Fantastic things to do in Phuket with family

There are so many places to visit in Phuket with family it can be tricky to know exactly where to spend your time. Do you keep the kids happy spending the day at the pool or try to get out and about soaking up some culture. When we travel we tend to do a bit of both. I’m an obsessive explorer whilst my daughter Piper will happily play in a pool all day. During our recent trip to Phuket we did a bit of both and discovered some amazing family friendly activities and locations. Here are what I think are the best things to do in Phuket with family to help you plan your schedule.

There are so many places to visit in Phuket with family a little pre planning is essential, I would say time on the beaches should be a priority, make sure to tick off some local culture in a market or temple and keep your active kids happy with a visit to a waterpark or sporting activity.

Make sure you read my ultimate guide to Phuket with kids to plan the rest of your holiday.

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The Best Beaches in Phuket for family

Phuket is home to some amazing beaches, some deserted stretches of soft white sand, some with plenty of activities that will appeal to all ages. You could easily spend a couple of weeks driving around discovering all of them but to save you time, top of my list is Kamala in the middle of the west coast. It’s a great place for paddling, horse riding along the sand or grabbing an authentic Thai dinner whilst watching the sun set.

If you’re looking for an active day at the beach then Kata beach is a good choice with surf schools, body boarding and snorkelling. Or head to Patong beach for a lively atmosphere and the fantastic Fuga beach club.

If long stretches of deserted white sand is more your vibe then either the far North or South of the island is your best bet. Nai Yang beach is stunning and incredibly quiet and laid back. It’s right next to the airport so a good option if you don’t have long on the island. Mai Khao, again in the North is another gorgeous and very quiet option or head South to Cape Panwa for another relaxed stretch of sand. For more on these amazing beaches and the others I recommend read my post on the best beaches in Phuket for family.

Waterparks in Phuket

If you can tear yourselves away from the soft sandy beaches or the hotel pool, Phuket has several excellent waterparks the kids will love.

Andamanda

Andamanda water park located near Phuket Town is huge with loads of slides, pools and activities to suit all ages. It has a wave pool, massive lazy river, rides especially for little kids, thrill slides and a laid back beach area. You could easily spend a full day at Andamanda.

Pre book your tickets to Andamanda Water Park

Blue Tree Water Park

Blue Tree is not just a water park, it’s a full day adventure. Home to a huge lagoon bordered with soft sand, a kids club, shopping area, forest area for biking and hiking, a skate park and safe space for smaller kids.

Pre book your tickets to Blue Tree Park

Splash Jungle Water Park

Located in the North of Phuket near Mai Khao beach, Splash Jungle is another super fun water park with plenty of rides specifically for little kids. There’s a wave pool, plenty of adrenaline slides, a kids pool, lazy river and plenty of places to eat.

Pre book your tickets to Splash Jungle

Rawai Park Kids Club

If you’re in Phuket with young kids and only have a few hours to spare, they’ll love a visit to Rawai Park kids club. Whilst very small compared to the other water parks it’s completely dedicated to entertaining the kids. It has toddler friendly slides, lovely pool space, mini zoo and a family friendly restaurant.

Family friendly markets in Phuket

Thailand markets are must visits for the whole family. They’re our favourite place to grab a cheap dinner – with plenty of options for even the choosiest child, and we always find something unique to take home to remember our holidays. Piper’s at the age where she always wants to pick up little gifts for her friends at home. Markets are perfect for cheap bracelets or fridge magnets. Most tourist areas will have at least one night market but there are a few worth travelling for.

The Old Town Sunday Market in Phuket town is one of the biggest on the island. It has a huge selection of street food stalls, loads of clothes and souvenirs to choose from and a very buzzy atmosphere. It’s open every Sunday from 4pm until 9pm and Phuket Town is a fun place to explore for a few hours. So arrive early and enjoy the area.

Malin Plaza located in Patong is a small night market away from the crowds of Patongs Bangla Road. It has a brilliant selection of food stalls (the kids will love the fried potato kebabs) and a small range of clothes and souvenir stalls. There’s a seating area next to the food stalls where you can share your table with the locals enjoying their dinner. It’s great value as it caters mainly to residents.

For something a bit “cooler” and modern, head to Chillva Market, again in Phuket Town. It’s all colourful shipping containers and trendy goods that will appeal to teens. There’s live entertainment most evenings and a decent selection of food stalls.

If you’re visiting Phuket as part of a wider tour of Thailand have a look at these other great Thai Islands for families.

Best Activities for energetic kids

There are heaps of active things to do in Phuket with family. Being such a popular tourist destination means pretty much all hobbies are catered for.

Dino Golf

Located in Kata, Dino Park Mini Golf in Phuket is a fun course with various large scale dinosaur models. It’s a fun little course that won’t be too difficult for small kids. There’s also a Flinstones themed restaurant and bar so makes for a good pre dinner activity.

Flying Hanuman

If your kids have always dreamt of flying how about soaring through the air 400 metres above the Phuket jungle. The Flying Hanuman is located in the middle of the island and is home to heaps of different ziplines, sky bridges and an abseiling course.

Rebel Rock Climbing

Little mountaineers will love a visit to Rebel Rock Climbing. It has loads of different types of climbing walls, ranging from beginners to much more complex. They also offer training courses and full equipment hire.

Horse riding

Beach horse riding is a popular activity in Phuket and there’s nothing better than riding along the soft sand whilst getting to know your horse. Horse riding in Kamala beach is one of the best locations for it. Instructors will match you with a suitable horse and you can feed and shower them at the end of your ride.

