Beginner Dive Day or Snorkelling Tour from Phuket: Which to Book?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 10 October 2026
Book the dive day if you want to go under, not just look down: two dives of 30 to 40 minutes with a certified instructor, no certificate needed, from Chalong pier at 08:30. Book a snorkelling day if you're travelling with children, can't swim well or want beaches as well as fish; it costs a fraction of the dive day and includes lunch.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diving in the Andaman Sea: two dives in a day Best for two dives with an instructor, no certificate needed Programme & booking | One day, roughly 07:00–18:00 | 4,200 ฿ | 4,000 ฿ |
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat Best for snorkelling at Racha Yai with a later pickup; children 4–9 pay the child price Programme & booking | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Similan islands: the classic day trip Best for the clearest snorkelling water in season, mid-October to mid-May Programme & booking | About twelve hours | 2,600 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
What does each day cost, and what's in the price?
The dive day in the Andaman Sea has its own price for people without a certificate: one dive is 3,900 ฿, two dives 4,100 ฿. Included: the dives, full equipment, a certified instructor, insurance, breakfast and lunch on the boat, water, tea and coffee, and hotel transfer from Kata, Karon, Patong, Chalong, Rawai, Nai Harn and Kamala. From other areas the transfer is 1,400 to 2,400 ฿, agreed with the dive centre in advance. A companion who stays on the boat and doesn't dive pays 2,300 ฿.
The snorkelling days in the table are simpler. Racha and Coral by speedboat includes the hotel transfer, the speedboat, lunch, a mask and snorkel, life jackets, drinks, fruit, insurance and the island fees. The classic Similan day adds breakfast and the national park fee. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price.
How do the two days run?
The dive day: pickup between 07:00 and 07:45 depending on your area, the boat leaves Chalong pier at 08:30 with breakfast on board. First dive at 09:30, a rest with hot and cold drinks at 11:00, a second dive on a different site at 11:30, lunch at 12:30. The boat turns for the pier at 14:00 and you're at the hotel between 17:00 and 18:00. Groups are up to ten people.
Racha and Coral: pickup between 08:00 and 08:30, a briefing at Chalong pier, then about forty minutes by speedboat to Racha Yai and a long morning in the water there. Lunch, then Coral island, and you're back at most hotels around 17:30. The Similan day starts earlier and runs about twelve hours, from Tablamu pier in Khao Lak, with snorkelling at islands 9 and 7.
What does a first dive actually involve?
A briefing on the boat, then the instructor stays with you for the whole dive, and the depth stays modest. You fill in a medical questionnaire before diving; that's required. No certificate, no pool day. If you're certified, bring your card, and you go to deeper, more interesting sites with the certified group.
Underwater you see the usual Andaman crowd: reef fish, corals, moray eels, starfish. The card doesn't name the dive sites, so if Racha Yai is why you want to dive, ask which sites are planned for your date when you book. Our beginner scuba day trip page goes through a first dive in more detail.
When is snorkelling the better choice?
Often. With small children, certainly: a speedboat day has a child price and life jackets on board, and the kids spend the day on two islands rather than on a dive boat. If someone in your group can't swim, snorkelling in a life jacket works in shallow spots, while a dive boat leaves them as a companion on deck.
And if you just want the clearest water? In season, that's the Similans, open from mid-October to mid-May. Outside the season, Racha Yai is the clearest water within a short crossing. Snorkelling tours from Phuket ranks every snorkelling stop we sell, and Khai or Racha Yai helps if this is your very first time with a mask.
Can one person dive while the rest snorkel?
Not on the same day. The dive boat goes to dive sites, not beaches, so non-divers who come along stay on board as companions. If your group is split, the usual answer is two days: the dive day for the diver, an island day for everyone together. Ask in the chat and we'll suggest which day goes first.
How do I book?
Send the date, your hotel and how many people will dive, snorkel or come along, and say if anyone is certified. We confirm the pickup time and the total. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. If the sea is closed for weather, the trip moves to another date.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Can I dive in Phuket without a certificate?
Yes. On the dive day beginners get a briefing on the boat and a certified instructor stays with them the whole time. One dive is 3,900 ฿, two are 4,100 ฿.
Is snorkelling or diving better for a first-timer?
Snorkelling if you're not confident in water or have children with you. Diving if you want to go under and are fine with a medical questionnaire and two 30 to 40 minute dives.
Which dive sites does the Phuket dive day visit?
Two different sites in the Andaman Sea; the card doesn't name them. Ask when booking which sites are planned for your date.
Can a non-diver come on the dive boat?
Yes. A companion who doesn't dive pays 2,300 ฿ and spends the day on the boat with food and drinks included.
Is hotel pickup included on the dive day?
From Kata, Karon, Patong, Chalong, Rawai, Nai Harn and Kamala, yes. From other areas it's 1,400 to 2,400 ฿, agreed with the dive centre in advance.
Where is the best snorkelling near Phuket?
The Similan islands, in season from mid-October to mid-May. Outside it, Racha Yai has the clearest water within a short crossing.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.