Short answer
A Phi Phi island tour from Phuket suits children from 1 year old on our speedboat: infants under 1 year and pregnant women cannot join. It is a long day of about 8.5 hours, with hotel pickup between about 7:00 and 8:30 am and about an hour on the speedboat to the islands. On our tour the park fee for a child is 200 baht in cash, against 400 for an adult. Bring sun protection, a seasickness remedy if your child needs one, and a dry bag. We confirm the total on WhatsApp before you pay.
Age limits: from 1 year old, not for infants or pregnant women
The limit on our Phi Phi tour comes from the boat, not the islands. The details we hold from the operator say the speedboat is not suitable for pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70, so the youngest child we can take is 1 year old. The same details warn that the speedboat ride can be bumpy in the open sea.
A child over 1 year old is allowed, but that does not make the day easy for every family. The speedboat is a shared boat with up to 35 guests, and the day follows a set programme of pickup, departure and return times. If your youngest is a toddler, read the sections below on the length of the day and on the sea before you decide, and compare it with the other full-day option from Phuket.
What a child pays: the park fee and the tour fare
On our tour the operator collects the Phi Phi national park fee in cash on the day: 200 baht per child and 400 baht per adult. We give this as what the operator collects, not as an official rate, because we could not confirm a current official schedule in October 2026. Bangkok Airways' February 2026 guide defines a child for the park as aged 3 to 14 years or under 140 cm, and a fee table that TrueID published in June 2022 lists children under 3 as free.
Whether the operator applies the under-3 rule to a toddler on our tour is something to ask us, not to assume. The tour itself is from $75 per person, and the details we hold do not list a separate child fare. Send each child's age with your date and hotel on WhatsApp; we confirm the total before you pay. Our price guide explains the rest of the costs.
How long the day is for a child
The tour takes about 8.5 hours, and door to door it is longer. The minibus collects you between about 7:00 and 8:30 am, depending on your hotel, the speedboat leaves Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30, and it is back at the marina at about 5:30 to 6 pm, followed by the drive to your hotel. The crossing to the islands takes about an hour, depending on the sea.
For small children the early pickup and the late return are the hard parts. Lunch is a buffet on Phi Phi Don, and light refreshments are served at the marina and on board, so if your child eats little, pack a snack. If an eight-hour day on a boat sounds too much for your group, Phuket 101 says private tours are often the better choice for families with young children, because you set the pace.
Swimming and snorkelling with children
Our tour includes a mask, snorkel and life jacket for each guest, and the swimming stops are Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island. Swimming at Maya Bay is not allowed, so children will walk on the beach there, not swim. The details we hold do not say which sizes of mask and life jacket are carried, so ask us before the day if you need child sizes.
The World Health Organization's fact sheet on drowning, dated 1 May 2026, says children under 5 account for nearly a quarter of all drowning deaths, and that the risk rises when children are in water without active adult supervision. Treat that as a reason for one adult to stay within reach of each young child in the water at every stop, whatever the life jacket, and not to count on the guide to watch your child.
Sun and heat: what the NHS and the Thai weather service say
The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981 to 2010 normals for the Phuket station give a mean daily maximum between 31.5 and 34.0 degrees Celsius in every month of the year, so strong sun is the rule, not the exception. The NHS says children's skin is much more sensitive than adult skin and recommends a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with at least 4-star UVA protection, applied before going out and again straight after being in water.
The NHS adds that sunscreen should be reapplied about every 2 hours, and that a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved top give extra cover. Thailand's marine national parks ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and butylparaben, with fines of up to 100,000 baht, according to a 2021 report. Check the label of your children's sunscreen before you pack it.
Seasickness in children
Our operator warns that the speedboat ride can be bumpy in the open sea and suggests seasickness tablets for those who need them. For children the NHS advice is practical: sit in the middle of the boat, look at a fixed point such as the horizon, distract children by talking, listening to music or singing, and avoid heavy meals shortly before travel. It adds that a pharmacist can recommend the best treatment for your child.
The NHS says dissolvable tablets are available for children, and that patches are for adults and children over 10. Buy any remedy before the trip, read the age on the pack and ask the pharmacist about the dose. If your child is likely to be sick, a steadier boat may suit better: Phuket 101 says big boats are far more stable, and our speedboat or big boat guide compares them.
What to pack, and what to ask before you book
Pack swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and a dry bag for the phone, as the operator advises, plus cash for the park fee. Towels are not included. Add a snack, a change of clothes, a long-sleeved top and a seasickness remedy if your child needs one. At Monkey Beach wild macaques live on the shore, and Bangkok Airways notes that feeding them is strictly prohibited.
Before you book, ask us about child-size life jackets and about the pickup. The details we hold do not mention child seats in the minibus, so if you need one, ask first and do not assume. For the wider picture, see why people choose this tour, and the closure dates in our August and September guide if your trip falls then.
Practical checklist
- Check that your youngest child is at least 1 year old and that nobody in the group is pregnant or over 70.
- Send each child's age with your WhatsApp booking, and ask about child-size life jackets.
- Buy a children's seasickness remedy from a pharmacy before the trip and ask the pharmacist about the dose.
- Pack SPF 30 or higher sunscreen without oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben, plus a hat and a long-sleeved top.
- Keep 200 baht per child and 400 per adult in cash for the park fee, and bring snacks, a towel and a dry bag.
Questions and answers
What is the minimum age for the Phi Phi speedboat tour?
Infants under 1 year are not allowed on the speedboat, so the minimum is 1 year old. Pregnant women and guests over 70 cannot join either.
How much is the park fee for a child?
On our tour the operator collects 200 baht per child and 400 per adult, in cash on the day. Bangkok Airways' 2026 guide defines a child as 3 to 14 years old or under 140 cm. We could not confirm an official 2026 rate.
Are life jackets provided for children?
The tour includes a mask, snorkel and life jacket for guests, but the details we hold do not state child sizes. Tell us your children's ages and ask before the day if you need small sizes.
What can you give a child for seasickness?
Ask a pharmacist. The NHS says dissolvable tablets are available for children, patches are for adults and children over 10, and a pharmacist can recommend the best treatment for your child.
Do toddlers pay the park fee?
A 2022 national parks fee table lists children under 3 as free. Whether the operator applies that to a toddler on our tour is something to ask us; we confirm the total before you pay.
Which sunscreen is allowed at Phi Phi?
Thailand's marine national parks ban sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and butylparaben, with fines up to 100,000 baht. The NHS recommends SPF 30 or higher with at least 4-star UVA protection.