7 Days in Phuket Solo: A Day-by-Day Itinerary
Seven days is the sweet spot for Phuket. Enough time to explore the different beach areas, spend a day in Old Town, take a boat trip to the islands and still have one day to do absolutely nothing.
Seven days is the sweet spot for Phuket. Enough time to see all the main beach areas, spend a proper day in Old Town, take a boat trip to the islands and still have one day where you do absolutely nothing.
I have spent months in Phuket over the years, mostly solo, and this is the itinerary I would give anyone arriving for the first time.
Getting to Phuket
By air: Phuket International Airport (HKT) has direct flights from Bangkok (1 hour 20 minutes on AirAsia or Bangkok Airways), Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and several other regional hubs. Book through Trip.com to compare prices across airlines.
From the airport: Book your airport transfer in advance. The journey to Patong or Kata takes 45 to 60 minutes and the taxis outside arrivals work on negotiated fares that are rarely in your favour.
By road: Minibus connections from Krabi and Khao Sok run daily. Book through 12Go Asia and you can see all your options in one search.
Get an Airalo eSIM before you land so you have data for maps and Grab from the moment you arrive.
Where to Stay
Patong is the busiest beach. Good base for a couple of nights if you want to be in the middle of everything. Noisy at night.
Kata and Karon are quieter with better swimming beaches and more relaxed restaurants. My recommendation for 7 days.
Phuket Old Town has excellent boutique guesthouses in beautiful heritage buildings. Best base if you want the most interesting neighbourhood on the island.
Book accommodation through Trip.com for the best rates in each area.
Day 1: Arrive and Settle In
Get your transfer to your accommodation. Walk to the beach. Eat something from a street stall. Go to bed early. Phuket catches up with you faster than you expect.
Get a Wise card sorted if you have not done it before leaving home. ATMs everywhere in Phuket charge significant fees for foreign cards.
Day 2: Patong and Surroundings
Spend day two understanding Patong. Walk the beach in the morning before it fills up. Explore the side streets behind Bangla Road in the afternoon for better food and prices than the main strip. Bangla Road itself in the evening is an experience worth having once.
Day 3: Phuket Old Town
Old Town is the part of Phuket most beach tourists skip entirely. It is stunning. Sino-Portuguese architecture, independent coffee shops, galleries and some of the best food on the island. Spend the whole morning on Thalang Road and Soi Rommanee. The hawker stalls on Phang Nga Road serve excellent local food for almost nothing. Come back in the evening when the streets are lit and the heat has dropped.
Day 4: Phi Phi Islands Day Trip
A full-day speedboat trip to the Phi Phi Islands is the highlight of most stays in Phuket. Book through GetYourGuide. Use code ALLCHECKEDIN5 for 5% off.
Tours leave early from Phuket pier, visit Maya Bay, Monkey Beach and several snorkelling spots, and get you back before sunset. Bring high-factor sunscreen. The sun on the water is brutal.
Day 5: Kata and Karon Beach
Move down to Kata or Karon for a slower day. Both beaches are significantly quieter than Patong and better for swimming. Rent a scooter for the day and explore the headland between Kata Noi and Karon for some of the best views on the island. Eat dinner at one of the smaller restaurants down the quieter lanes near Kata Beach where prices are a fraction of Patong.
Day 6: Big Buddha and Elephant Sanctuary
Book a half-day visit to an ethical elephant sanctuary through GetYourGuide.
Drive up to Big Buddha in the early afternoon. Free to visit, dress respectfully. The views from the hill are excellent in any weather. Wat Chalong is ten minutes away and worth 30 minutes of your time on the way back.
Day 7: Final Morning
Spend your last morning in Old Town. Eat a proper breakfast at one of the coffee shops on Thalang Road. Walk slowly. Pick up anything you want to take home from the independent shops near Soi Rommanee. Then get your transfer to the airport.
Sort travel insurance for your next destination if you are heading onwards.
Join the Free Community
Planning a solo trip to Phuket? Come and join the free Solo Travel Thailand community at Skool. Real travellers, proper advice.
Happy travels! ✈️🇹🇭