What the Similan Islands are and how to visit them
The Similan Islands are a national park comprising eleven granite islands, located about 70 km off the Andaman coast north of Phuket. They offer white sandy bays, boulder-strewn reefs, and some of the clearest water in Thailand. The park is open from October 15th to May 15th and is closed during the monsoon season. As staying on the islands is not possible, most visitors take a day trip from the pier in Thap Lamu, 15 km south of Khao Lak. The speedboat journey takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
From a hotel in Khao Lak, a relaxed day trip costs approximately 3,700–4,200 baht, including the 500 baht park fee. From Phuket, it's the same boat, but the journey takes two hours each way, for a total of 10 to 13 hours door-to-door. Divers come to Koh Bon for Elephant Head Rock and the manta rays, either on day boats or on liveaboard dive boats that anchor offshore. If the Similan Islands are the reason for your trip, an overnight stay in Khao Lak is recommended.
Accommodation in Khao Lak
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Key facts
Open from October 15th to May 15th
The park is closed from May 16th to October 14th due to the southwest monsoon and may close earlier or entirely in case of severe weather. Boats may arrive from 8:00 AM and must depart by 4:00 PM.
The parking fee is 500 Baht for adults and 250 Baht for children.
Thai nationals pay 100 baht. Divers pay an additional 200 baht per day. This fee is included in some tours, while others collect it at the pier. Therefore, check before comparing prices.
Boats leave Thap Lamu Pier near Khao Lak
The speedboat crossing to the islands takes approximately 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes. Passengers are picked up in Khao Lak between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., and in Phuket from around 5:30 a.m. The return to the pier is between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.
A day trip costs approximately 3,700–4,200 Baht, including fees.
Speedboat or catamaran, lunch, snorkeling equipment and transfers. An early bird speedboat trip to avoid the biggest crowds costs about 5,900 baht, a day with two dives about 6,300 baht (all inclusive).
No overnight stays
The bungalows and campsite on the island closed in 2018. To stay overnight, you can join a diving safari that anchors off the coast.
The number is limited to 3,850 per day.
3,325 day visitors and 525 divers. Weekends from December to March book up quickly, so it is recommended to book a few days in advance during peak season.
Comparison of options for visiting the Similan Islands
The prices are taken from the tour operators' websites for 2026/27 (Discovery Khao Lak, Khao Lak Explorer, Tisland, Sea Dragon) and from GetYourGuide for the Similan Islands. Children pay approximately half to two-thirds of the adult price.
When the Similan Islands are open
The park follows the same cycle each year. It opens on October 15th and closes on May 15th. This year, it was closed from May 15th until October 15th, 2026, due to the monsoon and to allow the reefs to recover. The 2026/27 season begins on October 15th, 2026. In stormy years, the park may close a few days earlier, and boats do not operate in rough seas.
The best months are December to March, as the water is calmest then and visibility is optimal. At the end of October and in November, there can still be rough seas. For divers, the manta ray season off Koh Bon lasts roughly from February to April. Visits to the national park are possible from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a daily limit of 3,850 visitors.
Which islands you will see
The park's eleven islands are numbered from south to north, and the numbers are used more often than the names on tours. Islands 1 through 3 are not on the tour routes, and almost every day trip follows the same pattern with two landings and two snorkeling stops.
Koh Similan (Island 8), Donald Duck Bay and Sail Rock
The largest island and the famous view. Boats dock in Donald Duck Cove, a small bay with white sand nestled among granite boulders. A short, steep climb over the rocks to Sail Rock offers a breathtaking view of the bay. At midday, it's the busiest spot in the park, which is why there are early bird boats.
Koh Miang (Island 4), the lunch stop
The park headquarters and the only restaurant are open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The old bungalows and the campground were closed when overnight stays were banned.
Koh Ba Ngu (Island 9) and Koh Payu (Island 7), snorkeling
The usual snorkeling stops, with turtles off Koh Payu and reef fish in the clear waters around Koh Ba Ngu. Some lists list Payu as island 6, but tour operators call it island 7.
Koh Bon and Koh Tachai for divers
Koh Bon (Island 10) is known for its manta rays. Koh Tachai (Island 11) has been closed to landings since 2016; the National Park Service considered reopening the beach in 2026, and its advisory panel recommended keeping it closed. Therefore, you should be wary of tours that promise a beach visit on Tachai. The dive sites in the area remain accessible.
A day trip from Khao Lak or Phuket
You will be picked up from Khao Lak by van between approximately 6:30 and 7:30 am. Around 8:00 am, you will check in at the Thap Lamu pier, and the boat trip takes about one hour and 15 minutes. Most tours stop at Islands 8 and 4, offer snorkeling opportunities at Islands 9 and 7, serve lunch on Koh Miang, and depart between 3:00 and 3:15 pm. You will return to the pier between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Prices on the tour operators' websites, including parking fees, are approximately 3,700–4,200 baht for a speedboat or catamaran, and around 5,900 baht for an early bird tour that reaches Donald Duck Bay before the crowds arrive.
