Phuket Itinerary – Big Buddha, Old Town, Wat Chalong & More

Last Updated on 3rd January 2023

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Phuket was the first place we visited on our 1 month backpacking itinerary in Thailand.

We spent one week on Phuket Island (which you definitely don’t need to do – two or three days should suffice) and we spent one full day exploring the island itself and seeing all the top sights it had to offer.

We visited the likes of the Big Buddha Statue, Phuket Old Town and the beautiful Wat Chalong temple.

I’ve put together the ultimate Phuket itinerary for one week that includes everything we did and saw on the island so hopefully, it’ll inspire you guys to book your own day trip while you’re there!

Phuket Itinerary – 7 days

I’ve included a screenshot of a map above of the route that we took on our Phuket day trip.

We hired a driver from Chai Driver Phuket for the whole day and then we designed our own itinerary.

Many people choose to hire a scooter and drive themselves around the island but we’re not very comfortable with doing that, especially when you have to drive up ridiculously steep hills to reach places such as the Big Buddha.

We paid 1,500 baht (approx £36) for both of us for the whole day which is pretty expensive but we much prefer to pay an English-speaking driver to take us around, rather than driving ourselves on a scooter on pretty dangerous roads.

It’s entirely your call though, and if you feel comfortable with riding scooters in Asia, then by all means go for it; I highly praise you!

1. Phuket Old Town

Phuket Town is a beautiful little town that can be found in the Southeast part of the island.

It’s home to many quaint shops, cafes and brightly coloured buildings.

It reminded me an awful lot of one of my favourite places in the world; George Town, in Malaysia.

We didn’t spend an awful lot of time in the Old Town and I think if we went back to Phuket one day, I’d definitely like to spend a bit more time exploring the Old Town and grabbing a bite to eat in one of the many adorable restaurants and cafes.

Make sure you take a trip down Walking Street to see all the lovely street art and beautifully coloured buildings.

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2. Wat Chalong – Phuket itinerary

Wat Chalong is an absolutely spectacular Buddhist temple that dates back to the early 19th century.

It’s also just one of the remarkable 29 Buddhist temples on Phuket Island and is often cited as the most important.

I think I’d go as far as to say that it’s one of my favourite temples we’ve seen while travelling and the entire complex is so mesmerising.

Inside the main temple building, you’ll find dozens of gold Buddha statues lined up all around the interior.

If anything, it’s a photographer’s dream and as you can see from the pictures above; they’re incredibly photogenic!

Remember to dress appropriately when visiting Wat Chalong; I totally forgot to have my knees and shoulders covered when we went and I had to borrow two sarongs from the temple that they wrapped all around me.

I was pretty much overheating by the time we left, so don’t make that mistake and just remember to dress appropriately in the first place!

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3. Big Buddha – Phuket Day Tour itinerary

Seeing the Big Buddha statue was definitely my personal highlight of our Phuket day trip.

It sits high up on top of Nakkerd Hills and towers above at an impressive 45-metres tall.

From the top of the hill, you’re also blessed with sweeping 360° views of many places in Phuket including the town, Karon, Kata and Chalong Bay.

The giant white Buddha statue isn’t the only remarkable thing to see, however.

All over the complex, you can see beautiful golden Buddha statues and inside one of the buildings, there are rows of them lining the walls.

We were lucky enough to visit the Big Buddha on a beautifully clear, blue sky day which really made the vivid white of the Buddha “pop”.

There are 94 steps to reach the base of the Big Buddha so it’s quite a tiring feat but definitely worth it to see this magnificent statue up close and personal.

You can also actually see the Big Buddha from most parts of the south of Phuket Island, including the Old Town and Karon Beach.

While we were there, we also got blessed by a Monk which was definitely one of the most unusual, albeit interesting experiences I’ve had.

I’m not religious in any way, but I do really admire and enjoy the Buddhist practices and teachings and I felt especially lucky to be blessed by a Monk in his place of worship.

As this is a place of worship, you will again have to remember to dress appropriately and cover your knees and shoulders.

If you forget (like I did), you can always borrow a sarong free of charge from the temple.

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4. Promthep Cape Viewpoint

The penultimate place we visited on our Phuket day trip was Promthep Cape Viewpoint.

Residing on the southernmost tip of Phuket Island, Promthep Cape offers truly stunning views out into the glistening blue sea.

It’s renowned for being a popular sunset viewpoint but we visited at around 1pm and the views were just as breathtaking.

I could have quite happily sat up there all day looking out to sea and watching the towering palm trees sway gently in the light ocean breeze.

There are also a couple of little food stalls at Promthep Cape, as well as toilets, so it’s a great place to hang out for an hour or two and enjoy the wonderful views.

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5. Karon Viewpoint

Speaking of wonderful views, our last stop of the day was yet another place to admire incredible seafront views; this time at Karon Viewpoint.

From here, you can see Kata Noi Beach (the beach closest to Karon Viewpoint), Kata Beach (the larger one in the middle) and Karon Beach (the one furthest away).

While I didn’t think Karon Viewpoint was quite as impressive as Promthep, it still offered sweeping vistas of three different famous beaches and bays in Phuket.

I also think that in order to see the beaches better, they should trim the tops of the trees and bushes a little bit, but I also kind of like the fact that they leave the natural landscape as it is.

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While Phuket is often renowned for its party vibes and messy nights out, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s also home to some truly lovely natural beauty, as well as stunning temples.

If you’re visiting Phuket, I’d definitely recommend carving some time out of your party and beach schedule to visit some of these top sights on a Phuket day trip!

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• The Ultimate 1 Month Backpacking Thailand Itinerary & Guide
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• Three Days In Bangkok – What To Do, See & Eat
• Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary Chiang Mai
• Death Railway and River Kwai Bridge, Kanchanaburi – Ultimate Guide

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Which of these places on this Phuket itinerary are you most looking forward to seeing? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.