James Bond Island private boat tour from Phuket with Koh Hong: the combined Phang Nga Bay day, half day or full day, which boats go and what it costs in 2026/27
A James Bond Island private boat tour from Phuket costs from ฿33,900 per boat with Horizon Cruises Phuket: five hours to the rock on the Ocean Pearl 42 from Ao Po Grand Marina, ten guests in the rate, or from ฿50,900 for the full day with Koh Hong on the Astrea 42 with twelve in the rate. Departures from all four Phuket marinas, four to eighty-five guests, 2026/27 season included. Write to us on WhatsApp.
Key highlights
- James Bond Island and Koh Hong lie in the same sheltered corner of Phang Nga Bay, inside Ao Phang Nga National Park, so a private boat from Phuket visits both in one eight-hour day, or the rock alone in five hours.
- Ao Po Grand Marina on the north-east coast is the departure point to count from: 20 km to James Bond Island and 18 km to Koh Hong, against 53 km and 48 km from Chalong Pier.
- The lagoon inside Koh Hong is entered by inflatable canoe at mid tide only, so the captain sets that stop from the tide table and builds the itinerary around it.
- Twenty-one of the around 80 boats in the catalogue name James Bond Island on their price list, from a speedboat for four guests to a power catamaran for sixty; every rate is per boat, not per guest.
- Horizon Cruises Phuket holds 5.0 from 33 reviews on Google.
Why James Bond Island and Koh Hong make one private day in Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay is the enclosed sea between Phuket and Krabi on the Andaman coast of Thailand, a field of limestone towers in green water, screened from the open sea by hundreds of islands. Its most visited attraction is the island the tourist maps call James Bond Island: Khao Phing Kan, the island with the beach where the boat lands you, and Ko Tapu, the limestone needle standing in the water off that beach. The name comes from The Man with the Golden Gun, the ninth Bond film, shot here in 1974 with Roger Moore as 007 and Christopher Lee as Scaramanga. The rock formation is protected: boats do not tie up to it and nobody climbs it.
Koh Hong lies a short boat ride to the west, a ring of limestone cliffs with a lagoon hidden inside and the sea canoeing stop of the bay. Around the two sit Koh Panak with its sea caves, Koh Panyee, the fishing village on stilts where the boat can stop for lunch ashore, and the inhabited Koh Yao islands on the way home. All of it lies inside one sheltered bay and one national park, so the two headline islands are one island tour rather than a choice; the James Bond Island page and the Koh Hong page cover each separately.
Meeting and pickup: Ao Po Grand Marina or Chalong Pier for the boat tour from Phuket
The yacht sits where its berth is, so the boarding point follows the boat you choose. Distances are straight-line figures from each pier, with the one-way running time by hull type from Ao Po.
| Island | From Ao Po Grand Marina | From Chalong Pier | Speedboat, 25 to 35 knots | Motor yacht, 9 to 30 knots | Sailing catamaran, 5 to 7 knots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Yao Yai and Noi | 16 km | 30 km | about 20 min | about 30 min | about 1.5 h |
| Koh Hong (Phang Nga) | 18 km | 48 km | under 20 min | 25 to 30 min | about 1.5 h |
| James Bond Island | 20 km | 53 km | about 25 min | 25 min to just over 1 h | about 2 h |
Ao Po Grand Marina is the closed marina nearest to the bay and the airport, about half an hour's drive away, so guests who want a boat day straight after arrival in Phuket start here; it has no tidal window, and boats from here are in the limestone within the first half hour, which is what makes a half day possible. Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina on the east coast share one tidal channel, so departure times there follow the tide. Chalong Pier is the short drive from Patong, Kata and Karon, but the run to the bay is nearly three times as long, so the Chalong boats sell this route as a full day only. Bring your passport for the passenger list, be at the pier fifteen minutes early, and check the yacht's page for whether a minivan from your hotel lobby is in the rate.
Half day or full day: the itinerary of a private tour from Phuket
A full day of eight hours is the only format on which both islands are visited. Out of Ao Po the boat leaves at 09:00 and is inside the limestone by about 09:30, at James Bond Island first while the beach is still quiet; the Koh Hong canoe circuit goes where the mid tide falls, lunch is at 12:30 on board at anchor or ashore at Koh Panyee, Koh Panak and the Naka islands fill the afternoon, and the boat is alongside by 17:00. A half day of four or five hours is sold from Ao Po and the east coast only, reaches one headline island, not both, and is back by 13:00 or 14:00.
