What Boat Tours Can You Take from Phuket?

Boat tours from Phuket fall into three groups: half-day runs to the nearest islands, full days to Phi Phi, Racha or Phang Nga Bay, and overnight trips to the Similans and beyond. We run all of them on private boats — the whole boat is yours, with a captain and crew, from ฿18,900 a day. There are no shared departures and no fixed timetable.

How is a private boat tour different from a shared excursion?

A shared tour sells you a seat: fixed departure, fixed route, fifty other people, and a beach that is busiest exactly when your boat arrives. A private tour sells you the boat. You pick the day, the islands and the hour you leave, and the crew works around your group.

The cost works out differently too. A shared trip is priced per person, so a group of ten pays ten times. A private boat is priced per boat and split however you like — which is why groups above six or eight usually find the private option comparable or cheaper. What exactly the whole-boat format includes — private boat charter in Phuket.

Where do boat tours from Phuket go?

Eighteen destinations have their own page with routes, timing and what to expect. Grouped by how far they are:

Half day — the closest islands

• Coral Island (Koh Hey) — about 11 km, 20–25 minutes. The shortest run there is; good for a first trip or an afternoon.
• Maiton Island — about 17 km, 25–35 minutes. Quieter than Coral, with a long empty beach.

Full day — the classic routes

• Racha Islands and Racha Yai — about 26 km, 40–55 minutes. The clearest water within a day's reach.
• Racha Noi — about 37 km. Emptier and rockier than Racha Yai.
• Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi — about 16 km, in the sheltered water between Phuket and Krabi.
• Phi Phi and Bamboo Island — about 48 km. The best-known route and the one that rewards an early start most. Ferry, group tour or private boat — compared in Phuket to Phi Phi.
• Hong Island, Phang Nga — about 13 km, into the limestone bay.
• James Bond Island (Ko Tapu) — about 20 km from Ao Po: the rock from The Man with the Golden Gun, usually combined with Hong and Koh Panyee.

Full day — the Krabi side

• Hong Island, Krabi — about 27 km.
• Koh Pak Bia — about 26 km.
• Koh Lao Lading — about 28 km.
• Chicken Island (Koh Kai) — about 38 km from Ao Po Grand Marina, about 52 km from Chalong.
• Koh Poda — about 40 km.
• Railay Beach — about 44 km.

Overnight and multi-day

• Koh Ha and Koh Rok — about 106 km.
• Similan Islands — about 119 km. Two days minimum to be worth it.
• Surin Islands — about 183 km.
• Koh Lipe — about 184 km, the furthest we go.

Distances are approximate and measured from the marina that actually serves each direction — the southern islands from Chalong, Phang Nga Bay and the Krabi side from Ao Po Grand Marina. Which pier your boat leaves from depends on where it is berthed, and is confirmed when you book. The piers are compared in where yachts depart from in Phuket, and the full list of nineteen islands by travel time is in islands near Phuket.

How long should a boat tour be?

How long should a boat tour be?

Format	Hours	Reaches
Sunset cruise	2	The bays around Phuket, back after dark
Half day	4–5	Coral, Maiton, Koh Khai
Full day	8–9	Phi Phi, Racha, Phang Nga, the Krabi islands
2 days / 1 night	—	Phi Phi at dawn, or the start of a Similan run
3–7 days	—	Similans, Surin, Koh Lipe

The honest answer for a first trip is a full day. A half day works out to two or three hours actually at anchor once you subtract the travel, which is enough for one island and not much more.

What does a boat tour from Phuket cost?

Prices are per boat per day, not per person, and a group splits one figure.

What does a boat tour from Phuket cost?

Boat	From	Guests by day
Speedboat	฿18,900	4–12
Sailing catamaran	฿20,900	8–120
Motor yacht	฿33,900	6–80
Power catamaran	฿39,115	varies by boat
Luxury yacht	฿100,000	8–85

Season moves these by roughly a quarter: low season runs May to October, high season November to April, and the peak starts on 20 December (its end date is set per yacht and runs from mid-January to the end of February). The full breakdown by format and season is on the full price tables by format.

Which boat should you take?

The route rarely decides the boat. Group size and sea time do. Five formats cover almost every trip that leaves Phuket, and the honest differences between them are speed, deck space and how much the day costs.

Speedboat — 4 to 12 guests, from ฿18,900

The fastest way to put distance behind you. A speedboat cruises at 20 to 30 knots, which turns a 48 km run to Phi Phi into roughly an hour and a half and makes a half day to Coral or Maiton genuinely worth doing. The trade is comfort: there is no interior to retreat into, and in choppy water you feel every wave. Best for small groups who want the maximum number of islands in one day. See the speedboats.

