Full-Day Racha Noi and Racha Yai Snorkeling from Phuket
Phuket, Thailand
- 1 day (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spend the day in the waters surrounding Phuket on this full-day diving and snorkeling trip from one of Thailand's top cities. Enjoy breakfast on board your ship as you make your way to Koh Racha Noi with your experienced guides. You'll also have the chance to check out Koh Racha Yai after lunch. These two sheltered areas rank among the region's top sites for underwater adventure and are guaranteed to provide travelers with close encounters with fish and marine life.
- Full-Day Racha Noi and Racha Yai Snorkeling from Phuket
- Experience life underwater and get up close to tropical fish
- Get personalized attention from your professional guide
- Ideal for families and nature lovers
- Transfers from Patong, Karon, Kata, Chalong, Rawai, and Nai Harn hotels
What's Included
- Hotel pick-up and drop off from the areas of Patong, Karon, Kata, Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn
- Breakfast, lunch, fresh fruits, drinking water, coffee and tea
- Use of snorkel equipment: mask, snorkel and fins
- Personal accident insurance included
- Soda/Pop
- Hotel pickup and drop off outside of the areas of Patong, Karon, Kata, Rawai, Nai Harn, Chalong.
- Alcoholic drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.8:00 am
What To Expect
1
Koh Racha Yai
2
Ko Racha Noi
3
Phuket dash Scuba dot Com
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
ValerieEvelyn_M
Snorkeling in all three locations was AWESOME! It was absolutely gorgeous. The boat to get out there was about 2 and a half ours but very comfortable and the food they provide is very good (breakfast, lunch, snack; and second lunch). There are mainly divers on this tour and we were the only snorkeling group of 5 and it was great.
Reviews
4.3
based on 56 reviews
JeanMarie_W, Nov 2025
We signed up for snorkeling but the boat was full of scuba divers. We were the only two snorkeling. But for the third stop some scuba diver switched to snorkeling. Ha ha
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi Jean-Marie,
Glad you enjoyed the trip.
Yes, it's a trip which caters to divers and snorkelers. Always personal attention for everyone, even more so to the snorkelers.
Hope to see you again,
Steven
ValerieEvelyn_M, Nov 2024
Snorkeling in all three locations was AWESOME! It was absolutely gorgeous. The boat to get out there was about 2 and a half ours but very comfortable and the food they provide is very good (breakfast, lunch, snack; and second lunch). There are mainly divers on this tour and we were the only snorkeling group of 5 and it was great.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hi Valerie,
Thanks very much for your review. Glad to hear you had a good trip.
Normally not many snorkelers, so you really do get special attention.
Sunny Regards,
Steven
Robert_M, Jun 2024
In terms of comfort, the description says this is family friendly boat, but the kids were very uncomfortable in the boat because is was so hot on board. The boat was not really a big boat like it was generally advertised, although it was much bigger than a speed boat. Additionally, everyone else on the boat was there for scuba diving rather than snorkeling, and most of those divers were smokers, meaning everywhere on the deck had people smoking around the kids.
Additionally, after we were brought to the pier, we were told last minute that there were deadly Portuguese Man o’ War spotted in the areas we were being taken to snorkel, but that if any were in the area we would not be let out of the boat to snorkel there. At the second stop, the guide from the boat who was with my 6 year old daughter failed to notice a Portuguese Man o’ War in the area she brought her to, and the next thing I know is that my daughter is being brought back to the boat crying in excruciating pain. I’m told by the guide it’s one of these deadly jelly fish but there is no real treatment on board. They are unprepared. They mistakenly put vinegar on her sting, which makes it worse for this type of sting from this particular jellyfish. Thankfully the jellyfish only stung her hand, and she eventually recovered. Had the tentacles made more contact with her body, she literally could have died. Allergic reactions from such stings can also cause a person’s throat to swell shut. This was an absolutely horrible experience.
Jacqui_M, Mar 2024
Great snorkelling with amazing fish and stunning coral. Crystal clear, warm water, good food, very efficient transport, helpful and attentive staff. A fantastic day.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for the review, glad to hear you had an excellent day.
martin_w, Feb 2024
Everything was close to topnotch!
Very kind and supportive crew. Lots of food and refreshments.
Snorkeling was good and we snorkelers was given a lot of time to do our thing. The snorkling spots are good. Not world class, but fair. Visability was ok.
I do recommend this tour.