The hours are yours to move, because a private charter has no timetable, but the Koh Hong stop is set by the tide, and when the mid-tide window falls early or late the captain changes the order around it. Three half-day formats exist, all from Ao Po: the Ocean Pearl sells five hours to James Bond Island, the Prada 50 power catamaran five hours to Koh Hong with Koh Yao from ฿50,000 in low season with ten guests in the rate, and Beluga 88 four hours to Koh Hong with Naka at ฿171,200 with twelve in the rate. For the stilt village, the F1 and the Sea Explorer from Chalong publish Koh Panyee together with James Bond Island; elsewhere it is a route change agreed with the manager.
Koh Hong: sea canoeing into the lagoon, and why the tide decides the hour
Nothing with an engine goes into the hong, and nothing rigid does either. The lagoon opens to the sea through one low passage: at one end of the tide there is too little water to float a canoe, at the other no headroom under the rock. The captain watches for a mid tide, and the window shifts by roughly fifty minutes from one day to the next, so two groups on consecutive dates get different hours for the same island. The yacht waits outside on a mooring buoy, and the crew hires inflatable canoes on the spot: two guests in front, a local paddler at the back, and a circuit through the caves into the walled pool of forty minutes to an hour. The canoe is paid at the island, as is the park fee, which the rangers collect per person in cash on arrival, children aged 3 to 14 at a reduced rate; the parks revise their rates from time to time, so we confirm the current figure with your quote. If the window misses your hours, the day is built around the outside of the island and the caves of Koh Panak. There are two islands called Koh Hong, 25 km apart in different provinces and parks; the Krabi one has a beach and is sold as a Krabi day.
Which boats run the James Bond Island private tour with Koh Hong, and what the day costs
Boats Horizon Cruises Phuket offers for James Bond Island with Koh Hong in one day, with the route as each price list names it and the lowest rate for the whole boat from each yacht's page; where a page publishes a fuel fee for the bay, the figure includes it:
| Boat | Type | Guests | Departs from | Route as the price list names it | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Pearl 42 | Motor yacht, 42 ft | 10 in the rate, up to 20 | Ao Po Grand Marina | James Bond Island, 5 hours; Phang Nga Bay, 8 hours | ฿33,900 and ฿42,900 outside the peak |
| Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 | Sailing catamaran, 42 ft | up to 12 | Ao Po Grand Marina | Hong Island and James Bond Island, 09:00 to 17:00 | ฿50,900 low season |
| Limpopo Axopar 28 | Speedboat, 28 ft | up to 4 | Boat Lagoon | Panak, Hong, James Bond, Naka, 8 hours | ฿54,900 with the fuel fee |
| F1 | Power catamaran, 42 ft | 8 in the rate, up to 20 | Chalong Pier | Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island and Koh Panyee, 08:30 to 17:30 | ฿55,900 low season |
| Leopard 47 Myra | Sailing catamaran, 47 ft | 10 in the rate, up to 30 | Ao Po Grand Marina | Panak, Hong, James Bond Island, 8 hours | ฿59,000 outside the peak |
| Sea Explorer | Power catamaran, 47 ft | 8 in the rate, up to 30 | Chalong Pier | Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island and Koh Panyee, 08:30 to 17:30 | ฿71,900 low season |
| Azimut Atlantis 50 | Motor yacht, 50 ft | 8 in the rate, up to 11 | Chalong Pier | Phang Nga (Panak, Hong, James Bond, Naka), 8 hours | ฿111,000 normal season |
| Lagoon 56 OO7 | Sailing catamaran, 56 ft | 10 in the rate, up to 25 | Ao Po Grand Marina | Panak, Hong, James Bond Island, 8 hours | ฿135,000 outside the peak |
Prices are per boat, not per guest: the rate covers the group up to the headcount shown on each yacht's page, and boats with a set number in the rate charge each guest above it, from ฿800 a head on the Ocean Pearl to ฿2,000 on the Myra and the OO7. The Ocean Pearl's price list names the bay rather than the two islands, so her route is agreed at booking.
