7 Days Backpacking Phuket Itinerary for First-Timers

7 Days Itinerary in Phuket

Day 1: Explore Phuket Old Town

After arriving in Phuket, the first order of business is to visit Phuket Old Town and discover the past of the island it once was. Colorful old Chinese-European-style houses reminiscent of those antique houses you often see in countries like Malaysia and Singapore, with a touch of Phuket's own charm.

There are lines and lines of tourist attractions and shops for you to check out in Phuket Old Town, from interesting museums to places selling souvenirs for you to enjoy. Not to mention all the cool restaurants and unique cafes for you to indulge yourself in.

If you are looking for a nice restaurant to try traditional dishes in Phuket Old Town, they have a variety of places for you to check out, from the super cheap Lock Tien local food center to the super high-quality place like One Chun Cafe and Tu Kab Khao Restaurant. All serve delicious local food like Hokkien noodles, crab curry soup, and more.

For cafes to sit back and relax, you can't go wrong with Kopitiam, a traditional kopitiam-style cafe that serves the traditional sweet and strong kopi (coffee). For a nice, quiet, and cozy place to sit, Campus Coffee Roaster and its creative coffee choices and traditional Thai school decor is my definite go-to place after a long, tiring day.

Phuket Old Town is not very big, so it should not take you long to explore. This makes it great for your first day in Phuket, as it will allow you to find your bearings.

For more things to do in Phuket Old Town, check out:9 Best Things to Do in Phuket Old Town

Day 2: Explore Other Tourist Attractions Outside Phuket Old Town

For your second day, you can spend the first half of the day going on a local food tour that will allow you to discover more hidden gems you may have missed the day before when you were exploring by yourself. Discovering great and affordable Thai food is all about knowing where to go, and a food tour is the best way to do it.

You can also opt-in for an organized tour visiting an Elephant Sanctuary, which will allow you to interact with these magnificent creatures up close. Be sure to go with an ethical elephant sanctuary. There are many shady ones out there. I highly recommend you to go on this "A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary" tour.

In the afternoon, you can start renting a motorbike and explore the other tourist attractions around Phuket Old Town, such as one of the oldest and most revered temples on the island, Wat Chalong.

You can also ride your motorbike up to the Big Buddha, a 45m high statue located on top of one of the highest viewpoints in the area where you will be able to get a panoramic view of the entire southern coastal area of Phuket. Definitely the highlight of visiting Phuket.

Looking for the best things to do in Phuket? Check out:11 Best Things to Do in Phuket

Day 3: Relax at Nai Harn Beach & Explore the Southern Coast

Of course, you are here in Phuket to see pristine beaches and swim in beautiful clear water. After visiting many beaches in Phuket, I found Nai Harn beach to be the best one out of all.

Nai Harn Beach is as beautiful as other beaches, with fine, soft sands and plenty of space and facilities for you to relax in. And best of all, it isn't crowded at all.

There are enough resorts, restaurants, and cafes to make your life pretty comfortable around Nai Harn Beach, and its proximity to other tourist attractions in Phuket does make it a great base to reside in while you are in Phuket.

If you have had enough relaxation for a day, you can also hike up to Black Rock Viewpoint and Krating Cape for a stunning sunset over the ocean. The best part about these viewpoints is that not a whole lot of people know about them, so you will likely be the only one there.

I personally found the view from Black Rock Viewpoint to be prettier, as you can see the entire southern coast of the island from there. Krating Cape is great fun too if you are looking for a place to watch the sunset in solitude. You can hike up from the beach inside The Nai Harn Resort.

Either way, you will have a much better sunset experience at these 2 viewpoints than going to the overcrowded Promthep Cape, which is not as beautiful as it used to be.

Day 4: Take A Day Trip to Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island

On your fourth day, I highly recommend you go on a day trip and explore Phang Nga Bay and the famous James Bond Island, which includes canoeing in caves, swimming in crystal clear water, and having a lunch feast.

A day trip to Phang Nga Bay should take the entire day, and you will be able to see some of the most stunning natural spots in the region, like the famous James Bond Island and the jungle-fringed cliffs that appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun James Bond movie.

I highly recommend the "Phang Nga Bay Sea Cave Canoeing & James Bond Island by Big Boat" tour, which should allow you to see all the beautiful places in Phang Nga Bay and have a variety of adventurous activities for you to enjoy.

Looking for a complete travel guide to Phang Nga? Check out:10 Best Things to Do in Phang Nga

Day 5: Beach Day

The fifth day is your beach day, so you can take a break from all the adventure and enjoy a little down time. If you are bored of Nai Harn Beach, you can drive further up north and visit Kata and Karon Beach.

Also, if you want to see what Patong Beach is like, spoiler alert: it's nice now that there aren't many tourists, but it is extremely touristy, so don't stay there too long 😂.

