Phuket itinerary: 3, 4 or 5 days

How many days you need

A good Phuket itinerary takes three to four days: two boat days, one island day and the evenings in Patong, with a fifth day for the Similans in season.

Patong is about 40 km from the airport, about an hour by car, Google Maps showed on 2 Nov 2026, and longer from 4pm to 7pm, so plan arrival day light.

A 3 day Phuket itinerary covers one boat day and the island sights; four days covers both boat days.

For a group trip, four days in Phuket and three in Bangkok is the classic week.

Ask Tanner how many days suit your group.

The plan at a glance

The plan runs from the beach and the boats to the island sights and Patong after dark.

Cut day 5 for four days, and day 4 too for three.

Every evening ends with a car back, not a taxi queue.

Ask Tanner to fit the days around your flights.

When to go

December to March is Phuket's core dry season, with November and April good edge months. That's when both boat days run on calm water.

May to October brings the southwest monsoon and red flags on Patong, Kata, Karon and Kamala. Phang Nga Bay stays sheltered, so its boat trips are the least likely to be cancelled.

Coming in the wet months? Put Phang Nga Bay first and keep Phi Phi for the calmest day. Ask Tanner to watch the sea for your dates.

Day 1: Patong and Bangla Road

Land, hit the beach for the afternoon, then Bangla Road after dark.

Licensed clubs in Patong, as anywhere in Phuket province, can stay open until 4am under Ministerial Regulation No. 3, the Government Public Relations Department confirms (checked November 2026), and Illuzion is where the group ends the night: number 9 in DJ Mag's Top 100 Clubs 2026, with room for 5,000 on Bangla Road.

Our host meets the group and walks them straight in. Illuzion asks for VIP table requests at least 24 hours ahead, so book the table before you fly.

See Bangla Road and Illuzion.

Ask Tanner to get your group into Illuzion.

Day 2: Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island

The calmer boat day: limestone islands, sea caves and James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay.

The park fee is ฿300 for foreign adults, in cash (checked October 2026), and some tours include it. The ride is smoother on a catamaran than on a longtail.

Boats can't go right up to the famous needle rock, Ko Tapu. You land on Khao Phing Kan beside it, so a private boat that gets there before the tour crowds gets you the photo to yourselves.

See Phang Nga Bay and Phuket yachts.

Day 3: Big Buddha, Old Town and Promthep Cape

Day 3 is the island day: the Big Buddha in the morning, the Old Town after lunch, and sunset at Promthep Cape.

The Big Buddha, 45 metres of white marble on Nakkerd Hill above Chalong, is free and open from 9am to 6pm (checked October 2026). Cover shoulders and knees; free sarongs are handed out at the gate.

On a Sunday, stay in the Old Town for the Lard Yai Walking Street on Thalang Road, 4pm to 10pm. Get there by 5, before the crowd thickens.

Finish at Promthep Cape, on the southern tip, for sunset. See things to do in Phuket.

Ask Tanner to keep the car with you all day, so the island day runs on your clock.

Day 4: Phi Phi and Maya Bay

The famous boat day: Phi Phi and Maya Bay.

Maya Bay reopened on 1 October 2026 with an hourly visitor cap; you wade in, but you can't swim. It closes from 1 August to 30 September under the park closure notice in the Royal Gazette (9 January 2026).

Leave early to reach Maya Bay before the tour boats.

See the Phi Phi island tour.

Ask Tanner to have your boat out of the pier before the big ferries.

Day 5: the Similan Islands

Day 5, in season, is the Similan Islands, with the clearest water and the best snorkelling near Phuket.

The park is open from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, the Government Public Relations Department says, and daily visitor numbers are limited, so peak weeks fill early.

It's a long day: a road transfer to Khao Lak, then a speedboat to the islands.

Outside the season, make day 5 a pool day at the villa. See day trips from Phuket.

Ask Tanner whether the Similans fit your dates.

Getting to Phi Phi

Phi Phi, often spelt Pee Pee, is a ferry or speedboat ride from Phuket.

Big ferries take about two hours to Tonsai and speedboats about an hour, nearly all from Rassada Pier. Be at the pier 30 to 45 minutes early.

Boats also run from Krabi, about two hours away.

For a group, a private boat leaves when you're ready and stops where you like.

Ask Tanner for a private boat across.

Ten you shouldn't miss

Here are the ten I'd never skip.

• Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island
• Phi Phi and Maya Bay
• The Big Buddha
• Phuket Old Town and the Sunday market
• Sunset at Promthep Cape
• A beach day at Kata or Nai Harn
• A west-coast beach club
• The Similan Islands, October to May
• Bangla Road
• A VIP section at Illuzion

Pick six for four days. See things to do in Phuket.

Ask Tanner which six suit your group.

Phuket or Chiang Mai?

Phuket is better for beaches, boats and big nightlife; Chiang Mai is better for temples, mountains and a cooler, cheaper base.

Chiang Mai's cool season, November to February, is its best weather, the same months as Phuket's dry season.

Many groups do both: Chiang Mai for three days, then a short flight south to Phuket.

See things to do in Chiang Mai.

Short on time? Phuket first; Chiang Mai can wait for the next trip.

Where to base the group

Base the group in a pool villa on the hill at Kalim, just north of Patong, so Bangla Road is a short hop every evening.

Kamala, further up the west coast, puts you next door to Café del Mar and the beach clubs.

The airport road is slowest from 4pm to 7pm, so land earlier and you're in the pool by sunset.

Ask Tanner for a villa near Patong.

What the boat days really cost

For 12 of you, take a private yacht for the bay day: a motor yacht for four hours, with a DJ and an open bar on deck. The price depends on the boat, and Tanner quotes to your plan, the same as for a full Phi Phi day.

Landing at Maya Bay costs foreign adults ฿400 (children ฿200) in park fees, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Department of National Parks say, plus a ฿20 island fee at Tonsai.

Both park fees are cash only, so carry baht on the boat days.

Ask Tanner to price both boat days together.

Phuket itinerary in short

• Four days is ideal; three drops a boat day, and five adds the Similans.

• Day 1 is Patong Beach, then Bangla Road and Illuzion.
• Day 2 is Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island by boat.
• Day 3 is the Big Buddha, the Old Town and sunset at Promthep Cape.
• Day 4 is Phi Phi and Maya Bay, closed from 1 August to 30 September.
• The season is November to April; the Similans open mid-October to mid-May.

Checked October 2026.

Plan your Phuket days

Pick your days: two boat days, an island day and the evenings in Patong.

Then add the villa, the boats and the club, with a car waiting after every evening.

Ask Tanner, and he books the boats, the villa and the club around your dates.