Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are readily synthesised structures that absorb light strongly to generate thermal energy which induces photothermal destruction of malignant tissue. This review examines the efficacy, potential challenges and toxicity from in vitro and in vivo applications of GNPs in oesophageal, gastric and colon cancers. A systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases was performed using PRISMA guidelines. Two hundred and eighty-four papers were reviewed with sixteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The application of GNPs in eleven in vivo rodent studies with GI adenocarcinoma demonstrated excellent therapeutic outcomes but poor corroboration in terms of the cancer cells used, photothermal irradiation regimes, fluorophores and types of nanoparticles. There is compelling evidence of the translational potential of GNPs to be complimentary to surgery and feasible in the photothermal therapy of GI cancer but reproducibility and standardisation require further development prior to GI cancer clinical trials.