Big Buddha Phuket: Opening Hours, Entrance Fee, Location & Tips

Big Buddha Phuket is free to visit, open daily (hours vary slightly by source, most commonly cited as 9am to 6pm), and located atop Nakkerd Hill near Chalong in southern Phuket. Here's what you need to know before visiting, including an important update on the site's recent reopening.

An important update: the site reopened in March 2026

Now open and welcoming visitors, despite outdated map listings

Opening hours, with an honest note on variance

Sources genuinely differ, confirm locally if timing matters

Sources report slightly different hours, worth checking locally on the day if timing matters to your visit:

Given this genuine variance, plan around the 9am to 6pm window as the most conservative, officially-cited estimate, and confirm current hours if you're planning an early morning or late evening visit specifically.

Entrance fee

Free. There's no ticket to buy and no entry fee, the site is entirely donation-funded. Sponsoring a small marble tile with your name is a popular, low-cost way to contribute if you'd like to give something back.

Location and getting there

The statue sits atop Nakkerd Hill, at Soi Yot Sane 1, Chaofa West Road, near Chalong in southern Phuket, roughly 8km from Wat Chalong. Most tour agencies and tuk-tuks in Phuket can arrange transport, and scooter rental runs roughly $6 to $8 (RM25–34) per day if you'd rather drive yourself. Parking on-site is free.

Dress code

Enforced without exception, but free sarongs are provided

Shoulders and knees must be covered for every visitor, free sarongs are provided at the entrance if you need one. Shoes are removed before stepping onto the upper platform. Swimwear specifically is not permitted within the temple grounds, bring a change of clothes if you're arriving straight from the beach.

What to expect

Visible from across much of the island

The Big Buddha is a 45-metre white marble monument (clad in imported jade from Myanmar per some sources), officially named Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakkiri, seated facing east to overlook Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea. Sitting atop Phuket's tallest point, it's genuinely visible from across much of the island. Construction began in the early 2000s, funded entirely by tourist donations, and the site was declared the "Buddhist Treasure of Phuket" in 2008. Recommended visiting time is roughly 30 minutes to an hour.

Practical tips

Check current opening hours locally before a very early or very late visit, given the genuine variance across sources, this avoids arriving to find the gate closed.

Don't plan around sunset specifically, most sources note the gate closes around 6pm, before typical Phuket sunset times, late afternoon is the better window for cooler temperatures and quieter crowds without missing closing time.

Bring a change of clothes if visiting straight from the beach, swimwear isn't permitted within the temple grounds.

Consider a small donation or marble tile sponsorship, the site relies entirely on this funding model despite the free entry.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the site is permanently closed based on outdated Google Maps listings. It reopened in March 2026 and has operated continuously since, don't skip a genuinely worthwhile visit based on incorrect map data
• Arriving expecting sunset views. The gate closes around 6pm at most sources' reported hours, well before typical sunset, plan your visit earlier in the afternoon instead
• Wearing swimwear or revealing clothing without a backup outfit or sarong. The dress code is enforced without exception, though free sarongs are provided if needed
• Not confirming current hours before an early morning or late evening visit, given the real discrepancy between sources ranging from 6am to 9am opening and 6pm to 7:30pm closing
• Skipping the marble tile donation option if you'd like to contribute, it's a genuinely simple, low-cost way to support a site that receives no entry fee at all

Sourced from phuket101.net, northabroad.com, Pullman Phuket Karon, Mövenpick Myth Phuket Patong, and evephuket.com.