When having a family holiday in Phuket most of your time will probably be spent checking out the beautiful beaches and enjoying the wonderful resorts. (Check out our 6 Best Family Hotels in Phuket here). However, there are many other things to do in Phuket so check out our list below for fun family activities in Phuket.
1. Visit Big Buddha
Big Buddha is a must-see when in Phuket, everyone talks about it and it can be seen from around the island. As always with kids, go early before the tour buses and crowds. There are lots of steps so take a baby carrier if you have a young baby. Or, be prepared to possibly carry your toddler up to the top – the spectacular views from the top are worth it.
There is no cost to enter but bring small change for donations for alms to the monks and to buy cold drinks / snacks. For females, make sure shoulders and knees are covered or you won’t be allowed to enter.
Before leaving, take a right at the bottom of the steps and check out the families of monkeys living in the tree tops nearby. This in itself makes it one of the most fun family activities in Phuket. Check out our full post on big Buddha with kids here.
We were staying at Le Meridien Phuket hotel when we did a trip to big Buddha Phuket.
2. ATV Driving in the Jungle
This is such a fun activity for the adventure families, we went to Phuket Paradise Trip with a guide. 1 adult and 1 child can ride on each ATV, under 4s are free and it is 1100baht per person for the others. There is a guide who will lead you through the jungle and take photos and videos of you as you go. Definitely hits the list for fun family activities for the more adventurous families visiting Phuket. There is Zip Lining available at Phuket Paradise Trip too.
We were staying at Le Meridien Phuket hotel when we did this trip and combined with a trip to big Buddha.
Booking.com3. Blue Tree Water Park
A new waterpark located in Laguna area of Phuket. It has a big lagoon, a few slides, a splash park / area for small kids and some additional inflatable activities. A great day out for kids over 120cm or small toddlers but for those 4/5/6 year olds in the middle there isn’t a huge amount to do so double check height restrictions. Bring spare clothes as you need to be dry to do some of the inflatable activities. Blue Tree Phuket has a lovely restaurant, huge pool and some decent slides just needs to be a bit more for those in-between age. A popular place that needs to be on the fun family activities in Phuket list.
Blue Tree Phuket is in the Laguna area of Phuket, we were staying at Angsana Laguna Phuket when we visited.
4. Visit an Elephant Sanctuary
This is one of the most memorable experiences you will ever have. However, it is vital that you choose an elephant sanctuary after doing your research properly. Ensuring that the elephants are not just in the sanctuary for tourism and are actually rescued elephants being properly looked after. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary has a wonderful reputation but was unfortunately still closed when we visited in July 2021. We went to Green Elephant Sanctuary Park which was also incredible and we felt that everything was above board and elephants were being truly cared for.
A real chance to get up close to these incredible animals; wash them, feed them, bath them and shower them. A day our boys and us will always remember and definitely one of the most fun family activities in Phuket.
Green Elephant Sanctuary Park is in the Bang Tao area of Phuket and is a perfect day trip when staying at Angsana Laguna Phuket.
5. Ma Doo Bua Lily Café
Ma Doo Bua Café is a totally unique place worth stopping at during your time in Phuket. A place that really took us by surprise with huge Victoria Amazonica lilies covering a lotus pond. Perfect for a quiet coffee or lunch. Kids will be amazed by the lilies and enjoy going frog spotting, dragonfly chasing and eating the delicious desserts or milkshakes. It makes for one of the most fun family activities in Phuket. You can read our full review of Ma Doo Bua here.
Ma Doo Bua is not too far from Laguna area of Phuket and is perfect for a trip when staying at Angsana Laguna Phuket.
6. Zip Lining at Hanuman World
Phuket is a beautifully, green island with lots of jungle and rainforest areas. There are many different zip lines around Phuket but Hanuman World is the biggest on the island. There are 3 adventure platforms and it’s set in the jungle with the stunning Three Monkeys Restaurant there to eat in afterwards. If zip lining isn’t your thing then there is a skywalk along bridges with spectacular views which we enjoyed with our young boys. It is definitely one of the most fun family activities in Phuket.
7. Jungle Dinner at Three Monkeys Restaurant
As mentioned above, Three Monkeys Restaurant is more than just a place to get dinner, it is a whole experience. You can go ziplining or stroll through the trees on the skywalk before or after eating. The whole restaurant has a wonderful vibe with little pods, hammocks and natural seating throughout. The food was also one of the best we had in Thailand. A definite must-visit for fun family activities in Phuket.
We visited Three Monkeys when staying at Westin Siray Bay, it was about a 15minute taxi journey from the hotel.
