Similan island tours
Planning Your Trip from Khao Lak to the Similan Islands
TL;DRTrips from Khao Lak are the shortest way into the Similan Islands: a 20–30 minute drive to Thap Lamu Pier, then a 60–75 minute speedboat ride. Day tours run about ฿2,600–4,100 per adult, often with the ฿500 park fee thrown in. Coming from Krabi? It's about 2 hours 15 minutes to the pier each way, so most people stay a night in Khao Lak.
Trips from Khao Lak to the Similan Islands are the shortest, least knackering way to see the park. Pickup is 20–30 minutes from the pier at Thap Lamu (or Nam Khem), and the speedboat crossing takes about 60–80 minutes. Day tours run about ฿2,600–4,100 per adult in 2026–27, often with the ฿500 park fee already baked in, and you're back at the hotel around 17:00–18:00. In Krabi? That's 2 hours 15 minutes each way to the pier, so most people just sleep a night in Khao Lak first.
There's a reason Khao Lak is the gateway to the Similans. It's the closest stretch of coast, simple as that. Below: what the tours include, what they cost, and which islands actually deserve your time.
| Subject | Relation | Object |
|---|---|---|
| Khao Lak | is | about 20 km and 30 minutes' drive from Thap Lamu Pier |
| Thap Lamu Pier | is | 65 km from the main Similan islands |
| A speedboat from Khao Lak | reaches | the first island in about 60–80 minutes |
| A Khao Lak Similan day tour | costs | about ฿2,600–4,100 per adult |
| Similan Islands No.4 (Koh Miang) | has | the park's only restaurant and two white beaches |
| Krabi | is | about 135 km and 2 h 15 min from Thap Lamu Pier |
Available Tours and Activities
Exploring Similan Island Tours
Nearly every Similan island tour from Khao Lak is a full-day snorkelling trip. The popular flavours:
- Standard speedboat snorkelling tour: about 9–10 hours hotel to hotel, three or four islands, two or three snorkel stops, beach lunch.
- Speed catamaran tour: the same route on a steadier, bigger boat.
- Early-bird or small-group tour: leaves earlier with a cap on guests. Discovery Khao Lak's Premium Early Bird takes 25 at most, and Khao Lak Land Discovery runs groups of 10–25.
- Dive day trip: two dives for certified divers, with snorkellers welcome. See day trip diving.
- Private charter: your own boat and timetable. See the private tour guide.
A Similan Islands snorkelling tour usually bundles hotel pickup in Khao Lak, a light breakfast at the pier, mask, snorkel, fins and life jacket, a beach lunch, water, soft drinks, fruit, a guide and insurance. Khao Lak Land Discovery and Discovery Khao Lak both include the park fee. You book on the operator's site or at a Khao Lak tour desk; plenty confirm instantly. Every booking needs passport details for the park. Every single one.
Tour Pricing and Entry Fees
Khao Lak prices, as published for 2026–27:
| Operator / tour | Boat | Adult | Child (4–11) | Park fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seastar (Khao Lak zone) | Speedboat | ฿2,600 | ฿1,900 | Ask |
| Seastar (Khao Lak zone) | Speed catamaran | ฿2,900 | ฿2,100 | Ask |
| Wow Andaman via Click2GoThailand | Speed catamaran | ฿2,190 | – | Check |
| Khao Lak Wonderland Tours | Speedboat | ฿3,600 | ฿2,500 | Check |
| Discovery Khao Lak standard | Speedboat | ฿3,900 | ฿2,700 | Included |
| Discovery Khao Lak catamaran | Catamaran | ฿4,200 | ฿3,000 | Included |
| Khao Lak Land Discovery | Speedboat, 10–25 guests | ฿4,100 | ฿3,100 | Included |
| Discovery Khao Lak Premium Early Bird | Speedboat, max 25 | ฿5,900 | ฿4,900 | Included |
The national park entry fee is set by the government: ฿500 per foreign adult, ฿250 per child aged 3–14. Divers pay ฿700; Thai nationals ฿100 and ฿50. Once your booking's registered it's non-refundable, even if you cancel. Budgeting tip? Always compare prices with the fee included. A ฿2,600 trip without it and a ฿3,100 trip with it cost exactly the same.
