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A 7-day Phuket itinerary fits 2 big boat trips (Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi), a day in Old Town, a proper do-nothing beach day and a sunset at Promthep Cape, as long as you sleep in one west-coast base and never stack boat days back to back.
Two 10-hour tours in a row, in tropical sun, turns a holiday into a bootcamp. This route spaces them out for the November to April dry season, when the Andaman Sea is calm.
| Day | Base | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kata or Karon | Land, airport transfer, swim, early night |
| 2 | Kata or Karon | Big Buddha, Phuket Old Town, Sunday market if timing works |
| 3 | Kata or Karon | Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island, sea-cave kayaking |
| 4 | Kata or Karon | Rest day: beach, massage, nothing scheduled |
| 5 | Kata or Karon | Phi Phi day trip by ferry or speedboat |
| 6 | Kata or Karon | Nai Harn beach, Rawai seafood, Promthep Cape sunset |
| 7 | Departure | Slow breakfast, last swim, fly out |
Still deciding on trip length? See how many days you really need in Phuket first.
Days 1–2: Land, Swim, Then Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town
Jetstar flies Phuket direct from Perth in roughly 6.5 hours, and from Melbourne and Sydney in around 8.5 hours, so most Aussies arrive tired. Don’t plan anything on day 1 beyond the transfer and a swim.
The airport sits at the island’s northern tip, and the run south to Kata or Karon takes 55–65 minutes, with a taxi costing AUD 38–50 · USD 27–36 (THB 900–1,200). Patong is closer at 40–60 minutes for AUD 33–42 · USD 24–30 (THB 800–1,000). Our Phuket airport transfer guide covers the taxi counter, Grab and pre-booked options in detail.
Day 2 is your culture day. Hit the Big Buddha in the morning before the heat builds. Entry is free, but shoulders and knees must be covered (sarongs are lent at the gate).
Then drive to Phuket Old Town for lunch, the Sino-Portuguese shopfronts of Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, and coffee in a restored shophouse. If it is a Sunday, stay for the Lard Yai Walking Street market on Thalang Road, roughly 4pm to 9–10pm.
Day 3: Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island
Tours pick up between 7am and 8:30am and return by 5–6pm, a full 8–10 hour day. You get only 20–30 minutes on James Bond Island itself; the real reward is the ride through the limestone karsts, kayaking into sea caves, and lunch at the Koh Panyee stilt village.
Prices run AUD 59–105 · USD 42–75 (THB 1,400–2,500) depending on whether you go by longtail, big boat or speedboat. The national park fee is AUD 13–17 · USD 9–12 (THB 300–400) per adult; sources disagree on the exact figure, so ask your operator whether it is included or paid in cash at the park.
Phuket 101’s James Bond Island breakdown is a useful cross-check on what each boat type includes.
Pick the big boat with kayaks if you have kids or anyone prone to seasickness. Speedboats are faster but bounce hard.
Day 4: The Rest Day Most Itineraries Leave Out
Book nothing. Swim at Kata, get a beachfront massage and eat somewhere you can walk to. This is also your weather buffer: if day 3’s tour is cancelled for rough seas, shift it here and rest on day 6 instead.
Day 5: Phi Phi Day Trip by Ferry or Speedboat
Speedboat tours cost AUD 75–117 · USD 54–84 (THB 1,800–2,800) return and bundle snorkelling stops, Pileh Lagoon and a guide. The public ferry from Rassada Pier costs AUD 17–21 · USD 12–15 (THB 400–500) each way, leaves around 8:30am and 1:30pm, and takes 1.5–2 hours to Tonsai Pier, so it suits people who want Phi Phi Don’s viewpoint and beaches on their own schedule.
Maya Bay charges its own AUD 17 · USD 12 (THB 400) entry, and swimming is not allowed, only wading. It also closes every year from 1 August to 30 September, as The Nation reported for 2026, which does not affect a November to April trip.
My honest take: take the speedboat tour if you only get one day. The ferry leaves you very little time on the island once you subtract the crossing.
