James Bond Island Tour Price for Indians: Phuket vs Krabi (2026)

The James Bond Island tour price depends on three things: the kind of boat, whether you start from Phuket or Krabi, and whether the national park fee of 300 baht (about ₹840) per adult is included. Shared longtail, speedboat and catamaran tours all visit the same bay. They differ in time on the water, number of stops and comfort. The live table below shows current prices in rupees for the tours we sell from both Phuket and Krabi.

This guide explains what each tour style buys and which costs sit outside the ticket. It also helps you choose between the two departure points. Baht amounts use about ₹2.8 per baht, the rate on 9 November 2026.

James Bond Island tour price: what you actually pay

Budget for three layers of cost:

1. The tour itself. This covers the boat, a guide and usually lunch and hotel pick-up. The price changes most with the boat type, so compare like with like.
2. The national park fee. James Bond Island lies inside Ao Phang Nga National Park. Under the Department of National Parks rate card, foreign adults pay 300 baht (about ₹840) and children 150 baht (about ₹420). Some tours include it, while others leave you to pay in cash on the day.
3. Extras. Depending on the tour, these can include sea-canoe time, drinks or a seafood lunch upgrade. Pick-up from outside the operator's main zone may also cost more.

Indian passport holders get a 30-day visa exemption for Thailand from 15 September 2026. So there is no visa cost to add, though you still fill in an arrival card online. See our Thailand visa guide for Indians for that step.

Live prices for the James Bond Island tours we sell

What the table does not show at a glance:

• Park fee. Both Phuket tours, the Phang Nga longtail tour and the speed catamaran tour, list the park fee as included. By contrast, the James Bond Island tour from Krabi excludes it, so add about ₹840 per adult.
• "Tour outer". On the longtail tour you will see a second, dearer option called "Tour outer". Its listing gives no explanation. Give your hotel name and ask which option applies before you pay.
• Child age bands. On the longtail tour, only ages 2–4 get the child rate, so a seven-year-old pays the adult price. Ages 4–11 count as children on the catamaran, and 4–10 on the Krabi tour.
• Canoeing. A kayak is listed as an extra on the longtail tour. Kayaking at Hong Island is part of the catamaran's itinerary, and canoeing appears in the Krabi tour's description.

What each tour includes, side by side

This comparison uses each tour's own listing, so it stays useful even when prices move.

We left a few listings out of the table. One tour has a supplier age-band error, and the private boats cost several times the shared price. Two-day ferry combos are also hard to compare with a day trip. Planning the FantaSea show anyway? The James Bond Island by ferry plus FantaSea combo puts both on one day, and our FantaSea ticket price guide covers the show.

Longtail, speedboat, catamaran or big boat?

Longtail with sea canoe

The traditional wooden longtail is slow and noisy, but it sits close to the water and slips into narrow channels. Tours like this often start from piers on the Phang Nga side of the bay. That means more time in the van and less on the boat, which suits families who don't want a hard ride.

Speedboat

Speedboats cover the most ground and reach outer islands in one day. However, the ride is bumpy and exposed to sun and spray. Many operators' booking notes say speedboats are not suitable for pregnant travellers or anyone with back problems.

Speed catamaran

A catamaran is steadier and has deck space to move around. That makes a long day easier for older parents and small children. The one in our range makes six island stops, so it fills the whole day (see the timetable below).

Big boat or ferry

Large boats carry more people and ride more steadily, but you get less time at each stop. In our range, they come only as combos with the FantaSea show or a second tour day.

Private boat

A private longtail or speedboat lets you set the timing and dodge the crowds. It costs several times more, so it only makes sense for a large family splitting one boat.

James Bond Island tour from Phuket or from Krabi?

James Bond Island is in Phang Nga province, not in Phuket or Krabi. It sits in Phang Nga Bay, northeast of Phuket, and tours leave from both sides. Phuket is the shorter trip.

A typical day from Phuket

Here is the speed catamaran's published timetable. The operator notes that times depend on the weather.

1. 08:30: hotel pick-up in Patong, Kata or Karon
2. 10:15: the boat leaves the pier
3. 11:00: Hong Island, with kayaking in the lagoon
4. 12:00: James Bond Island
5. 13:00: Koh Panyee, with lunch from 13:15
6. 14:40: Panak Island caves, then Naka Island beach at 15:10
7. 16:20: Rung Yai island, then back at the pier around 17:30

A longtail day from Phuket starts later, with pick-up around 10:00, and spends longer on the road before the boat. Book from wherever you are staying rather than crossing over for a cheaper ticket. Our Krabi trip guide covers the Krabi side. For Phuket, the Phuket itinerary and cost guide shows where this day fits.

