Booked here
The calm catamaran
Buffet lunch, snorkel gear
- Length7 to 8 hours
- Boat71 foot catamaran
- Reviews805
Choice helper
Pattaya islands tour: pick the boat that fits you
3 islands catamaran day from Pattaya
★ 4.8 · 805 opinions
Quick summary
A Pattaya islands tour is best chosen by mood: a calm catamaran for swimming and lunch, a party yacht for music, a sunset boat for the evening, or a snorkel boat for the reefs alone.
Boat essentials
Two questions, one boat
Which Pattaya boat suits you?
Say what kind of day you want, and the boat that fits appears with its starting price.
Your ideal pick
The 3-island catamaran
from $83
7 to 8 hours with a Thai buffet lunch, snorkeling gear and hotel pickup in Pattaya.
Your ideal pick
The DJ sunset yacht
from $69
An 82-foot yacht with a live DJ and a lunch buffet for 8 hours.
Your ideal pick
The sunset catamaran
from $76
The island circuit with a viewpoint stop at sunset, 7.5 hours in all.
Your ideal pick
The Nemo snorkel trip
from $39
5 hours with 2 to 3 snorkel stops and no island landings.
Your ideal pick
The Coral and Sak speedboat
from $27
6 hours by speedboat to Koh Larn and Koh Sak from the beach.
Catamaran, party yacht, sunset boat, speedboat, jet ski or snorkel boat: what each Pattaya island trip is like, who it suits and what to check before you book.
Editorial team, pattaya3islands.click · Updated November 12, 2026 · Takes 6 min
In brief
- Calm and socialThe catamaran sold here is a 71 foot boat for up to 60 passengers and crew, from $83.
- Music and drinksThe sunset yacht with a live DJ is an 82-foot boat from $69 for 8 hours.
- Quick and cheapThe Coral Island and Sak Island speedboat run is the budget pick, from $27 and about 6 hours.
- Snorkel onlyA snorkel trip to Nemo Island starts from $39 and makes no island landing.
- ThrillsA jet ski tour of 5 islands starts from $207 per jet ski.
A calm catamaran day or a party boat
A first decision for a Pattaya islands tour is between a quiet circuit and a loud choice. Our catamaran day is the quiet sort, with a buffet, gear for the water and no alcohol in the package, so the focus stays on swimming and the islands rather than the bar. It sails 7 to 8 hours from hotel pickup to the drop-off, on a boat with room for 60 passengers and crew.
The loud sort is the sunset yacht with a live DJ, an 82-foot boat that sails 8 hours, with a lunch buffet and BBQ, snacks and drinks, plus water floats, kayaks and paddleboards. It starts from $69, and its 210 reviews average 4.1, against 4.8 across 805 reviews for our catamaran. Search wording such as the ultimate party catamaran Pattaya 3 islands tour points at this kind of boat, and recent comments on noise and crowding are worth reading before you pay.
Between these sits the second catamaran, which offers a Thai buffet with fresh fruit and beverages, fishing gear and paddleboards, and says alcoholic drinks can be bought on board. It starts from $72 for 7 hours and has 749 reviews at 4.8. If you want a drink with sunset but not a dance floor, this is the middle of the road.
Side by side
Island tour types compared
| Type | From | Length | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calm catamaran | $83 | 7 to 8 hours | Swimming, lunch, monkeys |
| Second catamaran | $72 | 7 hours | Paddleboards, fishing gear |
| DJ sunset yacht | $69 | 8 hours | Music, a group of friends |
| Coral and Sak speedboat | $27 | 6 hours | A short, cheap day |
| Nemo snorkel trip | $39 | 5 hours | Reefs without landings |
| Jet ski island tour | $207 | 2 or 4 hours | Speed, per jet ski |
| Private speedboat | $164 | 6 hours | Your own pace, per boat |
Starting fares only; the date and your party decide the price, and private boats and jet skis are priced per craft.
Sunset boats and a later return
A sunset on the water is the main reason to book an evening finish. The sunset catamaran finishes at a viewpoint where you stop for the evening light, and the fare is from $76 for a day of 7.5 hours. Its record lists 88 reviews averaging 4.7, and the evidence is thinner than for the standard circuit, though the rating is strong.
A 2-island yacht day makes the sunset its centrepiece, with 3 hours at Koh Phai, 75 minutes at Koh Rin and a sunset viewpoint before the ride back. It starts from $102, and 256 reviews average 4.8, with ratings of 4.9 for the guide and for transport and 4.8 for value. You trade Monkey Island for long hours in the water, and for many people that is a good swap.
Any evening finish changes the logistics. Dinner on the day is a later affair, the ride back crosses town in the dark, and a late return is awkward if you fly out the next morning. The DJ yacht record notes that the operator confirms the pickup time a day before and that the day is subject to sea conditions, so keep the evening free of fixed commitments.
Feedback by boat
Average rating of each boat type
- Longer yacht day4.8
- Our catamaran4.8
- Second catamaran4.8
- Sunset catamaran4.7
- Nemo snorkel boat4.6
- DJ sunset yacht4.1
- Coral and Sak trip3.8
Average scores as each listing shows them, from the scraped records.
Speedboat hops to the near islands
The cheapest way onto the water is a speedboat to the islands closest to the beach. Short hops of about 10 minutes join Pattaya Beach, a parasailing platform, Koh Sak and Koh Larn on that trip, which lasts 6 hours in all. Per the provincial tourism office, a speedboat reaches Koh Larn in 15 minutes, while a regular boat needs 45 minutes.2
The catch is what the fare covers. The basic package includes snorkeling and paddle boarding only, other water activities are chosen separately, and the listing warns of moderate physical activity. Its 797 reviews average 3.8, the lowest score of the boats we compared, so it is a trip for budget and speed rather than for polish. The islands on this trip belong to the Koh Larn guide, so this page keeps to the boat choice.
