Here's the straight answer on what a boat tour from Phuket costs in 2026. A quality small-group join-in day tour runs ฿4,500–5,310 per person, all-inclusive. A full private charter starts at ฿33,770 per boat for 2–4 guests and tops out around ฿41,690 depending on destination and duration. At the other end of the market, budget join-in tours sell from under ฿2,500 — and the gap between those numbers isn't marketing. It's boat economics, and it's worth understanding before you book.
We've been running boats out of Phuket since 2005, so below are our actual live prices, what "all-inclusive" really covers, and an honest breakdown of why the same island day can cost ฿1,900 with one operator and ฿5,000 with another.
What our tours cost in 2026
These are the live prices on our booking system today — final prices, with nothing added at checkout.
Join-in day tours (per person)
| Tour | Duration | Price per adult |
|---|---|---|
| Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island | ~7–8 hours | ฿4,500 all-inclusive |
| Phi Phi Sunrise Tour | ~8 hours | ฿5,310 all-inclusive |
Private charters (per boat, 2–4 guests; additional charges above 4, up to 18 adults)
| Charter | Duration | From |
|---|---|---|
| Phang Nga Bay Sunset | 4.5 hours | ฿33,770 |
| Coral Delight (Coral Island & Koh Rang Yai) | 7 hours | ฿34,870 |
| Phi Phi Sunrise Private | 8 hours | ฿40,700 |
| Phang Nga Bay & Beyond | 8 hours | ฿40,700 |
| Krabi | Full day | ฿41,690 |
Two variations worth knowing about: our sports rib Lola runs the Phang Nga sunset itinerary at a flat ฿29,150 for up to 4 guests — the cheapest way into a fully private evening on the bay — and the half-day Locals Island Tour uses our higher-capacity boat (up to 25 adults), with current rates on the tour page. The full range is on our private charters page with live availability.
What "all-inclusive" actually means
Our displayed price is the final price. It covers hotel pickup from the main Phuket tourist coast, national park fees, breakfast and lunch, soft drinks and water, snorkelling gear and flotation aids, and the crew. There's no VAT added at checkout, no booking fee, and no on-board surprises. When you compare quotes, this is the first thing to check — a ฿1,900 headline price that adds a ฿400 park fee, gear rental and a "fuel surcharge" on the day isn't a ฿1,900 tour.
Why prices vary so much in Phuket
Broadly, the Phuket day-tour market in 2026 splits into three tiers:
- Budget (roughly under ฿2,500 per adult): 40–45 passengers per boat, a rushed program, minimal catering, and a reliance on add-on income — park fees, gear hire, photos — to make the sums work.
- Mid-market (roughly ฿2,500–4,000): 30–35 passengers, a fuller program, better catering, fewer hidden extras.
- Premium small-group (฿4,500+ per adult, or private): 18 adults or under, a carefully managed itinerary, strong catering, no hidden costs, and serious money spent on boat quality and safety.
The single biggest driver is passenger load. Fuel, crew, parts and boat replacement cost roughly the same whether a boat carries 16 people or 45 — so cost per seat falls dramatically when an operator packs the deck. Committing to a maximum of 18 adults means each seat carries more of the boat's real running cost. That's the honest reason a small-group tour can't sell for ฿1,900: it's not margin, it's arithmetic.
Small groups buy you back the things big boats quietly take away: crew who can actually watch every guest in the water, space to move during the crossing, and boarding that takes minutes rather than half an hour — which matters both for how long you get at each island and for how fast everyone gets off the boat if something goes wrong.
Running boats is the family business — we've operated out of Phuket for over twenty years, and two decades of maintenance logs teach you exactly where a cheap tour saves its money. A proper safety and maintenance program runs into millions of baht a year; our own expense reserve works out at over ฿300 per passenger, every trip. Operators selling at rock-bottom prices are covering that gap somewhere, and it's usually in the areas you can't see from the pier.
Do prices change with the season?
Across the market, yes — green season (May to October) brings promotions and quieter boats, while December to April demand pushes budget operators' prices up. Our approach is simpler: consistent all-inclusive pricing from the live booking system, and if we cancel a trip for weather, your deposit is refunded in full. If you're weighing up timing, our guide on when to book a boat charter in Phuket covers the weather month by month, and our private vs join-in comparison will settle which format fits your group.
