Phi Phi and James Bond Island Tours: Which Boat Trip to Book

The two most-booked day trips in southern Thailand leave from the same piers but go to very different places: the Phi Phi Islands (Maya Bay of The Beach fame) and Phang Nga Bay (Khao Phing Kan, “James Bond Island” from The Man with the Golden Gun). We have done both several times from both Phuket and Krabi — here is how to choose, what they cost, and the mistakes to avoid.

The Phi Phi Islands tour

The standard speedboat itinerary from Phuket or Krabi hits Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, the Viking Cave viewpoint, Monkey Beach, a snorkel stop off Koh Phi Phi Don, and lunch on the main island, with Bamboo Island as the usual final stop.

• Price: approximately ฿2,500–3,800 per person by speedboat as of 2026, including hotel pickup, lunch, and snorkel gear. The ฿400 national park fee is almost always extra, paid in cash on the day.
• Duration: 8–9 hours door to door; the crossing from Phuket takes 45–60 minutes each way and can be rough May–October.
• Maya Bay rules: since reopening, boats dock at a jetty on the back of Phi Phi Leh, visitors walk across to the beach, numbers are capped by time slot, and swimming in the bay is prohibited. The bay also closes entirely for recovery each year, typically August–September. It remains spectacular — but expect a managed, queued experience, not a deserted paradise.

Worth paying for: early-bird or “sunrise” departures (from approximately ฿3,500–4,500) reach Maya Bay before the main fleet and are the single best upgrade in the region. Large catamaran “party” tours are cheapest and worst.

If you would rather stay overnight than day-trip, our Koh Phi Phi guide covers doing the islands at your own pace — afternoon and evening on Phi Phi Don, after the day boats leave, is a different island.

The James Bond Island (Phang Nga Bay) tour

Phang Nga Bay is a drowned karst landscape of sheer limestone towers in sheltered, jade-green water north-east of Phuket. The classic day trip combines Khao Phing Kan (the Bond pillar itself), sea-cave kayaking through the hongs (collapsed cave lagoons inside the islands), and the Muslim stilt village of Koh Panyee for lunch.

• Price: longtail and big-boat tours from approximately ฿1,800–2,800; premium small-group trips with proper sea-canoe time run ฿3,500–4,500 as of 2026. The national park fee (approximately ฿300) is usually extra.
• The standout operator: John Gray’s Sea Canoe pioneered the “Hong by Starlight” trip — afternoon cave kayaking, dinner aboard, and floating krathong at dusk — typically around ฿4,000–4,500. It is the best single day trip we have done from Phuket.
• Sea conditions: the bay is sheltered, making this the better monsoon-season choice and the right pick for anyone prone to seasickness.

The Bond pillar stop itself is brief and crowded — the hongs and the bay scenery are the real show. Treat the photo stop as a bonus.

Which one should you book?

• Swimmers and snorkellers, beach-first travellers: Phi Phi — and pay for the early departure.
• Scenery, kayaking, calmer water, families: Phang Nga Bay / James Bond.
• Rough season (May–October): Phang Nga Bay, no contest.
• Doing both: run them on non-consecutive days; two 6:30 hotel pickups in a row is a grind.

Booking tips

• Book a Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay tour a day or two ahead — same-day walk-up rarely saves money
• Confirm what the price includes: park fees and pier fees are the usual hidden extras
• Check group size — 30+ passenger speedboats are miserable; 15–20 is reasonable
• Bring reef-safe sunscreen, motion-sickness tablets, and cash for fees
• Weather cancellations are refunded or rescheduled by any legitimate operator — be suspicious of anyone guaranteeing departure in a storm
• Waterproof your phone: a ฿100 dry pouch from any 7-Eleven beats a drowned handset, and the speedboat bow seats take spray even on calm days

Both tours run from Phuket and from Krabi/Ao Nang at similar prices — base yourself wherever suits the rest of your trip. The Phuket–Phi Phi–Krabi ferry is also a practical option if you want to move between islands rather than return to your starting point. Our where to stay in Krabi guide compares the Krabi-side bases, and our Thailand island-hopping itinerary shows how to string the whole Andaman coast together.

See also: Koh Phi Phi travel guide · Krabi travel guide · Krabi island hopping · Phuket travel guide · One week in southern Thailand