A private speedboat is the same machine hired for your group. Hiring the whole boat for Koh Larn and Koh Sak costs from $164, for 6 hours on a 21 foot single-engine speedboat, with a twin-engine upgrade available for an extra THB 5000. Water activities and snorkeling come separately, so add gear to the budget. That suits a family or a group of friends who want their own pace and a short crossing.
By mood
Quiet, loud or fast
Party
The DJ sunset yacht
Live music on board
- Length8 hours
- Boat82-foot yacht
- Reviews210
Snorkel only
The Nemo snorkel trip
Reefs, no island landings
- Length5 hours
- Stops2 to 3 snorkel spots
- Reviews363
Jet ski convoys and who they suit
A jet ski island tour turns the crossing into the activity. The 5-island tour starts from $207 per jet ski for 2 or 4 hours, with a van pickup, a safety briefing at Jomtien Beach and stops at Pattaya View Point, the Sanctuary of Truth, Ko Sak, Ko Lan and Ko Khrok. A jet ski carries at most 2 participants, and a tour has a maximum of 9 jet skis, and the convoy stays small and guided.
A longer alternative runs 4 hours around 3 islands with snorkeling, a banana boat ride and lunch, from $234. Drivers must be at least 18, carry a valid ID or passport and stay under 200 kg per jet ski, and no previous experience is required. The 5-island tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.
Be realistic about the day you want. A jet ski tour gives you speed and photographs but little time ashore, no buffet and no shade, and the cost per person depends on whether you share a ski. If you want to relax with a group, a boat is easier; if the ride is the point, the convoy delivers it. Check the weather rule too, since the listing says the tour depends on conditions.
Snorkel boats and first-time dive days
If the water matters more than the beach, a Pattaya snorkeling tour built for that purpose is the right choice. Nemo Island is the specialist trip: from $39 for 5 hours, built around snorkel stops rather than beaches. The terms matter, since moderate fitness is expected, there is no lunch, guests of 65 and over cannot join and a group of 4 is needed for it to run.
For divers there is a separate listing from $77 that runs 8 hours and sorts guests into snorkeling, certified diving and first-time diving packages, with a lunch on the boat. Its 68 reviews average 4.1. Pick the package carefully when you book, as the listing asks you to double-check which package suits you.
Diving brings a few simple rules. On the safety side, the Tourism Authority of Thailand wants divers on well maintained gear, and it suggests a gap of 12 to 18 hours before a flight.1,3 That second point matters if your dive day is close to your flight home. Our snorkeling guide goes deeper into reefs, gear and safety on all of these trips.
Video
A catamaran yacht day out of Pattaya
Tommino on YouTube · Until you tap play, no video is loaded.
Use well maintained equipment: faulty or damaged equipment can lead to accidents
Before you choose
Checks for any island boat
Read in the listing3
- The length of the day and the start window
- Whether lunch, drinks and gear are included
- The cancellation window, 24 hours on these boats
Check your group3
- Age and weight lines, such as 65 and over on the Nemo trip
- Wheelchair access, listed on the jet ski tour
- Capacity of a private speedboat, asked of the operator
Matching the boat to your group
Families with younger children usually do better on the larger boats with a buffet and calm decks than on a convoy of jet skis. The catamaran sold here lists no age limit in its record, while the Nemo Island trip excludes guests aged 65 and over, and parasailing excludes people above 100 kg. Check the weight and age lines of a listing before booking for a mixed-age group.
Couples who want sunsets should look at the sunset catamaran and the 2-island yacht, and groups of friends who want music at the DJ yacht. Solo travellers do well on shared boats, where the crowd is the company. Private boats become sensible for larger parties, but no listing states how many guests a speedboat carries, so ask the operator about capacity.
Whichever boat wins, check the cancellation line first: the listings above share a 24 hour free window, and that matters more than a small gap in fare. The table and cards above set the types next to each other, and the short quiz above narrows them to a single suggestion, so you can book with a clear reason rather than a guess.
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
Which Pattaya islands tour is best for families?
A catamaran day.
The catamaran sold here is a 71 foot boat with a buffet lunch and snorkeling gear, from $83.
Is there a Pattaya islands tour with a DJ?
Yes, a sunset yacht.
An 82-foot yacht with a live DJ sails 8 hours from $69.
Is a speedboat faster than a catamaran to the islands?
Yes, to the near islands.
The provincial tourism office lists a far shorter crossing to Koh Larn by speedboat than by regular boat.2
Can beginners join a jet ski island tour?
Yes.
The 5-island jet ski tour welcomes beginners and is guided by an instructor.
Can you land on the islands on a snorkel trip?
Not on the Nemo trip.
The Nemo trip is the one that makes no island landings at all.
Is a private speedboat cheaper than a catamaran?
It depends on group size.
A private speedboat starts from $164 per boat, so the price per guest depends on your group.
Do these tours run in bad weather?
Sea conditions can change them.
Sea and weather conditions can alter these days, according to the boat listings.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Diving and Snorkelling in Thailand, Made Easy ↩
- Chonburi Provincial Tourism and Sports Office (Ministry of Tourism and Sports) · Koh Lan ↩
- Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Diving and Snorkelling in Thailand, Made Easy ↩