David_S, Jan 2024
Excellent tour in every way!! The staff was very welcoming, professional, and experienced. We felt safe an all times. We were picked up promptly at our hotel and transferred to Chalong Pier where we were greeted by the tour staff and escorted onto the boat. The whole operation was super organized. The boat, Freedom Dolphin, is large with plenty of room to move around in or out of the sun. There are 2 bathrooms. 25-30 divers were on the boat. We, and one other couple, were the only snorkelers. I am 70 yrs old and the other snorkelers were in their 60s. I am not the best swimmer and have not snorkeled since I was in my 20s but that did not slow me down for having an experience of a lifetime thanks to the caring staff dedicated to just the snorkelers. I cannot thank Ouart (sp?) and Bee enough for their patience and kindness that made me feel comfortable and confident at all times. They stayed with us throughout the 3 snorkeling stops guiding us to the best spots to see many, many fish and coral formations. It was awesome! On top of that, the boat staff provided breakfast, snacks, lunch and beverages throughout the day. If was fascinating for us to watch and learn from the divers who were at different levels of training. We met and talked with the boat's captain, many of the dive instructors, and fellow travelers. We highly recommend this interesting, safe, organized and fun tour!!!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Glad to hear you had a great experience. Chart is the name of the tourleader BTW. Hope to see you again and thanks for spreading the word.
Sunny Regards,
Steven
Jani_M, Dec 2023
We had an amazing snorkeling trip in the clear waters of Racha Yai and Racha Noi islands.
Three snorkeling stop, each of with plenty of colourful reef fish and corals. At one of stops we were literally immersed into several schools of fish, all with different bright colours, felt like fireworks! Also saw the biggest squid in our lives... and we've snorkeled a lot.
The boat was mostly for divers. Me and my wife were the only snorkelers on board. We had a personal snorkeling assistant Bee that got into the water with us at each snorkeling spot, took us to the best corals and kept us within safe range, greatly appreciated! She was super nice and even took some cool underwater photos for us, thank you!
The travel time to the Racha islands was a bit long but the comfort level of the Freedom Dolphin boat made the travels comfortable. Food was good and plenty.
Overall great experience. If you are into some great snorkeling, this is good choice, Recommended!
Jeffrey W, Apr 2018
I'm not sure what happened between the time of the other reviews and the time of my trip 22 April 2018, but my experience was not good at all.
It seemed as if the we were a second thought to the remainder of the people on the boat that were all there for a scuba diving experience. Everything we did revolved around the scuba divers. We had to all wait for the scuba divers to get off the boat before we could get into the water, we then had to get back on the boat before the scuba divers returned, leaving us with roughly 15 minutes of snorkeling at each location 3 locations. 2 of the 3 locations were not great for snorkeling as they focused on scuba divers experience.
In total we spent about 5 hours of traveling to have 45 minutes of snorkeling.
Wayne S, Apr 2018
Definitely do this trip. I have never seen water so beautiful and the tour guides were great.
Wolfgang M, Mar 2018
Overall, I had a very good day - great and friendly crew, very good meals and nice snorkeling sites. A bit more detailed:
As others already mentioned, this is mainly a diving boat. There were only a few snorkelers on the boat. As a snorkeller you might therefore feel a little bit exluded from the group. This is definitely not the crews fault - they did a great job and looked after everyone very well. You just do not get that much in contact with the other passenger who are divers. Anyway, I did not consider this a real disadvantage I just thought it might be worth to mention it.
The meals on board were great. We fist got a warm breakfast, and lunch was delicious and freshly cooked I believe the best lunch I have ever got on comparable trips. Coffee and drinks were available all day long. On the way back they offered nice pancakes and cookies. The kitchen staff on board did a great job!
On the snorkelling sites, I would like to comment as follows I am not sure though if the boat stops at the same location every time or if they go to different sites on other days:
- Stop 1 and 2 each 50 minutes were at Koh Racha Noi. The boat stopped in a beautiful bay, and you can get into the water from the boat. There is no beach. These sites were beautiful however, the water was a little bit deep I think 5-6m which is not ideal for snorkelling. You still can see fishes and some nice corals. However, the variety and amount of corals is not as big as at other snorkeling sites that I have visited.
- Stop 3 Koh Racha Yai, again 50 minutes: This stop was great. A very beautiful, colourfol coral garden and the water was very shallow. Snorkelling was perfect here. One of the best snorkeling I have done arond Phuket. This site quite impressed me.
What is also worth to mention is that there are some informative cards / brochures on the boat about the type of corals, fishes,... you can see in this area. This was great as you also could learn some theory additionally to what you saw. The crew also did a great job in explaining things if you asked. Whats more, in the beginning they warned everyone to take care of the marine life, not to touch corals, and so on. I think this is very good as it is in all our interest that the corals are still there over the next decades.
Benjamin F, Jan 2018
Really enjoyed heading out on this tour. I'm a diver but chose to snorkel because I was with a non-diving friend, but still saw plenty of marine life. Dives one and three were in shallow water 2/3m with plenty of coral and small tropical fish, while the second dive went a bit deeper in search of manta rays and turtles which unfortunately we did not see, but some days are like that! The tour is run off a dive boat, so everyone on board, including the instructors, the crew and even most of the other divers and snorkelers are experienced and knowledgeable. It also means you spend the bulk of your time in the water, which I enjoyed considerably more than other tours where you get caught up visiting tourist traps. There wasn't a huge number of people diving, which made for a much better experience in and out of the water. Boat was very comfortable with plenty of food, drinks and places to sit and rest. Can absolutely recommend.
