# Phi Phi and Racha Yai Catamaran from Phuket: Is It Worth It? Worth it if you would trade an early night for long stops and a quiet Maya Bay: the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran from Phuket gives you two hours on Racha Yai, two on Phi Phi Don, Maya Bay between 16:00 and 17:00 and a sunset on the water by Maiton island until 19:00. Not worth it if you want to be back mid-afternoon or to spend less, since it costs more than our speedboat days to Phi Phi. ## Tours and prices in Thai baht - [Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-racha-maiton-sunset) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-racha-maiton-sunset.md) — One day, 06:30–19:00 · Adult 2,700 THB · Child 4–9 2,500 THB - [Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai.md) — One day · Adult 2,000 THB · Child 4–9 1,800 THB - [Phi Phi at sunrise: Maya Bay before the crowds](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-sunrise) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-sunrise.md) — One day, 04:00–15:30 · Adult 2,300 THB · Child 4–9 2,000 THB Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so. ## What you see on the day, stop by stop The van comes between 06:30 and 07:30. Breakfast is at the pier, in a lounge: hot buffet, coffee, tea and, yes, free beer, if that's your thing before eight. You're on board at 08:30 and on Racha Yai by nine, with two hours to snorkel while it's still quiet. If you'd rather go under than snorkel, our [beginner scuba diving day trip](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/beginner-scuba-diving-day-trip) is a separate trip from Chalong. If Racha Yai is the part you came for, [Racha or Coral island for snorkelling](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/racha-or-coral-for-snorkeling) shows the trips that spend longer there. Lunch is on Phi Phi Don, and you've got it from noon till two. Eat, walk around, climb to the viewpoint, lie on the beach. The afternoon goes round Phi Phi Leh: Monkey Beach you see from the deck at 14:15, the Viking Cave a quarter of an hour later, and at three you swim in Pileh Lagoon for forty minutes. Then Maya Bay, four to five. The day boats have gone by then, and the card says you're the last ones out. Sunset happens on the water beside Maiton island, 17:45 to 19:00, and then it's back to Phuket, where ice cream waits at the pier. Every time is on the [catamaran tour card](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-racha-maiton-sunset). How that compares with Maya Bay at seven is on [Maya Bay at sunrise or after 4 pm](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/maya-bay-sunrise-or-afternoon). The overnight trips reach it in the morning instead: [does the Phi Phi overnight tour visit Maya Bay in the morning](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/phi-phi-overnight-maya-bay-morning). The catamaran's Racha Yai morning is compared with Khai island on [Khai island or Racha Yai for snorkelling](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khai-or-racha-yai-for-snorkelling). The morning island is described on its own on [Racha Yai, Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/guide/racha-yai). ## Who it suits, and who should skip it Anyone who won't do a four o'clock alarm but still wants the famous places quiet. People who like long stops. And groups who want the boat to be half the fun: there's a slide into the sea, an inflatable pool, SUP boards and see-through canoes. Who should skip it? If you need to be at the hotel by mid-afternoon, this isn't your day, because the boat turns for Phuket at seven and the drive comes on top. That's long for a toddler. If price is what decides, look at the table; it sits above both speedboat days. And if Bamboo or Khai island is on your list, neither is on this route. Still choosing between the islands rather than the boat? [Racha Yai or Phi Phi](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-yai-or-phi-phi) looks at which has the clearer water and the quieter beach. - Long stops, a late Maya Bay and a sunset — the catamaran - Lowest price of our Phi Phi days and a first snorkel off Khai island — Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island - Maya Bay at seven in the morning — Phi Phi at sunrise - Racha Yai and Coral island without Phi Phi — our Racha and Coral trips ## Catamaran or speedboat: what our cards say Our speedboat cards don't sugar-coat the ride. The Racha and Coral speedboat card says the boat can rock. The classic [Phi Phi and Khai island](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-maya-khai) card tells you to take a seasickness tablet half an hour before you leave, and [Phi Phi at sunrise](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/phi-phi-sunrise) isn't recommended if you're pregnant or have a bad back. The catamaran card says none of that. It doesn't give a crossing speed either, so we won't promise you a smoother sea; if seasickness is the worry, read [which boat tours work if you get seasick](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/seasickness-phuket-boat-tours) before you book. Where the two really differ is the clock. Classic speedboat: 07:30 pickup, back at the pier at 16:15. Sunrise speedboat: out at 04:00, back at 15:30. Catamaran: a normal breakfast and home in the evening. If you want Coral island as well, [Racha and Coral islands: speedboat or catamaran](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-speedboat-or-catamaran) explains why only the speedboats go there. ## How much time you spend on the water and on the islands Count the stops