Racha and Coral Island Tours from Phuket
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Racha Yai and Coral island are the closest proper island days from Phuket: forty minutes by speedboat from Chalong to Racha, half an hour from Rawai to Coral. Less time at sea than Phi Phi, a lower price, and — at Racha early in the morning — some of the clearest water you can reach without a long crossing.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat Best for snorkelling at Racha and an afternoon on Coral Programme & booking | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Racha Yai and Coral island at sunrise Best for an early Racha arrival with fishing and snorkelling Programme & booking | One day, 04:30–15:30 | 1,600 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Coral island from Rawai pier Best for a half-day trip from Rawai Programme & booking | Half a day, 08:30–14:00 | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton Best for Racha, Phi Phi and sunset from a catamaran Programme & booking | One day, 06:30–19:00 | 2,700 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Sea fishing from sunrise Best for fishing and a snorkelling stop at Racha Yai Programme & booking | One day, 05:30–15:00 | 2,500 ฿ | 2,200 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
What happens on the Racha and Coral speedboat day?
It is the lowest-priced full island day we sell, and it does not feel cheap. Pickup 08:00–08:30, a briefing at Chalong, and at 09:00 the boat runs south to Racha Yai in about forty minutes. Then you have until noon at Patok Bay. Soft white sand. Water you can see your feet through.
After a short hop to Coral island, lunch is Thai food at a beachfront restaurant. The afternoon is yours: the reef starts right off the beach, and the water-sports people are set up on the sand if you want noise. Boat back at 16:00, hotels by about 17:30.
Those water sports are not ours — beach operators run them and you pay on the spot (parasailing 1,000–1,500 ฿ a flight, banana boat 300–500 ฿, a jet ski 800–1,200 ฿ for half an hour). Under-fours travel free on this one.
What is included on the Racha and Coral day?
Pretty much everything that is not a toy on the beach. Hotel transfer both ways, the speedboat crossings, lunch on Coral island, mask and snorkel, life jackets, drinking water and soft drinks, fruit on board, medical insurance, the guide, and the island entrance fees.
What you pay yourself: the water sports on Coral island (they belong to the beach operators, cash on the spot), alcohol, a professional photographer if you want one, and tips for the crew. Being able to swim makes the snorkelling far better, though jackets are there for everyone.
The speedboat can thump on the way out, so if you are prone to seasickness, take the tablet at the pier, not halfway across. Bad weather can change the route; the captain decides that in the morning.
Is the Racha sunrise trip worth it?
If you want Racha Yai to yourself — yes. We pick up between 04:30 and 05:00 with a breakfast box, the boat leaves at six, and the sun comes up over the water about half an hour later. At 06:40 you step onto a beach that is still empty. That is when the water is clearest too.
The morning on Racha runs to 10:30: viewpoints, kayaks and paddleboards (paid there), deep-water fishing from around half past nine. Then one more reef, and a long lazy lunch on Coral island until nearly three. Comfort+ throughout — Wi-Fi, beer at the pier, wine and ice cream on the way back. Bring a jumper for the dark part.
Can I do Coral island in half a day?
You can, from Rawai. Coffee on the pier at 08:30, off at 09:00, and half an hour later your feet are in the sand at Coral Beach. The morning is free. Lunch on the island at noon is seafood and Thai food; at one the boat moves round to Hin Dam bay to snorkel over the coral.
Back at Rawai at 14:00. The park fee is in the price. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. It is the shortest sea day we sell, and the one I suggest for a first morning on Phuket.
Which other trips stop at Racha Yai?
Two. The Phi Phi catamaran spends its first two hours there, nine to eleven, before heading to Phi Phi Don and Maya Bay. The sunrise fishing boat leaves Chalong at seven, trolls and bottom-fishes all morning, and anchors off Racha Yai around midday so you can swim while lunch is cooked from the catch.
One sea day and no appetite for long crossings? Racha and Coral. Two sea days? Pair it with Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay rather than doing both near islands.
And a tip for Coral island: on the Rawai trip the snorkel stop is Hin Dam bay, on the far side of the island, away from the beach where the water-sports boats are set up. If snorkelling is your reason to go, that half day is the better pick.
- Lowest price, full day, water sports — Racha and Coral by speedboat
- Clearest water and an empty beach — the sunrise version
- Back by 14:00, simplest logistics — Coral island from Rawai
- Racha plus a fishing rod — sea fishing from sunrise
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
How far is Racha island from Phuket?
Around forty minutes by speedboat from Chalong pier on our Racha and Coral day. Coral island is closer: half an hour from Rawai pier.
Racha or Coral island: which is better?
Racha Yai has the clearer water and the quieter beach at Patok Bay. Coral island is busier, with water sports on the sand and the reef right off the beach. Our speedboat day covers both.
Is Racha good for snorkelling?
Yes, especially early in the morning. The sunrise trip lands at 06:40, when visibility is at its best and the beach is still empty.
Can I do Coral island in half a day?
Yes. Coral island from Rawai pier meets at 08:30 and is back at the pier by 14:00, with lunch and a snorkelling stop included.
Are Racha and Coral trips good for children?
They are the easiest island days for families: short crossings, calm beaches and lunch on shore. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and under fours travel free on the speedboat day.
Which pier do Racha tours leave from?
Chalong pier, for the Racha and Coral speedboat day and the sunrise fishing trip. The Coral island half day leaves from Rawai pier. Hotel pickup to the pier is included on these trips.
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.