Days 6–7: Nai Harn, Rawai and the Promthep Cape Sunset
Day 6 is a gentle south-coast loop: swim at Nai Harn, calmer than Patong, then a late seafood lunch at Rawai, where you pick your catch and have it cooked next door. Finish at Promthep Cape, the island’s southernmost point. Entry is free and open around the clock; sunset lands around 6pm to 6:30pm, so get there 30 minutes early for a spot on the headland.
Day 7 is logistics: a slow breakfast, a last swim, and at least an hour for the drive north to the airport.
What to Cut If You Only Have 5 Days
Drop Day 6 first, then merge Old Town into the afternoon of Day 1 if you land early. Keep the rest day; losing it is a false economy. If you need a tighter plan built from scratch, our 5-day Phuket itinerary rearranges these same highlights for a shorter trip.
Christmas in Phuket: Why the Andaman High Season Suits Aussies
Phuket’s high season runs November to April, when the southwest monsoon has passed, seas calm down and boat tours run reliably. That lines up neatly with Australian summer school holidays, which is why Christmas and New Year are the island’s busiest and dearest weeks.
Book accommodation and the Phang Nga tour early if you are travelling over the break, and expect higher room rates than in November or late January. From May to October, the green season brings rain and rough seas that can cancel ferries.
Packing tips for this 7-day Phuket route
Reef-safe sunscreen is worth packing specifically for this itinerary, not just general sun sense. Thailand’s national park authorities have banned sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and butylparaben inside marine national parks, which covers the Phang Nga Bay stop on Day 3 and Maya Bay if a Phi Phi day includes it on Day 5.
Checking the label before you fly is easier than hunting for a compliant brand once you are on the boat.
For the Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town on Day 2, dress with shoulders and knees covered before you leave the hotel, rather than relying on a borrowed cover-up once you arrive.
A light, packable rain layer earns a spot in the bag even in the November to April dry season recommended for this itinerary, since a passing shower on a boat day is common enough to plan for, especially on the open-water crossing to Phi Phi.
Reef shoes are worth adding for the sea-cave kayaking on Day 3 and for wading at Nai Harn and Rawai on Days 6 and 7, where the seabed is rockier than Kata or Karon’s main beach.
Finally, pack a dry bag or a simple zip-lock for your phone on both boat days. Spray off the James Bond Island longtail boats and the Phi Phi speedboat crossing is enough to catch a phone left loose in a day bag, and the same dry bag is worth keeping handy for the sea-cave kayaking stop, where paddles routinely splash into the boat.
Where to stay in Phuket
Sleep in one place all week; moving mid-trip wastes half a day. See our full guide to where to stay in Phuket for street-level detail.
– Kata and Karon suit families and first-timers. The beaches are wide, the vibe is calmer than Patong, and both tour pickups and the south coast are easy. – Patong suits groups and anyone who wants nightlife within walking distance.
It is noisy, but it is 40–60 minutes from the airport and almost every tour picks up there. – Phuket Old Town suits couples on a budget and food lovers. Rooms are cheaper and the eating is excellent, but you are 20-plus minutes from any swimmable beach.
Find your Phuket hotel on the map
Live prices from Booking, Airbnb and more — move the map or change dates to compare stays across Phuket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 7 days in Phuket too long?
No. A week gives you time for both headline boat trips, Old Town and at least one genuine rest day without rushing. Shorter trips usually force you to choose between Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi, or to do them back to back. Seven days is also a better return on an 8-hour flight from the east coast of Australia.
Should I stay overnight on Phi Phi instead of doing a day trip?
Only if you want quiet nights and early-morning beaches. An overnight adds a hotel change, luggage on the ferry and a lost half-day each way. For most first-timers, one speedboat day trip from Phuket covers Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and the snorkelling spots with far less hassle.
Can I do Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi on consecutive days?
You can, but it is not ideal. Each trip is an early pickup and a long day on the water in strong sun. Putting a rest day between them leaves a buffer if weather cancels a tour and stops the second trip feeling like a chore.
When is the best time for a 7-day Phuket trip from Australia?
November to April is the dry high season, with calm seas and reliable boat tours. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks because they overlap Australian school holidays, so book early. Late January to March offers similar weather with slightly fewer crowds.
