How Long Do You Get at Maya Bay from Phuket?
From 20 minutes to an hour: the time each Phuket day trip gives Maya Bay, why you cannot swim there, and what the tours do in the closed months (November 2026).
A day trip from Phuket gives you between 20 minutes and an hour at Maya Bay, depending on the tour; 30 to 50 minutes is usual. One Asia Corporation’s Phuket: Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch goes there first and gives 50 minutes of free time, from US$42.51 a person (the option without transfer or park fee on 27 November 2026; US$56.68 on 20 January and 10 March 2027; checked November 2026). You walk on the beach; you cannot swim.
Pick a date to see the four options. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
Minutes at Maya Bay, tour by tour
Times from each tour’s itinerary, checked November 2026; they can change with the weather, the sea and the tide.
One premium cruise from Phuket only views Maya Bay from the boat, on the way past. If the beach is the point, check that the itinerary has a visit at Maya Bay, not “scenic views”.
Where the minutes go
The boats moor in Loh Samah Bay, behind the beach: for the bay’s reopening in 2022 the national parks department had them moor there rather than in front of the beach (DNP, December 2021). Part of your time goes on the walk across and back. On One Asia Corporation’s day the 50 minutes are free time to walk the beach on your own.
When it reopened Maya Bay, the department also admitted visitors in one-hour rounds between 07:00 and 18:00 (DNP, December 2021). A DNP notice of March 2026 limits visitors to what the bay can carry, without a number. None of the tours here stays longer than an hour.
No swimming at Maya Bay
On 4 August 2026 Thailand’s Department of National Parks set out the rules: swimming at Maya Bay is forbidden, because the bay is a home and nursery of blacktip reef sharks; yellow and red flags tell the boats whether the mooring area is open; and a deliberate breach can bring a fine of up to 100,000 baht. The day trips swim elsewhere: off Phi Phi Leh, at Pileh Lagoon, on Khai Islands or at Bamboo Island.
In August and September
In 2026 the national parks department closed Maya Bay for two months, 1 August to 30 September, and it reopened on 1 October 2026 (Department of National Parks, 14 September 2026; Tourism Authority of Thailand, 20 October 2026). The department announces the closure each year; no notice for 2027 had been published when we checked in November 2026. The day trips keep running in those months without the beach: on PHUKET SEA TRAILS’ day you see the bay from the boat, and One Asia Corporation’s day sightsees around it. If Maya Bay is why you are going, check the year’s dates before you book August or September.
Which day for the most time at Maya Bay
Phuket: Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch
One Asia Corporation: Maya Bay first with 50 minutes of free time, then Phi Phi Leh, lunch on Phi Phi Don and 1.5 hours on Bamboo Island. From the pier or with a hotel transfer.
See dates →Phi Phi Islands Adventure Day Trip w/ Seaview Lunch by V. Marine
V. Marine Tour on Viator: an hour of free time at Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, two snorkelling stops and a seaview lunch. The price shown is the shared-transfer option; the park fee is extra.
See the tour →Island Cruise from Phuket to Phi Phi Islands with Maya Bay Visit
Simba Sea Trips on Viator: about 15 guests, at most 18, an hour at Maya Bay with breakfast on the beach, park fees included. Simba may move a tour with fewer than 8 seats booked.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
More from Phuket
Phi Phi Day Trips from Phuket with Open Dates
Speedboat, catamaran and big-boat days with live availability. The pier, the transfer and whether the park fee is in the price show before you book.
50 Minutes at Maya Bay
One Asia Corporation's speedboat day from Phuket: Maya Bay first with 50 minutes of free time, then Phi Phi Leh, lunch on Phi Phi Don and 1.5 hours on Bamboo Island.
See speedboat dates