7 Best Tours from Phuket

Updated: 7 December, 2024

The best excursions from Phuket that you can do in just 1 day, to paradisiacal islands and places known mainly by locals.

Phuket is a wonderful island with endless corners to explore, as well as wonderful beaches, markets and temples, which is why it is one of the favorite destinations of many travelers, even as unique destination.

One of the great advantages of this island is the well connected to other islands and nearby areas of great beauty, ideal for day visits.

In this article I tell you about the best excursions from Phuket, which, due to their attractiveness, are worth a visit.

On the other hand, others are places that I am telling you about, they receive visits almost exclusively from locals, I have known them thanks to live in Phuket for 2 years.

1.- Excursion to Phi Phi Island

These islands are the jewel of Thailand, although before the pandemic they became very crowded, now it is a good opportunity to see them without so many tourists.

It is an archipelago of 4 islands unique for their beauty and the main Thai beach destination, located in the Andaman Sea between Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga.

What is there to see on the Phi Phi Islands?

The main places to visit are on the 2 largest islands Koh Phi Phi Don (where the boats arrive and there are hotels) and Koh Phi Phi Leh:

• maya bay: its beach is one of the most beautiful in the world and is the main filming location for the film The beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
• Loh Dalam beach: the most beautiful beach in Phi Phi Don.
• lookout: The photo of the Phi Phi Don viewpoint that you can see from both beaches on the island is one of the most instagrammable views in all of Thailand.
• Phi Leh bay: It is a bay with turquoise waters surrounded by high limestone cliffs.
• viking cave: It is named after the paintings there of the Vikings and it is one of the places where the swallows' nests, so popular in Chinese cuisine, are collected.
• Monkey beach: famous for the macaques that live there.

🎥 In this other article I tell you about other places in Bangkok and Phuket, where scenes from the movie were filmed The beach and others Movies Shot in Thailand.

How to visit the islands?

The only way to get there is by boat from Krabi or Phuket, either by ferry or by excursion.

The ferry is a good option if you want to stay on the island, although to visit all the points of interest on the other island you will need to hire a tour or negotiate a long-tail boat right there.

Therefore, the most common thing is to go with a Phi Phi Islands tour like this one about the link that takes you by speedboat from Phuket, it includes all transportation, buffet lunch and guide.

In addition, with the excursions you have time to see everything most important on the islands.

👉 If you prefer to go with a guide in spanishI recommend this other one.

⭐ You may also be interested in reading What to do in Phi Phi: the Ultimate Guide, where I talk in detail about everything there is to see and how to get there.

✅ Friend's Tip: Don’t forget to get travel insurance for your next adventure. I recommend Heymondo,—it’s super comprehensive, and with that link, you’ll get 5% off!

2.- Excursion to James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay

The iconic island of Khao Phing Kan became famous in the 1970s when scenes from a James Bond movie were filmed.

This island is located in the unique Phang Nga Bay right next to Phuket, declared a protected National Park, it is full of small islands with rock formations, cliffs and caves.

How to visit it?

To visit this area you can hire a traditional Thai boat (long tail boat) with whom you will have to negotiate the route and price. This option can be economical if you are going with a large group.

Otherwise it will be cheaper and you will visit more places, if you hire a excursion to James Bond island like this full-day link, which takes you to the most interesting points of the bay, includes lunch and a guide.

What is there to see?

Although James Bond Island is the best known, there are other points that the tours visit, these are the most interesting:

• Koh Panyee: a picturesque fishing village built on pylons.
• Lod cave: walk through a series of caves that can only be accessed by canoe.
• Monkey Temple: built inside a cave, from which you access another larger cave with stalactites and stalagmites.

⭐ You may be interested in this article about the Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island 😍 (2023), you can read in detail everything there is to see and transportation alternatives.

3.- Samet Nangshe – viewpoint over Phang Nga bay

Samet Nangshe is located on the way between Phuket and the city of Phang Nga, it is a place where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the bay while having a cool drink.

In addition, it is a place that is mainly visited by local people. 😉

How to Get There

To get to the viewpoint there is no public transportation, you will need to go by taxi or private transportation.

When you arrive at the viewpoint you will find a parking area and from there you get on the vans that cost 90 bahts (2.43 euros).

Upstairs there is a restaurant with toilets and several points from which to take photos, even a platform on a tree to be at a higher altitude.

Where to spend the night to see the sunrise?

A good experience is to spend the night because the views at dawn are unbeatable.

At the same viewpoint they have accommodation with the following options:

• tents: 450 bahts (12.15 euros);
• bungalows without bathroom: 800 bahts (21.60 euros);
• Apparently they now have other bungalows with a bathroom for 1,200 bahts (32.40 euros).

Of course, don't expect luxury in these accommodations.

For example, The bungalows are very basic, with a very hard mattress on the floor and no shower. There is only a giant bucket of cold water with a small bucket to pour the water over in the shared bathroom.

In addition, all the insects sneak in through the area where the ceiling meets the walls.

Therefore, if you want to sleep well, I recommend the hotel. Sametnangshe Boutique which is a few minutes from the viewpoint.

There you will have all the comforts, at a good price and with excellent views that you can enjoy from the pool.

4.- Visit to Phang Nga

The city of Phang Nga has several interesting points, mainly caves to visit and they are ideal to combine with the visit to the Samet Nangshe viewpoint from the previous point.

