Is the Sunrise Fishing Trip from Phuket Worth It?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Yes, if you want a whole day of fishing rather than a quick stop with a line: the boat leaves Chalong pier at 07:00 and spends the morning trolling, bottom fishing in deep water and pulling up crab traps, then stops at Racha Yai for a swim while lunch is cooked from what you caught. You're picked up between 05:30 and 06:30 and back at the pier at 15:00, and tackle, snorkelling gear, breakfast, lunch, drinks and the hotel transfer are covered. Anglers and families with boat-happy kids will like it; the card itself warns against it during pregnancy or with back problems.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea fishing from sunrise | One day, 05:30–15:00 | 2,500 ฿ | 2,200 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Bamboo island and fishing at Rang Yai | One day | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
| Racha Yai and Coral island at sunrise | One day, 04:30–15:30 | 1,600 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Phi Phi: two days, one night | Two days, one night | 4,300 ฿ | 3,800 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The day, hour by hour
The alarm is the hard part. Pickup is somewhere between 05:30 and 06:30, you meet the crew at Chalong pier at 06:45, and breakfast is served once the boat is moving at seven. The first two hours, until about half past nine, are trolling: lines out behind the boat for tuna, barracuda and mahi-mahi. Then the boat stops, the crew switches to bottom fishing in deep water, hauls up the crab traps and shows you some spearfishing.
Around eleven you reach Racha Yai. People snorkel, swim or keep fishing off the bottom while the catch goes on the grill; lunch is grilled fish, tom yum, and sashimi if something suitable came up. You fish your way home from one o'clock and step off at the pier at three, in time for photos with whatever you landed. Racha Yai, where the boat anchors at eleven, is described on Racha Yai: what to expect.
Why it's worth it
Mostly the hour. A boat that goes out at nine fishes water other boats have already worked; this one is out at seven, so your lines go in first. The price is generous too: breakfast and lunch, cold drinks, tea, coffee and fruit, all the tackle, snorkelling gear, insurance and the photos with the catch are included.
It also works for the people in your group who don't fish. The boat has a shaded spot to sit, and Racha Yai means snorkelling and a beach, so a partner or a child can have a good day without ever touching a rod. You keep what you catch. And if the fish don't cooperate, lunch still happens: chicken, rice and tom yum are on the menu alongside whatever came up.
Why it might not be
It's an early, long day at sea: pickup from 05:30, back at the pier at 15:00. It's cold on the water before sunrise, so bring a warm layer. The card doesn't recommend the trip during pregnancy or with back problems, and the weather can change the programme.
Sashimi isn't guaranteed: it's only served when the catch includes fish suitable for eating raw. Having your catch cooked at a restaurant afterwards is on you. And if all you want is an hour with a line in the water as part of an island day, a shorter fishing stop suits you better than a whole day.
What's included
Included: transfer from the hotel and back, a guide and a professional crew, breakfast on the boat, lunch from the fresh catch, all fishing tackle and equipment, snorkelling gear with disposable mouthpieces, cold drinks, tea, coffee and fruit, rain ponchos if the weather turns, insurance and photos with the catch. The trip runs in the Comfort+ format, which adds Wi-Fi and music on board, a towel for every guest and ice cream on return; what is Comfort+ explains the format.
Not included: personal spending, and cooking your catch at a restaurant afterwards. Bring swimwear under your clothes, shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, and a light change of clothes. The price is in the table on this page, in baht.
Who it suits
Anglers first, and families: children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and the card says the Racha Yai stop with snorkelling and swimming is usually what they remember. The day is long, so it suits children who are already comfortable on a boat. The tackle is on board and a professional crew runs the fishing, so you don't need gear of your own.
- You want a full day of fishing — sea fishing from sunrise
- You want Phi Phi with a fishing stop at the end — Phi Phi, Bamboo island and fishing at Rang Yai
- You want Racha Yai at sunrise with some deep-water fishing — the Racha Yai and Coral island sunrise trip
- You want two days on Phi Phi with fishing on the way back — Phi Phi: two days, one night
A fishing day or a fishing stop?
On the Phi Phi, Bamboo island and fishing day, deep-water fishing at Rang Yai island with the captain comes at 15:05, at the end of a full Phi Phi programme, and it's cancelled in bad weather. The early Racha Yai and Coral island trip has deep-water fishing from around half past nine during its morning on Racha Yai. The two-day Phi Phi trip stops at Rang Yai on the way back for anyone who wants to fish.
All three are good if fishing is a bonus. The sunrise fishing day is the one where fishing is the day. Our fishing trips from Phuket page puts the options side by side.
Guide and booking
Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send the tour, the date and your hotel, and we confirm the pickup time. If you'd rather have the boat to yourselves, private tours from Phuket covers charters on request.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
What if we catch nothing?
Lunch is still cooked on board: the menu includes chicken, rice and tom yum as well as the catch. The fish is a bonus, not the only food.
Can I keep the fish?
Yes. You can take your catch with you. Cooking it at a restaurant afterwards isn't included.
Is fishing tackle included?
Yes. All fishing tackle and equipment are included, along with snorkelling gear, breakfast, lunch, drinks and hotel transfer.
Can children come?
Yes. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and from ten the adult price applies. The day is long, so it suits children who are comfortable on a boat.
Can a non-fishing partner come along?
Yes. There's a shaded rest area on board, and the Racha Yai stop has snorkelling and a beach.
Is an English-speaking guide available?
Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.
Is hotel pickup included in the Phuket sunrise fishing tour price?
Yes. Transfer from the hotel and back is in the price. Pickup runs between 05:30 and 06:30 for the 07:00 departure from Chalong pier, and the exact time for your hotel comes with the booking.
How do I book the sunrise fishing trip?
Send the date, your hotel and everyone's ages in WhatsApp, and say who wants to fish. Pickup is between 05:30 and 06:30 and we confirm the time; payment by card online is agreed in the chat once the booking is confirmed.
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.