Guides · Thailand
Getting around Phuket
How to move around Phuket on a 3-day walking trip: metro, tickets and the notes that matter.
Checked September 2026 against official sources
Phuket
Transit and walking
Follow the official link before you buy. Full walking days: Phuket itinerary.
Getting around
- The Phuket Smart Bus charges a flat THB 100 on the Airport–Patong–Rawai route and THB 50 between the Phuket Town bus terminal and Patong, with the Dragon Line free; children under 6 ride free with a paying adult. Fares are paid on board by contactless Visa, Mastercard or JCB, Apple Pay and Google Pay, by QR/PromptPay through Thai banking apps, or in cash with the exact fare preferred.Source: Phuket Smart Bus, fares and payment · checked Sep 2026
Questions
Quick answers
Which days should I plan around?
Maya Bay closes every year from August 1 to September 30 for the corals, and the Similan Islands from May 15 to October 15, 2026. The Sunday walking street on Thalang Road is Sundays only, from late afternoon. The elephant sanctuary runs morning and afternoon sessions daily and sells out in high season, November to February, so book it first. The southwest monsoon from May to October brings red flags on the west-coast beaches and cancelled boat days; November to April is the dry season.
How much do the tickets cost?
The Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Promthep Cape, the viewpoints and the beaches are free. The national-park fee for Phi Phi and Maya Bay is THB 400 for adults and THB 200 for children, paid in cash at the pier on top of a tour that costs roughly THB 1,500 to 3,500. The elephant sanctuary's half day is THB 3,000. The Thai Hua Museum and Baan Chinpracha charge small fees, around THB 150–200.
How much walking is this itinerary?
About 2 km on day one in the old town plus the 94 steps up to the Big Buddha; short beach walks and swims on day two; and a few kilometres on the forest trails and the canopy walkway at the sanctuary on day three. The heat and humidity are the limit; the old town is best before 11:00 and the beaches after 15:00.
The days these rules belong to
3 days in Phuket
Phuket is 50 km long with no real public transport beyond the airport bus, so the plan uses a hired driver, a taxi app or a scooter for day one, a booked speedboat tour for day two and the sanctuary's own transfer for day three. Day one runs north to south down the island's spine: the old town at breakfast, the temple and the Buddha in the late morning and afternoon, the cape for sunset. The Phi Phi boats leave Rassada pier around 8:30 and the national-park fee of THB 400 is paid in cash at the pier; Maya Bay closes every August and September for the corals. Big Buddha reopened in March 2026 after the 2024 landslide, and the temples and the Buddha ask for covered shoulders and knees.