From Phuket, you travel by the same boat with a road transfer on either side. Pick-up starts between 5:30 and 6:30 am, and you'll be back at your hotel after 6:00 pm. It's doable for a one-off trip, but with two hours of driving time each way in a van, I'd recommend spending one or two nights in Khao Lak, which is an 80- to 100-minute drive north of Phuket Airport. Book a few days in advance between December and March, check that the 500 baht fee is included in the price, and opt for a catamaran if you're prone to seasickness.
Diving in the Similan Islands
The Similan Islands, along with Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, are among the country's two best diving destinations and are particularly suitable for experienced divers. The granite rocks form passages and canyons. Among the most famous dive sites are Elephant Head Rock between Islands 7 and 8, with currents and depths exceeding 40 meters; Christmas Point off Island 9, home to whitetip reef sharks; and the ridge off Koh Bon, where manta rays can be observed from approximately February to April. Richelieu Rock, the renowned whale shark dive site, lies within the separate Surin National Park in the north and is a stop on most longer dive safaris.
A day trip with two dives from Khao Lak costs approximately 6,300 baht, including the 700 baht daily park fee for divers and equipment. Three dives cost around 7,900 baht. Liveaboard dive trips are the best way to explore the remote dive sites at dusk and dawn. According to operators' price lists for 2026/27, a three-day trip with nine dives costs between 18,000 and 26,000 baht, plus park fees. Four- and five-day trips to Richelieu Rock cost between 22,000 and 56,000 baht, depending on the boat. The coral reefs here were affected by the Andaman Sea bleaching event in 2024 but have reportedly largely recovered.
The best-rated hotels in Khao Lak
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Khao Lak. Each button will take you directly to the hotel's page on Booking.com, where you can enter your travel dates.
Important parking rules
Only reef-friendly sunscreen
Sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC, or butylparaben are banned in Thailand's marine parks; violations are punishable by fines of up to 100,000 baht. Check the ingredients on the label or wear a sun-protective shirt.
No single-use plastics
Styrofoam boxes, plastic bags, straws, and cups are prohibited in national parks. Please bring a reusable bottle.
Drone flights only with written permission
The park administration rarely grants this permission, and confiscation is the usual consequence.
Do not walk on the coral and do not feed the fish.
Snorkel within the areas marked by buoys off islands 8 and 9 and use a life jacket if you are not a good swimmer.
Your parking fee can be paid in an e-ticket.
Since October 2025, the park administration has been selling e-tickets for six marine parks, including Similan. Most tour operators handle this; if yours does not, please purchase your ticket in advance.
Accommodation for the Similan Islands
Khao Lak is the starting point for excursions. The 20 km long coastal strip with its low-rise resorts and long beaches on the mainland is a 15 to 40 minute drive from the pier in Thap Lamu, depending on the hotel. All Similan tours depart from here. Khao Lak is an hour closer to the islands than Phuket, both in the morning and evening. The journey from Phuket Airport takes 80 to 100 minutes. Information on taxi, bus, and minibus fares can be found in the guidebook "From Phuket to Khao Lak".
The Surin Islands, further north
Mu Ko Surin National Park, further north near the Myanmar border and accessible by boat from Khuraburi, has the same season from October to May and charges the same entrance fee of 500 baht. It is known for the shallow coral gardens off its beaches and the Moken sea nomad village on Koh Surin Tai. Unlike the Similan Islands, it still has its own bungalows and tents. Some tour operators in Khao Lak offer combined diving days in the Similan and Surin Islands, and longer dive safaris visit both islands.
Plan the rest of your trip
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the Similan Islands travel guide.
From October 15th to May 15th each year. The park is closed from May 16th to October 14th due to the monsoon and will reopen on October 15th in 2026.
Yes, if you come during peak season and like the sea. The water is the clearest in all of Thailand, and the granite bays are unique on the coast. It's a short day trip from Khao Lak; from Phuket, it's a longer one, so an overnight stay in Khao Lak is recommended if the Similan Islands are important to you.
No. Overnight stays on the islands have been prohibited since October 2018, and the bungalows and campsite on Koh Miang are closed. The only way to stay there is on a dive safari off the coast.
On a day trip, where you are picked up around 5:30 am, you will drive for approximately two hours to Thap Lamu Pier near Khao Lak and then cross the river by speedboat or catamaran in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow 10 to 13 hours door-to-door.
Approximately 3,700–4,200 baht per adult from Khao Lak, including a 500 baht parking fee; around 5,900 baht for an early-booking boat; and from about US$74 from Phuket via GetYourGuide. Check if the parking fee is included in the price.
Yes. The beaches on islands 4 and 8 have calm, clear water during the season, and the snorkeling spots are within buoyed areas. Wear a life jacket if you are not a confident swimmer, as the currents off the headlands can be strong.
No. Koh Tachai has been closed to landings since 2016. The National Park Service considered reopening in 2026, but its advisory panel recommended keeping the island closed. Divers can still dive the nearby rock.
More tranquil than beautiful. Khao Lak offers long, secluded beaches and low-rise resorts with little nightlife; Phuket has a significantly wider selection. Khao Lak is the ideal base for exploring the Similan Islands. The detailed comparison between Khao Lak and Phuket is a good example of this.
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