Phang Nga Bay Canoeing & James Bond Island Tour from Phuket

About This Experience

Amazing Canoeing’s big-boat day is the most-reviewed listing in our data, with 5,460+ Viator reviews and a 4.9 rating. An air-conditioned minivan brings you from your Phuket hotel to Ao Po Pier on the island’s north-east coast, roughly an hour from Patong or Kata, where staff in pink T-shirts meet guests at the gate. The day then runs on a big sightseeing boat with canoe stops at Ko Panak and Ko Hong, lunch on board, a stop at James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan) and an afternoon swim at Nakae Island, as the listing spells it. It costs from $96 per person (checked November 2026).

The canoeing is the reason to book. At Ko Panak the canoes head into hidden lagoons, and at Ko Hong, the island inside Phang Nga Bay and not the Hong Islands off Krabi, the route continues among cliffs and caves. Many of these lagoons are hongs, collapsed cave chambers open to the sky, and the tide decides which entrances are open on the day. The listing does not say whether a guide paddles or you do, so ask the operator if that matters to you. Reviewers single out the canoe rides and the lunch.

At James Bond Island you land on Khao Phing Kan, walk the short paths and look across at Ko Ta Pu, the nail-shaped limestone pillar, which no boat may land on. Most boats arrive around the middle of the day, so expect a crowd on the beach. The afternoon at Nakae Island is the easy part of the day: swimming, paddle boarding and more casual canoeing.

Read the exclusions closely. The listing puts entrance fees under not included, which on this route means the national park fee, reported at 300 THB (about $9) per foreign adult, so carry cash. Alcoholic drinks, gratuities and souvenir photos cost extra. Vegetarian meals are available if you ask at booking. The listing marks the tour as wheelchair accessible and suitable for all fitness levels, but ask the operator how canoe boarding works before you rely on that. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.

The big boat is slower than a speedboat but steadier, which suits families and anyone wary of a bumpy ride, and the price includes hotel transfers in Phuket Province. For an afternoon version that reaches James Bond Island after most boats have gone, see our review of the Twilight Sea Canoe tour.

Highlights

• Canoe into the hidden lagoons of Ko Panak
• Explore the cliffs and caves of Ko Hong in Phang Nga Bay by canoe
• Walk Khao Phing Kan and view Ko Ta Pu, the nail-shaped limestone pillar
• Swim and try paddle boarding at Nakae Island in the afternoon
• Cruise the bay on a big, stable sightseeing boat

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off by air-conditioned minivan in Phuket Province
• ✓ Big-boat sightseeing cruise in Phang Nga Bay
• ✓ Sea cave canoeing at Ko Panak and Ko Hong
• ✓ Buffet lunch and refreshments
• ✓ Paddle boarding
• ✓ English-speaking guide and travel insurance

Not Included

• Entrance fees (the national park fee, reported at 300 THB per foreign adult)
• Alcoholic drinks (available to buy)
• Gratuities
• Souvenir photos (available to buy)

What to Bring

• Swimwear and a towel for Nakae Island
• A change of clothes for after the canoeing
• Sunscreen and a hat
• Cash for the park fee, drinks and photos

Good to Know & Caveats

• Park fee: the listing excludes entrance fees, so expect to pay the national park fee (reported at 300 THB per foreign adult, 150 THB per child) in cash.
• Boat: a big sightseeing boat is slower than a speedboat but steadier in open water.
• Canoeing: the listing does not say who paddles; the tide decides which caves and hongs are open.
• Crowds: most boats reach James Bond Island around the middle of the day.
• Meeting point: staff in pink T-shirts wait at the gate across the road from Ao Po Pier.
• Access: the listing marks it wheelchair accessible; ask how canoe boarding works before you book.
• Families: children must be accompanied by an adult, and infants sit on an adult's lap.
• Availability: Viator's schedule showed open dates from 12 November 2026 when we checked in November 2026.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup in Phuket Province is included; if you make your own way, staff in pink T-shirts meet guests at the gate across the road from Ao Po Pier.