8. Explore Phuket Town
The stunning Phuket Town was one of our favourite fun family activities in Phuket – we enjoyed it so much that we went back twice! There is a full guide to Phuket Town here. The town is full of brightly coloured buildings of boutique shops, cafes and restaurants. We ate one of our best meals in Phuket at Tu Kab Khao Restaurant which is like going to have dinner at your grandma’s house. Afterwards, a delicious ice-cream at Torrey’s Ice-Cream parlour. Then wandered and spotted a variety of different colourful street-art around the city. A perfect activity for keeping the kids entertained whilst walking around.
The Westin Siray Bay is the perfect hotel to stay in when exploring Phuket town as it is only about a 10minute drive away.
Booking.com9. Boat Trip to Coral Island
There are many different boat trips available from Phuket from the famous James Bond Island, Maya Bay and Phi Phi which are a bit further away. Alternatively, Coral Island is closer to Phuket and makes a great day trip to a paradise island. Picture white sand, turquoise sea, palm trees, cold cocktails, see-through kayaks, hammocks and a laid-back vibe. The catamaran trip can last over sunset for a perfect end to the day of fun family activities in Phuket.
The tour guide will pick you up from most hotels on the island. We were staying at Grand Mercure Patong when we went on this trip. The journey was about 30minutes from the hotel to the pier.
10. Mini Golf
Phuket Adventure Mini Golf in the Bang Tao area is a great spot for fun family activities in Phuket. They have an 18 hole course with varying difficulties in a gorgeous spot surrounded by trees and mountains. They also have a great restaurant and bar and you can take your drinks around with you. If you enjoy pool, there are some pool tables too. It is possible to buy a package to play as much golf if you want to chill out there for the day.
Phuket Adventure Mini Golf is in Bang Tao or Laguna area of Phuket. It is an ideal afternoon activity when staying at the Angsana Laguna Phuket.
11. Sunset at Promthep Cape
The sunset at Promthep Cape is pretty special and something that should be caught when in Phuket. Make sure to check out the elephant shrine at the top and allow enough time to walk around admiring the views. Promthep Cape is the most southernly, south-western point in Phuket. There are steps so a baby carrier is probably a good idea if bringing a baby.
Visit the shops at the parking/drop off area to can pick up cold drinks and snacks before going to see the view. There is a restaurant with the best views overlooking the cliff, a perfect sundowner spot. There is plenty of space here for the kids to run around which makes for one of the most ideal family activities in Phuket.
We stayed at Vijitt Resort in Rawai a stunning resort in south Phuket who offer a shuttle bus to Promthep cape and other areas of interest in Rawai.
Booking.com12. Dinner at Rawai Fish Market
A particular highlight for us, so good that we went back a second night. Rawai Fish Market is down a small street leading off from the pier. You will find many market stalls with an abundance of freshly caught fish from seabass to huge lobsters and prawns. The idea of this market is to choose, weigh and pay for your fish on one side of the road then take the 2 steps across the street and go into one of the many restaurants.
In the restaurant you can go through the menu and decide how you would like the fish to be cooked. Afterwards, add on any additional dishes like rice, noodles or meat / veggies if your kids are not big fish eaters. Our boys loved the garlic prawns and BBQ fried sea bass. They were completely enthralled with the whole process of sea to plate. Eating at Rawai Fish Market is not to be missed if you are in Southern Phuket.
We were staying at Vijitt Resort in Rawai in Rawai. The fish market is only a 5minute drive away and the hotel offer a shuttle bus.
13. Visit Temples
Visiting temples is a must-do on the list of fun family activities in Phuket, it is easy to keep the kids entertained with the bright golden temples, drums, bells and buddha statues everywhere. Wat Chalong is the largest temple in Phuket with Wat Chalong Chedi being the tallest over 3 floors with great views from the top. Remember to cover shoulders and knees and remove shoes when visiting a temple. The temples are free to visit and there is lots of space to take the kids for walks nearby if they do get restless.
14. Karon View Point
If you are staying near Kata Beach or Karon Beach make sure you visit Karon View Point. You can see a beautiful view of Kata Not, Kata and Karon beaches nestled amongst the trees with sunset being the ideal visiting time. It is easy to get a 10minute tuk tuk from Kata Beach. Once up there you will find an official view point with steps and benches. However, the view is equally as good from one of the roadside restaurants where you can relax and take in the view over drinks or dinner.
We were staying at the Ozo Hotel in Kata Beach when we had dinner at Karon View Point. Just a short 10minute tuk tuk journey up the mountain.
If you enjoyed reading this guide on fun family activities in Phuket then check out a 2 week itinerary to Phuket and our 6 Best Family Hotels in Phuket. Check out our 3-week itinerary to Thailand for other areas of Thailand including 5 things to do in Chiang Mai and a guide to the truly stunning island of Koh Lipe.
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