Motor yacht — 6 to 80 guests, from ฿33,900

The default choice, and the largest part of the fleet. A motor yacht cruises somewhere between 9 and 28 knots depending on the hull, has an air-conditioned saloon, a proper head and shaded deck space, and carries a crew rather than just a captain. This is the format that makes an 8 to 9 hour day feel short rather than long. See the motor yachts.

Sailing catamaran — 8 to 120 guests, from ฿20,900

Two hulls, so it barely rolls at anchor, and an enormous flat deck between them. It is the slowest format on the list — 5 to 8 knots under sail — which rules out the far islands in a single day but makes it the most comfortable platform there is for a long lunch at one or two anchorages. Families and groups that plan to swim more than they travel usually end up here. See the sailing catamarans.

Power catamaran — from ฿39,115

The compromise: catamaran stability with engines instead of sails, cruising around 8 to 18 knots. It reaches the Racha Islands or Phang Nga comfortably in a day and stays flat once you stop. See the power catamarans.

Luxury yacht — 8 to 85 guests, from ฿100,000

A different category of booking: larger vessels with cabins, a full crew and the range for multi-day trips to the Similans or Koh Lipe. Chartered for events, for overnight cruising, or simply when the day itself is the occasion. See the luxury yachts.

On group size. Every boat carries a licensed day capacity, and it is printed on that boat's page. It is not a soft number — a boat licensed for twelve guests takes twelve, not fourteen, and the crew will not sail over the figure. Groups of roughly a dozen and up should filter by capacity first and choose the route second; it is the constraint that removes the most options. Above twenty guests the practical shortlist is large motor yachts and sailing catamarans. Which boats take 10, 20 and 30 guests goes through the shortlist by name.

What a full day actually looks like

Times below are for a standard 8 to 9 hour charter to Phi Phi. Other routes shift the middle of the day, not the shape of it.

What a full day actually looks like

Time	What happens
07:30	Meet the crew at the pier. Bags aboard, safety briefing, the captain confirms the route and the order of stops against the morning forecast.
08:00	Cast off. The first leg is the longest one of the day — this is when the boat covers most of its distance.
09:30	First anchorage. This is the reason for the early start: the tour boats arrive between 10 and 11, so the first ninety minutes are usually yours alone.
11:00	Move on to the second stop. Snorkelling gear comes out; the crew points out where the reef actually is rather than where the map says.
12:30	Lunch on board at anchor, in the shade.
14:00	Third stop — usually the quieter one, chosen on the day according to the wind and where the crowds went.
15:30	Start back.
17:00	Alongside. Most groups are back at their hotel by six.

Two things are worth knowing about that schedule. The first is that it is yours to move — a private charter has no timetable to hold to, and groups regularly ask to stay longer at one anchorage and drop another. The second is that the 08:00 departure is doing more work than anything else on the list. The same bay at 09:30 and at 11:00 is a different place.

What is included, and what is not

Inclusions differ boat by boat and the exact list is on each yacht's page. Typically the day rate covers the boat, captain and crew, fuel for the agreed route, soft drinks and ice, snorkelling gear, and lunch on full days.

Not included: national park fees where the route enters a park, guests above the boat's included headcount, changing the departure pier, and extra hours beyond the programme. Lunch is usually not included on half days.

What to bring, and what is already on board

Boats differ, and the exact inventory is on each yacht's page, but the pattern is consistent.

Already on board: towels, snorkelling masks and fins, soft drinks, water and ice, a cool box, life jackets in adult and child sizes, shade, and a marine toilet. Larger boats add a saloon with air conditioning, a sound system and a swimming platform.

Bring: a hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen — reef-safe if you have it — and a light long-sleeved layer for the middle of the day, which protects better than any amount of cream. Swimwear worn under your clothes saves the changing routine. Cash in Thai baht for national park fees where the route enters a park. A dry bag if you want a phone with you on the tender.

Leave behind: hard suitcases, glass bottles, and anything you would be upset to see go over the side. Shoes come off at the gangway on most boats — deck surfaces mark easily and the crew will ask.

On food. Lunch is included on full days on most boats and is generally not included on half days. Vegetarian, halal and allergy requirements are arranged in advance rather than on the morning, so send them with the booking. Alcohol is normally not included and most boats allow you to bring your own.

