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Phuket Holidays
Holidays in Phuket

Dip your toes into the warm shallows of the Andaman Sea

Soak up that oh-so-lovely southwest sunshine as this is where fiction becomes reality on Thailand’s largest island, Phuket. On your Phuket holiday, discover why this island is one of Thailand's most popular holiday destinations. With beaches stretching as far as the eye can see and a vibrant diverse culture (not to mention the buzzing nightlife), it's easy to fall in love with this exciting destination on a trip to Phuket.

Freedom Beach

Phuket holidays

Holidays to Phuket have been popular with backpackers and gap-year travellers for decades, but this most exotic of student destinations is now getting a bit of a reputation for delivering some seriously swanky getaways as well.

It’s a mad, mad mix of traditional Thai lifestyle and tourist-focused treats, smart hotels, clubs, pubs, restaurants and, if there’s anything left in your wallet, some top-drawer shopping experiences too. From trips into the jungle to navigating your way around the markets, lazing on sun-kissed beaches and partying until the sun rises, holidays to Phuket have to be on your bucket list at least once.

Explore, eat, beach, repeat.

Kata Beach

Beaches

Phuket is a relatively small island, but it never feels crowded, and the beaches have more than enough space for everyone. And let’s be honest, the beaches are the main attraction on any Phuket holiday. Head to the west coast and you’ve got wide, sweeping sand and crystal-clear water, perfect for diving. Patong Beach tends to be the busiest beach as it's located in the heart of Phuket's tourist spots such as Bangla Walking Street. However, Kata Beach may be a better option if you're looking for something lively but slightly less crowded.

Thai cuisine

Authentic Thai cuisine

Phuket has some great cooking schools so you can learn just how much lemongrass you really do need to spice up a green curry. If you’re a hopeless cook even with the help of an expert, leave the cooking to someone else and try some of the local delicacies. Phuket is famous for its fish dishes, and there are plenty of trendy restaurants in town where you can try anything from shrimp to snapper. If you’re feeling really adventurous, why not try some fried delicacies at the Phuket Weekend market?

Maya Bay

Had enough of the beach?

If you can tear yourself away from the beach, check out some of the island’s cultural attractions, such as the Golden Buddha at Wat Khao Rang, or the historic twisting streets of old Phuket town. Explore the sea caves of Phang Nga Bay's secret lagoons and unique caves. Adventure through Phra Thaeo National Park, and learn all about the local flora and fauna. Go island hopping and catch a glimpse of James Bond Island (so named because it was the location of several Bond films), and even 'The Beach' from Leonardo Di Caprio's iconic 2000 film. 

Hotels in Phuket

Retrieving our hand picked hotels...

When to travel and how to get around

James Bond Island

When shall I go?

Don’t worry, you won’t need to pack a woolly jumper, no matter when you take your holidays to Phuket. It’s hot all year round, with the average daily temperatures rarely falling below 31°C.

  • November – February – regarded by the locals as the ‘cool’ season, with average day temperatures of around 30°C and night-time temperatures of around 24°C. This is the ideal time to travel if you fancy a bit of winter sunshine.
  • March – July – consistently warm at around 32°C, with a higher chance of showers in the evening (although even the showers are warm).
  • August – October – not much change on the temperature front at around 31°C.
Phuket Old town

A to B, easy as 1,2,3

  • By Songthaew – pick up and drop off on these converted trucks is by request (there are no real ‘stops’ as such). It’s the most common method of transport in town, and used by locals and tourists alike. It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, and it totally makes you feel like a local.
  • By Tuk-tuk – don’t think you’re getting a super-fit local peddling you around – modern tuk-tuks are small minivans with four wheels (not three). The drivers have a ‘flexible’ approach to fares, so agree the cost before you get in.
  • By Taxi – metered taxis are plentiful and actually cheaper than tuk-tuks. It’s best to ask your hotel concierge to order one for you, and again, agree the price before you set off.

Essential information for Phuket

Local time
+ 7hrs
Currently
Language
Flag of Thailand
Thai
Currency
Thai Baht
Official currency of Thailand
Flight information
14h 10m
HKT
Indirect flight
Flight Schedule
Fly to Phuket with Air France, KLM or Emirates

Do I need a visa?

