Just got back from 7 days in Thailand split between Phuket and Bangkok, so figured I’d share the rough itinerary in case anyone’s planning a similar beach + city trip.
June was hot, humid, and a bit all over the place weather-wise. Phuket still gave us beach time and a boat day, but I definitely wouldn’t go in expecting perfect dry-season weather every day. Bangkok somehow felt even hotter, especially in the middle of the day, so early starts and random AC breaks helped a lot.
I flew in from Singapore, and Thailand honestly felt easier and more relaxed than I expected. Bangkok traffic was awful, but the city itself surprised me in a good way — greener than I expected, great food, good malls, and just generally very easy to spend time in.
Day 1: Landed in Phuket
Kept the first day very light. Checked into the hotel, walked around a bit, grabbed dinner, and called it a night. Definitely the right move after the flight and the heat.
Day 2: Karon Beach + Banzaan Fresh Market
We stayed around Karon and I’d stay there again. Good beach for doing absolutely nothing, easy place to sit out in the sun for a while, and the area had enough bars and places to grab a drink at night without feeling too chaotic. It also felt pretty convenient for boat trips.
That night we went to Banzaan Fresh Market, which was probably my favorite food stop in Phuket. You pick your seafood downstairs and then take it upstairs to have it cooked.
Definitely negotiate a bit. The first number usually isn’t the final number.
Once you’ve picked everything out, you can tell them how you want it cooked — garlic, curry, spicy stir-fry, steamed, whatever. Our whole seafood meal came out to around $120 total. Not dirt cheap, but for the amount of food and the whole experience, I thought it was worth it.
Day 3: Racha Island
We picked Racha Island because we didn’t want one of those super packed island-hopping days where you’re rushing through five stops. It was still really sunny and really hot, but the water was gorgeous and the scenery was exactly what we wanted.
There are a ton of tours depending on how active you want to be. Snorkeling, diving, fishing, swimming, beach time — pretty much all the usual sea stuff is easy to book.
Even so, it still takes a lot out of you. You’re in the sun for hours, on and off boats, moving around more than you think, and by the end of it I was completely done. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a dry bag. Motion sickness pills too if you need them.
Day 4: Slow morning in Phuket, then flight to Bangkok
Really glad we didn’t plan much for this day. Slow breakfast, packed up, one last walk, then flew to Bangkok.
The contrast hit immediately. Phuket felt slow and easy. Bangkok felt loud, fast, hotter, and packed with food everywhere.
Day 5: Grand Palace + Wat Pho + Wat Arun
Did the usual riverside temple day.
Worth doing, but honestly it’s a lot in the heat. Grand Palace takes longer than people think, and the dress code is stricter than a lot of other temple sites. We started early, which helped.
My take: Grand Palace and Wat Pho are the main priorities. Wat Arun is beautiful, but I think it works better as a shorter add-on later in the day if you still have energy.
Day 6: Food, shopping, massage, night market
This ended up being one of my favorite Bangkok days because we didn’t force it too much. Malls, cafés, random street food, massage, night market, repeat.
Bangkok is really good when you leave a little room to just drift around, eat, cool off somewhere, and head back out later.
Day 7: Last meal, then airport
Kept the last day simple. One more proper Thai meal, a bit of shopping, then headed to the airport.
Bangkok traffic is no joke, so I’d leave earlier than you think you need to. Depending on where you’re staying, the trip to the airport can be completely fine or take forever.
A few things I’d do the same:
- stay around Karon if you want beach + easier boat access
- keep the day after a boat trip light
- leave Bangkok a little loose instead of scheduling every hour
A few things I’d be careful with:
- don’t underestimate June heat
- don’t assume Phuket weather will be perfect every day that time of year
- don’t rent a car unless you’re really comfortable driving there
Overall I thought Phuket + Bangkok worked really well for 7 days. Phuket gave us the slower beach part of the trip, and Bangkok gave us food, temples, shopping, and city energy.
Thailand felt very easy to travel in overall. Great food, friendly people, and pretty smooth logistics most of the time.
Only thing I genuinely hated was Bangkok traffic.
Would absolutely do this route again — I’d just leave even more buffer time in the schedule next time.