Transportation Options
Traveling by Speedboat
Speedboats go from two spots near Khao Lak:
- Thap Lamu Pier (also Tablamu), about 20 km south of Khao Lak. This is the main park pier and the busiest. Seastar and Love Andaman run their own landings there, and Wow Andaman has its own pier in the area.
- Nam Khem, about 22 km north of Khao Lak. Used by Siam Adventure World and Khao Lak Land Discovery.
Timings: pickup anywhere from about 05:00 to 07:15, depending on operator and hotel, then a 20–30 minute drive and a 60–80 minute crossing. Khao Lak Land Discovery quotes 75 minutes for its 60 km run; Discovery Khao Lak says about 1 hour 20. Everyone aims to arrive just after the park opens at 08:00. Everyone must leave by 16:00.
On board: a briefing before you leave, then a fast and sometimes bumpy ride with spray at the bow. Some piers hand out motion-sickness tablets free. Take one before boarding, not once you're already green. Coming from Phuket? Khao Lak operators add ฿300–400 per person for the transfer. From Krabi, see the FAQ below.
Snorkeling and Marine Life
Snorkeling in the Similan Islands
The best places to snorkel on a Khao Lak tour:
- Islands No. 5 and 6: rich hard and soft coral. Thai National Parks rates them possibly the best snorkelling in the park.
- Koh Payu (No. 7): turtles and clownfish.
- Koh Ba Ngu (No. 9): coral gardens and Christmas Point.
- Koh Miang (No. 4): calm, shallow coral close to the beach. Stay in the bay, because currents off the rocky edges can be strong.
Here the coral reefs grow on and between granite boulders, so you're swimming over a landscape of rock, sea fans and coral heads, not some flat reef. Look for moray eels, blue-spotted stingrays asleep on the sand, parrotfish, barracuda and trevally out in the blue. Turtles, if you're lucky. The water stays around 30 °C and visibility is usually above 20 metres.
Gear and safety: tours supply mask, snorkel, fins and life jacket in adult and kids' sizes, though some ask a ฿200 refundable deposit for the fins. Bring a rash guard against the sun. Unsure in deep water? Keep the life jacket on. And stay near the guide.
Island Exploration
Visiting Koh Similan Island
Koh Similan Island, Island No. 8, is the biggest in the park and the high point of every Khao Lak tour. Its main bay, Donald Duck Bay, has a long white beach and shallow turquoise water. A short, steep trail climbs from there to Sail Rock, the balanced granite boulder you've already seen on every Similan postcard.
- Do: the Sail Rock climb, a swim in the bay, snorkelling off the rocks.
- Divers: Fantasea Reef, Elephant Head Rock and Beacon Point lie off this island.
- Make the most of it: avoid the late-morning peak. Good operators build their timetable around reaching Island No. 8 before or after it.
Storm the night before? The Sail Rock climb can get called off. One recent reviewer missed it for exactly that reason. So don't build your whole day around the photo.
Discovering Similan Islands No.4
Similan Islands No.4, Koh Miang, is the park's second-largest island, and its practical hub. Here's the only restaurant in the islands (open 08:00–14:00), a visitor centre, a small Royal Thai Navy outpost, and two white beaches about 20 minutes' walk apart: Honeymoon Bay and Princess Bay.
What makes it unique? Forest trails, calm bays for swimming and snorkelling, and the Bird Rock (Chinese Wall) dive site off its southern tip. The problem is crowds. Khao Lak Land Discovery says flat out that the beach on Island No. 4 is "infamous" for overcrowding, and times its lunch to dodge the rush. That's the fix, really: come outside the lunch crush. Good operators plan this stop with care for exactly that reason.