Eric_S, Jan 2018
Although water was a bit rough we thoroughly enjoyed the day with good snorkeling, good food and excellent crew!
Cynthia Lynn S, Jan 2018
We loved snorkeling with our guide, who was most helpful finding cool fish and octopus! Great day!
Sim W, Jan 2018
I enjoyed this trip, although it was not at all what I thought it would be. For one, I was fortunate enough to be paired with a scuba diver for pickup from my hotel. But if I had not, then I think I may have been left behind, because once I arrived at the pier, it was pure chaos. If it weren't for my hotel/shuttle buddy not having cell phone number of our guide, I don't think the guide would have spotted me, nor would I have known where to go. This trip, as the description mentions, really is you as a snorkeler being tacked on to a full day SCUBA DIVING trip. So if you are looking for some one on one snorkeling guidance, don't book this trip. I was one of three in total snorkelers, whereas the other at least 50 ppl on the boat were all scuba divers. This didn't bother me because I was perfectly fine being left to my own devices, but I think the description did say that as a snorkelers, I'd have access to a guide which I didn't because he ended up scuba diving the entire trip. However, everyone was super friendly, including the crew. One highlight that was unexpected for me was the food. You are served a full, and fairly hearty breakfast, there is coffee, tea, juice and water, along with delicious fresh fruit and snacks available throughout the day. But lunch was the star! The organizer Steven mentioned that on Sundays which was the day I booked my trip that the cooks make two Thai dishes. One was Thai papaya salad, and the other was minced chicken with basil I think, in addition to a thai soup. And for those who didn't want Thai, there was fried chicken and french fries. But the Thai options were deliciously seasoned and flavorful though the spice level was definitely toned down to accommodate all the tourists on the boat. Back to the snorkeling...the different places that we went to, they were pretty, and snorkeling in those areas were okay, but I think because it was meant overall for scuba diving, they probably weren't the best spots for snorkeling because the water was a bit deeper than I think is ideal to snorkel and see a lot of fish. But I did see some fish, and overall, it was pretty fun swimming around in the pretty blue water. So long story short, if you're good at self directing and making the most out of your day, then by all means book this tour. However, if you are the type who expects and/or needs a bit more hand holding, then you will probably not enjoy this trip as much.
Jason H, Dec 2017
I'd give this tour 5 stars but I was unable to dive, not the tour's fault but a medical condition I have so I can't comment on the dive component.
The staff were GREAT friendly helpful and always happy and smiling.
Take their advice, if you get anyway sea sick at all TAKE THE PILL :
Fortunately I do not get sea sick but a few others did.
Jonathan G, Nov 2017
As most reviews state, this is mostly a diving trip, but the snorkelling is certainly worth doing, as long as you don't mind that you'll mostly be on your own. Hotel transfer was quick and easy (but there was a 1200B surcharge from Phuket Town) and the staff were very professional. Great food too!
June, Nov 2017
We were given a small but good selection for breakfast on board the Dolphin can't recall the last name. Tea,coffee, water, soft drinks, fruit were available all day. After about 1.5 hours cruising we arrived at Racha Noi where most of the passengers dived and a few of us snorkelled. The water was so clear and there were plenty of colourful fish to see. After everyone was back on board we had the option of morning tea which consisted of freshly baked muffins and banana cake. After a bit more cruising we had the option of a hot lunch while cruising to the next dive/snorkel location. After a while there we then cruised to Racha Yai for more diving/snorkelling. Once all on board afternoon tea was served. There were about 60 odd passengers and the dive teams were divided up into groups of about 3 or 4 each with their own dive instructor. Us snorkellers had 1 person supervising us. At all times safety was foremost on this tour. I can't recommend this high enough. All food and drinks mentioned were included as well as dive and snorkel equipment.
Estuardo, Nov 2017
Nice tour. But we got on a boat that more than half of the people on was for a diving tour and not snorkeling.
Martin_H, Sep 2017
The trip was really well organised and professional. You get nearly three hours of solid snorkeling around some interesting spots. The majority of the group were there to scuba dive, which for me added to the trip. The food was good quality and plenty of it throughout the day. This is a trip I would do again. For those who don't normally expose your back to the sun, then I recommend you wear a t-shirt and make certain you have sun cream on the backs of your legs.
Kym F, Sep 2017
The best snorkeling trip I've done in Asia. Very well organised, it was a large group consisting of divers and snorkelers, but the team had people on and off boat very efficiently. The dive sites were great, with a lot of variety making it very interesting
Sam R, Aug 2017
Ok, so where to start?
