Similan Islands or Phi Phi from Phuket: Which Day to Book
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Book the Similan islands if the reef is the reason you came: it is the clearest water we can reach from Phuket in a day. Book Phi Phi if you want Maya Bay and the famous bays, a shorter day, and a trip that runs outside the Similan season (the park is shut from mid-May to mid-October).
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan islands: the classic day trip | About twelve hours | 2,600 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
| Similan islands, early departure | One day, 04:00–17:00 | 2,800 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| 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 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Where is the water clearer, Similan or Phi Phi?
The Similans. We say it to everyone who asks, and our own programme cards say the same thing. The classic big-boat day stops twice just to snorkel — island 9 at 09:00, island 7 at 13:30 — and the early boat drops you in open water where turtles often turn up.
Phi Phi is good too. Khai island has fish right at the sand, and there is a proper stop off Phi Phi Don. But on Phi Phi the snorkelling shares the day with Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, the Viking Cave and Bamboo island. So which matters more to you: the reef, or the postcard? That answers it.
Can I go to the Similans in June?
No. From mid-May to mid-October the national park is closed, and no Similan boat leaves — ours included. In those months the comparison is over before it starts.
Phi Phi keeps running whenever the authorities keep the sea open. When they close it, the trip moves to another day or the money comes back.
Which day starts earlier and ends later?
The Similans, by a long way. On the classic day we pick you up between 05:30 and 06:30, drive about an hour and a half north to Tablamu pier, and the boat leaves at 07:30; you are back somewhere between late afternoon and 18:00. The early Similan boat is worse for sleep (pickup 04:00–05:00). It is the earliest trip we sell.
Phi Phi from Chalong is simpler. Pickup at 07:30, boat at 09:15, back on the pier around 16:15 — and no drive up the coast, because the boat leaves from Phuket itself.
Staying in Khao Lak changes the sums. From there the Similan pier is close, and both our Similan trips collect from Khao Lak hotels as well as from Phuket.
- Best reef and clear water, high season — Similan islands
- Maya Bay and the famous beaches — Phi Phi
- Travelling May to October — Phi Phi
- Shorter day, no drive — Phi Phi from Chalong
- Staying in Khao Lak — Similans, transfer from Khao Lak included
Which one is easier on the body?
Honestly, the classic Similan day on the big boat. It rolls less than a speedboat, there is deck to walk on, and breakfast and a Thai buffet come to you. What it asks for is patience: twelve hours, and toilets and a small park shop only on Islands 4 and 8. We do not put people with bad backs or knees on it, and neither does the operator.
Phi Phi by speedboat bounces. Still, the Khai island version starts gently — shallow, clear water with the fish coming right up to the sand — and that is why families with small kids usually end up on Phi Phi first.
Group size, if it matters to you: up to thirty on the classic Similan boat, 36–38 on the early one, up to thirty-five on the Phi Phi sunrise trip.
What does each day actually look like?
Similan, classic: reef at island 9 first, then the scramble up to Sail Rock on island 8 (worth it, the photo everyone takes), lunch on board, a second reef at island 7, and a last swim off island 4. The early boat flips it — Miang island, number 4, at eight in the morning, with a short walk into the jungle where the flying foxes live.
Phi Phi, classic: Khai at 09:45, Monkey Beach and lunch on Phi Phi Don, the Viking Cave and Pileh Lagoon after lunch, Maya Bay at the end. Masks, jackets and a guide are included on both days, and on the Similans we collect from Khao Lak too.
Pack a warm layer for the Similans. Mornings on that boat are cold, and people never believe us until they are on it.
What if I have two sea days?
Do both. Phi Phi early in the holiday, since it is the one people plan everything around. Keep the Similans for a calm day in the high season.
One thing about language. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Send both dates with your hotel — we will line up the pickups.
Still torn? Send both dates in the chat and we will tell you which one the sea favours that week.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is the Similan trip better than Phi Phi?
For snorkelling and water clarity, yes. For the famous bays and a shorter day, Phi Phi. The Similans are only open from mid-October to mid-May.
Which is farther from Phuket?
The Similans. The classic trip drives around an hour and a half to Tablamu pier before the boat; Phi Phi leaves from Chalong on Phuket.
Which is better for beginners at snorkelling?
Phi Phi with Khai island. The first stop has shallow, clear water with fish at the shore.
Can I visit the Similans in June?
No. The Similan national park is closed from mid-May to mid-October. Phi Phi runs whenever the sea is open.
Which is more crowded?
Both are popular. On the Similans the early departure arrives ahead of the main groups; on Phi Phi the sunrise trip reaches Maya Bay before the day boats.
Which is better with young children?
Phi Phi with Khai island: a normal start time and shallow water. The early Similan boat is not recommended for children under four.
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.