Three boat trips lead GetYourGuide’s island-tour pages for Phuket and Krabi: the Phi Phi Islands, Phang Nga Bay with James Bond Island, and the four islands off Krabi. Their “from” prices ranged from €20 to €41 per person on 6 October 2026. The national park fee (200 to 400 baht) is either included or due in cash at the pier, depending on the listing; Maya Bay is only about 50 minutes of an eight-hour day; and on 3 October the south-west monsoon was still blowing over the Andaman Sea. Trap number one is in the small print: if you stay ashore on the morning of a trip that still sails, the 4 Islands listing we read refunds nothing.
The essentials before you book (as read on 6 October 2026)
Almost every excursion on the Andaman coast is a boat trip. These are the numbers to know before you click:
- €20 to €41 per person as a “from” price: 4 Islands near Krabi from €20, Phi Phi from Phuket €38, Phang Nga Bay €41.
- 200 to 400 baht national park fee per adult (€5.29 to €10.57): included, optional or payable in cash at the pier, depending on the listing.
- 50 minutes at Maya Bay in an eight-hour programme; the bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September.
- South-west monsoon still active: on 3 October the weather service warned of waves above 2 metres in thunderstorm areas.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on all four listings we opened, with “pay later” on the three group trips.
Everything comes from pages read on 6 October 2026. Treat prices as a dated reading, not an offer.
Which trips exist and what they cost
We read GetYourGuide’s Phuket and Krabi island-tour pages and four listings in detail. The “from” prices are in euros, as our browser displayed them; according to the page, they change with the date and the number of people.
| Trip | Duration | “From” price | Rating | Park fee per listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay, Bamboo Island from Phuket | 8 h | €38 (struck through: €50) | 4.6 (21,582) | “if option selected” (amount not stated; Phi Phi rate 400 baht) |
| James Bond Island and Hong Island from Phuket | 8 to 9 h | €41 (struck through: €44) | 4.7 (471) | 300 baht, child 150, payable at the pier |
| 4 Islands near Krabi | 6 to 6.5 h | €20 | 4.6 (2,202) | 200 baht, child 100, mandatory, cash |
| Private Phi Phi speedboat from Phuket | 8 h | €1,059 per group of up to 19 | 5.0 (5) | 400 baht, child 200, on top |
A rating is worth the number of reviews behind it: 4.6 over 21,582 reviews says more than 5.0 over five. The struck-through price is the page’s reference price and is ignored here.
For two adults (ECB reference rate of 6 October 2026: 37.836 baht to €1): Phi Phi from Phuket, 2 × €38 plus 800 baht of fee (€21.14), comes to about €97; 4 Islands near Krabi, 2 × €20 plus 400 baht (€10.57), about €51; Phang Nga Bay, 2 × €41 plus 600 baht (€15.86), about €98, each time if the fee is not included.
Which coast suits you depends on where you sleep: Phuket or Krabi compares the two. You can browse the Phuket and Krabi trips side by side on GetYourGuide (tours in Thailand, search for Phuket or Krabi).
Phi Phi and Maya Bay: what the day really contains
The lead trip on the Phuket page, “Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch” (operator shown: One Asia Corporation), spells out its programme almost to the minute:
- 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.: pick-up (at the hotel if that option is selected); at the meeting point by 8:15, otherwise it counts as a no-show without refund.
- 1 hour by speedboat, then 50 minutes of free time at Maya Bay.
- 15 minutes each for Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Beach, 45 minutes of snorkelling at Phi Phi Le.
- 1 hour for a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, 1.5 hours on Bamboo Island.
- Back at the pier around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.: the listing advises against the trip if you have a flight the same day.
50 minutes at Maya Bay is a little over 10% of eight hours: whoever books “Maya Bay” is mostly buying a boat ride across the islands. The bay closes for two months every year. Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park shuts it from 1 August to 30 September; reopening was planned for 1 October 2026 (tour-operator blogs of 28 September and 1 October, Time Out Bangkok of 29 September; we read no official notice). During closures the trips continue without landing; the listing cites the next closure as 1 August to 30 September 2027. According to Wikipedia, since 2022 visits are limited to one hour and swimming is banned; only the operator can confirm that the bay is open on your date.
Phang Nga Bay, Hong Island and the four islands off Krabi
Phang Nga Bay lies between Phuket and the mainland and covers about 400 km² (Wikipedia). The Ko Tapu rock needle became famous in 1974 through the film “The Man with the Golden Gun”, hence the name James Bond Island.
The listing “James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket” (operator: The Thai Tourism Company Limited) leaves from Ao Por pier in two formats: speedboat for more stops, or big boat with a buffet on board. The programme includes canoeing with a paddler at Panak Island, Hong Island, James Bond Island and Kaya Island; the route can change with weather and tides. Pick-up is included in Kata, Karon, Patong, Kamala and Phuket Town, among other areas.
On the Krabi side, the page puts the 4 Islands trip by Aonang Orchid Tour first: Poda, Tup, Chicken Island and Railay (Phra Nang Cave Beach), 6 to 6.5 hours, departure at 9:00 a.m., from €20 as a joint tour. The listing mentions a sandbar linking Tup, Mor and Chicken islands at low tide; mask, fins, life jacket and a small Thai buffet are included.