Before booking onto this tour I would suggest you seriously consider if you want to spend an entire day doing this? My girlfriend and I have never done any diving before and thought this looked good. On reflection we certainly didn't need an entire day. We were picked up about 6:30AM and didn't get back to the hotel until 6PM and were exhausted.
Be careful where the transfers actually pick up from. Our hotel was outside of the area they offer for free and had to pay another 20/30 when we were there for a pick up.
The staff are amazing, very helpful, great English, knowledgeable about the area and different types of fish. I'm not a strong swimmer but felt confident and safe in the water.
Our trip consisted of a 3 hour boat ride to the fist bay. On a nice calm day this would have been amazing but on our day we were hit with a serious downfall of rain and very choppy seas which resulted in at least 50 if not more of the group being sick. The boat is big and there were probably around 40 people diving that day but you're split into groups of around 6/8. The 3 hour ride out there with the waves, rain and sickness was awful. I honestly sat there regretting the entire booking BUT once we got into the bay the water was calmer and we went for a snorkel. It really was amazing. We were probably swimming around for about half an hour, saw tons of fish and coral and by this point the weather was much better. In August we found it rained some mornings and most nights but rest of the day was always fine.
After our 30 minute swim and snorkel we hopped back onto the boat for a 10 minute trip to another bay. Did the same thing, jumped out, saw some cool stuff and got back in. They served lunch which helped my sea sickness tablet go down well they provide these and I recommend it and we then went off to another bay about an hour away, this was on the way back so breaks up the journey home. 3rd bay was amazing too and we enjoyed another swim.
Most people slept on the way back and we were done. A long transfer home and that was our day diving. The review probably reads negatively but I've given it 4 stars. Honestly, the morning was grim but thats no fault of the tour companies. When I was sick off the side of the boat one of the instructors was there patting my back and giving me tissues - they were great. My girlfriend and I laugh about the sickness and choppy crossing now and actually, seeing all of the fish and getting to know people in your group and your instructor makes it totally worth it.
Leonid S, Jul 2017
This is not a snorkelling tour, it's a diving tour.. just a few snorkellers were added to the scuba divers' group and their needs were completely ignored.. I've been on a few snorkelling trips in the past and this tour was very disappointing: ..it might be worthwhile also to mention that it was a complete chaos on the way back as we had a huge problem finding our minibus to get a lift back to hotel..
Craig W, Jul 2017
This activity was amazing. Excellent food. One on one instructor. The water was crystal clear. We would do it again.
Kiela-lee W, Jun 2017
Great day out, fantastic team, very professional, one instructor for every 2-4 people, safety is a huge factor for this company, really impressed with how they made sure everyone was safe at all times. Food was excellent, I didnt have high expectations but it was really good and they catered for a few vegetarians as well. Everyone had a great day out
Shannon_D, May 2017
Great trip and amazing snorkeling. Everyone was diving so me and my son got to snorkel alone.
Isabella_J, May 2017
Having been on snorkelling trips before and for the most part have been left very underwhelmed, this trip was a great exception. The boat was big and roomy, and easily catered for the 20 pers onboard. It included an air conditioned compartment for those wanting to escape the heat. The upper decks were well covered with good seating and viewing all round. It was a combined snorkelling and diving group, but there was no issue with delay on and off boat as the groups were well organised and managed throughout the trip. The food provided on the boat had good variety and there was plenty of it. There were 3 dive locations, two at Racha Noi, and one at Racha Yai. The Racha Noi dives were the pick with plenty to see and 45min each site allowed good time to take in the immediate area. Racha Yai was far busier and therefore far more restricted in area to snorkel. I did this trip with wife and three kids all above 19 and we all thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Keith_L, Feb 2017
I have advanced PADI Scuba , but who needs to scuba when snorkeling in such clear water. The water is so clear and at the time was nice and warm. It was disappointing on one site to see debri floating on the surface, but this is outside the control of the organisers.
What was funny though, was two people came on the trip aged about 25 to 30 and when we got on the boat asked the guide if they had any swim trunks!!!!!
If you like to view fish this is worth while.
Keith Lawton
Celeste T, Nov 2016
Beautiful! We had our own snorkle guide who pointed out many interesting fish at 3 different snorkle sites. The boat was comfortable and not over crowded, staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed this trip a lot.
Russell_W, Jul 2016
Very good diving and snorkeling. Boat ride very rough due to high winds. Motion sickness was a problem for some passengers.
YingKit_W, Jun 2016
It was very awesome, we went snorkeling at 2 islands, very beautiful and funny.
Our trainer Owen is very nice, he taught us many snorkeling skills, very professional.
Lots of tasty food on board for the whole trip, we enjoyed it very much!
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