Speedboat, longtail boat, catamaran or motor yacht: the best James Bond Island boat for your group
The bay is flat and the crossing short, so a slow hull is no handicap and the choice comes down to deck space, shade and headcount. For a couple or a family of four the Limpopo is the private speedboat whose price list names the rock; the AQVA 37 from Chalong sells Phang Nga Bay as a seven-hour day from ฿37,900 outside the peak with six guests in the rate, and the Kiri Long-tail 40 from the same pier, the one longtail boat in the catalogue, sells it as an eight-hour day at the same figure with four in the rate. A motor yacht gives shade and an air-conditioned saloon for children or older travellers; a power catamaran a flat deck that does not roll at anchor; a sailing catamaran the slow option when the sailing is part of the day. Every hull that publishes the bay is in the guide to a private yacht charter from Phuket to Phang Nga Bay.
Luxury yachts and large groups on this route
Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga 88, our three yachts, sell the bay under Koh Hong's name, and James Bond Island goes into their day as a route change agreed at booking. The Beluga, renovated in 2026 and berthed at Ao Po, publishes Phang Nga Bay with Naka as an eight-hour day from ฿214,000 in low season for twelve guests and up to twenty-two, Thai lunch and one return transfer included; Say Yes and Sofia leave from Chalong and publish Koh Hong with Naka as a nine-hour day from ฿180,000 in high season for twelve. For a party above thirty, the SPLO 74 Chowa from Royal Phuket Marina names James Bond, Hong and Panak as an eight-hour day at ฿220,000 on its family rate for twelve and takes up to forty-five, and the Pisces 85 power catamaran offers Naka Yai, Hong Island and James Bond Island from ฿250,000 in low season for thirty guests and up to eighty-five, transfers, lunch and park fees included.
Private boat tour or group tour with a tour guide: how do travellers see the rock?
By water only; there is no road and no bridge. Most visitors reach James Bond Island on a group tour, a longtail boat tour or a shared speedboat with a tour guide and a fixed timetable, which is why the beach is at its busiest in the middle of the day, with a queue for the one photograph everybody wants, and why a fixed hour at Koh Hong is a gamble: the hong opens on the tide, not on the clock. A private boat tour changes both: you leave earlier or later than the group departures and meet Ko Tapu with few people on the beach, and the captain puts the Koh Hong stop where the mid tide falls. There is no tour guide reading from a script; the captain runs the day, the crew look after the guests, and the paddlers take you into the lagoon. Where lunch happens and how long you stay are yours to settle, with nobody aboard but your group; that private experience is what the per-boat rate buys. For families with small children the bay is the gentlest of the day trips from Phuket: a short crossing, calm water all year and life jackets in child sizes on every boat.
James Bond Island or Phi Phi Island: which private boat tour from Phuket?
Travellers visiting Phuket with one free day usually weigh the two best-known attractions near Phuket against each other, and they are different days in opposite directions. The Phi Phi islands lie to the south-east behind an open-water crossing of about an hour and a half each way from Chalong, and the day there is about beaches and snorkelling: Maya Bay, the Pileh lagoon and Bamboo Island. James Bond Island and Koh Hong are enclosed water, sightseeing, sea canoeing, caves and the stilt village. Pick Phi Phi for sand and reefs, the bay for limestone and the lagoon; in the low season the bay is also the safer bet on sea conditions. James Bond and Phi Phi in a single day is not realistic, so guests who want both take two days on two boats, one from Ao Po and one from Chalong; the boats for the second day are in the guide to a private yacht charter from Phuket to the Phi Phi islands.
What's included in the price, and what is paid on the day
On every boat Horizon Cruises Phuket offers, the rate for the whole boat takes in the captain and crew, so guests need no licence, fuel for the agreed route except where the yacht's page lists a fuel fee, passenger insurance, water and soft drinks, fruit, ice, tea and coffee, snorkelling gear, life jackets in adult and child sizes, and towels; VAT at 7 % is inside every figure on the site. The rest is set by the boat. Lunch is included on the full day on the Myra, the OO7, the Atlantis, the F1 and the Sea Explorer, as a picnic on the Limpopo; on the AQVA and the Kiri you bring food and drinks at no charge; the Ocean Pearl and the Prada list lunch at a restaurant à la carte, and on the Astrea the menu on board is ฿500 per guest for groups of six or more. The hotel transfer is in the rate on the Boat Lagoon boats, the Myra and the OO7, and not on the Ocean Pearl, the Astrea, the Prada, the AQVA or the Kiri. Paid separately: the Ao Phang Nga National Park fee, unless the yacht's page lists it in the rate as the Myra, the OO7 and the Pisces do; the canoe at Koh Hong; alcohol where the boat does not carry it; guests above the number in the rate; and extra hours. The general list is on the what is included page.
