Phuket Cruise Port
Phuket, Thailand · Asia
Cruise ships dock at Ao Makham Pier — Phuket Deep Sea Cruise Berth, Phuket.
Plan my port daysWorking deep-sea berth at Ao Makham with no walk-off — Grab and pre-booked transport make a DIY day comfortable.
At a glance
Port summary
Phuket's cruise berth sits inside a working deep-sea port at Ao Makham on the south-east coast. There is no walk-off into a town centre — Phuket Old Town is 8 km north and Patong Beach is 22 km west. Cruise lines run paid shuttles to Patong; independent passengers should default to Grab (the dominant ride-hail app in Thailand) rather than the dock tuk-tuks, which are notoriously overpriced. Cards work in malls and restaurants but tuk-tuks, songthaews and markets are cash only.
Cruise dock
Ao Makham Pier — Phuket Deep Sea Cruise Berth
The single alongside cruise berth at the Phuket Deep Sea Port on the south-east coast of the island. OSM-tagged Ao Makham Pier (way 1354873875) inside the working deep-sea harbour; passengers disembark dockside and walk to waiting shuttles or taxis at the gate. Phuket Old Town is 8 km north and Patong Beach is 22 km west — no walk-off into a town centre.
Latitude: 7.823319, Longitude: 98.401137
See dock on port map →Getting to Phuket
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Pay larger bills by card. Keep ฿500–1000 in small notes for tuk-tuks, markets and songthaews.
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Tell us your cruise line, ship and departure date and we'll give you a complete set of full port information and playbooks of how to spend your day.
Inside the Southeast Asia collection
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Typical weather
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Excursions compared
4 comparedPhang Nga Bay & James Bond Island by boat with sea-cave canoeing
≈ 8 h · sold by 6 cruise lines
Cruise line
€140$156
Do it yourself
€82$92
Save ≈ €58Save ≈ $65 (41% off)
Phuket docks at Ao Makham deep-sea port with no walk-off; Grab can't collect inside the gate, so walk to the port entrance or a nearby hotel to be picked up (never the dock tuk-tuks). Phang Nga Bay boats leave from northern piers such as Ao Por Grand Marina, ~50 min and roughly THB 600 / €16 by Grab each way. Book a join-in big-boat or speedboat day tour online (Klook lists it around €56 including buffet lunch, canoe paddlers and the Ao Phang-Nga National Park fee of THB 300 / €8); a boat-only join at the pier runs a little less.
See the DIY plan →
Big Buddha, Wat Chalong temple and Phuket Old Town
≈ 4.5 h · sold by 6 cruise lines
Cruise line
€70$78
Do it yourself
€40$45
Save ≈ €30Save ≈ $33 (43% off)
From Ao Makham, walk to the port entrance/a nearby hotel and take a Grab, or hire a half-day private car (~THB 1,800 / €46 for the car, split among your group). Big Buddha (open 09:00–18:00) and Wat Chalong (08:00–17:00) are both free — a small donation is customary — and Phuket Old Town is a free self-guided walk. Grab pickups at the hilltop temples can take 10–20 min, so a private driver who waits is often smoother for the same money across 3-4 people. Dress modestly for the temples: shoulders and knees covered.
See the DIY plan →
Ready-made port days
11 plansBig Buddha, Wat Chalong & Karon Viewpoint
Phuket's two headline temples plus its best free lookout, done as a tight half-day loop by Grab or private car — the island's postcard shots without the coach tour.
Phuket Old Town: The Free Heritage Walk
Pastel Sino-Portuguese shophouses, the island's most photogenic lane, a Taoist shrine and a hilltop viewpoint — a whole day of Phuket's soul for the price of a Grab and a coffee.
Phuket Old Town Food & Café Crawl
Hokkien noodles, Peranakan kopi, roti and a museum of tin-mining food heritage — graze your way through the Sino-Portuguese quarter for a few euros a bite.
Patong Beach & Bangla by Day
Phuket's busiest beach strip, a big air-conditioned mall for lunch and shopping, and the tamer daytime face of Bangla Road — the classic beach-and-buzz half-day.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Phuket?
- Your ship docks directly at the Phuket cruise terminal in Thailand.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Phuket?
- Walking into Phuket from the cruise port isn't practical. Plan to use a shuttle, taxi, or public transport.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Phuket centre?
- Typical options include Shuttle bus, Ride-hail (Uber/Bolt), Taxi, Tuk-tuk, Motorbike taxi, Local bus. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Phuket?
- Plan for at least 4 hours ashore to see Phuket independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Phuket and are cards accepted?
- Phuket uses the Thai Baht. Carry some cash for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors — cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Is there Wi-Fi at the cruise port?
- Wi-Fi isn't reliably available at the Phuket cruise terminal. Consider a local SIM or your cruise line's data package.
- When should I be back at the ship?
- Cruise lines usually require all passengers on board about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Confirm the exact all-aboard time on your daily programme.
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