The Old Town is our favorite part of Phuket: a beautiful historic quarter boasting colorful Sino-Portuguese architecture and surrounded by bustling local streets. Kat used to talk about how people come from all over Thailand just to eat in the Old Town and Cam never believed this until he visited for himself. Once you start wandering down the little “sois” and backstreets outside of Thalang Road, a new world of cuisine opens up.

Phuket was the first city in Southeast Asia to be designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and this is largely due to the vibrant food scene of the Old Town. You can find it all here - Hokkien and Peranakan cuisine, Southern Thai, and more Westernised food on the main drags. That’s one of the reasons we prefer staying here rather than at a resort - mixing with the locals and eating their food beats a beach any day of the week. If we are craving a bit of sand, we just hop on our scooter and ride 40 minutes or so to Bang Tao Beach, Freedom Beach or Banana Beach.

Many travelers only come to the Old Town for the Sunday Walking Street Market (Lard Yai) but that’s a mistake in our opinion. Ideally, you should stay for a few nights or at a minimum visit for a whole day. That way, you can explore hidden gems that go well beyond food. The Old Town is home to museums, street art, funky bars and speakeasies, quaint shophouses and cafes, and amazing temples and shrines. Check out our list below of the best things to do in Phuket Old Town to get inspiration for your trip.

Phuket Old Town - Sino Portuguese Architecture — *Sino-Portuguese architecture*

Phuket Old Town - Street Murals — *Street art*

Phuket Old Town - Bustling Markets — *Lard Yai Sunday Night Market*

10 Best Things To Do in Phuket Old Town

1. Explore Thalang Road & Soi Romanee

The most famous street in the Old Town, Thalang Road, is known for its Sino-Portuguese shophouses - painted in different pastels of pink, yellow and blue. There are no power cables overhead which makes it clean, visually appealing and perfect for photography. While Thalang Road is nice to explore early in the morning, without the crowds, we prefer going when there’s more of an atmosphere (and all the shops are actually open). Be sure to swing by Soi Romanee as well - a little alleyway with colorful lanterns, flower decorations and the always popular Torry’s Ice Cream.

Phuket Old Town - Soi Romanee Off Thalang Road — *Soi Romanee*

Phuket Old Town - Things To Do — *Soi Romanee*

Phuket Old Town - Soi Romanee at Night — *Soi Romanee*

2. Hunt for Street Art Down Hidden Alleys

Much of the street art can be found down Phang Nga Road and Krabi Road, running parallel to Thalang Road, but there’s plenty more alleys and corners that hide colorful murals. You’ll see murals of former Thai kings, grandmas selling Hokkien snacks out of windows, and kids tucking into bowls of noodles. The artwork is often painted on the sides of old buildings, and over cracked walls, which blends superbly with the shophouses.

Phuket Old Town - Street Art — *Street art*

Phuket Old Town - Street Art of Thai King — *Street art*

3. Visit Museum Phuket, the Iconic Yellow Building

Museum Phuket sits inside one of the most iconic buildings of the Old Town: the yellow one with a clock tower next to an intersection. You can pay a visit to the museum and learn about Phuket’s history - from its tin mining days to its evolution into a beach destination - or just admire the architecture from the street. Kat, for one, enjoyed walking on the crossings (like a catwalk) while Cam took photos - a cheesy but fun thing to do.

Phuket Old Town - Travel Guide — *Museum Phuket*

Phuket Old Town - Museum — *Museum Phuket*

Phuket Old Town - Clock Tower — *Clock tower*

4. Tour the Memory at On On Hotel

The Memory at On On Hotel made a brief appearance in Leo DiCaprio’s movie The Beach and even if you’re not staying overnight here, it still makes for a wonderful little tour. The building is designed with that classic Sino-Portuguese architecture but instead of pink, yellow or blue pastels, it’s painted in a light beige color. Its interiors are even more stunning than its exteriors: featuring a historic lobby, courtyard and vintage decor. When we say “tour”, we don’t mean paying for a guided experience. Rather, you can visit the ground floor for free and perhaps have a coffee at the on-site cafe.

5. Experience Local Culture at Temples & Shrines

Wat Mongol Nimit is situated at the end of Soi Romanee, and features gleaming red and gold details. It’s free to enter, and offers a peaceful atmosphere to immerse in the culture and spiritual life of Thais. Another place to escape the busy streets is the Shrine of the Serene Light (San Chao Saengtham). This is a hidden gem with little to no crowds, just amazing Chinese architecture, stone dragons and red lanterns.

Phuket Old Town - Chinese Temples — *Chinese temples*

6. Check Out the Sunday Walking Street Market

If you can time your visit for a Sunday, do it because the Walking Street Market (Lard Yai) is fantastic. It opens from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and has so much going on: street food, pop-up clothes stalls, performances and more. Admittedly, the crowds can get massive and somewhat overwhelming but the vibe is awesome. Our favorite memory of this market is when we saw a singer/guitar player rock out to classics from Queen and Pink Floyd. Kids danced, local Thais and tourists sang together, and everyone had a ball.

