Wat Chalong (Wat Chaithararam)
Phuket's largest and most revered Buddhist temple, honouring monks Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang; the ornate Grand Pagoda enshrines a fragment of the Buddha's bone.
- Category
- Temples (Wat)
- Entrance fee
- Free (donations welcome), as of 2026
- Hours
- Daily approx 07:00–17:00; confirm locally
- Best time
- Early morning to beat heat and tour buses
- Time needed
- 45 min–1 hour
About Wat Chalong (Wat Chaithararam)
This is the one temple locals will tell you to see if you only see one. It's the island's most important wat, dedicated to two revered monks, and the Grand Pagoda is genuinely worth climbing for the detail inside and the views up top.
It gets busy once the tour buses roll in, so the calm you want in the morning disappears fast by mid-day. Go early and it feels like an actual place of worship rather than a photo stop.
Since it costs nothing to enter, there's no reason to skip it. Just come dressed for a temple and treat it as the working religious site it is.
Highlights
- The multi-tiered Grand Pagoda enshrining a fragment of the Buddha's bone
- Views over the temple grounds from the upper levels of the pagoda
- Shrines honouring the revered monks Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang
- Ornate architecture and detailing throughout
Tips
- Come early morning to beat both the heat and the tour buses
- Cover shoulders and knees; this is an active place of worship
- Entry is free but donations are welcomed
- Grab or a Chalong-bound songthaew both work from Phuket Town
How to get there
From Phuket Town centre ~8 km south; Grab/taxi 15–20 min (~150–250 THB), or a Chalong-bound songthaew.