Things to Do in Phuket Town: A Local’s Guide to Hidden Gems & Must-See Spots

"What’s there to do in Phuket Town?"
A fair question.

You’ve seen the beaches, but what about the heart of Phuket?
This isn’t a place for your typical island escape—it’s a mix of history, culture, street food, and local life.

Phuket Town isn’t just about sightseeing. It’s about wandering, tasting, and stumbling upon something unexpected.

Let’s dive in.

🏛️ Strolling Through Phuket Old Town’s Sino-Portuguese Charm

Phuket Town’s architecture is a storybook of the past.
Thalang Road is where it all begins—Sino-Portuguese shop-houses painted in pastel shades, carved wooden doors, and colourful shutters.
It’s like stepping into another era.

🔹 Look up – intricate floral motifs and European-style balconies.
🔹 Look down – patterned tiles underfoot, telling their own quiet stories.
🔹 Look around – hidden alleyways leading to boutique cafés and art galleries.

For history buffs, the Phuket Thai Hua Museum explains it all—the Chinese migration, the tin mining boom, and the cultural fusion that shaped Phuket.

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Step inside Chinpracha House, a 100-year-old mansion with original Italian floor tiles and antique furniture.
It’s a peek into how Phuket’s wealthy families once lived.

🎨 Street Art & Murals: Phuket Town’s Creative Side

Not into museums? No problem.

Phuket Town’s walls speak.
Thalang, Dibuk, and Phang Nga Roads are alive with street art.
Some murals are playful, like the old woman flipping roti. Others are deep—portraits of Phuket’s miners and fishermen, frozen in time.

📍 Best spots for photos:

• Soi Romanee – a charming alley with pastel buildings and quirky artwork.
• Near Jui Tui Shrine – bold murals showcasing Thai-Chinese heritage.
• Behind Phuket Trickeye Museum – hidden gems waiting for discovery.

🛍️ Markets & Hidden Shopping Streets

Shopping here isn’t about malls. It’s about the thrill of the find.

Sunday Walking Street Market (Lard Yai Market)

Every Sunday, Thalang Road transforms into a bustling night market.
It’s a sea of sizzling street food, live performances, and local crafts.

🍜 Must-try street food:

• O-Tao – a crispy oyster pancake with taro and egg.
• Hokkien noodles – thick yellow noodles in a rich broth.
• Grilled squid with spicy dipping sauce – a classic Thai snack.

💡 Tip: Go early. It gets packed by 7 PM.

Naka Night Market

For a more local vibe, Naka Market (weekends only) is where you’ll find everything from second-hand clothes to deep-fried ice cream.

🍜 The Best Food in Phuket Town (Beyond the Tourist Traps)

Food in Phuket Town isn’t just delicious. It’s history on a plate.

📌 Go Benz Rice Porridge

A Michelin-recommended spot known for its pork belly rice porridge.
It’s open late, so perfect for a post-exploration meal.

📌 One Chun Cafe & Restaurant

Home-style southern Thai cuisine in a vintage setting.
The crab curry with rice noodles? Absolutely worth the hype.

📌 Blue Elephant Phuket

If you want a fancy take on traditional Royal Thai cuisine, this is it.
Housed in a colonial mansion, it’s as much about the experience as the food.

📌 Bebop Live Music Bar

For when you want cocktails + jazz in an intimate setting.

🏞️ The Best Viewpoints in Phuket Town

🌅 Khao Rang Hill Viewpoint

A panoramic view over Phuket Town, with the Andaman Sea in the distance.
Come for sunset. Stay for dinner at Tunk-Ka Café.

🐵 Monkey Hill (Khao To Sae)

Another great viewpoint—just watch out for the monkeys.
They’re cute, but they’ll steal your snacks.

🛕 Culture & Traditions: Phuket’s Spiritual Side

Jui Tui Shrine

An important Taoist shrine and the heart of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
Red lanterns, gold statues, and the lingering scent of incense make this a peaceful stop.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival (Sept/Oct)

Not for the faint-hearted.
Devotees walk across hot coals and pierce their cheeks with swords.
It’s intense, but it’s one of Thailand’s most significant cultural events.

🍳 Learn Something New: Thai Cooking Classes

Why just eat Thai food when you can learn to cook it?

There are plenty of cooking schools in Phuket Town, offering hands-on lessons.
Learn to make Tom Yum soup, Green Curry, and Mango Sticky Rice from local chefs.

Some top-rated options:

• Blue Elephant Cooking School – set in a historic mansion.
• Phuket Thai Cooking Academy – includes a market tour.

👀 Hidden Gems Most Tourists Miss

• The Memory at On On Hotel – Thailand’s oldest hotel, featured in The Beach.
• Tian Tian Dessert Café – unique local desserts. Try the pandan crepe.
• Soi Romanee at night – quiet, atmospheric, and perfect for a stroll.

🏚️ Unseen Corners of Old Phuket Town

The Sino-Portuguese architecture of Phuket Old Town is breathtaking, but beyond Thalang Road, there are alleys and streets many visitors miss.

