Phuket Walking Tours: Old Town on Foot
What to expect
Phuket Town’s Old Town is the island’s best place to walk. Most walking here is self-guided, and a booking site is the place to compare guided options. A self-guided circuit costs nothing and takes a few hours at an easy pace. Outside the Old Town the pavements are poor, so most of the island is not a walking destination. Carry water, because tap water is not drinkable and the heat builds by late morning.
A self-guided Old Town circuit
Start on Thalang Road and wander through the shophouses. Turn into Soi Romanee, the lane that was once the red-light and gambling quarter in the tin-boom years. Torry’s Ice Cream there is reported to open daily from about 10:00 to 18:00, but check the hours. From there link Dibuk Road, Krabi Road and Phang Nga Road, which hold most of the stops the Michelin Guide lists in its Old Town article :
- Saeng Tham Shrine, a free shrine on Phang Nga Road
- Jui Tui Shrine and the neighbouring Kuan Im Teng
- Wat Mongkhon Nimit on Dibuk Road
- South Wind Books and Rasada Handmade, two small shops
- The Phuket Thai Hua Museum, in a Sino-Portuguese building of 1934
The shrines are working places of worship, so dress modestly and keep your voice low inside.
Lard Yai Sunday walking street
On Sundays Thalang Road becomes a walking street, free to enter, from about 16:00 to 22:00. Crowds peak after 18:00. One 2026 guide says it stretches onto Phang Nga Road. Come at about 16:00 for the quieter hour. Most Old Town shops close early on other days, so a Sunday gives the liveliest walk.
Breakfast on foot
Phuket dim sum is a morning habit. Boonrat Dim Sum at 26/41 Bangkok Road is reported to open from about 05:30 to 10:30 and to serve more than 50 items, according to Time Out . It has branches on Dilok Uthit 2 Road and Chaofa Road. Check opening hours, as they vary by source.
A forest walk
Bang Pae waterfall in Khao Phra Thaeo is a short level walk of 10 to 15 minutes, and entry costs about 200 THB for adults and 100 THB for children. See Thai Holiday Guide . A cross-forest route links Bang Pae with Ton Sai waterfall. It is about 7 to 8 km one way and hilly, so carry plenty of water and start early.
Getting to the start
The free Dragon Line shuttle of the Phuket Smart Bus links Central Festival, the Old Town and OTOP, and the Smart Bus timetable lists its stops. Blue songthaews run from the Ranong Road market for about 30 to 50 THB, but they have no strict timetable. Agree a taxi or tuk-tuk fare before you set off.
Read more: sightseeing in Phuket and solo activities .
For a guided option, search Phuket walking tours on GetYourGuide .