Is the Early Bird Similan Tour from Phuket Worth the Extra Cost?

Early boat and classic day, hour by hour

Both trips leave from Tablamu pier near Khao Lak. On the early one we collect you between 04:00 and 05:00, you're at the pier at 05:30 for a buffet breakfast, and the speedboat goes at six. Miang island (no. 4) at eight, with an empty beach and a walk in the jungle. At 10:10 islands seven and nine from the boat, plus snorkelling in open water where turtles are often seen. At 11:30 island eight, a lunch box and the climb to Sail Rock. You head back at two and eat dinner at the pier around four.

The classic day picks up between 05:30 and 06:30 and takes about an hour and a half by road. The big boat leaves at 07:30 with breakfast on board. Island nine for snorkelling at 09:00, Sail Rock on island eight at ten, beach time there at eleven, a Thai buffet on the boat at 12:30, island seven for the second snorkel at 13:30 and island four at 14:30. Return from 15:30, at the hotel by about 18:00. Staying in Khao Lak? Khao Lak from Phuket: what to expect covers the pickups there.

What the extra money buys

The early boat costs more; the current prices of both are in the table on this page. For that you get the first hours on the islands, which the card says is when the morning sea is calmer and the water clearer. You also get fins as well as a mask and snorkel, disposable mouthpieces, beach towels, Wi-Fi on the speedboat, beer at the pier in the morning, ice cream and wine on the way back, and dinner at the pier. It runs in the Comfort+ format.

The classic day has its own pluses. The national park entrance fees are on its included list. The big boat rides more smoothly and leaves room to move around, which counts over a twelve-hour day. And breakfast and a Thai buffet lunch are served on board.

When the early boat isn't worth it

When the beaches and the view are the point. Both trips stand you on Sail Rock and give you island-eight sand; the classic day does it for less. When you have small children: the early card doesn't recommend the trip for under-fours, because the wake-up is around half past three. And when the speedboat itself is the problem. The classic card's own answer to 'big boat or speedboat' is that the big boat rides more smoothly.

I'd pay for the early start only if snorkelling is the reason you came to the Similans. For a beach day with a view, I'd sleep the extra hour.

Park fees, passports and the season

The classic card lists the national park entrance fees as included and asks you to bring your passport or a clear copy, because the park registers visitors at the pier. The early card doesn't list the park fee as included or as an extra, so ask in the chat for your date before you pay. The general picture is on national park fees.

The Similan national park closes for the monsoon from mid-May to mid-October; both cards say so. Outside that window the trips run, weather permitting. Facilities on the islands are limited on either trip, so bring what you need. What that means for an October booking is on are the Similan Islands open. If you're coming in October, read Phuket tours in October too.

Children, seasickness and the crossing

Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price on both. On the classic boat, under-fours travel free without their own seat; the classic card also says the day isn't suitable during pregnancy or with back or knee problems. The crossing on the early boat takes around two hours, and mornings are usually the calmest part of the day.

Motion sickness tablets are on the bring list of both trips. If that's you, read which boat tours work if you get seasick first. With small children, Similan or Coral Island weighs the long day against a half day from Rawai.

Which Similan day to book

Short answer by situation. The longer comparison of the two days is on Similan islands tours, and the journey itself on Phuket to the Similan islands. For people who've done Phi Phi and want the next step up, the Similans sit next to James Bond island and the Krabi islands on day trips after Phi Phi. Either way you climb Sail Rock on Similan island 8: mid-morning on the big boat, around lunchtime on the early speedboat. The early boat's first stop, with the jungle walk, is described on Koh Miang, Similan island 4.

• →Snorkelling first, before the other boats — the early departure
• →Beaches and the Sail Rock view on a steadier boat — the classic big-boat day
• →Children under four — the classic day
• →Staying in Khao Lak — either; both collect from Khao Lak as well as Phuket
• →Travelling between mid-May and mid-October — a Phi Phi or Racha day instead

Guide and booking

Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed; ask about cancellation terms then too. The park reopens on 15 October, so a November holiday catches both boats running; Phuket tours in November covers the rest of that month.

Send us the tour, the date, your hotel and everyone's ages, and we confirm the pickup time. If the Similans are closed on your dates, Similan or Phi Phi shows what runs instead. Prefer to stay off the sea for a day? See land tours from Phuket. The booking itself, passport and season included, is on how to book a Similan islands tour. Weighing the Similans against Surin? See Similan or Surin Islands from Phuket. Whether to start from Phuket or Khao Lak is on Similan Islands from Phuket or Khao Lak. With a child under four, the early boat is not recommended; the Similan islands with children compares the two boats for families.

Questions people ask