Kayaking and Canoeing on Phuket Tours
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Kayaking on our Phuket tours happens in four places. Sea kayaks go into the caves and lagoons of Phang Nga Bay on the James Bond island day, and canoes go through the mangroves at Talu on the speedboat runs. The Phi Phi catamaran carries clear canoes and SUP boards, and the Khao Lak safari has a canoe or bamboo raft on a jungle river.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ฿ |
| Four pearls of the Andaman Sea: two days, one night | Two days, one night | 5,000 ฿ | 4,500 ฿ |
| Five pearls of the Andaman Sea: two days, three regions | Two days, one night | 5,400 ฿ | 4,900 ฿ |
| Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton | One day, 06:30–19:00 | 2,700 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants | One day, around ten hours | 1,650 ฿ | 1,450 ฿ |
| Racha Yai and Coral island at sunrise | One day, 04:30–15:30 | 1,600 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Where is the best kayaking?
Phang Nga Bay. On James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay, from 12:30 to 14:00 you swap the longtail for a sea kayak and go into sea caves and hidden lagoons that only open from the water. A guide paddles each kayak, so it suits any level — you sit, look up at the rock, and duck where the guide says. Whether the whole day is worth it is weighed on is the James Bond island tour worth it. The land alternative, with the bay seen from above instead of from a kayak, is compared on Samet Nangshe or James Bond island.
Some caves are passable only at certain tides, so the guide decides the order on the day.
What about the mangroves at Talu?
On the eleven-islands day, kayaking among the mangroves at Talu island at 11:00, after James Bond island. On Four pearls, canoeing at Talu through mangroves and caves at 11:00; on Five pearls, at 10:50. All three are speedboat runs from Royal Phuket Marina, and the canoeing is a stop within a long day rather than the day itself. Another way through mangroves is our jet ski tour, which ends with a run through them back to AA Marina; see can beginners do the jet ski island tour.
Can I paddle on my own?
On the catamaran, yes: clear canoes and SUP boards are part of the boat, along with a slide and an inflatable pool, and you use them at the stops and at the sunset by Maiton island. On Racha at sunrise, kayaks and paddleboards are available on Racha Yai — paid on the spot, not included. How much time the catamaran's stops leave for paddling is laid out on our catamaran worth-it page.
Those are the options for people who want to steer themselves.
Is there river canoeing?
On the Khao Lak safari: bamboo rafting or canoeing down a jungle river at 12:50, after the elephant spa. The rafting days are a different thing — five kilometres of rapids in an inflatable raft with an instructor, minimum age six. On the quad version of that day the elephant programme is a ride rather than your choice of bath or ride; the details are on does the rafting, elephant and ATV tour include elephant bathing. For rafting and 250cc quad bikes in a single day, see is the rafting and ATV day worth it. The Khao Lak safari has bamboo rafting or a canoe at 12:50; is the Khao Lak safari worth it covers the rest of the day.
Do I need experience?
No, for the guided kayaks in Phang Nga Bay and the canoe stops at Talu. On the catamaran's SUP boards and canoes, basic balance and being comfortable in the water help; life jackets are on board. Children join the guided trips on the child price from 4 to 9; on the James Bond island day under-fours travel free.
What else happens on the James Bond island day?
Pickup 07:30–08:00, about an hour and a half to Phang Nga, and at 09:30 a longtail between the limestone towers. The landing on James Bond island comes around 11:30, the kayaks at 12:30, seafood lunch on stilts at 14:00 and an hour in Koh Panyi at 15:00. Back on Phuket around 18:00. Included: transfers, longtail, kayaking with a guide and gear, lunch, drinks, fruit, park fees and insurance. Booking it takes one message; how to book a James Bond island tour shows what to send.
Which kayaking trip is calmest?
The James Bond island day, inside sheltered Phang Nga Bay, with a guide doing the paddling. The Talu canoe stops are calm too, in mangroves, but they sit inside long speedboat days with open-sea crossings. The catamaran's canoes and SUPs are used at island stops and at the sunset on the water.
Is there kayaking for children?
Yes, on the guided kayaks in Phang Nga Bay: a guide paddles and children sit in. On the James Bond island day children under four travel free, and ages 4 to 9 pay the child price. Life jackets are provided on every trip. Heads up: the kayak stop on that day is Hong island of Phang Nga Bay, not the Krabi Hong with the viewpoint. Which Hong island is on a James Bond tour clears it up.
How long is the paddling?
On the James Bond island day, an hour and a half in the kayaks, 12:30 to 14:00. On the Talu stops, forty to fifty minutes within the morning of the speedboat runs. On the catamaran, as long as the stops allow, and at the sunset stop by Maiton from 17:45. Whether the kayak and the park fee are in the price on the James Bond routes: canoeing and park fees on a James Bond tour.
Is kayaking possible in the rainy season?
The James Bond island day spends it in sheltered water, which is why it is the steadiest sea trip we sell; heavy weather can still change the programme. The Talu stops sit inside open-sea speedboat days, which the swell cancels first. If the authorities close the sea, the trip moves or the payment comes back.
What should I bring?
Swimwear, a hat, sunscreen, a dry bag for the phone — cave ceilings drip — and sandals with a strap. Leave anything you would hate to drop in the sea on the boat. See James Bond island tours for the full comparison of Phang Nga days.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Where can I kayak from Phuket?
In Phang Nga Bay's sea caves on the James Bond island day, and through the Talu mangroves on the speedboat runs.
Do I paddle myself in Phang Nga Bay?
No, a guide paddles each kayak, so it suits any level.
Is there SUP on any tour?
Yes, SUP boards and clear canoes on the Phi Phi catamaran; paid kayaks and paddleboards on Racha Yai on the sunrise trip.
Is kayaking included?
Yes on the James Bond island day and the Talu stops; on Racha Yai the kayaks are paid on the spot.
Can children kayak?
Yes, on the guided kayaks; the child price applies from 4 to 9.
When is the kayaking on the James Bond day?
From 12:30 to 14:00, after the landing on James Bond island.
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.