Big Buddha Phuket
Attractions in PhuketPhuketFree entry — the site is funded by donations; parking is free and sarong loans are provided.
The Great Buddha of Phuket — a 45-metre white marble statue on Nakkerd Hill between Chalong and Kata, visible across the island's south, with a wide panorama over both coasts. Free to visit; modest dress required.
More places to explore
Common questions
Is there an entrance fee?
No — entry is free and donation-funded. Donations go to the temple's ongoing work.
How tall is the Big Buddha?
About 45 metres tall, seated on Nakkerd Hill at roughly 400 metres above sea level — visible from much of southern Phuket.
What is the dress code?
Shoulders and knees covered for everyone; free sarongs are available if your clothes don't qualify.
Good to know
The Great Buddha of Phuket — a 45-metre white marble statue on Nakkerd Hill between Chalong and Kata, visible across the island's south, with a wide panorama over both coasts. Free to visit; modest dress required.
Phuket's Big Buddha sits atop Nakkerd Hill at roughly 400 metres, a seated Maravijaya Buddha faced in white Burmese marble that catches the sun from miles away. The terrace around it opens a genuine 360-degree panorama — Chalong Bay and the east coast on one side, Kata's beaches and the Andaman on the other.
The site is an active Buddhist project rather than a finished monument: construction has progressed in phases for years, funded by donations, and details are still being finished. Visitors are welcome free of charge; dress codes are enforced (covered shoulders and knees, with sarongs available), and the hill road up is steep and winding. Pair it with Wat Chalong below or the Kata–Karon viewpoint on the ridge for the classic south-of-the-island loop.
Highlights
- A 45-metre white marble Buddha — the island's most visible landmark
- A true 360° panorama from Chalong Bay to the Andaman beaches
- An active, donation-funded temple project still taking shape
Good for
Cultural visitors pairing the Buddha with Wat ChalongAnyone wanting the island's grandest viewpoint with no ticketMorning photographers, before the marble glare peaks
Getting there
On Nakkerd Hill between Chalong and Kata — reached by car, scooter or tour. The access road is steep and winding; drive in low gear and watch pedestrians. Some land tours combine the Buddha with the Kata viewpoint and Wat Chalong in one loop.
- Cover shoulders and knees — the dress code is real; free sarong loans are available at the entrance.
- It is an active religious site — keep voices low around the monks and the Buddha terrace.
- Mornings are cooler and the light is kind; midday marble glare and heat are intense.
- The site remains a work in progress — scaffolding and finished sections coexist, and any closure of parts of the terrace is temporary and signposted.
Planning several days?
The trip planner builds a day-by-day Phuket plan: trip details → day plan → review & pay. You pick every activity yourself — nothing is added automatically.
- 1Trip details
- 2Day plan
- 3Review & pay