Before 2018 this was also the island where you could stay overnight, in park bungalows and tents. Not any more. See where to stay for the Similan Islands.
Park Regulations and Environmental Impact
Understanding Mu Ko Similan National Marine Park
Mu Ko Similan National Marine Park was formed in 1982 to protect the islands' plants and animals, above the water and below it. In 1998 it grew to include Koh Bon and Koh Tachai. The park office and main visitor centre sit on the mainland, near Thap Lamu Pier. The rules:
- Open 15 October – 15 May, 08:00–16:00 daily.
- Daily visitor cap, with passport registration in advance.
- Entry fees: ฿500 per foreign adult, ฿250 per child, ฿700 for divers.
- Reef-safe sunscreen only; no single-use plastic or foam boxes; smoking only in designated areas; drones need a permit.
- No overnight stays on the islands; Koh Tachai closed since 2016.
So where do the entry fees go? To the Department of National Parks. According to similannationalpark.com it uses the closed season to repair ranger stations and mooring buoys, and it runs the ranger posts and visitor centres on Islands 4 and 8.
Environmental Impact of Visiting
Tourism wears coral reefs down in small, repeated ways. Fins kicking the reef. People standing on coral in the shallows. Sunscreen chemicals. Anchors. Before limits came in, the islands saw up to 7,000 visitors a day. Bleaching in 1998 and 2010 killed most of the coral too, and recovery took until about 2019.
Sustainable practices that actually help here:
- Reef-safe sunscreen or a rash guard.
- Float, don't stand. Kick gently and keep fins off the reef.
- Never touch, feed or chase marine life.
- Choose small-group operators that brief guests and use the park's mooring buoys.
Planning Your Visit
Best Time to Visit the Similan Islands
From Khao Lak, the best time to visit the Similan Islands is December to April: calm sea, clearest water, rare rain. The season opens on 15 October 2026. Late October and November are quieter, though the first weeks can be choppy. Hoping for manta rays or whale sharks? February to April is your best window. They're rare, mind.
Peak tourist times: Christmas to New Year, and Chinese New Year, when boats fill weeks ahead and the daily cap really bites. How does timing change your day? Early season means fewer boats. Peak season means booking ahead and picking an early departure. And book your Similan day early in your stay, so a weather cancellation can be shuffled. Dates: Similan Islands open season.
FAQ
Is it worth going to Similan Islands?
Yes, it is worth going to the Similan Islands, and from Khao Lak it's the easy version: a short drive, then about an hour on the boat. Clear water, turtles and that Sail Rock view make it the classic Khao Lak day out. Hard to beat.
What is better, Surin or Similan?
Similan is better for granite scenery, beaches and a short crossing from Khao Lak. Surin is better for shallow coral snorkelling and the Moken sea gypsy village. You can do either from Khao Lak, honestly. Similan's the shorter, prettier day.
Can you swim in Similan Islands?
Yes, you can swim in the Similan Islands. Swimming's allowed at the beaches, inside the buoyed areas, and at the snorkel stops with a life jacket on. Watch the currents off rocky points, and stay where the guide tells you. Seriously.
What are some good day trips I can take from Khao Lak?
Good day trips from Khao Lak include the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands (about 1.5–2 hours by road to the Khura Buri pier), and Khao Sok National Park, roughly 1.5 hours inland. Phang Nga Bay's a good one too. Its water is sheltered, so trips run all year, even while the Similans are shut.
Sources checked October 2026: Khao Lak Land Discovery: Similan snorkelling tour, Discovery Khao Lak: Similan snorkelling, Khao Lak Travel Center: Seastar Similan prices, Love Andaman: Similan Islands day trip, Thai National Parks: Mu Ko Similan, Click2GoThailand: Similan speed catamaran. Prices change; confirm with the operator before you pay.