📌 Dibuk Road

Quieter than Thalang, yet lined with beautifully restored shophouses.
Here, you’ll find:

• Old-style coffee shops serving traditional Thai kopi.
• Tiny antique stores with colonial-era relics.
• Baan Ar Jor Museum, a hidden historical house with stories from Phuket’s tin-mining days.

📌 Soi Romanee (After Dark)

By day, it’s a picturesque alley.
By night, it glows with lanterns and becomes a romantic walking street.
It’s also home to a few boutique guesthouses, perfect if you want to wake up in the heart of Phuket Town.

🍲 Late-Night Food Hunts: Where Locals Eat After Dark

Forget fancy restaurants.
The best food in Phuket Town is often served on plastic stools, under neon lights, long after sunset.

📌 Lock Tien Food Court

An old-school spot where generations of Phuketians have eaten.

• Mee Hokkien Phuket – stir-fried yellow noodles with seafood.
• Poh Pia Sod – fresh spring rolls drizzled with sweet sauce.
• Satay skewers – grilled over charcoal, with peanut sauce.

💡 Tip: This place closes early, so get there before 7 PM.

📌 Keng Tin Bakery

A Phuket institution for local pastries.
Try the Tao Sor – flaky mung bean-filled mooncakes, a snack from Phuket’s Peranakan heritage.

📌 Roti Chaofa

A simple street stall, famous for its crispy roti with banana and condensed milk.
A favourite late-night treat among locals.

🏝️ Day Trips from Phuket Town (Away from the Crowds)

Phuket isn’t just about Patong Beach and island-hopping tours.
There are hidden gems just outside Phuket Town, perfect for a half-day adventure.

🚤 Koh Siray: The Island Next Door

A small, quiet island connected by a bridge.
No tourists, just local life, fishing villages, and a few hidden beaches.

Must-see spots:

• Wat Koh Siray – a golden hilltop temple with views over Phuket.
• Laem Tukkae Beach – deserted, peaceful, and full of hermit crabs.
• The floating market – tiny, but great for fresh seafood.

🌿 Bang Pae Waterfall & Gibbon Rehabilitation Project

A refreshing escape into Phuket’s green heart.
Hike up to Bang Pae Waterfall, then visit the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, where rescued gibbons are prepared for release into the wild.

🐢 Ao Yon Beach: Phuket’s Best-Kept Secret

Just 15 minutes from Phuket Town, but a world away from the crowds.
It’s calm, quiet, and lined with coconut trees.

⛩️ Exploring the Spiritual Side of Phuket Town

Phuket Town isn’t just about food and architecture.
It has deep spiritual roots, blending Thai, Chinese, and Peranakan traditions.

📌 Sang Tham Shrine

Tucked behind Phuket’s old shophouses, this shrine is one of the oldest Taoist temples in town.
The scent of burning incense, the red and gold interior—it’s a peaceful retreat from the busy streets.

📌 Wat Khao Rang

A temple that sits on a hill, home to a giant golden Buddha.
It’s never crowded, making it a serene spot for quiet reflection.

🕰️ Time Travel in Phuket: Vintage Cafés & Colonial Vibes

There’s a special kind of nostalgia in Phuket Town.
Old meets new, history meets modern café culture.

📌 The Old Phuket Coffee House

Hidden in a historic Sino-Portuguese building, this café serves Phuket-style iced coffee and classic Thai sweets.
Try the Coconut Pudding Cakes—small, sweet, and addictive.

📌 Tantitium

A quirky café-bar-spa hybrid, set in a colonial-era house.
Come for the Thai milk tea, stay for the art-filled interior.

📌 Campus Coffee Roasters

A modern twist on Phuket’s coffee culture.
They roast their own beans and serve some of the best espresso in town.

🎭 Festivals & Events You Shouldn’t Miss

If you time your trip right, Phuket Town has some incredible festivals.

📌 Phuket Vegetarian Festival (September/October)

One of Thailand’s most intense religious festivals.
Think firewalking, street parades, and ritual piercings—an unforgettable experience.

📌 Baba Wedding Festival

A celebration of Phuket’s Peranakan culture, where couples dress in elaborate Baba-Nyonya wedding costumes.

📌 Chinese New Year in Phuket Town

The streets fill with dragon dances, fireworks, and feasts.
The best place to experience it? Jui Tui Shrine and Thalang Road.

📜 Hidden Stories: Phuket Town’s Forgotten History

There are stories in Phuket that rarely get told.

📌 The Memory at On On Hotel

Thailand’s oldest hotel, built in 1927.
It’s famous for its role in The Beach, but its real story lies in its colonial past.

📌 The Secret Air-Raid Bunkers of Phuket Town

During World War II, Phuket was occupied by Japanese forces.
Few know that underground bunkers still exist, hidden beneath certain buildings in the Old Town.

📝 One More Thing…

If you made it this far, you now know that things to do in Phuket Town go far beyond what’s on the surface.
Wander a little further, explore a little deeper—you’ll find a side of Phuket most people never see.