When is the best time for a boat tour from Phuket?

November to April is the settled season on the Andaman side — calm water, reliable visibility, and the months most people book. May to October is cheaper and quieter, and trips still run; the difference is that the route gets chosen around the wind on the day rather than fixed a week ahead.

Whatever the month, leaving early matters more than most people expect. Shared tour boats arrive at the popular anchorages between 10 and 11, and a private boat that starts at eight has the same bay to itself for the first two hours.

Weather, sea state and children on board

Phuket has two seasons and they behave differently at sea. From November to April the Andaman side is settled: light wind, flat water most mornings, and visibility that makes snorkelling worth the stop. From May to October the south-west monsoon brings wind and swell in bands rather than continuously — there are calm weeks in July and rough days in December, and the useful skill is reading the specific day rather than the month.

What that means in practice is that in low season the route is chosen on the morning, not a week ahead. The captain looks at the forecast and picks the side of the island that is in the lee. Trips very rarely cancel; they change shape. When conditions genuinely do not allow a safe departure, that is discussed case by case rather than settled by a fixed rule.

Seasickness. Most people who feel it feel it on the long legs, not at anchor, and a catamaran of either kind is dramatically better than a monohull for anyone who is unsure. If you know you are sensitive, take something before you board rather than after — it does not work retroactively — and stay on deck where you can see the horizon.

Children. There is no minimum age; child-sized life jackets are on board and the crew fits them. What matters more than age is the format: a speedboat is a long, loud, bouncy day for a small child, while a catamaran with shade and a flat deck is close to ideal. Tell us the children's ages when you book and the shortlist changes accordingly.

Where the boats leave from

Phuket has no single yacht harbour. Boats are berthed across several marinas around the island, and the one your charter leaves from depends on where that particular boat lives and which direction you are going. Broadly: the southern islands — Coral, Maiton, the Racha group, Phi Phi — are served from Chalong on the south coast, while Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island and the Krabi side are served from Ao Po Grand Marina on the north-east. The difference is not trivial: the same island can be forty minutes closer from the right side of the island.

Your departure point is confirmed at booking, together with a pin and the time to be there. Where yachts depart from in Phuket covers each marina, how long the drive is from the main hotel areas, and which routes each one serves.

How to book

• Send your date, group size and the islands you have in mind.
• You get back the boats that are free, with final prices in Thai baht.
• A 50% deposit confirms the booking; the balance is paid on the day of the charter.
• Cancellation 30 days or more before: full refund of the deposit. 29 days or less: the deposit is not refunded.
• Cash, bank transfer to the company account, or credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay) or USDT. Thai baht, US dollars and Russian roubles are accepted.

What guests say

T

Thawiwan Kaew-udom

The best yachts in Phuket with excellent services.

Google

А

Алексей Костров

professional team, excellent service, great route

Google

5.0 on Google — Read the reviews on Google

New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Loy Krathong from the water: yacht charters on holiday dates.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a boat tour in Phuket?

From ฿18,900 a day for a speedboat and from ฿33,900 for a motor yacht. The price is for the whole boat, so a group of ten splits one figure rather than paying ten fares.

Which boat tour from Phuket is best for a first visit?

A full day to Phi Phi and Bamboo Island, or to the Racha Islands if you want clear water with less travelling. Both are 8–9 hours door to door.

Can a boat tour be done in half a day?

Yes — Coral Island and Maiton are 20–35 minutes out, which leaves real time at anchor within four or five hours. Anything further turns into mostly travelling.

Are the boats shared with other groups?

No. Every boat on this site is chartered whole: your group, your route, your departure time.

What is not included in the price of a boat tour?

National park fees where they apply, guests above the boat's included number, a change of departure pier, and hours beyond the agreed programme. Lunch is included on full days on most boats but not on half days.

How many people can go on a private boat tour in Phuket?

It depends on the boat, and the figure is a licensed capacity rather than a suggestion. Speedboats take 4 to 12 guests, motor yachts 6 to 80, sailing catamarans 8 to 40, luxury yachts 8 to 25. Each boat's page shows its own number. Groups of a dozen or more should choose by capacity first.

What should I bring on a boat tour in Phuket?

A hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, a light long-sleeved layer and cash in baht for national park fees. Towels, snorkelling gear, water, soft drinks and life jackets are already on board.

Do boat tours run in low season?

Yes. From May to October trips run and cost less; the route is chosen on the morning according to the wind rather than fixed in advance. In genuinely unsuitable weather the day is discussed case by case.