Phuket Island Tours: How to Choose the Right Island Day
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Island tours from Phuket go to five areas: Coral and Racha to the south, Phi Phi to the south-east, Phang Nga Bay with James Bond island to the north-east, the Krabi islands beyond it, and the Similans far to the north. Distance decides the day — the near islands give you more beach and less boat; the famous ones cost you hours at sea.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coral island from Rawai pier | Half a day, 08:30–14:00 | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Krabi tropical paradise: four islands in one day | One day, 09:00–18:30 | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
| James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay | Eight to nine hours | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Eleven islands in one day: Phang Nga, Hong and Phi Phi | One day, twelve hours or more | 4,200 ฿ | 3,800 ฿ |
| Similan islands: the classic day trip | About twelve hours | 2,600 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
| Jet ski tour: nine islands in four hours | Four hours, 09:00–12:45 | 7,900 ฿ | 7,900 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Which islands are closest to Phuket?
Coral island: half an hour from Rawai pier. Racha Yai: about forty minutes from Chalong. That is the whole appeal — most of your day happens in the water, not on a bench in a speedboat. The Coral island trip from Rawai is back by 14:00; the Racha and Coral speedboat day is our lowest-priced full island day, with Patok Bay in the morning and Coral island after lunch.
Small children, a seasick partner, or you just want to see what the Andaman Sea looks like before signing up for twelve hours? Start here.
Children under four ride free on the Racha and Coral speedboat.
Is Phi Phi or Krabi better for an island day?
Phi Phi, if you want the famous one. About an hour by speedboat, and it is what most people come to Phuket for: Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, the Viking Cave, Monkey Beach. We run it four ways — the classic speedboat day with Khai island, a sunrise boat in Maya Bay by seven, a catamaran that gets there late, and two days with a night on the island.
The Krabi islands are the calmer answer. Krabi tropical paradise starts at 09:00, not in the dark, and strings together Naka Yai, Pakbia with its tidal sand spit, Hong island (viewpoint, snorkel) and Lao Lading — then a sunset on a sandbar.
Which would I send a first-timer on? Phi Phi, the classic Khai island version. Second trip: Krabi, for the sunset.
Which island day has the calmest water?
Phang Nga Bay is the limestone landscape of vertical towers in green water. The classic day drives around an hour and a half to a pier in Phang Nga, then goes by longtail boat to James Bond island, by sea kayak into the caves and to the stilt village of Koh Panyi for lunch. The water inside the bay is calm, so this is the island day for people who dislike open sea.
The eleven-islands day links Phang Nga Bay, Hong island and Phi Phi in a single run of around fourteen hours door to door, which suits people with only one sea day and plenty of energy.
If you would rather see the bay from above, the sunrise trip to the Beyond Skywalk glass bridge is back at the hotel by 13:00, with a longtail ride past James Bond island on the way.
Where is the clearest water, and is there anything faster?
The Similan islands are the best snorkelling within reach of Phuket, about two hours north, and are open only from mid-October to mid-May. The classic trip goes on a big boat with two snorkelling stops and the Sail Rock viewpoint; the early departure reaches the archipelago before the main groups.
For something different, the jet ski tour covers nine islands north-east of Phuket in four hours, with you driving your own machine. The minimum age to drive is 18, and the meeting point is AA Marina pier at 09:00, with no hotel transfer on this one.
What applies to every island tour?
Hotel pickup is included on every island tour except the jet ski. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and from ten years old the adult price applies. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Booking happens in the chat, and payment is agreed there after the booking is confirmed.
The sea decides the programme. Times on every card are a guide, stops are reordered for the tide, and if the authorities close the sea the trip moves to another date or the payment is returned. Book the island you care about most early in your stay and keep a spare day.
- Half a day — Coral island from Rawai
- First island day, lowest price — Racha and Coral by speedboat
- The famous one — Phi Phi, in the format that fits your hours
- Calm water and limestone — James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay
- Clearest water, high season only — the Similans
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Which island tour from Phuket is best for a first trip?
Racha and Coral islands by speedboat: a forty-minute crossing, two islands, lunch on the beach and the lowest price of our full island days. It shows you the Andaman Sea without a long day at sea.
What is the cheapest island tour from Phuket?
Among our full days, Racha and Coral islands by speedboat and Coral island from Rawai share the lowest adult price. The table on this page shows current prices in baht.
Can I do an island tour in half a day?
Yes. Coral island from Rawai pier runs from 08:30 to 14:00, and the jet ski tour takes four hours from AA Marina pier.
Which island tour has the calmest water?
Phang Nga Bay. The James Bond island trip spends the day inside a sheltered bay, by longtail boat and kayak, rather than crossing open sea.
Is hotel pickup included?
On every island tour except the jet ski tour, where you meet at AA Marina pier at 09:00. Pickup times depend on where you are staying and are confirmed when you book.
Do island tours run in the rainy season?
Yes, whenever the authorities keep the sea open. When they close it, the trip moves to another date or the payment comes back. The Similan islands are the exception: the park is closed from mid-May to mid-October.
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.