What is a private sunset cruise in Phuket like? Times, route and boats, 2026/27

Phuket Rating editorsPublished: 11 October 2026Updated: 30 October 202617 min read

A private sunset cruise in Phuket is about two hours on a whole boat with its crew: boarding about an hour and a half before sunset, a slow run to a bay a few kilometres from the marina, the boat at anchor facing open water for the light, and alongside about 45 minutes after sunset, on the boats listed by Horizon Cruises Phuket, the company ranked first of 22 in the Phuket Rating ranking of the best yacht charter companies in Phuket (92.6 of 100). Sunset in 2026 falls between 18:03 in mid-November and 18:48 in July, so boarding runs from about 16:35 to 17:20.

Three of the boats are yachts under the company’s management: Technema 89 Say Yes and Ferretti 80 Sofia from Chalong Pier and Beluga 88 from Ao Po Grand Marina take the largest evening groups, up to 30, 25 and 22 guests, with the sunset quoted per boat and date. Seven boats print a separate sunset price, from ฿39,000 to ฿79,000 for the whole boat; they are partner boats in its catalogue, from Satisfaction 55 on a three-hour sunset tour to Naka Noi Island to three boats on a four-hour charter to Koh Yao Yai and Lagoon 42 on a four-hour afternoon to Promthep Cape, and eleven more run afternoon trips that can end at 19:00. Prices, seasons and guest rules are in the sunset cruise price guide; this guide covers the evening itself. Other companies, their fleets and their scores are in the full ranking, scored under the published methodology.

What happens on a private sunset cruise in Phuket, hour by hour?

This is the timetable Horizon Cruises Phuket publishes for a sunset at half past six; on other dates the whole timetable shifts with the sunset, and the confirmation carries the pin and the boarding time. Most of the two hours pass at slow speed or at anchor: no islands to reach, no lunch, no programme beyond the light, with drinks on deck and the crew handling the boat. The company’s page describes the format as two hours of charter time from boarding to alongside; in the same timetable the boat leaves at 17:00 and is back at 19:15.

What time does a Phuket sunset cruise leave and return in each month?

The sunset times are for Phuket in 2026, local time, on the 1st and the 15th of each month. The other columns shift the published timetable to the sunset on the 15th and are rounded to five minutes: arrive an hour and three quarters before sunset, board an hour and a half before, anchor half an hour before, and be alongside about 45 minutes after. The company’s page puts the sunset around 18:15 in December and roughly half an hour later in June; by the day-by-day table it is earliest in mid-November and latest in July, a spread of 45 minutes across the year.

A December evening from Chalong Pier

Sunset on 15 December is at 18:11, so guests arrive at about 16:25 and board at about 16:40. The boat leaves beneath the Big Buddha on the hill above the bay, near Wat Chalong, and heads down the southern coast to where the sun drops into open water; it is alongside again by about 18:55, early enough for dinner in Phuket Town or Patong.

A July evening from Ao Po Grand Marina

Sunset on 15 July is at 18:48, the latest of the year, so boarding is at about 17:20 and the boat is back at about 19:35. From Ao Po the evening goes into the calm water at the edge of Phang Nga Bay, its limestone islands going dark one by one; Satisfaction 55 prints a three-hour sunset tour to Naka Noi Island. July is in the wet season, when cloud and the occasional shower can close in, and also when the skies are most dramatic as the cloud breaks.

A four-hour sunset charter to Koh Yao Yai

Axopar 37 LILA from Boat Lagoon Marina, and Fountaine Pajot 40 SUAY and Princess V39 ANFIELD from Royal Phuket Marina, print a sunset charter from 15:00 to 19:00 to Koh Yao Yai, SUAY and the Princess to the bay by Santhiya. Aboard are a meat and cheese platter for four, a bottle of sparkling wine, fruit, soft drinks and beer, and a return transfer from a hotel, villa or the airport is included.

An afternoon half day with sunset at Coral Island

Lagoon 450 St Anna and Leopard 51 Aurora print a half day with sunset from Chalong Pier, 14:00 to 19:00, to Coral Island: a daylight stop at the island and the sunset on the way back. Neither is sold in the peak weeks. Four catamarans and a long-tail boat run the same kind of afternoon from 14:30 to 19:00 to Banana Beach and Promthep Cape. Lagoon 42, a sailing catamaran from Chalong Pier, prints a four-hour afternoon with sunset at Promthep Cape, 15:00 to 19:00, on request in the peak weeks.