British citizens do not require a visa for stays less than 30 days.

Find out more about Travel Visas here »

Something different

During mid-Autumn candles, cakes and incense feature more frequently than usual to celebrate the Moon Festival whilst November promises Krathong where waterways become covered in decoratively adorned floats in respect of the water spirits.

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Your holiday may be affected by travel restrictions or cancellations

We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the  Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know as least 21 days before travel.

You’ll be away before you know it

Your next holiday is only a click away - our website has thousands of options ready to book. But if you need more help, just give us a call on 0344 472 9646.

Looking for inspiration? Explore our destinations and holiday types and save your faves to your very own Wishlist. Or dive right in to our 2021 holiday offers.

Latest Foreign & Commonwealth Office repatriation travel advice


Over the past few weeks, we have repatriated our customers from overseas who wanted to come home.  

Please visit this page to keep up to date with the Government’s travel advice on returning to the UK, and to register for email alerts.
 

How would you like to talk to us?

With many customers needing our help, we are prioritising those customers due to travel before 31 December 2020. Log in to Manage my booking where you can message us about your options or you can give us a call. Bear in mind you may have to wait longer than expected. We continue to review this and working to open up these options to more customers. In the meantime check out our FAQs to see if this can help answer any immediate questions.

Stay tuned for the latest updates


Rest assured; we will notify you as soon as we know if your holiday has been affected by email. 

We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know as least 21 days before travel.

Let’s talk


If you need to speak to us to change or cancel your booking you can call our team on 0344 472 9646 or chat to us on SMS/Whatspp via Manage my booking.

For the latest information on Covid-19 you can check our FAQs here.

Payment flexibility


Don’t worry if you’ve missed a payment or just need a little more time to pay; we have options available to help you. If your holiday is going ahead as planned, you can continue to pay for your holiday in Manage my booking, even if travelling in less than 12 weeks. If you’re unsure, you can delay any additional payments by choosing a new time to travel by requesting a call back in Manage My booking for one of our team to look at options. If your holiday is more than 6 months away, you may wish to set up a Direct Debit to spread the cost. This can be arranged whilst rebooking or afterwards in Manage my booking.

We're flexible with your holiday plans


We understand that you may wish to change your holiday plans and we appreciate the need for flexibility. 

We'll be in touch by email letting you know how to register to change your holiday plans. You can also log into Manage my booking to find the details there. 

Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.

You're holiday is going ahead as planned


If we haven’t notified you of any changes, your holiday will be going ahead as planned but if you prefer to move your holiday to a later time we can help. You can call our team on 0344 472 9499 who can look at options for you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding


Payments are being prioritised based on when the request was made, working in order from March 2020 onwards. We will always try to process refunds at the earliest opportunity, for requests before August our maximum timeframe is 120 days. As we are steadily reducing the maximum processing time for each new request, for refund requests made in August, we expect the maximum processing time to be 80 days, from the date the refund is requested. For those requesting a refund in September, we expect it to be processed within a maximum of 60 days, and then reduce to 30 days for refunds requested in October, before returning to normal levels.

We'll be in touch soon


To finalise the amendment, one of our customer advisors will phone you. We need to work through amend requests in departure date order so we can prioritise those with the most imminent travel plans, so you may have a longer wait than usual until we’re able to ring you back. We will help everyone that wants to move their holiday.

I returned early from holiday and have further questions?


You can contact our team by emailing feedback.backhome@virginholidays.com to discuss options on unused portions of your holiday. If you need to contact our team about amending an existing holiday or requesting a refund please log in to manage my booking.

I am currently on holiday and I need to speak to someone


The easiest way to contact us while you are away is via WhatsApp. To get the conversation started, click the link and type "hello” .

or you can get in touch with our in-resort team during local opening hours

Find contact details for your location

Outside of local resort office hours you can call us in the UK +44 (0) 344 472 9626 (option 2) or email us duty.office@virginholidays.com

If you are in the USA or Canada please email: USAreps@virginholidays.com.

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