Most booked
Phi Phi Don · Phi Phi Leh · Maya Bay
Phi Phi by Private Speedboat
4.9 (428)
06:30 departure · national park fee included · lunch on Bamboo Island
from$118 / pp
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Phuket
Phuket tours & island day trips
Phuket is the base, not the destination. The island's real value is what leaves from it — Phi Phi before the speedboat fleets, the limestone caves of Phang Nga, and a west-coast sunset you can watch from a boat instead of a beach bar.
5Tours & day trips
4–6Days we recommend
Nov–AprBest window
$55Day trips from
Day trips
What leaves from Phuket
Two directions matter: north-east to Phang Nga Bay, and south to Phi Phi. Doing both in one day is possible and a mistake — you spend five hours on the water getting between them.
Most booked
Phang Nga Bay · James Bond Island · Panyee
Phang Nga Bay & Sea Caves
4.8 (301)
Kayak through hongs · Muslim fishing village lunch · park fee included
from$105 / pp
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Evening
Phuket Old Town · Thalang Road
Old Town Food Walk
4.9 (187)
Hokkien noodles, Peranakan sweets · max 8 · 6 tastings
from$55 / pp
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Half day
Big Buddha · Wat Chalong · Promthep Cape
South Coast & Sunset Point
4.7 (142)
Private car · temple dress code wraps provided · ends at sunset
from$62 / pp
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Multi-day
All Thailand tours
Journeys built around the Andaman
Phuket · Phi Phi · Krabi
Andaman Island Escape
Beach hotels · private boat days · all entrance fees
from$1,690 / pp
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Bangkok · Koh Samui · Koh Tao
Two of Us, Slowly
Sea-view suites · private transfers · sunset boat
from$2,240 / pp
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Bangkok · North · Andaman · Gulf
Thailand End to End
2 domestic flights · private guide & car · all fees
from$3,640 / pp
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The island, honestly
Patong is not Phuket
Phuket is 48 kilometres long and most visitors see about four of them. Patong is the loudest, busiest, most photographed strip on the island, and if that is what you came for, fine — but it is not where we book people by default. The west coast north of Patong (Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao) and the south (Kata, Nai Harn) give you the same sunset with a fraction of the noise.
Where you stay determines what your days look like. From Kata, Phi Phi is 40 minutes to the boat pier; from Bang Tao it is 55. From the east coast — where the airport is — you are on the wrong side of the island for everything except the marina.
Which boat, and why it matters
Three options, three different days. A speedboat gets you to Phi Phi in 45 minutes and to Maya Bay before the tour fleet; it is bumpy in a swell and useless in the wrong month. A longtail is slower, cheaper, unbeatable for Phang Nga's caves and mangroves, and wet in a chop. A catamaran is the stable, shade-covered option for families and anyone who does not want to be bruised.
We use speedboats for Phi Phi, longtails inside Phang Nga, and catamarans for the sunset sails. The boat is named in every proposal, not chosen on the morning.
When to come
November to April is the Andaman's dry season and the only window where a boat day is reliably a boat day. May to October brings the southwest monsoon: cheaper hotels, greener hills, and seas that cancel trips roughly one day in five. If your dates are fixed in the monsoon, plan the boat day for the middle of your stay so a cancellation has somewhere to move to.
Maya Bay closes seasonally for reef recovery — we check the closure dates before quoting and reroute to Bamboo Island or Pileh when it applies.
Getting from the airport
Phuket airport to Patong is 45–60 minutes depending on traffic; to Kata about 75. A metered taxi queue is 20–40 minutes at peak arrivals, and the fare is not fixed. We include a private transfer in every multi-day itinerary and quote it separately for day-trip guests.
What is included on boat days
National park fees, life jackets in adult and child sizes, drinking water, fruit, snorkel gear and a dry bag. Towels are provided on the catamaran, not the speedboat — bring your hotel towel for that one.
Questions
Phuket, answered
Which part of Phuket should I stay in?
Kata or Karon for a beach holiday with restaurants within walking distance; Kamala or Surin for quieter hotels; Bang Tao for resorts. Patong only if nightlife is the point. We book according to what you plan to do, not by star rating.
Can I do Phi Phi and Phang Nga in one day?
Technically yes, and it is a bad day: five hours of the eight are spent crossing open water between them. Pick one. Phi Phi for beaches and snorkelling, Phang Nga for caves, karsts and the fishing village.
Is Maya Bay open?
It closes for set periods each year for reef recovery. We check the current dates before quoting and reroute to Bamboo Island or Pileh Lagoon if your dates fall inside a closure.
Do you run tours in the rainy season?
Yes, with honest caveats. Land tours and old town walks run year-round. Boat days run when the marine forecast allows — we cancel and refund rather than take you out in a swell.
Are the boats private?
The Phi Phi and Phang Nga trips on this page are private by default: your group, your boat, your departure time. Shared speedboat seats are available at about 40% less if you prefer.
How far is Phuket from Krabi?
Two hours by road, or 45 minutes by ferry from Rassada pier. Most people combine the two; we usually put Krabi second because the scenery is quieter and it makes a better finish.
Tell us your dates on the Andaman.
We will check the marine forecast, the Maya Bay closure and the boat availability before quoting.