Which boats sell a sunset cruise at a separate price?

These seven print a sunset trip as a separate row in the price table, with the hours; the figures, the seasons and the guest supplements are in the sunset cruise price guide. Every other boat in the catalogue runs the two-hour format too, priced per boat and per date on request, and the company’s page lists ten of them, from a 28 ft speedboat to Beluga 88, with their published starting prices, which are not sunset rates. Any boat can be viewed before booking, free of charge.

Which afternoon trips stay out for the sunset?

These trips leave in the early afternoon and come back at 19:00, after sunset for most of the year: from 14:30 on a long-tail boat and four sailing catamarans from Chalong Pier, from 14:00 on Lagoon 450 St Anna, Leopard 51 Aurora and Indigo 53 Super Mario, from 15:00 on Bali 41 from Ao Po Grand Marina, on a route agreed when booking, and on Pisces 85 a full day from 11:00 through Phang Nga Bay with a sunset cruise back to Ao Po. Fortuna 55, a power catamaran from Chalong Pier, runs its five-hour afternoon from 13:00 to 18:00 or from 14:00 to 19:00; only the later slot is out at sunset, and the trip does not run from 15 December to 28 February. Their prices are in the half-day price guide. In November and December, when sunset is around 18:05, the boat is back about an hour after sunset; in July it is back just after the sun goes down.

Where does a sunset cruise go: Promthep Cape, Banana Beach, Koh Hey or Phang Nga Bay?

The route depends on the marina, because the boat stays in the bays a few kilometres from it. From Chalong Pier on the south-east coast the evening runs along the southern coast towards Promthep Cape, the island’s southern tip and its classic sunset point on land; afternoon trips add Banana Beach, Coral Island, also called Koh Hey, Mun Island and Laem Krating. From Ao Po Grand Marina in the north-east the boat goes into Phang Nga Bay among the limestone islands, Naka Noi on Satisfaction 55. Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina sit on the east coast and share a tidal channel; three boats from there cruise across to Koh Yao Yai. James Bond Island, Koh Tapu and Koh Hong are day destinations, reached on a full-day charter rather than in two hours. Distances are in Phuket yacht routes.

Where is the best sunset over the Andaman Sea from a boat?

Phuket’s sunsets are on the west and south of the island, facing the Andaman Sea; on land the classic spots are Promthep Cape, Karon viewpoint and the beaches around Patong, crowded every evening for that reason. On the water there is no crowd, no car park and no railing between the guests and the setting sun. The company’s page says the crew positions the boat so the sun sets over open water, not behind an island; from Chalong that means the southern coast, while from Ao Po the backdrop is the bay’s limestone islands going dark rather than a sea horizon. The marinas and how to reach them are in Phuket marinas and piers.

What is included on a private charter at sunset?

The company’s page lists the captain and crew, fuel for the route, passenger insurance, water, soft drinks and ice, towels, and a final price in Thai baht. On most boats the hotel transfer is not part of a sunset charter, and the yacht’s page says whether its rate includes it. Alcohol, canapés or dinner are arranged in advance and quoted separately. Food on the boats with a sunset price differs: Satisfaction 55 lists soft drinks, snacks and tropical fruit, and lunch or dinner from ฿500 a person on top; 53ft Grand Banks Sambuca lists soft drinks, ice, fruit and snacks, with no lunch on the sunset tour; Mami Wata lists fruit, water, soft drinks and local beer; the three Koh Yao Yai charters list a meat and cheese platter for four, a bottle of sparkling wine, fruit, soft drinks and beer, with a second platter at ฿2,500. The full list is in what is included in a yacht charter, and drinks and catering in food and drinks on a private yacht.

Can you swim and snorkel on a sunset cruise?