What you see at James Bond Island

The island everyone calls James Bond Island is Khao Phing Kan, a pair of limestone hills that lean against each other. The famous spike of rock in the photos is Ko Tapu. It stands about 20 metres tall, roughly 40 metres off the beach. Both became famous after the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun.

Since 1998, tourist boats have not been allowed close to Ko Tapu, to protect the fragile limestone. Instead, you see it from the beach of Khao Phing Kan. Wikipedia's Khao Phing Kan page has the background. Don't book any tour that promises you can climb onto the rock.

The stop itself is short. Our catamaran's timetable allows about an hour here, including the hop to the next island.

Koh Panyee, the cave temple and the sea canoes

Koh Panyee floating village

Most tours include lunch at Koh Panyee, a fishing village built on stilts beside a limestone island. About 1,600 people live there, and the community is Muslim. Cover your shoulders and knees when you walk through the lanes. The village restaurants serve mostly Thai seafood, so ask for a vegetarian meal when you book, not when you sit down.

Suwan Khuha cave temple

Longtail tours from Phuket often stop at Wat Suwan Khuha on the drive to the pier. It is a cave temple with a large reclining Buddha. Monkeys live around it and grab bags, food and phones, so keep your bag zipped and your hands free.

Sea canoes, mangroves and hongs

Ao Phang Nga National Park also protects the largest remaining native mangrove forest in Thailand. Many tours paddle sea canoes through its mangrove channels and caves. The best part is the "hongs": lagoons hidden inside islands such as Hong and Panak, which you enter through low sea caves. Because the cave mouths depend on the water level, operators juggle the order of stops around the tide. One of our suppliers notes that its timings may change for exactly this reason.

Best months and tides for a James Bond Island tour

• November to April is the reliable season, with calmer water and clearer skies. December to March is the busiest period.
• May to October is the southwest monsoon. Phang Nga Bay is partly sheltered by the mainland and Phuket. As a result, it is usually calmer than the open sea to Phi Phi, although rain and wind can still change the plan.
• Tides decide when you can paddle into the caves. Don't be surprised if your tour visits stops in a different order from the brochure.

Our best time to visit Thailand guide covers the weather month by month.

Tips for Indian travellers

• Veg and Jain food. Lunch on these tours is usually Thai food, heavy on seafood and fish sauce. Ask for vegetarian or Jain meals when you book, and carry dry snacks for the long day.
• Cash. If your tour excludes the park fee, carry 300 baht per adult and 150 baht per child in cash. Our baht to rupee guide explains how to carry money.
• Older parents. Choose the catamaran or a longtail over a speedboat. There is little walking, but expect to step on and off boats several times.
• Kids. Check the child age band before you book, because it ranges from 2–4 to 4–11 across our tours.
• Flights. IndiGo flies direct to Phuket from Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, so this day fits easily into a four- or five-night Phuket trip.
• Packing. Bring sunscreen, a cap, a dry bag for your phone, and clothes that can get wet.

Five questions to ask before you pay

1. Is the 300-baht park fee included, or do I pay cash on the day?
2. Does pick-up cover my hotel, or does my area cost extra?
3. Is the canoe included, and does a guide paddle it?
4. Can you arrange a vegetarian or Jain lunch?
5. Which ages count as children on this tour?

Compare each James Bond Island tour price only after you have these answers. A cheaper ticket with the fee and the canoe left out can end up costing more.

Adding James Bond Island to a Phuket Krabi package

Our 5-night Phuket Krabi tour package includes Phi Phi and the Krabi Four Islands. James Bond Island is not included; the package lists it as an optional tour, and the itinerary has no free full day. If Phang Nga Bay is a must, add a night in Patong and book one of the tours above. Our Phi Phi island tour price guide compares the other big boat day.

Planning Bangkok too? The Thailand family tour package covers Bangkok and Pattaya, and our Thailand destination page lists all our tours. Once you know the James Bond Island tour price that fits your plan, use the enquiry form on this page for a custom quote.

Cover photo: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons