James Bond Island (Ko Tapu) by Private Yacht from Phuket

A James Bond Island private boat tour from Phuket is a day in Phang Nga Bay with only your group and the crew aboard. Horizon Cruises Phuket offers twenty-one boats whose price list names this route, from ฿33,900 per boat for a five-hour run on the Ocean Pearl and from ฿50,000 for a full day, for groups of four to eighty-five; they leave from all four marinas, five of them from Ao Po Grand Marina, 20 km from the island. The bay is enclosed by islands and sails in every month, 2026/27 high season included. Send us your date and headcount on WhatsApp.

Why is it called James Bond Island?

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 the villain Scaramanga, whose hideout was set on Khao Phing Kan. Ko Tapu, the limestone needle standing in the water off the beach, is the formation in the famous frames, and after the film the Thai names slipped off the tourist maps.

So one nickname covers two places: the island with the beach where the boat lands you, and the pillar you photograph from it. Crews, drivers and guidebooks all say James Bond Island.

Where is James Bond Island? Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

In Phang Nga Bay, the enclosed sea between Phuket and Krabi on Thailand's Andaman coast, inside Ao Phang Nga National Park. The bay is a field of limestone towers standing in green water, and this island is its most visited attraction; its neighbours are Hong Island with a lagoon hidden inside the rock, Panak with its sea caves, and Koh Panyee, the fishing village built on stilts. Hundreds of islands screen the bay from the open Andaman, so the water inside stays calm when the west coast of Phuket is rough.

How far is James Bond Island from Phuket, and how long is the boat ride?

The rock lies 11 nautical miles north-east of Ao Po Grand Marina, the marina nearest to the bay and the closest of our four departure points to the airport. From Chalong Pier in the south of Phuket the run is about 53 km. One-way running times from Ao Po by boat type:

These are cruising-speed figures. Captains slow down among the islands and in any chop, so allow a few extra minutes each way.

Private boat tour or group tour: how do you get to James Bond Island?

By water only; there is no road and no bridge. Most visitors come on a group tour, a longtail boat tour or a shared speedboat with a tour guide and a fixed timetable, so the rock is at its busiest in the middle of the day, with a queue for the one photograph everybody wants.

A private boat tour changes that with one decision: leave earlier or later than the group departures and you meet Ko Tapu with few people on the beach. The order of stops, the time at each, whether to canoe into the lagoons and where lunch happens are yours to settle. There is no tour guide reading from a script: the captain plans the route around the tide and the crowds, and the crew look after the guests.

Which boats run a James Bond Island private tour from Phuket?

Thirteen of the boats whose price list names James Bond Island: the ones we charter here most often and the cheapest of each type, with the rate for this route from each boat's page; where the page publishes a fuel fee or a long-range supplement for the bay, it is in the figure:

Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga 88, the three yachts Horizon Cruises Phuket runs itself, sell the bay under Koh Hong's name rather than this island's, so they are not in the table; James Bond Island goes into their day as a route change agreed at booking. Eight more catalogue boats publish the rock beyond the table: the Indigo 53s from Chalong, the Sanyati, Shibuli and Zambezia Leopards and the Shangani 70 from Boat Lagoon, the Princess 65 S and the Princess S72 from Royal Phuket Marina, and the Pisces 85 from Ao Po, which takes the largest party on this route. The Ocean Pearl is the entry point for a small group. The full range of hulls and day formats is in our guide to a private yacht charter from Phuket to Phang Nga Bay.

Itinerary: a private day from Ao Po to James Bond Island and back

A full day in the bay has a shape most groups keep, even though the hours are theirs to move. A morning departure from the marina; a crossing past the first limestone cliffs; the landing on the beach for the photographs of Ko Tapu; the canoe circuit into the Hong lagoon at mid tide; lunch at Panyee or on board at anchor; the caves of Panak in the afternoon; and a slow run home past Koh Yao as the light softens.

The captain shuffles that order on the day around the tide table and the crowds at the rock. That freedom is the whole difference between a private day trip and a sightseeing tour on a timetable.

Attractions near Phuket on the James Bond route: what else do you see?

James Bond Island is the headline of the day, not the whole of it. The stops around it:

• Koh Hong, Phang Nga: a lagoon enclosed by limestone walls, entered by inflatable canoe when the tide is at the right height.
• Koh Panyee: the stilt village with restaurants, the usual lunch ashore on this route.
• Koh Panak: the island with the sea caves.
• The bat cave among the mangroves.
• Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi: inhabited islands on the way home.
• Koh Pak Bia: a sand spit towards Krabi when you want a longer day.

Meeting and pickup: where does the boat tour leave from?

Five boats on this page berth at Ao Po Grand Marina in the north-east of Phuket, the marina with no tide restrictions, so a morning start never waits for water. Five board at Chalong Pier in the south, the F1, the Sea Explorer, the two Indigos and the Azimut Atlantis, where the captain handles the passenger registration and guests hand their passports to the crew. Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina, both on the east coast, share one tidal channel, so the six boats at the first and the five at the second leave when the channel allows.

Arrive 15 minutes before departure. The hotel transfer depends on the boat: the Boat Lagoon boats, the Myra, the OO7, the SUAY, the three Princesses and the Pisces include it, the SPLO 74 includes it on its family rate, the Ocean Pearl, the Astrea and the Indigos do not, and each yacht's page says which. Where it is included, tell the manager where you are staying and the pickup from the hotel lobby is arranged with the boat.