and it comes to nearly seven hours: Racha Yai two, Phi Phi Don two, Pileh forty minutes, Maya Bay one, Maiton an hour and a quarter (that one's spent in the water around the boat). The rest is crossings. About half an hour out to Racha Yai. An hour from there to Phi Phi Don, since you leave at eleven and arrive at noon. Then short hops round Phi Phi Leh, and 45 minutes from Maya Bay to Maiton. ## What is included, and what you pay extra Your ticket covers the hotel run both ways, breakfast at the pier, all the boat's toys, lunch on Phi Phi Don, sunset cocktails and fruit (keep the bamboo cup), snorkel mouthpieces, towels, Wi-Fi, ice cream, a guide and insurance. You pay for alcohol beyond the pier beer, extra drinks, souvenirs, professional photos and tips. The national park fee isn't on either list, so ask us in the chat whether it's collected on your date ([park fees by trip](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/national-park-fees-phuket)). Current prices for all three trips are in the table below, pulled from our booking system. ## Maya Bay and Maiton: what to check before you book Check the current status of Maya Bay when booking. Our catamaran card doesn't say whether you swim there, and on the classic Phi Phi card park rules limit swimming near the shore. If that swim is the whole point, ask first. [Maya Bay tours](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/maya-bay-tours) shows what time each trip gets there. What tours do on closure days is on [is Maya Bay open](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/is-maya-bay-open). You don't land on Maiton. The slide, the pool and the swimming all happen off the boat. Weather can change the programme, and a cloudy evening just means a grey sunset. ## Guide, children and booking Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Want English? Kids aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, from ten it's the adult price, and under fours go free. The tour runs in the Comfort+ format only. Cancellation terms: ask when booking. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send us the tour, the date and your hotel, and we'll confirm the pickup time. Still on the fence? Try [Phi Phi tours from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-tours), [Racha and Coral island tours](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-island-tours) or [sunrise or sunset tour](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/sunrise-or-sunset-tour). If an empty beach on Racha Yai sounds worth an early alarm, read [whether the Racha and Coral sunrise tour is worth it](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-sunrise-worth-it). Step by step, the booking is on [how to book the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/how-to-book-phi-phi-racha-catamaran). For a catamaran just for your group, see [private tours from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/private-tours-from-phuket). ## Worth knowing It's a 06:30 pickup and a 19:00 return, so pack swimwear, waterproof sunscreen, a hat, a waterproof phone case and shoes that can get wet. Towels are on board. ## FAQ ### Is the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran worth it? Yes, if you want long stops and a quiet Maya Bay late in the day: two hours each on Racha Yai and Phi Phi Don, Maya Bay at 16:00 and a sunset at Maiton. No, if you want to be back early or pay less; our speedboat days are cheaper and shorter. ### Are national park fees included in the catamaran price? Not listed. The fee appears neither in the included list nor in the extras on our card, so ask in the chat whether it is collected on your date before you pay. ### Is there an English-speaking guide on the catamaran? Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. ### What is the cancellation policy? Ask when booking. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed, and that is the moment to check the cancellation terms for your date. ### Can children join, and what do they pay? Yes. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, from ten the adult price applies, and under fours travel free. Keep in mind the day runs from a 06:30 pickup to a 19:00 return. ### How much free time do you get on Phi Phi Don? About two hours, from 12:00 to 14:00. That covers lunch, a walk across the island, the viewpoint over the archipelago and some beach time. ## Compare with - [Phi Phi Tours from Phuket: Which Trip to Pick](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-tours) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-tours.md) - [Racha and Coral Island Tours from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-island-tours) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/racha-coral-island-tours.md) - [Sunrise or Sunset Tour from Phuket: Which to Choose](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/sunrise-or-sunset-tour) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/sunrise-or-sunset-tour.md) - [Is the Phi Phi Sunrise Tour from Phuket Worth It?](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-sunrise-tour-worth-it) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-sunrise-tour-worth-it.md) - [All tours](https://phukeo.com/en/tours) ## How to book [Ask about dates on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/66619490349?text=Hello!%20I%20found%20you%20on%20phukeo.com%20and%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20%22Catamaran%3A%20worth%20it%3F%22.%20My%20dates%3A%20) --- Canonical: https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/phi-phi-racha-catamaran-worth-it