Phuket Old Town

Private guided tour

Our Phuket old town half day tour will introduce you to areas of Phuket that you wouldn’t normally seen. It’s a cultural and historical tour for those who want to see something different from the beach and learn a little about Phuket’s history.

You could hire a car or bike and explore yourself, that would save you money but you wouldn’t really know what you were looking at. A guide will bring the history to life.

This is a private tour with your own air conditioned minibus. It can be combined with other activities in Phuket to make a full day out.

About Phuket Town

Just a few years ago Phuket town (actually Phuket city but commonly still referred to as Town) was just the municipal centre of Phuket with nothing much to see, just some very cheap backpacker accommodation. Recently the old town has received a face lift and the whole area has gained a new lease of life.

The regeneration started in Thalang road where the traditional Sino-Portuguese style shop houses are home to ethnic Chinese traders, it’s similar in style to Georgetown in Penang. Bit by bit other nearby streets are getting gentrified. Soi Romnee is beautifully photogenic, Dibuk road has lots of nice cafes and restaurants, Phuket’s oldest hotel, the On On hotel has been completely restored to it’s former glory on Phang Nga road.

The town now mixes the traditional with a vibrant youth character. It’s the home of Phuket’s first settlers, Chinese migrants who came to mine tin and made the island rich. They build the town and many of Phuket’s most important temples and shrines are hidden down small sois (lanes). It’s also a hangout for trendy artist and musician types who like to drive restored VW campers, or Lambrettas, or sip lattes in trendy cafes with vintage bicycles hanging on the walls.

Ideally you would stay in town for a couple of days to soak up the ambiance (it’s great for a weekend mini break). You can spend lazy days walking the streets and find a cool bar in the evening. The weekend walking street on Thalang road is also great on a Sunday evening. Unfortunately though there is no beach at Phuket town so most people stay at a beach resort and settle for a half day exploration of town.