PHUKET SHORE EXCURSION: PHANG NGA BAY, KAYAKING & JAMES BOND ISLAND

Most cruise ships in Phuket anchor off Patong Beach and take you ashore by tender. From there, Phang Nga Bay is the day people remember: tall limestone islands standing straight out of green water. Our cruise groups did this in 2026, and the photos on this page are theirs.

Be ready for a long day. The pier for the bay is about 1.5 hours by road from Patong, so this is not a tour for a short port call.

The route

• Drive north to the pier on Phang Nga Bay.
• Longtail boat out among the islands. Longtails are loud and you may get a little wet.
• Sea kayaking with a local paddler into the caves and hidden lagoons inside some islands. The kayaks only go in when the tide is right, so the order of the day can change.
• James Bond Island, with the thin rock standing in the water that was in the 1974 Bond film. It is busy around midday.
• Lunch stop, then the drive back to Patong.

Some of our groups also asked for an elephant sanctuary. It adds time, so tell us early if you want it and we will check it fits your ship's hours.

How these shore excursions work

• Private tour for your group only, from a few people in a van up to a full coach.
• An English-speaking local guide meets you at the cruise terminal (or at the tender pier if your ship anchors).
• We plan the day around your ship's times and bring you back well before all-aboard.
• Send us your ship name, port date and docking hours, and we fit the route to them.

Included

• English-speaking local guide
• Private vehicle with driver
• Entrance tickets and boat rides in the route you choose

Not included

• Lunch and drinks, unless we agree on a lunch stop in the price
• Tips for the guide and driver

Price

The price per person depends on your group size and the route. Tell us your ship, date and number of people and we will send a plan and a price.

See all our shore excursions in Asia.