae Waterfall is a small but beautiful waterfall located in the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary in the northeast of Phuket. You can take a short hike to the waterfall and enjoy a refreshing swim in the natural pool. There’s also the smaller Ton Sai Waterfall within the protected area.
Find more about Phuket’s best waterfalls here.
The Khao Prae Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Khao Pra Theaw Non-Hunting Area) has also become well known for its Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Open by appointment only; hours and how to book are unclear since COVID, try reaching out at grp@gibbonproject.org).
5. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is a great day trip for animal lovers. It is a retirement home for elephants rescued from the tourism industry. You can spend the day with the elephants and learn about their behaviour and conservation efforts.
Other Recommendations:
NB – we have included links to available tours here that we belive are connected with ethical sanctuaries, but we encourage you to do your own research into which elephant sancturaies in Phuket are upholding the highest ethical standards; sadly, despite labelling, not all sanctuaries are upholding the highest standards – this includes NO BATHING with elephants.
6. Khao Lak
Khao Lak is a quiet town located north of Phuket, across the Sarasin Bridge. The town is known for its beautiful beaches and nearby waterfalls. You can take a day trip to Khao Lak to relax on the beach and visit the national park.
Popular tourist activities include cruising down the river in Khao Lak National Park and visiting the Sea Turtle Conservation Center in Taplamu. The International Tsunami Museum is also an interesting, though slightly heartbreaking, recommended stop.
Recommended Tours:
Hop On A Boat Journey From Phuket
Many of the best highlights of Phuket lie just off the shore. Here are some of the most popular islands to visit on a day trip from Phuket:
7. Phi Phi Islands
The Phi Phi Islands are a popular destination for day trips from Phuket. The islands are known for their stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and limestone cliffs. You can take a speedboat or ferry to explore the islands and enjoy activities like snorkelling, diving, and kayaking.
Our complete guide to visiting Phi Phi Islands is coming soon!
Recommended Tours:
Note that the speed boat to Phi Phi may be much quicker than a ferry but be mindful of just how painful a speed boat journey can be! Definitely not recommended if you’re pregnant or suffer from back problems; take your time on a slower boat for more comfortable journey.
8. Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay is a beautiful bay with limestone cliffs and caves. You can take a boat tour to explore the bay and visit the famous James Bond Island and the floating village of Koh Panyee. Most tours also include taking sea kayaks into the caves of Hong Island and will provide you with a buffet lunch on board.
Recommended Tours:
We give a complete rundown of how day trips from Phuket to James Bond Island work here
9. Similan Islands
The Similan Islands are a group of islands in the Andaman Sea. They are known for their beautiful beaches and coral reefs, which make them great spots for snorkelling and diving—some of the best in the world!
Note that the Similan Islands are quite some distance away from Phuket, and access is by speedboat; as before with the Phi Phi tours, be aware that this is not recommended if you are pregnant or suffer from back problems. You will set off quite early in the morning to make the most of daylight hours and see as many of the small bays and beaches as possible.
Note that the Similan Islands are closed to tourism during the low season to allow for rehabilitation.
Recommended Tours:
10. Koh Racha Yai
Koh Racha Yai is a beautiful island about 25 km south of Phuket. The island is known for its crystal-clear waters and coral reefs, making it a popular spot for snorkelling and diving.
Recommended Tours:
We are continuing to explore more tour options every time we are in Phuket and will be updating this list soon with even more great day trip ideas with recommended providers.
Make sure you pop over to our complete family guide with 50+ family-friendly things to do while you’re in Phuket
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