Looking for the most beautiful beaches in Phuket? Check out:8 Most Beautiful Beaches in Phuket

Day 6: Go On A Snorkeling Trip To Phi Phi, Bamboo & Rang Yai Islands

After a day at the beach, we can go on another day trip adventure, this time to the famous Phi Phi Island and visit the beautiful, recently restored Maya Bay, as well as snorkeling around Bamboo and Rang Yai Islands.

On this "Phi Phi, Bamboo & Rang Yai Islands Snorkeling Trip", you will visit many of the beautiful spots in the area such as Bamboo, Monkey beaches, Viking Cave, and more all in one go, with the opportunity to swim, snorkel, and canoe at the same time.

The trip will take about 8 hours and it should include hotel pick-up and drop-off services as well as a full lunch buffet. You can book this tour from here.

Day 7: Rest Day & Visit Sunday Walking Street Market in the Old Town

Now, feel free to move this itinerary around, but eventually, you will be in Phuket on a Sunday, and there is no better place to be than at the Sunday Walking Street Market in Phuket Old Town.

The Sunday Walking Street really brings new life to the old, peaceful Phuket Old Town, with a ton of people visiting, both locals as well as foreigners, all walking up and down the street, trying out all sorts of delicious street food Thailand is known for.

Phuket Sunday Walking Street starts around 4 PM and goes all the way into the night, until 10 PM every Sunday of the week. There is a ton of street food you can try here, all selling at a lower price point than if you were to buy them in restaurants.

What I often do at Phuket Sunday Walking Street is walk up and down the street, grab whatever I want to try as I go, and then find a nice, quiet place to sit at the Golden Dragon Monument. The Golden Dragon Monument is in a small park, and you can easily find a nice, quiet place to sit and enjoy your food at your own leisure.

Want to see more of Southern Thailand? Check out:10 Best Places to Visit in Southern Thailand

When to Visit Phuket?

Phuket is an island with weather as reliable as the Thai bus schedule, so expect the weather to change rapidly during your visit to Phuket. Ideally, the best time to visit Phuket is between December to March when the weather is at its calmest. You might still experience some rainy days, but you are unlikely to experience tropical storms during this period.

The weather is also a little less humid and hot during this period. Mind you, it is still pretty hot in Phuket during the best months, but it won't be as bad as if you were to visit in April or July.

From April to November, the sea can get pretty rough, which may hinder your chances of relaxing on sunny beaches, going on boat trips, and seeing the surrounding nature spots. I would recommend sticking with the suggested period when visiting Phuket.

How to Get Around Phuket?

The best way to get around Phuket is by renting a motorcycle. Usually, the motorcycle rent starts at 150 THB per day for a small one and 200 THB for a larger, more powerful one, which is much more affordable than taking a taxi, which is known for ripping off tourists, both Thais and foreigners!

If you are staying around the Old Town, I highly recommend Chai Motorcycle Rental Place. They have a ton of options, and they don't engage in shady business practices like some other cheaper places do. Highly recommended.

If you aren't sure about riding a motorbike, you can also rent a car or go on an organized tour instead. Either way, avoid taking a taxi at all costs. They will quote you 600 THB for a taxi ride from Phuket Old Town to Patong Beach. With that amount, you can rent a motorbike for 3 days! They don't call it the Phuket taxi mafia for nothing.

How Much Money Do I Need For 7 Days In Phuket?

From this 7-day itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending in Phuket as follows:

Accommodation: For 7 days in Phuket, you can expect to pay around 140 USD (4,494.49 THB) for accommodation.

Food: Food costs about 60 THB minimum in Phuket on average, so you can expect to pay around 1,260 THB for 7 days.

Transportation: 600 THB for motorbike rental for 3 days, plus 100 THB for gas, and 700~ THB for the airport transfer. In total, you can expect to pay about 1,400 THB for transportation.

Activities: If you are planning to do all the day trips I recommend here, 100 USD each for day trips to Phi Phi and the James Bond island, you can expect to pay around 6,200 THB for activities.

Total Budget for 7 days in Phuket: 13,354.49 THB (415.90 USD)

Is it Safe in Phuket?

Phuket is quite safe, and people are generally friendly, but there might be some bad apples in the basket you should still watch out for. Taxis and ski scammers are some of them.

Phuket has been impacted by the COVID restrictions the most, and people are more desperate than ever. So, do take precautions like you would when traveling in other countries. Do not leave your belongings unattended, and watch out for your belongings at all times.

Also, Thailand's roads are not known to be the safest, and you will have to be extremely careful when renting a motorbike to explore the island. Phuket is also quite hilly, with lots of hills, curves, and turns, especially on the road from Phuket Old Town to Patong Beach. So, be sure to ride slowly while you are here.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Thailand?

Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Phuket, Thailand without having to switch out your physical SIM card.

Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you'll be good to go. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Phuket, Thailand:

There are 3 major carriers in Thailand: AIS, DTAC, and True, all of which offer a pretty similar range of traveler's packages as well as coverage. Personally, I use AIS as I have been with them since my first phone, and they have a lot of Support Centers around Thailand. The coverage hasn't failed me yet, so if you are looking for a reliable carrier, I can recommend AIS.

There are 3 packages for tourists: 5 GB for 5 days at 160 THB, 15 GB for 8 days at 299 THB, and 30 GB for 15 days. Depending on the length of your trip to Thailand, you can choose one of these 3 packages that best suits your itinerary.

With these three packages, you can top up more in case you need more data or calls for your trip. More often than not, 5GB is more than enough for me to travel around Thailand for a month.

For more information about Thailand's local SIM card: Thailand's Prepaid Data SIM Card.

Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

What to Pack for Phuket?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Phuket, Thailand:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Phuket, Thailand in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading for Southern Thailand

Looking for more information for your trip to Southern Thailand? Here are a collection of articles about Southern Thailand that you might find useful:

• Looking for a complete travel guide to Southeast Asia? You should check out our 3-Month Backpacking Itinerary for Southeast Asia.
• Looking for an itinerary for Thailand? Check out 10 Day Itinerary for Thailand.
• One of the best places to go snorkeling in Thailand is Koh Lipe, an island in the far south of Thailand. Here is The Ultimate Snorkeling Guide to Koh Lipe.
• Looking to change things up a little? How about we head down to the south of Thailand and explore one of my favorite places in Thailand? Here is How to Travel to Khao Sok National Park, Backpacking-style.
• The pearl of the Andaman Sea, Phuket, is an island full of history, cultures, and stunning beaches waiting for you to explore. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Phuket.
• There are over 30+ beaches in Phuket, and it can get quite overwhelming to find the perfect beach to stay at. Don't worry, I've got you covered. Here are the 8 Most Beautiful Beaches in Phuket.
• Visiting Phuket Old Town is the highlight of your Phuket trip. You can easily spend a day exploring the Old Town. Here are the 9 Best Things to Do in Phuket Old Town.
• Phang Nga is probably what Phuket was like before mass tourism ruined it. From quiet, empty beaches to wild, untouched waterfalls, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Phang Nga.
• If you are in Phang Nga, you should also drop by Takua Pa and its charming little old town. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Takua Pa.
• Khao Lak is the main tourist hub in Phang Nga, and it is a great place to be if you like adventure, island-hopping, and snorkeling. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Khao Lak.
• For a complete Krabi backpacking itinerary, check out: 3 to 5 Days Backpacking Krabi Itinerary.
• Whether you are an adventurer or a beach-goer, Krabi has it all. From island-hopping to rock climbing, here are the 13 Best Things to do in Krabi.
• Krabi is not just about beaches and islands. Krabi town offers a great alternative place to stay away from the tourist crowds. Here are the 8 Best Things to do in Krabi Town.
• Ko Lanta is a quiet, remote, and less trodden part of Krabi, making it a great place to visit for those who want to go off the beaten path. If you are planning to go there, here are the 8 Best Things to do in Ko Lanta.
• Nakhon Si Thammarat is the land of countless waterfalls that no one knows about. It is an off-the-beaten path place to visit in Southern Thailand that may surprise you. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
• You've heard about Hua Hin, but have you heard about Lemon Bay? There's so much more to the Prachuap Khiri Khan province than Hua Hin. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
• There is more to Chumphon than just Koh Tao. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Chumphon.
• Surat Thani is not just Ko Samui and Ko Phangan. There is so much more to do in this province than you might think. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Surat Thani.
• Have to spend a night in Surat Thani's Old Town and not sure what to do there? Check out: 8 Best Things to Do in Surat Thani's Old Town
• For the best things to do in Koh Samui, check out: 13 Best Things to Do in Koh Samui.
• If you are traveling to Thailand, it is important for you to know what you should and shouldn't do. Here are 10 tips for traveling in Thailand.
• Thai Street Foods are among the best in the world, and to help guide you through the street food cuisine of Thailand, be sure to check out the 15 Best Street Foods in Thailand to Try.
• Learning a bit of Thai phrases will go a long way for you when you visit Thailand. Here are 15 Thai Phrases You Should Know.
• Photos are worth a thousand words, but what is worth more than photos? A video. Here are travel videos I made for Thailand: Timeless Thailand, a journey into the North of Thailand, Long Tail Thailand, exploring the beautiful south of Thailand, and taking it slow with Slowed Down Bangkok travel video.
• Wondering where to go after Thailand? How about you continue on to Malaysia, Myanmar, or Indonesia?
• Want to explore other parts of Thailand? How about exploring Northern Thailand or Central Thailand?
• For all articles about Thailand, visit the Thailand Travel Guide page.
• Looking to travel to Southeast Asia? Check out all of my articles about Southeast Asia here: Southeast Asia Travel Guide page.
• You can see all of my Asia-related articles here: Asia Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.