A week of island hopping around Phuket

One island a day, not five islands in one exhausting day

Most Phuket “island hopping” tours cram three or four stops into a single long day, which means forty minutes on each island and several hours on the boat. This itinerary does the opposite: each day is built around one island or one archipelago, with enough time on the water to actually snorkel, walk a beach or sit somewhere quiet before the boat back. It bases you near Chalong, which sits closest to the pier network most of these trips leave from, and treats the boat itself as part of the day rather than a delay before it.

Day 1: Arrival and pier orientation

Land, settle into a Chalong or Rawai base, and use the afternoon to confirm pickup points for the week ahead — most boats leave from Chalong Pier, with a few island-specific departures from Rassada Pier further north. Walk the seafront, check tomorrow’s weather, and get an early night; every day this week starts before 8am.

Day 2: Racha Island

The clearest water within reach of a half-day trip, and the easiest introduction to the week: a single island, a beach, and a reef close enough to shore that strong swimming ability isn’t required.

Racha Island snorkelling boat tour

Day 3: Coral Island and Maiton

A calmer pairing — Coral Island for shallow snorkelling and optional sea walking, Maiton Island for a quieter, more private beach with fewer day-trip boats. Both sit close enough together to visit in one day without the boat time eating into beach time the way a four-stop itinerary would.

Maiton, Coral and Racha islands snorkelling trip

Day 4: Phi Phi and Maya Bay

The longest and most anticipated day: Phi Phi by speedboat, with Maya Bay as the headline stop. Maya Bay itself runs on a visitor quota and a no-swim rule at the main beach — boats now moor at Loh Samah instead — so treat it as a walk-in viewpoint rather than a swim spot, and budget a cash national park fee of roughly 400-600 B (12-18 USD) on top of the tour price.

Phi Phi, Maya Bay and James Bond Island day trip

Take it easy the morning after — a full Phi Phi day is genuinely tiring, and day five is deliberately a shorter one.

Day 5: James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay

A shorter, calmer day by comparison: limestone karsts rising out of flat water, a sea-canoe paddle through low caves at James Bond Island, and a stop at the floating village of Koh Panyee in Phang Nga Bay for lunch.

James Bond Island canoeing day tour

Day 6: Similan Islands or Koh Yao Noi, depending on season

If you’re travelling November to mid-May, Similan Islands is the best diving and snorkelling day of the whole week — some of the clearest water in the Andaman Sea, reached by speedboat from a Khao Lak or Phuket departure. The park is closed to visitors mid-May to mid-October; during that window, swap in Koh Yao Noi instead, a quieter inhabited island between Phuket and Krabi with a private longtail option and calmer, sheltered water that holds up better once the monsoon sets in.

Private longtail island hopping tour

Day 7: Rest, Khai Islands or departure

Keep the last day flexible. If you have energy left, a shorter half-day trip to the Khai Islands is an easy way to close the week without another long boat day; otherwise use it for packing, a beach morning, and the transfer to HKT. See Phuket airport transfers to book one in advance.

What island hopping actually costs

Day	Typical cost per person
Racha Island (shared boat)	1,500-2,200 B (43-63 USD)
Coral Island + Maiton	1,800-2,600 B (52-75 USD)
Phi Phi + Maya Bay (speedboat)	2,500-3,800 B (72-110 USD)
James Bond Island + Phang Nga Bay	1,800-2,800 B (52-80 USD)
Similan or Koh Yao Noi	3,000-4,500 B (86-130 USD)

National park fees are usually not included in the advertised price and are collected in cash on the boat — budget an extra 400-800 B (12-23 USD) per park day. Add accommodation and food on top; see the full Phuket budget breakdown for daily living costs.

Practical notes for a week of boat days

Seasickness is more common than first-timers expect on longer speedboat crossings — take medication before boarding, not after symptoms start. Reef-safe sunscreen matters more this week than almost anywhere else on a Phuket trip, since you’ll be reapplying it daily; see best snorkelling spots in Phuket and speedboat vs longtail boat for how the two boat types compare on comfort and price. Pack a dry bag for phones and cameras — spray on a speedboat is a given, not a possibility.

Frequently asked questions about island hopping from Phuket

How many islands can I realistically see in a week?

This itinerary covers six to seven distinct islands or island groups across the week, one or two per day, which is more manageable than the eight-plus a single marathon multi-stop tour attempts.

Do I need to be a strong swimmer?

No — most snorkelling stops on this itinerary are in calm, shallow water close to the boat, and life jackets are provided. Strong swimming ability matters more for the Similan day, where currents can be stronger at certain sites.

Is a private boat worth the extra cost?

For Racha, Coral and Maiton, a shared boat is genuinely good value. For Phi Phi and James Bond Island, a private or small-group option is worth it if you want fewer people at each stop and more flexibility on timing; see private longtail boat hire.

What happens if a boat trip is cancelled for weather?

Operators cancel or reroute in genuinely rough conditions, most common May to October; most offer a different date or a refund rather than sailing regardless, so build a spare day into the week if you’re travelling in the monsoon months.

Should I book everything before arriving?

Book Phi Phi and Similan ahead in high season (December-January especially), since the better operators sell out. Racha, Coral and Maiton usually have enough daily capacity to book a day or two ahead once you’re on the ground.