Phuket City Municipality itinerary — 2 days

A legendary southern Thai culinary institution in Phuket Old Town, housed in a two-storey Sino-Portuguese colonial mansion from the early 20th century. Inside, vintage floor tiles, wooden shutters, and family portraits create an authentic nostalgic ambience. Awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, the kitchen is acclaimed for its yellow crab curry with wild betel leaves, braised caramelized pork belly moo hong, and fresh seafood.

A landmark Thai restaurant in Phuket Old Town, housed in an early 20th-century Sino-Portuguese shophouse. The kitchen leans on Peranakan recipes brought by Chinese settlers: crab curry with noodles, sour-and-spicy fish soup, pork braised with tamarind. The dining room is small, tables are booked well ahead, and the evening queue at the door has become part of the neighbourhood's legend.

A celebrated artisanal ice cream boutique set inside a pastel-pink Sino-Portuguese shophouse on historic Soi Rommanee in Phuket Old Town. It is famous for reimagining authentic Phuket and Peranakan confectionery into premium ice cream treats. Visitors queue for signature creations like Bi Co Moi—rich coconut milk ice cream over warm black glutinous rice—enjoyed amid elegant retro furnishings.

A celebrated restaurant in Phuket Old Town acclaimed by the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand for its authentic Southern Thai and Peranakan flavours. Housed in a beautifully preserved 130-year-old Sino-Portuguese shophouse, its exterior is famously marked by a giant sculpted lobster. The vintage dining rooms serve fragrant regional classics, including slow-braised Moo Hong pork belly and rich crab curry with wild betel leaves.

Another classic breakfast institution in Phuket Old Town is Boonrat Dim Sum, which has been serving dim sum to locals since 1917. The dim sum here is based on original recipes from Guangzhou. You'll find an incredible variety of dim sum with all kinds of fillings — from steamed pork to crab and shrimp dumplings to minced pork wrapped in seaweed — the choice is enormous. They are open from 6 to 10 in the morning, so come very early if you want to get a seat. With its deeply rooted Chinese heritage, it's no surprise that dim sum features on menus in Phuket Town. It's usually a lunch dish, but in Phuket, fresh buns and dumplings filled with pork, shrimp, crab, or chicken make a tasty breakfast for Phuket locals. Since the place is owned by a fourth-generation Chinese family, you can expect authentic dim sum here.

Housed in an elegant 1934 Sino-Portuguese mansion on Krabi Road, the Phuket Thai Hua Museum originally served as the island's first Chinese-language school. Sixteen thematic galleries arranged around a central open-air courtyard tell the rich story of Hokkien Chinese immigration, 19th-century tin mining, Peranakan Baba-Yaya customs, and Phuket cuisine. The museum is celebrated for its outstanding preservation of island heritage.

A prestigious Royal Thai culinary estate and premier cooking academy situated in the historic 1903 Phra Pitak Chinpracha Governor's Mansion in Phuket Town. Set amid manicured tropical grounds, the palatial Sino-Portuguese villa showcases checkerboard tiles, brass fixtures, and antique teakwood. Founded by chef Nooror Somany Steppe, it offers refined palace gastronomy alongside hands-on masterclasses with morning market tours.

Tours are offered of this elegant 1903 Sino-colonial mansion with an inner courtyard.

A viewpoint on Khao Rang hill northwest of Phuket's Old Town. From the terrace you can see the rooftops of Phuket Town, a sea bay on the horizon and green hills; the winding road up takes about ten minutes by scooter or half an hour on foot. A couple of restaurants sit at the top, and a statue of a 19th-century governor of Phuket stands on the summit. Come early morning or at sunset, when the air is clearest and the heat has eased.