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Similan Islands Day Trip From Phuket: Season, Fee, Price

Yes, the Similan Islands are open now: the season started on 15 October 2026 and usually runs to mid-May. From Phuket it is a 12-13 hour speedboat day with an early hotel pickup. Foreign adults pay a park fee of 500 baht and children 250 baht.

On this page
  1. Similan Islands day trip from Phuket: season, park fee and price
  2. What to see on the Similan Islands
  3. Who it suits (and who should skip it)
  4. How to get to the Similan Islands from Phuket
  5. When to go and how long
  6. Nearby and how to combine it
  7. Before you go
  8. Step by step
  9. Common questions

Yes, a Similan day trip from Phuket works right now: the park opened for the season on 15 October 2026 and usually stays open until mid-May. The catch is the clock, because a hotel minibus collects you very early and the whole day runs long.

Similan Islands day trip from Phuket: season, park fee and price

A curved white sand beach with turquoise water and green hills seen from granite boulders on the Similan Islands.
The water is clearest early in the season, so this is the kind of bay you are paying to see.

The park closes after the season, so a trip between mid-May and mid-October is normally not possible. The best weeks are December to April, when the sea is usually calmest and clearest; the first weeks after opening and the last before closing can be windier.

A foreign adult pays a park fee of 500 baht and a foreign child 250 baht (as of June 2022). Ask the operator whether the fee is in the tour price or paid on the day, and get the total in writing before you book.

Visitor numbers are kept within what the area can carry through the season. Send your passport copy the day before, because the operator needs it for the park.

What to see on the Similan Islands

The Similans are granite islands about 70 km off Khao Lak. A typical day starts with a snorkel from the boat at Koh Bangu. Then you land at Donald Duck Bay on Koh Similan for a swim and the walk to Sail Rock, have lunch, snorkel at Koh Payu, and finish with a walk or swim at Koh Miang.

A tall granite boulder balanced on a rock outcrop above shallow turquoise water at the Similan Islands.
The granite boulders around Sail Rock rise straight out of the water, so keep your camera ready as the boat comes in.

Sea turtles are often seen at Koh Payu, but they are wild animals and nobody can guarantee them. Do not touch the coral or the turtles, and use sunscreen without chemicals that harm coral, which is what the park asks for. The climb to the Sail Rock viewpoint is short but steep, so wear sandals with grip.

Who it suits (and who should skip it)

Blue fins, a snorkel and a mask laid out on pale sand.
Bring or rent a mask and fins you have tried on, because a leaking mask spoils a reef stop.

This day suits you if you are happy to start before sunrise and spend most of the day on a boat.

  • It is a long day on a fast boat in the open sea, so take seasickness tablets beforehand if you need them.
  • The tour operator says it is not suitable for pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70.
  • The boat carries up to 35 guests with an English-speaking guide, which suits you if you want a set plan rather than your own route.
  • Skip it if you only have a few free hours, because the day takes about 12-13 hours door to door.

How to get to the Similan Islands from Phuket

A white and blue boat anchored in open water beside a forested island in the Similans.
Boats anchor off the islands in open water, so the crossing is the part that decides how your day feels.

You do not find your own way: the tour picks you up at your Phuket hotel in a minibus between about 5:30 and 7:30 am and drives you to Thap Lamu pier, and the speedboat leaves at about 9:00 am. Hotels in the Ao Po, Cape Panwa, Nai Harn, Nai Thon and Rawai areas pay 200 baht per person extra for the transfer, in cash.

If the early start puts you off, there is a gentler way in: stay a night in Khao Lak before the trip and the pickup is much later.

When to go and how long

A wide view from granite rocks over a turquoise bay and neighbouring islands in the Similans.
A calm, clear sea like this is what the December to April window gives you.

Choose a December to April date if you can. Expect to be back at the pier at about 4:30 pm and at your Phuket hotel at about 6 to 7 pm, so do not book a dinner or a late flight the same evening.

For what the Phuket sea is like when the park is shut, see the Phuket rainy season guide and the month-by-month weather page.

Nearby and how to combine it

A speedboat leaving a long white wake on deep blue open water.
Plan the day around one boat ride rather than a string of stops, since the crossing takes a good part of the morning.

The Similan day uses up the whole day, so keep other boat trips for another day. The Phi Phi Islands day trip covers the ferry and speedboat options, and the diving and snorkelling guide explains courses if the water makes you want to learn.

Before you go

A straw hat with sunglasses resting on a beach towel on sand, blue sea behind.
Pack a hat and sunglasses, as shade on the boat and beach is limited.
  • Send a passport copy for every guest by email no later than the day before; without it the park will not let you land.
  • Bring a towel, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen and a dry bag, because towels are not included.
  • Pack seasickness tablets if you tend to get sick on boats.
  • Carry cash for the 200 baht transfer surcharge if you stay in one of the extra-charge areas.
  • Wear sandals with grip for the Sail Rock climb.
  • If the sea is unsafe, the park or the operator cancels and the trip is moved or refunded.
  • For stings and rip currents in the sea, read the jellyfish and rip currents guide.
Photos (6)

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Step by step

  1. Check the seasonThe park usually opens from mid-October to mid-May.
  2. Book with a passport copySend a passport copy for every guest the day before.
  3. Be ready for pickupHotel minibuses in Phuket collect guests between about 5:30 and 7:30 am.
  4. Bring the basicsBring a towel, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen and a dry bag.

Not confirmed: This season's closing date is not announced yet; the 2021-22 season ran to mid-May. The current daily visitor limit is not confirmed either.

Common questions

Are the Similan Islands open in November?

Yes, the park opened for the season on 15 October 2026.

How much is the Similan park fee?

Foreign adults pay twice what foreign children pay; the exact fee is in the season and fee section.

What time does the Similan speedboat leave?

At about 9:00 am from Thap Lamu pier, after the hotel pickup.

Do I need a passport copy for a Similan tour?

Yes, send a copy for every guest by email no later than the day before the tour.

Will I see turtles at the Similan Islands?

Sea turtles are often seen at Koh Payu, but nobody can guarantee them.

What happens if the sea is rough?

If the sea is unsafe, the park or the operator cancels and the trip is moved or refunded.

Sources and reader comments

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