Phuket Old Town - Lard Yai Sunday Night Market — *Lard Yai Sunday Night Market*

Phuket Old Town - Sunday Walking Street Market — *Lard Yai Sunday Night Market*

7. Try the Local Thai Food of the Old Town

As mentioned before, the cuisine in the Old Town is very diverse but one thing you’ll find in abundance is Thai food. Every time we visit, Kat manages to stumble upon some really authentic spots - from streetside stalls, to neighborhood eateries, to simple holes in the walls. These places often have queues of Thai people waiting in line, a sure sign that you know the food is good. Here are our top recommendations for local food:

Wanlamun Phuket: A Thai dessert joint that serves dishes such as Bua Loi (colorful balls of rice flour drenched in coconut milk) and Kluay Khai Cheum (sweet banana with coconut milk). Keep in mind that the sweets here are tailored for local tastebuds, not tourists.
Roti Chaofa Phuket: Kat took Cam here for beef Massaman curry and it was sensational, especially combined with the roti. The restaurant is very simple, however the food is hearty and delicious.
Tu Kab Khao Phuket: We’ve visited Tub Kab Khao a few times now, with friends and as a couple, and it’s always great. It’s a more refined dining experience (set in a Sino-Portuguese building) but the food is still phenomenal, from the pork belly stew to the spicy crab meat.
Go Benz Rice Porridge Phuket: Go Benz is known for something called Khao Tom Haeng, which is dry rice porridge served with pork belly and a pepper broth to the side - and it’s as tasty as it sounds.

8. Hit Up the Cool Cafes, Bars & Shops

Whether it’s down Thalang Road or a back alley somewhere, the Old Town is home to a neverending supply of cute cafes, eclectic bars and boutique shops. One such example is Bookhemian, where you can sit down for a coffee and a quiet read, and another is The Fool Speakeasy which has a unique cocktail ordering system: you draw a tarot card to determine your drink. Just follow your nose and see where the “soi” takes you.

Phuket Old Town - Bars at Night — *Bars*

9. Step Back in Time at Chinpracha House

If you’re wondering why there’s so much Sino-Portuguese architecture around town, it’s due to Phuket’s connection with Portuguese merchants and wealthy Chinese migrants who came centuries ago. Famously, Phuket was never colonized and Thailand in general has a proud history of independence. One of the best places to experience this history is at Chinpracha House, regarded as the first Sino-Portuguese mansion in Phuket. You can take a tour of the ground floor for 150 THB, and explore the antique European furnishings and courtyard designed in a Chinese style.

10. Taste Peranakan Cuisine & Hokkien Noodles

The term “Peranakan” may be unfamiliar to some but it basically comes from the mixture of two different cultures: Chinese immigrants who moved to Phuket and Southern Thai locals who together created a new type of cuisine. To get a sampling of this food in the Old Town, head to Mee Ton Poe to try Hokkien noodles - fried in a wok and served with seafood.

How to Get to Phuket Old Town

For those flying into Phuket, getting from the airport to Phuket Old Town is fastest by taxi or Grab - taking roughly 45 minutes depending on the traffic. Although, the cheapest option is jumping on the Phuket Airport Bus (orange) which runs every hour. If you’re already based in Patong, Kata or Karon, you can choose a slightly different method: riding the songthaew bus (blue) that leaves every 30 minutes or so and costs pocket change.

Phuket Old Town - Roundabout — *Phuket Old Town*

When to Visit Phuket Old Town

Early morning is ideal for photography - you’ll have the street art and Sino-Portuguese architecture pretty much all to yourself, without tour groups getting in the way. That being said, the late afternoon is better for activities such as eating, drinking and shopping, as it can be very quiet in the mornings. Remember that the wet season doesn’t automatically ruin the experience here - the Old Town isn’t a beach destination after all and as long as you bring an umbrella, you can still have a wonderful time.

Phuket Old Town - How to Avoid the Crowds — *Crowds at Soi Romanee*

Where to Stay in Phuket Old Town

We usually stay at The Royal P which is a nice enough mid-range hotel, but we love it more for the location. It takes just 25 minutes to walk to Thalang Road, and on the way a world of local restaurants and Chinese temples can be found. That’s why it’s a good idea to stay on the outskirts sometimes, otherwise you miss out on those hidden corners and parts unknown.

Budget:Aekkeko Hostel
Mid-Range:Casa Blanca Boutique Hotel
Luxury:Hotel Verdigris

Final Thoughts on Phuket Old Town

Not many places in Thailand boast such a well preserved historic district, part of what makes Phuket Old Town unique. The only disadvantage of staying here is that it’s far from the boat piers of Khao Lak. We’ve taken speedboat tours out to the Similan and Surin Islands, and the van ride to the pier is draining (to say the least). If you do want to visit these islands, what you could do is spend half your nights in the Old Town and then half at a beach resort further north, like at Bang Tao Beach.

Phuket Old Town: 10 Best Things To Do, See & Eat