🇹🇭 Phuket, Thailand — Cruise Port Guide
Thailand's largest island — limestone karsts rising from turquoise water, a UNESCO-recognized Old Town of Sino-Portuguese shophouses, and beach clubs from sunrise to sunset.
Updated September 2026
Quick facts
Getting ashore
When to visit Phuket
Best Nov-Apr for the dry season, which is also when ships tender to Patong; May-Oct monsoon season brings rough seas and possible tender disruptions.
Getting back to the ship on time
Tender service to/from Patong can be suspended in rough swell, so stay near the tender pier and return early since the ship will not wait for stranded tender passengers.
All-aboard is ship's time — check it in the daily programme, and set your watch to it.
Things to do in Phuket
Phi Phi Islands speedboat tour
Snorkel and beach-hop the islands made famous by 'The Beach.'
Phuket Old Town walk
Sino-Portuguese shophouses turned cafés and galleries.
Big Buddha hilltop
A 45m marble statue with panoramic island views.
Patong Beach
Phuket's liveliest beach, lined with bars and vendors.
Wat Chalong temple
Phuket's most important Buddhist temple complex.
Chillva night market
Local food trucks and live music in a hip open-air market.
Popular excursions
Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island
Karst towers, sea caves and canoe floats through the emerald bay.
Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Visit
Feed and mud-bathe rescued elephants — no riding, all care.
What to eat
- Pad Thai
- Tom yum goong
- Massaman curry
- Moo hong (Phuket braised pork)
- Mango sticky rice
Weather by month
Best time to visit: Dec–Mar (dry season)
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89° | 75° | 1.3" |
| Feb | 91° | 76° | 1.1" |
| Mar | 92° | 77° | 2.2" |
| Apr | 92° | 78° | 5.4" |
| May | 90° | 77° | 10.3" |
| Jun | 89° | 77° | 9.2" |
| Jul | 88° | 76° | 10.2" |
| Aug | 88° | 76° | 10.6" |
| Sep | 87° | 75° | 14.7" |
| Oct | 87° | 75° | 12.3" |
| Nov | 87° | 75° | 6.8" |
| Dec | 88° | 75° | 2.4" |
Local phrases
A little history
Phuket Old Town's Sino-Portuguese shophouses reflect a 19th-century tin-mining boom that drew Chinese and European traders.
The Phi Phi Islands, a boat trip from Phuket, were made famous worldwide by the film 'The Beach.'
Phuket hosts an annual Vegetarian Festival with dramatic street processions, rooted in 19th-century Chinese immigrant traditions.
Big Buddha, a 45-metre white marble statue on a hilltop, is visible from much of the island's south.