How to Get to James Bond Island from Phuket
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 12 October 2026
James Bond island is in Phang Nga Bay, not next to Phuket, so everyone gets there the same way: an hour and a half to two hours by road to a pier near Phang Nga, then a longtail across the bay. You can do the driving yourself, or let a tour bus collect you at the hotel and bring you back.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay | Eight to nine hours | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Sunrise on the glass Skywalk and James Bond island | One morning and early afternoon, 03:45–13:30 | 2,600 ฿ | 2,300 ฿ |
| 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.
Can I get to James Bond island on my own?
Yes. Over the bridge to the mainland, then north along the bay — roughly two hours each way at the wheel. The road is good; I would not do it on a scooter. Longtails leave from piers near Phang Nga town, and you agree the trip with the boatman right there. The national park fee is paid separately at the entrance to the bay.
Coming back is the same road, and in the evening it feels a lot longer than it did in the morning. Four hours of driving in a day: that is the real price of doing it yourself.
What does going on your own give you?
Time, mostly. You reach the pier when you decide, not when the group is ready. You can tell the boatman where to linger and what to skip. And the rock is quieter early — the tourist wave reaches the bay towards the middle of the day, so whoever leaves first finds empty water.
You can also stop on the way: a cave temple, a viewpoint over the mangroves, a market on the way back. All of that works on one condition. Somebody in the car is happy to drive for four hours. On our trips the viewpoint and the island are separate days; Samet Nangshe and James Bond island in one day shows which trip covers which.
What does a tour give you?
No logistics. On James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay the bus collects you between 07:30 and 08:00 and brings you back around 18:00. The route is already assembled: longtail through the limestone towers, an hour at the rock from about 11:30, sea kayaks into the caves with a guide paddling, lunch in the stilt village of Koh Panyi. Park fees, lunch, drinks and fruit are included. Is that day worth it for you? Our honest take covers the rock, the kayaks and who should skip it.
No haggling at the pier, either — the boat is booked in advance. And if you want the bay from above rather than from water level, the sunrise skywalk trip starts on a glass bridge at dawn and then passes the rock by longtail. That bridge is Beyond Skywalk, not the Samet Nangshe skywalk; Samet Nangshe or Beyond Skywalk explains the difference.
Who is each way for?
A couple with a licence and some experience of Thai roads usually does fine on their own: one car, one boat, split two ways. For a bigger group the sums tilt the other way — the more people, the better a tour works out. Families with small kids: take the tour. Four hours in a car without stops is hard on children.
And do not spend your first day on the island driving to Phang Nga. Get to know the roads first. If you are undecided between this and Phi Phi, read our Phi Phi or James Bond island comparison. Prefer to see the bay from above? The Phang Nga skywalk day starts on the glass bridge at Samet Nangshe and then takes a longtail through the mangroves. When you're ready, how to book a James Bond island tour lists what to send us.
Which tours land on the rock, and which only pass it?
Four of ours put you on the island. The classic longtail day lands around 11:30. The eleven-islands day lands at 10:20 after Panak island and the Ice Cream cave. On the two-day trips the landing is on the first morning — 10:10 on Four pearls, 10:00 on Five pearls. The real choice is the boat, and we put the two side by side in speedboat or longtail to James Bond island. If the sea isn't for you, our land tours from Phuket gathers the jungle, Phang Nga, Cheow Lan and Krabi days in one place. Five pearls lands at 10:00 on day one before going on to Krabi and Phi Phi; is the Five Pearls two-day tour worth it weighs the trip.
One trip only passes it: the sunrise skywalk day, where the longtail goes through the caves and islands of the bay past James Bond island at about eight, and you are back at the hotel around 13:00. Fine if the view is the point; not if you want the photo standing next to Ko Tapu. Torn between the bay and the Similans? Similan or James Bond island puts them side by side.
What costs extra on a James Bond island tour?
On the classic day, very little. The longtail, the kayaking with a guide and gear, the seafood lunch, drinks, fruit, the park fees and medical insurance are all included. What you pay for yourself: souvenirs in the floating village, extra drinks at the restaurant, alcohol, a professional photo or video service if you want one, and tips for the guides and boatmen.
Children under four travel free. The kayaking suits any level, because a guide paddles each boat. By the way, the kayak caves on the longtail day are the Hong of Phang Nga Bay, and people mix it up with the Krabi Hong all the time: which Hong island is on a James Bond tour.
What should I ask at the pier if I go alone?
How many stops are included, and for how long. Whether the park fee is in the boat price or separate. Whether the caves are open at that tide — some only pass at certain water levels, which is why tour guides decide the order on the day.
And agree the return time before you leave the pier. On a tour, all of that is decided for you; that is most of what you are paying for. A private boat into the bay is quoted on request; see private tours from Phuket.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
How far is James Bond island from Phuket?
An hour and a half to two hours by road to a pier in Phang Nga, then a longtail across the bay. Tours include both legs.
Can I take a boat to James Bond island from Phuket directly?
Speedboat tours from Royal Phuket Marina, such as the eleven-islands day, include a landing on James Bond island. Independently, most people drive to a Phang Nga pier.
Is the national park fee included?
On our classic James Bond island tour, yes. If you go on your own, you pay it at the entrance to the bay.
How long does a James Bond island tour take?
About ten hours on the classic day: pickup 07:30–08:00, back on Phuket around 18:00.
Can I kayak at James Bond island?
Yes. On our classic tour a guide paddles each kayak into the caves and lagoons, so no experience is needed.
What is the best time to reach the rock?
Early. The tourist wave reaches the bay around midday; the sunrise skywalk trip passes the rock by longtail in the early morning.
Can I visit James Bond Island without swimming or kayaking?
Yes, without swimming: our card calls it a bay and cave day rather than a beach day, and most people stay dry apart from their feet. In the kayak you don't paddle; a local boatman does.
Can I combine the glass skywalk with James Bond Island in one day?
Yes, on our sunrise skywalk trip, but without a landing. You're on Beyond Skywalk, a glass bridge over Phang Nga Bay, at 05:45; at eight a longtail takes you past James Bond island, and you're back at the hotel around 13:00. The Samet Nangshe skywalk day skips the island. To land on it, book the classic longtail day.
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.