The Phuket pages lead with Phi Phi and Phang Nga, the Krabi page with the four islands. To move between the two coasts, see Getting around Thailand.
When the sea closes: monsoon, cancellations and refunds
On 3 October 2026 the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reported the south-west monsoon still prevailing over the Andaman Sea, strengthening winds and waves above 2 metres in thunderstorm areas, and told mariners to check their routes (Nation Thailand). Its forecast for the 2025 season had put the end of the rains at around mid-October.
Tour operators’ blogs, so interested sources, describe the effect on trips:
- Qbic Travel (19 September 2026): from May to October, west-coast swells can reach 2 to 4 metres; Phi Phi more exposed than Phang Nga Bay, which the cliffs shelter; at around 2 metres, several operators schedule cautiously or cancel.
- Krabi Boat Tours (17 June 2026): the 4 Islands trip is cancelled with swell above 1.5 metres, wind above 25 knots or an advisory from Thailand’s Marine Department; Phi Phi is said to see “significantly higher” cancellation rates in September and October. A light rain shower cancels nothing.
Who refunds when a trip is cancelled? The listing decides. For the 4 Islands: if the operator cancels, you get a new date or a full refund. If the boat sails and you stay ashore because of the weather, there is no refund at all. The coast’s calendar is covered in When to visit Thailand.
Fees, pick-up, cash: what is not in the price
Three listings, three rules for the same fee. Foreigners pay more than Thais, and children pay by height (under 120 cm), not age (Bestphuketguide, 3 April 2026). The amounts come from the listings (Phang Nga, 4 Islands, and the private boat, which also gives the Phi Phi rate); we did not read the park authority’s official tariff:
- Phi Phi and Maya Bay: 400 baht (€10.57), child 200 baht (€5.29).
- Phang Nga Bay: 300 baht (€7.93), child 150 baht (€3.96).
- 4 Islands near Krabi: 200 baht (€5.29), child 100 baht (€2.64), mandatory and in cash on the day.
Other items. On the Phang Nga trip, luggage costs 100 baht (€2.64) at the pier; some pick-up areas add 100 baht, Cape Panwa 300 (€7.93), in cash to the driver. The Phi Phi listing advises carrying cash and notes that its accident insurance covers only 24 hours after the start. A tour-operator blog mentions a ban on certain sunscreens (oxybenzone, octinoxate) in the park, with fines up to 100,000 baht (about €2,643).
Private or group? The private Phi Phi speedboat starts at €1,059 per group of up to 19. Fully loaded that is €55.74 per head, 1.47 times the €38 of the group trip; with four people the same from-price comes to €264.75 each. You are paying for your own timetable. For how excursions fit a whole-trip budget, see Thailand budget for 3 weeks.
Booking ahead: what the page shows and whom to believe
All four listing pages we opened show “Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund”, and the three group trips add “Reserve now & pay later”. So you can hold a place, watch the weather and cancel for free up to 24 hours ahead; after that, the operator’s rule applies.
Language. The three group listings give English as the guide language, the 4 Islands English and Thai. We saw no guide in German, French, Italian or Spanish: check the language line.
Can you trust the platform? On Trustpilot on 6 October 2026, GetYourGuide stood at 3.9 out of 5 with more than 56,000 reviews: 68% five-star, 19% one-star. Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews; its summary praises guides and the app but rates service and booking as mixed. That is the platform’s score; a trip’s own rating sits on its listing (4.6 over 21,582 reviews, 4.7 over 471, 4.6 over 2,202).
On “book on the spot”: we found no reliable price comparison between a street-side agency and online listings, so we state none. Read the listings calmly on GetYourGuide’s Thailand tours, searching for “Phuket” or “Krabi”.
The traps and how to avoid them
- “Included” does not mean the same everywhere. Option, pier, mandatory in cash: read the “Included” line and keep baht on you.
- Outdated text. One listing speaks of Maya Bay closed “until further notice”, another of a 2027 closure: ask for the programme.
- Late at the meeting point. On the Phi Phi listing, arriving after 8:15 a.m. counts as a no-show without refund.
- A trip on departure day. Back around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.: keep a spare day before your flight.
- Struck-through prices. The “7 Wonders” trip showed €119 struck through and €60 current: compare price and content, not the discount.
- Not for everyone. The Phi Phi listing excludes children under 3, pregnant women, people over 60 and people with back, heart or breathing problems or prone to seasickness; seasickness pills are available on request.
Before you pay: the checklist
Each point can be checked on the listing page:
- The “Included” line: park fee, pick-up, lunch, equipment?
- The weather rule: new date or refund if the operator cancels?
- Free cancellation until when, and is “pay later” available?
- Meeting point, time and guide language?
- Does your date fall in the monsoon, and is Maya Bay open that day?
- Return time compatible with your flight, and baht in cash?
If those lines check out: open the listing for your date (search for Phuket or Krabi). To fit these coast days into a trip, see 15 days in Thailand.
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