Banana Beach Phuket: Getting There, Costs & Is It Worth It

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Banana Beach Phuket at a glance

Banana Beach is the beach on Koh Hey, a short boat ride from Phuket. Operators run it as a full-day island trip every day. Program times shift with tide and weather. Prices and hours below were checked in November 2026 on one operator's booking page.

How to get to Banana Beach

Boat is the only way across. No public ferry is confirmed, so a tour package is the default choice. Packages bundle a shared van from your hotel with the speedboat transfer, which takes about 20 minutes on the water. A private or longtail boat is the independent route, priced by quote. Operators do not publish the departure pier in their listings, so ask which pier your boat uses when you book. Our Koh Hey island guide covers the wider island.

What you can do at Banana Beach

Most people split the day between beach time, two snorkeling stops and one included sea sport. Package choices are parasailing or a banana boat, or a clear kayak for 20 minutes or a banana swing. Everything else is paid on the day. Adventurous travelers can add the Sea Walker experience for ฿2,100. A beach club and buffet lunch handle food.

• Free with the package: beach chair, towel, snorkel gear, life jacket, drinking water
• Zipline, 30 minutes: ฿1,800
• Parasailing, 3 minutes in the air: ฿1,800
• Discovery scuba dive, 30 minutes in the water: ฿2,100
• Banana boat, 15 minutes: ฿800
• Clear kayak, 30 minutes: ฿800
• Banana swing: ฿500
• Sea kayak, 30 minutes: ฿400

Costs and what's included

As of November 2026, one operator lists three speedboat packages. Adult fares run from ฿1,950 to ฿2,950. Children aged 4-11 pay ฿1,550 to ฿2,550. Packages include hotel transfer in the free zones, the speedboat, two snorkeling points, gear, fruit and soft drinks on board, a buffet lunch, a guide and accident insurance. Cancel before 6:30 AM the day before for a full refund. Compare other operators in our Phuket Snorkeling Tour: How to Choose the Right One guide before paying. A family of two adults and two children pays ฿7,000 on the Everyday tour before add-ons. Budget travelers should take the ฿1,950 Everyday package and add only a ฿400 sea kayak.

Best time to go and how to plan the day

Two operating windows exist: 08:30-14:00 and 10:00-17:00. Pick the earlier window if you travel with young children or burn easily. Pick the later one if you prefer a slower morning. Ask which window your ticket covers before you pay. Tide and weather can reshape the program, and monsoon-season seas can cancel boats. Check the Thai Meteorological Department forecast the evening before. A typical day runs in this order: hotel pickup, 20-minute speedboat ride, two snorkeling points, beach time, buffet lunch, sea sport, return transfer. Treat it as a plan, since the crew adjusts it on the day.

Is the snorkeling any good? Banana Beach vs alternatives

Be realistic: the snorkeling here is shallow, busy and built around a package. Life jackets are standard and two stops fit into a day of other activities. That works for beginners and children. Reef-focused snorkelers will want more. Try Ao Sane's rocky shoreline for calmer water. Kata Beach Snorkeling: Is It Worth It? Spots & Alternatives suits a quick dip from the sand. Nai Harn Snorkeling: Where to Get In, When to Go works on a south-coast day. Our Phuket snorkeling comparison ranks the full set.

• Choose Banana Beach if you want sea sports, lunch and transfers in one booking
• Choose Banana Beach if children aged 4-11 are in your group
• Choose an alternative if you want quiet, uncrowded water
• Choose an alternative if you want to spend most of the day looking at fish

Safety, age limits and who should skip it

Add-ons carry strict limits. Parasailing is for ages 10-60 and weights of about 88-220 lb. Heavier guests are weather-dependent up to about 375 lb. Banana boat needs ages 8-60 and the ability to float. Zipline takes ages 4-60 or up to about 265 lb. Clear and sea kayaks are for ages 10-60. Discovery diving is for ages 12-60, with no flight within 12 hours, no ear or lung problems and no diabetes. The operator flags parts of the program as unsuitable for pregnant travelers, seniors and anyone with health problems. Skip the trip if speedboats make you seasick. If a landing fee applies, national park fee notices appear on the Department of National Parks site. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a spare T-shirt, a towel, a camera and cash for add-ons.

• Ask whether the crew checks life jacket fit before each snorkeling stop
• Ask who supervises each sea sport and what weather stops it
• Ask whether lunch and fees are included in your ticket
• Mistake to avoid: booking add-ons before checking the age and weight limits

Where to stay for an easy pickup

Hotel zone decides your transfer cost. Pickups are free from Phuket town, Kata, Karon, Rawai, Nai Harn, Panwa, Chalong, Patong and Tri Trang. A surcharge of ฿700 per person applies for the return trip from Kamala, Ao Por, Bang Tao, Surin, Laguna Layan, Nai Thon, Nai Yang and Mai Khao. Guests staying around Bang Tao or Laguna should add that to the budget.