ATV Tours

Phuket has loads of options for family friendly ATV tours. You can choose from quick half hour drives through the jungle, guided drives up to the big buddha or combine your drive with a zipline adventure all taking in the breathtaking scenery along the way.

Hike to a viewpoint

Phuket is pretty hilly offering several amazing viewpoints with fabulous hiking opportunities. One of my favourites with kids is hiking up to the Kao Khad viewpoint near Cape Panwa. If you don’t fancy the hike then there is a large car park at the base of the Kao Khad viewpoint tower but there are still lots of stairs to reach the base of the tower – little kids will probably get tired out just from tackeling the steps. The views from the top of the tower across Chalong Bay are insane. You can even see Koh Phi Phi on a clear day.

Carnival Magic

Carnival Magic is a little bit of everything, part theme park, part circus, part cultural experience. It’s a huge site also known as the Magical Kingdom of Lights. It has carnival performances and parades, a bit like a Thai Disney. The whole place is super colourful, cheerful full of light shows and fireworks. Kids of all ages will love it.

Pre book your tickets to Carnival Magic

Things to do in Phuket in the rain

I love the tropical weather in Phuket but when it rains, it buckets down. These downpours don’t tend to last for long but sometimes it’s good to have some indoor activities planned if you want to escape the rain or even the heat.

Aquaria Phuket

Aquaria Phuket is the largest aquarium in Phuket and is located in Phuket Town. It has several themed zones including an underwater tunnel and a stingray bay. Kids will love the touch pools and cute penguins.

Ice Arena Phuket

In complete contrast to the spicy temperatures of the beaches, Ice Arena Phuket provides a cooling adventure in Phuket Boat Lagoon. They offer well priced free skating sessions or you can book a class with one of their tutors.

Jungceylon Arcades

Little kids will love the arcades and rides at Jungleceylon Mall in Patong. Located on the top floor of this brilliant shopping mall, you’ll find Froggys fun park with trampolines, ball pits and small rides perfect for little ones. There’s also a cinema showing all the latest movies and heaps of places to eat including some of your kids favourite fast food stores from home.

Phuket Trick Eye Museum

Another fun spot for a good photo opportunity is the Trick Eye Museum in Phuket Old Town. It’s home to over 100 3D artworks and optical illusions, many of which are great for group shots. It’s quite a small museum so won’t take you long to walk through – perfect for a short downpour if you’re in Phuket Town.

The Selfie Experience

Mini influencers or kids addicted to their socials will love a visit to the Selfie Experience in Phuket Town. Home to three floors of 40 themed photo booths and backdrops. It’s super fun and you’ll come home with some lovely pics of things other than the beach!

Temples to visit in Phuket

Temples are a huge part of life in Thailand and a good way to introduce kids to Thai Culture. The most famous in Phuket is The Big Buddha located on a hill in Karon. It’s stunning to visit and at 45 metres high is sure to impress even the most sceptical kids. Plus the views from the top are spectacular. Wat Chalong is another stunning Buddhist temple that is well worth a visit during your time on the island. Wat Lipon is an interesting temple to spend time at in the North of Phuket Town. It’s home to a 29 metre high sleeping Buddha.

Family friendly beach clubs in Phuket

Can you take kids to beach clubs? In Phuket you can and they’re sure to love it! Beach clubs are brilliant if you want a fancy day out somewhere the kids won’t get too bored. Most have pools, direct access to the beach, live music or DJs and excellent restaurants. We had a fabulous day at Fuga beach club in Patong which is beautifully designed, overlooks Patong beach with a cute pool and DJ booth. They even treated the kids to a fire show after dark. Catch Beach Club in Bangtao is another good one which even has a kids club.

Celebrating Songkran in Phuket

If you can make the dates work, I highly recommend visiting Phuket during Songkran. It’s Thailands festival celebrating their New Year and happens in April. Thais get time off work to celebrate and visit family. Part of the festival is deeply spiritual which you can learn about visiting temples or sometimes in your hotels. The main part is just one massive water fight. All streets are full of revellers with huge super soakers and buckets of water waiting to soak anyone and everyone. I promise, it’s more fun than it sounds. Basically it’s still Thailand, just more!

Read More: Celebrating Songkran in Phuket.

Family friendly Phuket tours

Of course if you head off island you’ll find even more gorgeous beaches and stretches of golden sand. Phukets location on the East of Thailand means you’re close to many different islands to visit. The most popular tour is to Koh Phi Phi island and Maya Bay (made famous by the film The Beach). Yes it’s gorgeous but so over touristed they close the bay at certain points in the year. Be sure to check before you book your tour. Other popular boat trips from Phuket include James Bond island or the Khai islands tour which includes a visit to cat island.

If you’re looking for things to do in Phuket with kids and have a bit of spare budget, I recommend booking a private tour. That way you will have additional flexibility to come and go at the various islands as you please and hopefully miss the worst of the crowds.

Where to stay in Phuket with kids

If you haven’t already decided where to stay in Phuket with kids, make sure you have a read of my blog on the best areas to stay in Phuket for families. I love Bang Tao for it’s quiet but central location and beautiful beach but also Kata for it’s many family friendly activities. I have many hotel tips in my post on the best family resorts in Phuket if you’re looking for specific hotel recommendations.

As you can see, there are heaps of things to do in Phuket with family, no matter the age of your kids. If all else fails, spend the day in your hotel pool or find your closest beach. Phuket is one of my favourite Thai islands for simply relaxing and spending precious time as a family.