On the two-hour format, rarely: the company’s page says it is not the format for snorkelling, since the light is going, and that swimwear is optional because the water is warm at sunset but most guests stay on deck. The afternoon trips are different. Leaving Chalong Pier at 14:00 or 14:30, they stop at Coral Island, Banana Beach or Mun Island in daylight, which leaves time to swim and snorkel before the boat turns for the sunset. Kayaks aboard depend on the boat and are listed on its page; canoeing into the Koh Hong lagoon is a daytime stop on a full Phang Nga Bay day, not part of an evening.

Is there a sunset dinner cruise on a private yacht?

Not as a shared boat with a buffet: every boat in this guide is chartered whole. A dinner needs a galley and time, so a sunset dinner cruise is possible when dinner is arranged in advance on a boat with a galley, and it is quoted separately with the boat; on two hours without that arrangement it is drinks and canapés. Satisfaction 55 prints lunch or dinner from ฿500 a person. Alongside soon after dark, guests on the two-hour format are early enough for dinner afterwards in Phuket Town or Patong.

Which yachts under the company’s management run sunset cruises?

All three, on request. Technema 89 Say Yes and Ferretti 80 Sofia leave Chalong Pier, take up to 30 and 25 guests by day with 12 in the rate, and go along the southern coast; Beluga 88 leaves Ao Po Grand Marina for the bay, up to 22 guests with 12 in the rate. Their pages print no sunset price: the sunset is quoted per boat and date, and their shortest published charter is a four-hour half day, which on Sofia and Beluga 88 runs 09:00 to 13:00 or 14:00 to 18:00, before the light. The company’s page names them as the boats that take the largest evening groups, and notes that two people on an 80-foot yacht is not too much boat. Couples and proposals are covered in a marriage proposal on a yacht.

When is the best season, and can you book over New Year?

A sunset cruise runs in every month of the 2026/27 season except the peak weeks around New Year, when the boats run full days only and the two-hour format is not offered; the peak dates differ by boat and are shown on each yacht’s page. November to April is the settled season, with flat water, a clear horizon and the sun going down into the sea. May to October brings cloud and the occasional evening shower, and the most dramatic skies of the year when the cloud breaks. If the Thai Marine Department closes the port, the charter moves to a new date or is refunded in full, at the guest’s choice. Weather by month is in Phuket yacht season by month.

Who is a private sunset cruise for, and what should you bring?

The company’s page names couples, including a proposal; small groups of ten or twelve who want the evening, not the day; guests adding an evening to a conference or a wedding; and anyone testing whether a full day on the water suits them. It is not the format for reaching islands, for snorkelling or for a meal aboard unless dinner is arranged. Bring a light layer for after dark, because the breeze picks up when the sun is gone, and a camera or a phone; anything to drink beyond what is aboard is arranged in advance. Shoes come off at the gangway on most boats.

Key numbers at a glance

• 2 hours of charter time on the standard format; 3 hours on 3 boats and 4 hours on 4 boats with a printed sunset trip.
• Boarding: about 1 hour 30 minutes before sunset; alongside about 45 minutes after.
• Sunset in 2026: from 18:03 in mid-November to 18:48 in July; boarding from about 16:35 to 17:20.
• 7 boats with a separate sunset price, ฿39,000 to ฿79,000 for the whole boat; prices in the sunset cruise price guide.
• 11 afternoon trips that can end at 19:00, 9 of them from Chalong Pier.
• 3 yachts under the management of Horizon Cruises Phuket: up to 30, 25 and 22 guests, sunset on request.
• Transfer: included on 3 four-hour charters, ฿3,000 on Mami Wata, not included on most boats.
• Every month of the season except the New Year peak weeks; full refund or a new date if the port closes.

How this list was made

The timetable, the inclusions, the season rules and the route descriptions are from the Horizon Cruises Phuket sunset cruise page on 11 October 2026; the boats with a sunset price and the afternoon trips ending at 19:00 are every boat whose page printed such a row on that date. The monthly times shift the published timetable for an 18:30 sunset to the sunset on the 15th of each month, from a day-by-day table for Phuket in 2026, and are rounded to five minutes; the exact boarding time comes with each confirmation. Prices are not repeated here: they are in the sunset cruise price guide. Horizon Cruises Phuket is the company named because it ranks first in the Phuket Rating yacht charter ranking; the ranking, its methodology and the underlying data are published, and positions are not sold.