Phuket Full-Day City Tour with Old Town & Chillva Night Market

Karon Viewpoint and Nakkerd Hill Sea Views

Karon Viewpoint, on the coast road between Kata and Nai Harn, is the classic first photo of any Phuket sightseeing tour. From the terrace you look north along a chain of curving bays, Kata Noi, Kata and Karon, with turquoise water, white sand and green headlands, and on clear days small islands on the horizon. The view is best in the late morning light, which is when this tour stops.

A short drive inland, the road climbs Nakkerd Hill, the ridge where the Big Buddha stands. Here a sea-view terrace looks over Chalong Bay, its anchored boats and the islands to the south, with the east coast of Phuket stretching away. Each stop lasts about 15 minutes, just enough for photos and a breath of fresh hill air.

Big Buddha Phuket

The Big Buddha is Phuket's best-known landmark: a seated figure 45 metres tall, covered in white Burmese marble that gleams against the sky from almost anywhere in the south of the island. Work began in 2004, funded largely by donations, and the site is still being completed around the main statue. Bells hang along the walkways, and visitors write wishes on small marble tiles that become part of the structure.

From the platform you get a 360-degree panorama over Chalong, Kata and Karon. Is Big Buddha Phuket worth visiting? Yes, for the views alone. It is an active religious site, so cover shoulders and knees; sarongs are available at the entrance. The road up is steep and winding, which makes a guided Big Buddha Phuket tour with transport the easiest way to visit.

Wat Chalong

Wat Chalong, formally Wat Chaiyathararam, is the largest and most important of Phuket's Buddhist temples. Its tall grand chedi, rebuilt in the early 2000s, is said to hold a relic of the Buddha, and inside its three floors are rich murals depicting the life of the Buddha, gilded statues and display cases of offerings. From the upper floor you look over the temple grounds and the surrounding hills.

The complex also includes ornate ordination halls and a small brick kiln where worshippers set off strings of firecrackers to give thanks when a wish comes true, so do not be surprised by sudden bangs. Allow about 45 minutes. As at all temples, dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered and remove your shoes before entering the halls.

Cashew Nut Factory

Cashew trees thrive in southern Thailand, and Phuket and its neighbouring provinces are famous for their nuts. At the cashew nut factory you see how the hard shells are cracked by hand or machine, how the kernels are dried, peeled and roasted, and why the process is so labour-intensive.

Then comes the tasting: plain, salted, honey-roasted, chilli and other local flavours, alongside dried fruit and Thai snacks. Some stalls also offer the juice of the cashew apple, the soft fruit that grows above the nut. Buying is optional, but the shop is a good place for gifts to take back, and vacuum-packed bags travel well in a suitcase. The visit lasts about 20 minutes.

Phuket Old Town and Rang Hill

Phuket Old Town grew rich during the tin-mining boom of the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Hokkien Chinese merchants built the pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses that line Thalang Road, Dibuk Road and the tiny lane of Soi Romanee. Look for arched five-foot walkways, carved wooden shutters, ornate Chinese shrines and Peranakan mansions, along with cafes, galleries and shops selling local crafts.

You have about an hour of free time here, enough for photos, a strong local coffee or traditional Peranakan sweets. The guide then drives you up Rang Hill, a green hill on the edge of Phuket Town, for a wide view over the rooftops to the sea. It is the best place to see how the old town fits between hills and harbour.

Chillva Night Market

Chillva Market is Phuket Town's favourite night market, set among colourful shipping containers and open-air stalls that come alive after dark. It draws locals as well as visitors, which keeps prices fair and food authentic. Wander between clothes, handmade jewellery, phone cases, art prints and quirky souvenirs, then follow the smells to the food lanes.

Try Phuket's yellow Hokkien noodles, grilled squid and satay, fried seafood, coconut ice cream, mango sticky rice and fresh fruit shakes. You have about an hour to explore before our van takes you back to your hotel. Food and shopping are at your own expense, and a little cash in small notes makes ordering easy.