James Bond Island: Early Start or Afternoon
James Bond Island from Phuket at three times of day: the dawn and early-bird starts, the standard 9:00 AM day, and the afternoon and luxury sunset cruises, with what reviewers say about the crowds at each (November 2026).
Most James Bond Island days from Phuket run on the same clock: pickup in the morning, the island around midday, back by late afternoon. That is the clock of James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket, run by The Thai Tourism Company, from US$48 on promotion, usually US$51 a person (checked November 2026), with a 9:00 AM start. If you want the island before the main wave, a few small-group days start at dawn; if you would rather end on the water at sunset, there are afternoon trips and a luxury sunset cruise.
Big boat (8 hours) or speedboat (9 hours); the pickup time comes the day before.
Three clocks
| Starts | At the island | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn and early bird | Pickup 3:30 to 6:00 AM | Early morning | Midday to mid-afternoon |
| The standard day | Pickup in the morning, 9:00 AM start at Ao Po | Around midday | Late afternoon at the pier |
| Afternoon and dusk | Pickup or start between noon and 1:30 PM | Afternoon | After sunset |
| Full-day sunset cruise | Pickup in the morning | Afternoon | After sunset |
From the tours below, checked November 2026.
Early: before the main wave
The standard days reach Khao Phing Kan at much the same time, and that is when reviewers meet the crowds: a French reviewer of The Thai Tourism Company’s speedboat on 21 October 2026 counted dozens of boats waiting at the islands. The early tours sell the opposite:
- Phuket Let's Go's sunrise day collects you between 3:30 and 4:00 AM, watches the sunrise from the Samet Nangshe viewpoint, then takes a villager’s longtail to the island at an off-peak hour. A small group, at least 4 people, from US$135 a person (checked November 2026). A December 2023 reviewer’s group of 8 “were the first there”.
- Siam Adventure World's early-bird speedboat is built to “beat the heat and the crowds”, with breakfast at the pier and an hour at the Samet Nangshe viewpoint as well as Khao Phing Kan. A German reviewer in January 2026 wrote that they were almost alone on the island.
- Simba Sea Trips' small-group speedboat picks up at about 6:00 AM for a 7:00 AM boat from Royal Phuket Marina and has you back at the hotel around 3:30 PM. It may reschedule a tour with fewer than 8 seats booked.
On The Thai Tourism Company’s own day, a speedboat reviewer on 20 October 2026 wrote that their guide had them “always the first tour group to arrive places before it got busy”. The timing of a standard day can work in your favour too; it is just not promised.
The standard day
A 9:00 AM start at Ao Po Pier, an hour of canoeing at Panak Island, then Khao Phing Kan at lunchtime and a swim before the drive back. US$50.57 by big boat and US$59.55 by speedboat on our dates from 26 Nov 2026 to 24 Mar 2027, less than any early or evening day on this page.
Afternoon and dusk
- One Asia Corporation's premium yacht starts at 1:30 PM at Ao Po without transfer or at 12:00 PM with it: 30 minutes at James Bond Island, 1.5 hours canoeing at Hong Island, then a viewpoint stop for the sunset and dinner on board. US$112.21 and US$113.71 a person on 26 Nov 2026.
- Discova Thailand's evening trip leaves Phuket Boat Lagoon at 2:30 PM: Panak Island, canoeing at Ko Hong, an hour at James Bond Island, sunset and a Thai set dinner, then the glowing plankton after dark. On 26 Nov 2026 the price was US$137.75 a person if you meet at the pier, or US$141.55 including the hotel transfer; park fees included.
The luxury sunset cruise
The day sold under that name is Seanery’s Phuket: James Bond Island Luxury Sunset Cruise, from US$156 a person (checked November 2026). It is a full day rather than an evening: hotel pickup in Phuket, about an hour in the van to Ao Po Pier, a buffet lunch on board, kayaking at Hong Island, a swim and water hammocks at Yai Island, then Khao Phing Kan and its leaning rocks, and a buffet dinner as the sun goes down on the way back to Yacht Haven Marina. About 8 hours.
What you get for the price: hotel transfers in Phuket, lunch and dinner, free-flow soft drinks, fruit, towels, the kayak trip, stand-up paddleboards, a slider, floats and the national park fee. The boat takes up to 95 guests. From Khao Lak or Bang Sak the transfer costs 3,300 baht a van of up to 10, and there is no transfer from Krabi. It is not for pregnant women, and the cruise suggests bringing a credit card.
It has 1,933 reviews on GetYourGuide. Of its 350 newest reviews, the oldest of them from 15 January 2026, 344 give four or five stars. A reviewer on 22 October 2026 liked the space and the shade on deck and called it “well worth spending a bit more for comfort”, but said to factor in about an hour each way to the pier. On 14 September a three-star reviewer found the day long, with most of it spent travelling and only about 45 minutes for swimming, and the ride home at sunset turned into a dance party with loud music until the staff turned it down on request.
On 26 Nov 2026 the cruise’s calendar showed the date as unavailable; on 20 Jan 2027 it sold one option, with hotel pickup in Phuket between 10:00 and 11:00 AM, at US$155.60 a person, the same as its from-price, which carried no promotion. Check the date you want.
Another full day that ends at sunset is Seven Plus Travel's sunset yacht: pickup between 7:30 and 10:00 AM, a double-deck catamaran for at most 48 guests from Chalong Pier, a landing on James Bond Island, canoeing at Hong Island, water toys off Maiton Island and the sunset on the way back, from US$105 on promotion, usually US$131 a person (checked November 2026).
How to choose
- First at the island: a dawn start, accepting a 3:30 to 6:00 AM pickup.
- The lowest price on this page: the standard day.
- Comfort and a sunset dinner: the luxury sunset cruise, a long day on a big boat.
- The plankton: the 2:30 PM evening trip, back after dark.
Still Deciding
Day Trips from Phuket with Open Dates
James Bond Island days by big boat, speedboat and longtail with live availability. Each shows its pier, pickup and whether the park fee is included before you pay.
The Standard Day, Big Boat or Speedboat
A 9:00 AM start after hotel pickup across Phuket, with The Thai Tourism Company: a canoe at Panak, Khao Phing Kan at midday, a swim, lunch and the drive home by evening. Cancel free until 24 hours ahead.
Pick a date