When to go: season, sea conditions and the hour at the rock
November to April is the dry, calm stretch on the Andaman side of Thailand and the high season; from May to October the west coast of Phuket takes the swell, yet the route into Phang Nga keeps running because the bay is enclosed. It is the one island day from Phuket that does not depend on the open sea, the safe choice for a date that cannot move. The captain makes the call on the morning's sea conditions and has the final word on the route; if the wind is wrong he offers an alternative route on the same day, and a full refund applies only when the authorities prohibit departure. Low season carries the lowest rates in the tables; the peak dates differ by boat and are on each yacht's page. Within the day, early is everything: the first boats in find Ko Tapu empty, and by late morning the longtail boats and shared speedboats have arrived.
What to bring, and how to book the private tour
Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a light long-sleeved shirt for the midday sun, swimwear under your clothes, cash in baht for the park fee and the canoe, and a dry bag for your phone; towels, masks and fins and the drinks are on board. Then send the date, the number of guests and half day or full day on WhatsApp. You get the boats free on that date with one final figure in Thai baht, in writing, before anything is paid; most boats take a 50 % deposit with the balance before departure, some are paid in full at booking, late cancellation is non-refundable, and the exact terms are on each yacht's page and the terms page. Payment is by card, bank transfer, cash or USDT. Horizon Cruises Phuket has been a licensed tour operator in Phuket since 2013, TAT licence 34/02188, with an office in Chalong and support in English and Russian; on WhatsApp we reply within ten minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private boat tour to James Bond Island from Phuket cost?
From the five-hour Ocean Pearl run in the first paragraph for ten guests, and from ฿42,900 for her eight-hour bay day that reaches Koh Hong as well; a sailing catamaran that names both islands starts on the Astrea, a Chalong power catamaran with Koh Panyee on the F1 for eight. Every figure is for the whole boat in Thai baht, before the park fee and the canoe.
How much does a James Bond Island speedboat tour cost in Phuket?
Group tours sell seats; a private speedboat with Horizon Cruises Phuket is priced for the whole boat. The Limpopo is the speedboat whose price list names the rock, Panak, Hong and Naka in eight hours for four guests, fuel fee and picnic lunch in the table figure; the AQVA from Chalong carries up to twelve and sells the bay as a seven-hour day.
How do I get to James Bond Island from Phuket?
Only by boat. From Ao Po Grand Marina in the north-east it is a short crossing into Phang Nga Bay, under an hour on most motor yachts; from Chalong Pier in the south it is a long run around the island, sold as a full day. On a private tour the boat leaves at the hour you choose and lands you on the beach of Khao Phing Kan.
How long does a tour of James Bond Island last from Phuket?
Plan on eight hours from the marina and back when Koh Hong, Koh Panak and Koh Panyee are in the route, nine on Say Yes and Sofia from Chalong. A shorter day exists from Ao Po only, where the Ocean Pearl sells five hours to the rock and the Beluga four hours to Koh Hong with Naka.
Can you do James Bond Island and Koh Hong in one day?
Yes, and it is the day most groups book. Five boats in the table name both islands on one price line, the Astrea, the Limpopo, the Myra, the Atlantis and the OO7, and the F1 and the Sea Explorer pair the rock with Koh Panyee; on the boats whose price list says only Phang Nga Bay, the Ocean Pearl, the Prada and the Beluga among them, the two are agreed as the route at booking, and the captain puts the rock before or after the tide window at Koh Hong.
Is a James Bond Island private boat tour from Phuket worth it, and is it safe?
If the photograph is all you want, a seat on a group tour does the job. The private boat earns its price when the day matters more than the picture: the hour you arrive at the rock, a canoe into Koh Hong at the right tide and nobody aboard but your group. It is also the safest day on the chart: enclosed water with no swell, a licensed captain, insurance and life jackets on every charter.
Can you do James Bond Island and Phi Phi in one day from Phuket?
They lie in opposite directions, the bay to the north-east and the Phi Phi islands to the south-east behind a long open-water crossing, so we suggest two separate days on two boats. If you have a single day, write to us with the date and the headcount and we will say what is realistic on the water that day.
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