Phuket is one of Asia’s great bases for day trips: limestone islands rising out of the Andaman, world-class diving, sheltered bays and jungle national parks, most within a couple of hours of the marinas. If you’re deciding how to spend your days, these are the ten trips we’d actually recommend — what each is best for, and how to do it well. Most are boat days from Boat Lagoon Marina, where we’re based.
The best day trips at a glance
| Day trip | Best for | Note | Simba option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phang Nga Bay / James Bond Island | Scenery, sea caves, families | Very sheltered; good year-round | Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Tour |
| Phi Phi Islands | Snorkelling, swimming, Maya Bay | ~1 hr 10 min by speedboat | Phi Phi Sunrise Tour |
| Similan Islands | Diving & snorkelling | Open ~mid-Oct to mid-May only | Private charter |
| Coral Island | Easy family beach day | Short hop from Phuket | Coral-and-beach charter |
| Racha Islands | Quiet, clear water | Racha Yai & Racha Noi | Private charter |
| Khao Sok National Park | Jungle, lake, wildlife | ~2.5 hrs by road | Simba Jungle Trip |
| Khao Lak | Beaches, family, national parks | Day trip north of Phuket | — |
| Koh Yao (Yai & Noi) | Local life, quiet beaches | Longtail from Phuket | Private charter |
| Old Phuket Town | Culture, food, rainy days | In-town, all-weather | — |
1. Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island
A tour of Phang Nga Bay is the Phuket day trip that most divides opinion the least — everyone loves it. Limestone karsts jut straight from the water, you can sea-canoe into hidden lagoons, and the star turn is James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan), named for its role in The Man with the Golden Gun. The bay is sheltered, so it’s a strong pick year-round — leave early to reach the island before the fleet. Our Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island Tour does exactly that.
2. Phi Phi Islands
The classic Andaman day out: six islands of limestone cliffs and clear water, with Maya Bay (of The Beach) the headline. It’s about 1 hour 10 minutes by speedboat from Boat Lagoon — open water, so a calmer day counts. Snorkelling is excellent around Phi Phi Leh. Our Phi Phi Sunrise Tour departs early to reach Maya Bay ahead of the crowds.
3. Similan Islands (seasonal)
The Similan Islands are rated among the world’s best dive sites — granite boulders, clear water, vivid reefs. One key planning note: the national park is seasonal and closes for the green season, typically open only from around mid-October to mid-May. Because they’re further out, they suit a longer, unhurried day; Simba runs them as a private charter.
4. Coral Island
A short hop from Phuket, Coral Island is the easy family win: reefs a few strokes from shore, calm bays and soft beaches for a relaxed day of snorkelling and swimming. Our Coral Delight charter is built around a coral-and-beach day — reef snorkelling at Coral Island, a beach stop at Koh Rang Yai — with lunch back at Soho Pool Club on the return.
5. Racha Islands
South of Phuket, Racha Yai and Racha Noi trade crowds for calm — clear water, quiet bays and good snorkelling and diving (Racha Noi in particular). It’s the pick for a slower day on the water, and works well as a private charter.
6. Khao Sok National Park
For a change from the sea, Khao Sok is ancient rainforest, a jade-green lake and limestone cliffs about two and a half hours north. Kayak the Sok River, walk the jungle, and keep an eye out for gibbons and hornbills. It’s a genuinely different day, and it’s bookable with us as the Simba Jungle Trip.
7. Khao Lak
North of Phuket, Khao Lak is a stretch of golden-sand beaches backed by green mountains, with upscale, family-friendly resorts and three national parks nearby. It’s a gentler, quieter day than the island runs — good for families who want beach time without a long boat trip, and the usual jumping-off point for the Similans in season.
8. Koh Yao Yai & Koh Yao Noi
Sitting between Phuket and Krabi in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, the two Koh Yao islands are where you go for local life: rubber plantations, rice fields, quiet white-sand beaches and longtail boats. Koh Yao Noi is a touch more developed; both are a world away from Patong. A private charter can weave them into a bay day.
9. Old Phuket Town
Not every great Phuket day is on the water. Old Phuket Town — Sino-Portuguese shophouses, galleries, markets and some of the island’s best food — is the all-weather option, ideal when the sea’s not cooperating. Easy to walk, and a completely different side of the island.
10. Build your own by private charter
If none of the fixed itineraries is quite right — or you want to combine two — a private charter lets you set the route, the pace and the departure time. All our standard boats run small groups (a maximum of 18 adults), so even the busy islands feel calmer.
A note from the operator
We’ve run these day trips since 2005, so this isn’t a scraped list — it’s where we take guests, in the seasons that make sense (which is why the Similans come with a caveat and Phang Nga doesn’t). Owner-led and pilot-owned, we time departures around light and weather to beat the fleet to the headline sights. The full author profile sits below.
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