James Bond Island or Phi Phi Island: which private boat tour from Phuket?

Travellers with one free day usually weigh the two best-known day trips from Phuket against each other, and they are different days. Phi Phi lies south-east across open water, an hour and a half or so each way from Chalong, and it is about beaches and snorkelling: Maya Bay, Bamboo Island and the Pileh lagoon, with mooring buoys at the reefs and a separate park fee per person. James Bond Island is enclosed water, sea canoeing, caves and the stilt village, and sightseeing rather than swimming is the point. Guests who want both take two days on two boats, one from Ao Po for the bay and one from Chalong for the Phi Phi islands; the boats for that second day are in our guide to a private yacht charter from Phuket to the Phi Phi islands.

When should you go, and what are the sea conditions?

November to April is the dry, calm stretch on Phuket and the high season. From May to October the west coast takes the swell, yet the route into Phang Nga keeps running because the bay is enclosed; the captain makes the call on the morning's sea conditions, and if the weather turns he decides where the boat goes. Within the day, early is everything: the first boats in find Ko Tapu empty and the light soft, and by late morning the longtail boats and group speedboats have arrived.

What does a private boat tour to James Bond Island cost?

Every price we quote is for the whole boat and is final, in Thai baht. The rate is for the boat, not for each guest, and it covers your group up to the headcount on the yacht's page; boats that include a set number of guests charge for each extra guest above it. The half day on the Ocean Pearl is the cheapest way to the rock; everything else on this route is a full day, so look for the full-day rate on the card rather than the lowest one. The larger motor yachts on the luxury page sell the bay as a Koh Hong day: the Beluga 88 publishes four hours from ฿171,200 and Say Yes and Sofia nine hours from ฿180,000.

Not in the rate: the park fee, which the rangers collect in cash on the day, except on boats whose page lists it in the rate; the canoe at Hong, hired at the island; alcohol; and lunch on the boats that do not include it. Peak dates differ by boat; each yacht's page shows its peak dates. Price tables by boat type are on the yacht charter prices page, and the payment rules are on the terms page.

James Bond Island and the Koh Hong lagoon in one private day, the boats that sell both and the tide that sets the order, are compared in the guide to James Bond Island and Koh Hong by private boat from Phuket.

What is included, and what to bring

On every boat we offer, the rate takes in the captain and crew, fuel for the agreed route (the Boat Lagoon boats publish a fuel fee for the bay, already in the figures above), passenger insurance, drinking water and soft drinks, masks and fins, and towels; life jackets come in adult and child sizes. Lunch, alcohol, water toys and the hotel transfer vary from boat to boat and are listed on each card; what is included has the full breakdown.

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.

Best James Bond Island boat tour for your group: speedboat, yacht or catamaran?

The bay is sheltered and the crossing short, so any hull in the catalogue can make the trip; the difference is the day you get. A speedboat suits a couple or a family that wants to fit in Hong, Panak and Panyee and be back early. A motor yacht gives shade, an air-conditioned saloon and lunch at anchor, which counts for more with children or older travellers aboard. A power catamaran brings deck space and a steady platform for a bigger party. A sailing catamaran is the slow option, for groups who treat the sailing as part of the day. At the premium end, a luxury yacht charter in Phuket covers the larger motor yachts; Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga belong to it and sell the bay as a Koh Hong day.

Frequently asked questions

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 Axopar 28 is the one speedboat whose price list names the rock: Panak, Hong, James Bond and Naka in eight hours for four guests, fuel fee included. The larger speedboats carry up to twelve and sell the bay as Phang Nga Bay, with the full-day rate on each boat's page, and the park fee and lunch on top where the card says so.

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; from Chalong in the south it is a long run around the island. On a private tour the boat leaves at the hour you choose and lands you on the beach; a group tour reaches the same beach on a fixed timetable, with everyone else.

How long does a private James Bond Island tour take?

Plan on a full day of about eight hours from the marina and back when Hong, Panak and Panyee are in the route; the crossing itself is under an hour on a motor yacht. A shorter day exists from Ao Po, where the Ocean Pearl sells a five-hour run to the rock. From Chalong it is a full day on any boat.

Can you land on the Ko Tapu rock itself?

No. Boats may not tie up to the rock and nobody may climb it; the pillar is protected against erosion. The landing is on the beach of Khao Phing Kan next door, and the classic photograph is taken from there with the rock in the water behind you.

Is a James Bond Island boat tour suitable for children?

Yes, and it is the day trip we suggest first to families with small children: a short crossing, enclosed water without swell, a beach to land on and a canoe ride where a local paddler does the paddling. Every boat carries life jackets in child sizes.

Is there a national park fee at James Bond Island?

Yes. The island is inside Ao Phang Nga National Park; the park rangers collect the fee per person in cash when you arrive, with a reduced rate for children aged 3 to 14, and we confirm the current figure with your quote. It is paid on top of the charter price unless the yacht's page lists it in the rate. The canoe at Hong is hired at the island and paid separately as well.

Can you do James Bond Island and Phi Phi in one day from Phuket?

They lie in opposite directions: Phang Nga Bay to the north-east, the Phi Phi islands to the south-east behind a long open-water crossing from Chalong. We suggest two separate days on two boats. If you have a single day, write to us with the date and we will say what is realistic.

Is a private boat tour to James Bond Island worth it?

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 Hong at the right tide, lunch where you choose, and nobody aboard but your group. For travellers sharing one boat, the per-boat rate is also the easier sum to split.