Phi Phi with Children from Phuket: Sunrise Speedboat or Sunset Catamaran?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 13 October 2026
For most families with young children, the catamaran is the easier Phi Phi day: pickup from 06:30 instead of 04:00, a steadier boat, and a slide and pool on board, at the price of a 19:00 finish. The sunrise speedboat suits older children who don't get seasick and can sleep in a minivan, with Maya Bay at seven and the pier again at 15:30. Children 4–9 pay 2,500 ฿ on the catamaran and 2,000 ฿ at sunrise, and under-fours go free.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton Best for young children: later pickup, steadier boat, slide and pool, back at 19:00; children 4–9 pay the child price Programme & booking | One day, 06:30–19:00 | 2,700 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Phi Phi at sunrise: Maya Bay before the crowds Best for older children who sleep in the car: Maya Bay at seven, back by 15:30; children 4–9 pay the child price Programme & booking | One day, 04:00–15:30 | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat Best for normal hours and an easy first snorkel at Khai; children 4–9 pay the child price Programme & booking | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
How does each day look for a child?
Phi Phi at sunrise is built around the hour. Pickup between 04:00 and 04:30, breakfast boxes at the pier at 05:25, off at 05:50, and you're on the sand in Maya Bay around seven. Then a swim in Pileh Lagoon, a snorkel stop, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don, and Bamboo island from 12:50 to 14:20. At 15:30 you're back at the pier. Our card is honest about the hard part: the early start, not the day. Children usually sleep through the transfer and the first leg on the boat.
The catamaran starts later and ends late. Pickup 06:30–07:30, a hot breakfast in the pier lounge, boarding at 08:30, and Racha Yai from 09:00 to 11:00 with an empty beach and clear water. Lunch on Phi Phi Don, a swim in Pileh Lagoon, Maya Bay between four and five. Then the part kids remember: a sunset stop on the water by Maiton island with the slide, the inflatable pool, SUP boards and clear canoes. Back on Phuket at 19:00, with ice cream at the pier. It runs in the Comfort+ format only.
Which boat for which age?
Under four: free on both, without a separate seat or meals, and babies from one year can join any of our sea trips. With a toddler we'd take the catamaran. A 4 am wake-up wrecks the rest of the day, and the catamaran has shade and room to walk instead of a bench. Twelve hours out with a two-year-old does need a nap plan, though. Toddlers in general are covered on can I take a toddler on a Phuket island tour.
Four to nine: the child ticket, 2,000 ฿ at sunrise and 2,500 ฿ on the catamaran. At this age the slide and the canoes usually settle the argument. If your child sleeps well in a car and you want Maya Bay nearly empty, the sunrise trip works too.
Ten and up: the adult ticket, 2,300 ฿ or 2,700 ฿. Older kids often enjoy the dark boat and the first light more than any slide. Ideas for that age are on Phuket tours with teenagers.
What if your child gets seasick?
Then the boat matters more than the hour. The sunrise trip is a speedboat with about an hour of open sea to Maya Bay, and our card says straight out that the ride is bumpy. The catamaran is slower and steadier, but you're on the water until evening, so it isn't a cure either. For a child who really struggles on boats, the gentle choice is neither: Phang Nga Bay by longtail, or the Coral island half day from Rawai, half an hour each way.
If you go anyway, ask a pharmacist about a tablet for your child's age and give it before the minivan, not at the pier. A seat towards the back of the speedboat, eyes on the horizon, a light breakfast. Seasickness in general is on which Phuket boat tours can I do if I get seasick, and the early trips are ranked on which sunrise tour is gentlest if you get seasick.
Maya Bay with kids
Same rules for adults and children: nobody swims inside the bay. On the sunrise trip you walk onto the beach around seven and have time for photos until eight. On the catamaran you arrive between four and five, after the day boats have gone. The places for kids to swim are Pileh Lagoon on both trips, Bamboo island at sunrise, and Racha Yai and the Maiton stop on the catamaran. The bay also closes for part of the year; is Maya Bay open explains when.
Neither 04:00 nor 19:00?
Then take the classic day. Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island runs at normal hours: pickup from 07:30, the first stop is Khai island with shallow water and fish right up to the sand, and you're back at Chalong at 16:15. Adults 2,000 ฿, children 4–9 1,800 ฿. It's a speedboat, and the national park fee is paid in cash on the day. All the Phi Phi trips are compared on Phi Phi tours from Phuket, and Racha against Phi Phi for families on Racha or Phi Phi with kids.
How to book with children
Send us the trip, the date, your hotel and every child's age in WhatsApp. The ages decide the tickets: 4–9 is the child price, ten and over pay as adults, under-fours go free. We confirm the pickup time for your hotel, and if you're torn between the two boats, say so. We'll ask a couple of questions about the kids and tell you which we'd book.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Which Phi Phi tour is better for young children?
For most families, the catamaran: pickup from 06:30 rather than 04:00 and a steadier boat, but you're back at 19:00. If that's too late, the Khai island day runs at normal hours.
Is the Phi Phi sunrise tour OK for kids?
Yes. Children 4–9 pay 2,000 ฿ and under-fours go free. The 04:00–04:30 pickup is the hard part; most children sleep through the transfer.
Is the catamaran better for a child who gets seasick?
It's steadier than a speedboat, but you're on the water until 19:00. For a child who really struggles on boats, Phang Nga Bay by longtail or the short Coral island trip is gentler.
How much do children pay on Phi Phi tours?
Children 4–9 pay 2,000 ฿ on the sunrise trip, 2,500 ฿ on the catamaran and 1,800 ฿ on the Khai island day. From ten it's the adult price; under-fours travel free.
Can babies go on a Phi Phi tour?
Yes, from one year old on any of our sea trips. Under-fours travel free, without a separate seat or meals.
Can children swim at Maya Bay?
No, nobody swims inside the bay. Children swim in Pileh Lagoon, at Bamboo island on the sunrise trip, and at Racha Yai and the Maiton stop on the catamaran.
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.