What to see?

The most attractive places are:

1. Wat Suwan Kuha: This temple is a must-see stop in Phang Nga, also known as the monkey temple among tourists. It is a temple built in a large cave where the reclining Buddha stands out.
2. Phung Chang Cave: It is known as the Elephant Stomach cave because of its shape. Although it is not a very large cave, it is quite interesting to visit inside.
3. Wat Tham Ta Pan: It is the temple of Hell and Paradise, a very particular temple that surprises. Although not suitable for all audiences because some performances are a bit macabre for small children.
4. Tham Ruesi Sawan and Tham Luk Suea caves: It is a park with a couple of caves with stalactites and lakes where a colony of monkeys lives.
5. Mangroves and caves: less than 10 km from the city of Phang Nga you can take a route through mangroves and caves by kayak, it is a little-known visit among tourists.
6. Namtok Raman Forest Park: This park is less than 15 km from Phang Nga. There you can do hiking trails and it has a very accessible waterfall ideal for taking a bath. This is another of the unusual visits among tourists, you will usually find Thai visitors.

Phang Nga Map

How to Get There

The monkey temple is usually included in the tour to Phang Nga Bay, but if you want to see the other places, the only way is to go on your own by bus or private transport.

Buses from Phuket leave from Phuket bus Terminal 1, take 2:30 hours and cost 6 euros.

You can buy the ticket directly at the bus station or on this website, which allows you to see all the transportation options, price and book without moving.

To rent a car in Thailand I recommend using this search engine, which has the best offers from local companies.

5.- Excursion to Coral Island

Koh He is an island that is right in front of Phuket, about 15 minutes by boat, which stands out for its coral bottom, which is why it is known as Coral Island.

What to do there?

It is one of the most popular excursions from Phuket, where you can relax on its paradisiacal white sand beach and go snorkelling.

Its seabed is very rich thanks to the coral bottom where tropical fish and colorful anemones live.

On the beach there are also transparent kayaks and SUP (paddle surf) boards to rent, although the prices are a little more expensive than on the island of Phuket.

How to Get There

To get there you have two options, you can go by private boat or in some excursion to Coral Island such as the motorboat connection that includes transfers, the snorkelling kit and a very complete buffet lunch.

😎 You may also be interested in this other article about 17 best beaches in Phuket: for all tastes

6.- Excursion to the Similan Islands

The Similan are one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand and are about 2:30 hours by boat from Phuket or Khao Lak.

This distance means that they are not as crowded as the islands between Phuket and Krabi.

The Similan Islands is a archipelago made up of 11 islands declared a national park, before there were 9, but they added 2 other islands that were further away from the park.

What to see in Similan?

The main islands are Koh Meang and Koh Similan, where you will find hotels and restaurants.

The main beach of Koh Similan is the typical white sand beach worthy of a travel magazine postcard.

⭐ That is why I have included it in my article about the 9 Best Beaches in Thailand.

As a good beach destination you can relax, although the most notable thing about these islands is the richness of their seabed, hence where they are the main diving spots for divers in Thailand.

There you can see whale sharks, reef sharks, manta rays, rays and depending on the season, turtles spawn on two of the islands. However, they are protected islands that cannot be visited.

When to go?

Unlike other islands, these They are only open during the dry season from October 15 to May 15 approximately.

Although, they adapt it every year according to the weather conditions, because Boats cancel their departures during rough seas.

How to go?

To get to the Similan you can hire a boat to take you.

However, the most common thing is to go with an excursion because it is much cheaper. I recommend this one 1 day excursion which has departures from Khao Lak and Phuket.

The excursion includes hotel pickup, entrance to the park (500 bahts), meals and visits to the most interesting points.

7.- Sailboat departure

In case you like to go sailing, there are sailboats in Phuket for a very good price and it is the best place in all of Thailand to rent a boat.

Renting a sailboat or catamaran will be very worthwhile for you, especially if you are traveling with more people, because it is cheaper than taking excursions.

In addition, the experience of taking a sailboat ride through the area is a true joy, with a lot of islands to discover, so it will be much easier for you to find deserted paradise beaches.

To rent a boat in Phuket I recommend this link search engine that has boats at a good price and in perfect condition where you can find catamarans and sailboats for less than 300 euros per day or smaller boats such as motorboats.

The alternative for tour the most beautiful of the Andaman by boat without worrying about anything, it is with this all-inclusive sailing trip around the Thai islands, which depending on the season costs less than 180 euros per day. 😎 A very nice experience!

⭐ You may also be interested in this other article about 3 Best Places to Rent a Boat in Thailand, where I talk about the boat license and with lots of advice.

👍 My two cents: If you’re looking to stay connected during your trip, 🤳 I recommend this eSIM for Thailand or this one for Asia both with unlimited data and work perfectly. Just use that link for a 5% discount.

Final Thoughts

These are the best tours from Phuket What you can do in just 1 day to make the most of your trip and discover corners little visited by most tourists.

In this guide to Thailand you can keep reading the main articles I’ve written about this beautiful country.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I'll help you as much as I can. If you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip! 😘

More about Thailand and Southeast Asia

• Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand: ethical or just a business?
• 4 best Yoga Teacher courses in Thailand
• What to do in Phuket: 22 best plans
• 5 Hotels in Phuket: resorts with the best value for money
• What to do in Khao Lak: 11 Plans in this Seaside Paradise