Similan Islands
Island Escapes from PhuketPhang Nga · province — outside PhuketA national park with an entry fee on top of tour prices — fees and season dates are set by the park and change periodically.
Mu Ko Similan National Park — a string of granite islands northwest of Phuket with the region's clearest water and signature dive sites. Open only during the dry-season window; access is by tour boat from the mainland.
Ways to get there
Real routes and departures — what is included depends on the option you pick
Island Hopping by Speedboat
More places to explore
Common questions
When are the Similan Islands open?
Typically mid-October to mid-May, with exact dates announced by the national park each year — always confirm the current season before booking.
Can you stay overnight on the islands?
The park no longer offers island accommodation — visits run as day trips from the mainland. Nearby mainland and Koh Lak-area stays are the usual bases.
Is it suitable for children?
Older children handle it well with a life jacket and sun protection; the early start and two boat crossings make it a big day for small kids.
Good to know
Mu Ko Similan National Park — a string of granite islands northwest of Phuket with the region's clearest water and signature dive sites. Open only during the dry-season window; access is by tour boat from the mainland.
The Similans sit well off the mainland coast in Phang Nga province — a national park of granite islands whose boulders tumble into water famous for its clarity. Above water it is beach-and-boulder scenery: Donald Duck Bay's landmark rock and the short hike up Sail Rock are the classic stops. Under water, the east coast holds coral gardens at gentle depths while the west side drops over boulder arches — with more demanding sites offshore toward Koh Bon, where mantas pass in season.
Two facts shape every visit. First, the park closes every year — roughly mid-May to mid-October — for recovery; trips only run inside the announced season. Second, access is managed: entry is by park fee, daily visitor numbers are capped, and overnight stays on the islands are no longer offered, so everyone visits as a (long) day trip — from Phuket that means an early minivan to the pier in Phang Nga and a speedboat crossing.
Highlights
- The clearest water in the Andaman — visibility the Similans are famous for
- Donald Duck Bay and the Sail Rock viewpoint hike
- Legendary dive sites — coral gardens to deep boulder slopes
- A strictly protected national park — capped visitors, seasonal closure
Good for
Divers and snorkelers who want the region's benchmark waterDay trippers happy to trade a long transfer for a top-tier islandPhotographers hunting the boulder-and-white-sand compositions
Getting there
There is no direct pier on Phuket for the Similans — tours run early minivans from Phuket to the departure pier in Phang Nga (roughly 1.5–2 hours), then a speedboat crossing. Book a licensed tour; the park caps daily visitors, so seats in high season sell out.
- Confirm the park's current season dates before booking — the closure window shifts slightly each year.
- It is a long day out — early pickup, two crossings and full sun; sleep well and pack seasickness tablets if you're prone.
- Park rules are strict: no touching or feeding marine life, no drones without permission, follow your guide's marked paths.
- The national park closes roughly mid-May to mid-October every year; outside those dates, monsoon weather can still pause individual trips.
Planning several days?
The trip planner builds a day-by-day Phuket plan: trip details → day plan → review & pay. You pick every activity yourself — nothing is added automatically.
- 1Trip details
- 2Day plan
- 3Review & pay