Phuket Town Travel Guide – The Best Sights, Restaurants & Hotels

Wondering what to do and see in Phuket Town? Or perhaps you are still undecided whether to include Phuket Town on your upcoming trip to Phuket? In this travel guide, we give you the top sights, the best cafes, markets, and restaurants, as well as our recommendations for where to stay in Phuket Town.

As much as we enjoyed spending time at Phuket’s spectacular beaches, after a few days, we found ourselves ready for something different, and in lack of a better term, more authentic. As the days went by, we got tired of the tourist shops selling the same trinkets and T-shirts, the crowded happy-hour bars, and the watered-down Thai food.

We longed for a place with real history and culture, with cozy coffee shops, vibrant night markets, ancient shrines, stunning architecture, beautiful boutique hotels, and world-class Thai food restaurants. Surely, this was just too much to ask. Could Phuket possibly have such a place?

Thankfully, the answer was a resounding YES. It is called Phuket Old Town, and while visitors to the island often overlook it, we want to tell you why you should not make the same mistake. Read on to find out why Phuket Town, especially its old town, should be on your Phuket itinerary.

Btw, don’t forget to also check out our other Phuket travel guides like our complete Where To Stay in Phuket Guide. You can find all our articles on Phuket here.

The Ultimate Travel Guide To Phuket Town

This Phuket Town travel guide gives you the best things to do and see in Phuket Town, as well as the best places to stay and eat. Phuket Town’s top attractions, sights, and activities are listed and highlighted in a DIY walking tour (with a map). Have a great time exploring Phuket town! ♥

Before Phuket became know for flip-flops, jet skis, and stunning beaches, Phuket Town was the thriving economic hub of the island. While the island has always been rich in natural resources such as rubber trees and wildlife, it was with the discovery of large deposits of the precious mineral tin in the 16th century that the city started to grow.

Trade and development began with the Portuguese, Dutch, and soon the English followed. By the early 1900s, at the height of the tin mining boom, people from all over the world flocked to the island of Phuket. And with them, they brought influences from the middle east, China, Europe, and India.

The largest population by far was the Chinese, who made up the majority of the workforce in the tin mines and on the rubber tree plantations. They formed Phuket Town into the city we see today and soon became major players in the tin trade.

Influenced by other trade centers like Singapore and Malaysia’s Penang, the Chinese built their shophouses in the Sino- Portuguese style. The wealthiest families built their mansions in the grand colonial style. So despite Thailand never having been colonized, Phuket Old Town’s architecture is very similar to Penang and the old parts of Singapore.

In the 1960s, Phuket’s transformation into a world-famous tourist destination began. When the price of tin fell dramatically in the mid-’80s, the mines closed down, and tourism became the island’s primary source of revenue.

While tourists in ever-increasing numbers started flocking to the beaches, for a long time, Phuket Town stayed much as it ever had, going about its business forgotten and overlooked by visitors.

Phuket Town Today

In recent years Phuket Town has seen somewhat of a revival. The old part of town, in particular, has been rediscovered and gone through quite the transformation.

Many of the Chinese Singaporean-style shophouses have been renovated and turned into cozy coffee shops, artists galleries, and small shops selling designer clothes and handmade crafts. While some of the colonial-style mansions have become boutique hotels, museums, and restaurants.

Thankfully, Old Towns’ transformation has been a reasonably tasteful one. There are no Burger Kings, Starbucks, or other eyesores.

Instead, locally run shops and hip coffee shops exist side by side with ancient shrines, local residences, and restaurants that have been there for generations. On Thalang road is Phuket’s oldest apothecary, the Chinese herb shop Nguan Choon Tong has been in business since 1917.

Most of the main sights center around a relatively small area, with Thalang, Dibuk, and Krabi Road at the center. However, it is well worth venturing outside this area to experience the less-visited neighborhoods for a glimpse into local day-to-day life outside the tourist centers.

While you can explore most of Phuket Old Town on foot in a few hours, staying for at least one night will let you experience the town more thoroughly. By day the tour busses drop by, and the narrow streets fill up with tour groups in search of the perfect selfie. But once the afternoon rolls around, the atmosphere changes. Locals and visitors alike flock to the lively night markets, to shop, socialize, and eat, while world-class restaurants open their doors and serve up the most delicious treats.

Have a look at our recommended walking tour of Phuket Old Town at the end of this article for a walking route that includes all the highlights of Phuket Town.

What To Do In Phuket Town – The Top 10 Things

1. Wander The Streets Of Phuket Old Town

Much of the fun of visiting Old Phuket Town is really in just walking around exploring the narrow lanes, marvel at the gorgeous shophouses and street art, and letting your feet take you where they want to. Step inside a shop or two, visit a museum, or sit down and relax at one of the many coffee shops.

In 2016, a local initiative called the Food, Art, Town Phuket (F.A.T.) project invited local artists and some of Thailand’s best street artists to decorate Old Town’s facades with murals and lively paintings.

he project initially met some controversy, but the result has been well received and adds a bit of colorful character to the town’s old-world charm.

Previous dark alleys and drab grey street corners have been transformed into vivid works of art, many depicting scenes from the local Peranakan culture.

Like in Penang, Malaysia the street art has become extremely popular among visitors and makes for some fantastic holiday photos. So be sure to look around as you wander the streets.

Soi Romance Alley

Soi Romance or Soi Romanee, as it’s called in Thai, is the most colorful alley in Phuket Town with a string of vibrant and colorful century-old shophouses. Once it was the city’s most notorious red-light district, filled with brothels, gambling houses, and opium dens serving the Chinese tin mining workforce.

The name Romanee means beautiful or adorable, and refers to the ladies working their trade here in the old days.

For years this little alley was virtually abandoned until someone decided that it was worth preserving the unique architecture.

here are lots of small shops all over Phuket Old Town, selling local designer clothes, souvenirs, posters, handmade crafts, and all kinds of hipster goods.

Compared with the typical tourist hubs along the coast of Phuket, the shops here cater just as much to Thai visitors as to foreigners, and therefore, there is a refreshing lack of the typical mass-produced knick-knack.

One of the coolest shops is Ranida, with its art-gallery like display of antique buddha sculptures, beautiful organic textiles, and high fashion women’s clothing.

Maria picked up a couple of locally designed and produced skirts and blouses. If you are looking for some more unique souvenirs and gifts to take back home, then a visit to Phuket Old Town might be just the thing.

The Phuket Old Town has become a bit of a haven for artists and artisans. Along Phang Nga road, the art galleries lie practically side by side. There is a wide range of art and painting styles on display, and we really enjoyed popping our heads in and having a look around.

at Mongkol Nimit

You can actually see the ornate and colorful roof of this temple from the famous and crowded Soi Romanee. Yet, surprisingly few people take the time to cross Dubik Street and explore it.

If you do cross Dubik Street, you will find a stunning and large temple complex consisting of several beautiful gold decorated buildings, including a tall stupa.

While the temple is far from as spectacular as, for instance, Phuket’s most famous temple Wat Chalong, it has a convenient location next to Phuket Old Town. The refreshing lack of crowds makes it worth a visit.

Make sure to take a walk around the garden where every tree has a sign displaying a Buddhist principle in English and Thai.

Wat Mongkol Nimit is very popular among the locals who use it for weddings and funerals. The temple also houses a school for young monks in training.

As always, when visiting a temple, make sure to dress appropriately in clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, or else you won’t be allowed inside the buildings.

Where is Wat Mongkol Nimit Temple: 8/1 Moo 2, Soi Mongkulnimit. Just across Dubik road opposite Soi Romanee in Phuket Old Town

Cost: Entrance is free

Opening hours: 7:00 am – 5:30 pm

Shrine Of The Serene Light

The Shrine Of The Serene Light, also known as Sang Tham Shrine, is a small but atmospheric shrine dedicated to the worship of Chinese gods and ancestors.

The shrine is well over a century old, built by descendants of the prominent Chinese Tan Luan Jae family in 1891

For a very long time, it was almost unknown outside the local community. To visit it, you had to find and traverse a narrow unmarked alleyway.

Shrine of the Serene Light is a peaceful small shrine set in a courtyard surrounded by colorful buildings

Maria at the entrance of Serene Light

When the shrine opened to the public in early 2013, they widened the once narrow alleyway and put up signs. Surrounded by a cluster of colorful buildings, it offers a peaceful getaway from the busy city.

The shrine itself is relatively small, but charming with Chinese Lanterns that softly illuminate the interior and the smoke from burning candles. Make sure to look up and see the murals depicting the deities covering the ceiling. Sadly they do not allow photography inside the shrine.

During the Chinese New Year and the yearly Vegetarian Festival, the otherwise peaceful shrine transforms into a veritable firecracker launch center, and the sound can be heard from blocks away.

Where is Shrine Of The Serene Light: The shrine’s alleyway entrance is from Yaowarat Rd, next to the Memory at On On Hotel

Entrance fee: Entrance is free, but donations are welcome

Jui Tui Shrine

Jui Tui Shrine, located a short walk from the center of the old town, is among the most significant Chinese shrines in Phuket.

The shrine is devoted to the Chinese gods and especially Tean Hu Huan Soy, the patron god of performers and artists.

ui Tui is an old shrine with roots back to the early 1900s and is considered by many locals to be their family temple.

I would not say that it is a must-see when visiting Phuket Town, but it is a colorful temple, and the Chinese statues are beautiful. So if you have the time, pop by this shrine to have a look and take some photos, or simply skip it.

This shrine is a very active place of worship, so be respectful of that and dress modestly in clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. Photography is allowed inside the temple.

Where is Jui Tui Shrine: 283, Ranong Road, Talat Nuea, Phuket Town

Cost: Entrance is free

Opening hours: 08:00 – 20:30 (8 a.m – 8:30 p.m)

5. Markets & Night Markets

No matter when you visit Phuket Town, there will most likely be a market happening somewhere in the city.

The Thais love markets, and in recent years night markets have exploded in popularity and new ones are constantly popping up.

Phuket Sunday Night Market

The Sunday Night Market on Thalang Road, also known as Lardiay (meaning “big market” in southern Thai dialect), is hands down our favorite night market in Phuket Town.

Every Sunday evening, Thalang Road is turned into a walking street filled with carts, vendors, and street musicians. The shops along the street stay open late, and locals and tourists alike gather to eat and enjoy the festivities.

After sunset, lanterns light up the colorful old buildings making this one of the most charming and lively night markets we have ever visited in Thailand.

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Phuket Town Travel Guide – The Best Sights, Restaurants & Hotels

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