Phi Phi or James Bond Island from Phuket: Which to Choose
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Choose Phi Phi for white beaches, clear water and snorkelling; choose James Bond island for the limestone towers of Phang Nga Bay, sea kayaks and calm water. Want both in one sea day? The eleven-islands trip covers them, at the cost of a very long day.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Phi Phi at sunrise: Maya Bay before the crowds | One day, 04:00–15:30 | 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 ฿ |
| 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 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Which one is better if I get seasick?
James Bond island, without hesitation. Phi Phi is open sea — about an hour by speedboat from Chalong on the classic day, and it can bounce hard (our sunrise card says no to pregnancy and bad backs). James Bond island starts with an hour and a half on the road to a pier in Phang Nga, and then a longtail inside a sheltered bay. Flat water, mostly.
If you want to swim and snorkel, though, Phi Phi gives you far more time in the water. That is the trade.
Another way to think about it: on Phi Phi you spend the day in the water looking down at fish; in Phang Nga Bay you spend it on the water looking up at cliffs. Both are good. They are just different days.
What do you actually do on each?
Phi Phi is beaches and fish: Khai or Bamboo island, Monkey Beach, Pileh Lagoon, the Viking Cave, Maya Bay, lunch on Phi Phi Don. Maya Bay has park rules, and swimming there is limited.
James Bond island is scenery and paddling. You land at Ko Tapu, a guide paddles you by kayak into caves and hidden lagoons, and lunch is seafood in the stilt village of Koh Panyi. Hardly any snorkelling — the bay is green, not see-through. Photographers tend to love it; snorkellers get bored.
A small warning for Maya Bay fans: the national park decides on the day whether the bay is open, and on some days boats only see it from the water. The James Bond island landing, on the other hand, is part of the classic programme every time the sea is open.
Which day is longer, and who is each for?
James Bond island, because of the drive: pickup 07:30–08:00, back on Phuket around 18:00. The classic Phi Phi day picks up at 07:30 and is back at Chalong about 16:15; its sunrise version picks up at four.
Phi Phi suits swimmers, snorkellers and anyone after the famous beaches. James Bond island suits photographers, families whose kids hate open sea, and people who have already done Phi Phi. Under-fours go free on the James Bond day.
If the group mixes ages, James Bond island is the easier compromise: grandparents sit in the longtail, kids paddle with the guide, nobody has to swim.
- Beaches and snorkelling — Phi Phi
- Calm water, kayaks and cliffs — James Bond island
- Seasickness in the group — James Bond island
- Both in one day — Eleven islands
Can I see both without two separate days?
You can. The eleven-islands day leaves Royal Phuket Marina, lands on James Bond island at 10:20, paddles at Talu, stops at Hong island and reaches Maya Bay at 16:30. Hotel again around 20:00. Everything is shorter; nothing is skipped.
Or take two days. Four pearls (up to twenty-five people) and Five pearls (24–38, Comfort+) spend the first morning in Phang Nga Bay with the rock itself, sleep on Phi Phi Don and do Maya Bay next morning. Four pearls adds Railay; Five pearls adds the Hong viewpoint.
What is included on each classic day?
On Phi Phi with Khai island: hotel transfer both ways, the speedboat, a buffet lunch with vegetarian dishes, masks, snorkels, jackets, a guide, insurance, drinking water. The park fee you pay in cash on the day.
On the James Bond island day: transfer, the longtail, kayaking with a guide and gear, seafood lunch, drinks, fruit, park fees, medical insurance. Souvenirs in the floating village and tips are yours. And in Koh Panyi — a working Muslim village — dress as you would in someone's neighbourhood.
So which should I book?
Got two sea days? Do them separately. Each classic day gets its full programme that way, no rushing. Put the one you care about most early in your stay — the sea can close on any date.
Kids aged 4 to 9 pay the child price on both. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Send the dates and your hotel in the chat and we will confirm both pickups.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is Phi Phi or James Bond island better?
Phi Phi for beaches and snorkelling, James Bond island for cliffs, kayaks and calm water. With two sea days, do both.
Which is better for seasickness?
James Bond island. The longtail stays inside sheltered Phang Nga Bay, while Phi Phi is an open-sea speedboat crossing.
Can I do Phi Phi and James Bond island in one day?
Yes, on the eleven-islands day. It covers Phang Nga Bay, Hong island and Phi Phi in about fourteen hours door to door.
Which is better with children?
Both work. Phi Phi with Khai island has shallow water for a first snorkel; James Bond island has calm water, and children under four travel free.
Which has more swimming?
Phi Phi. The James Bond island day is mostly boat, kayak and village, with little snorkelling.
Which day is longer?
James Bond island: back around 18:00 because of the drive to Phang Nga. The classic Phi Phi day is back at Chalong around 16:15.
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.