Phuket Sunset Boat Trip: Phi Phi, Sharks and Season

A Phuket sunset boat trip sounds simple: get on a boat, watch the sun go down. In practice you have to choose between a short evening cruise and a full day that ends at sunset, and you need to know when the sun actually sets, which months the trip runs, and what happens in the water along the way. The Phi Phi sunset trip adds one more thing people ask about before booking: the sharks.

This guide gives you the sunset time for every month of the year, explains how our Phi Phi sunset and shark-spotting trip works, why it only runs from November to April and what to bring. The trips we link are run by Simba Sea Trips, an independent local operator; we list them on this website with live availability and secure online payment. The sunset times and the facts about sharks and the national park come from the sources listed at the end; what we say about the trips comes from the trip pages.

When does the sun set in Phuket?

In Phuket the time of sunset barely moves through the year. The table below uses the US Naval Observatory’s rise/set calculator for Phuket (7.88° N, 98.39° E, UTC+7), for the 15th of each month between October 2026 and September 2027. These are approximate times: the Observatory itself notes that real sunrise and sunset can differ by a minute or more depending on the weather, so use them as a guide.

Month (15th)	Sunset	Civil twilight ends
November	18:04	18:26
December	18:12	18:34
January	18:27	18:49
February	18:37	18:58
March	18:38	18:58
April	18:35	18:57
May	18:37	18:59
June	18:44	19:07
July	18:49	19:11
August	18:42	19:04
September	18:27	18:48
October	18:11	18:32

Three things stand out:

• The sun sets between about 18:00 and 19:00 all year. The earliest sunset in the table is 18:04 in November and the latest 18:49 in July, a difference of 45 minutes. In the months our sunset trip runs (November to April, in bold) it sets between 18:04 and 18:38.
• There is almost no dusk. Civil twilight ends when the centre of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, the point at which, according to the US Naval Observatory’s definitions, artificial light is generally needed for ordinary outdoor activities. In the table that happens only 20 to 23 minutes after sunset. If you want to be on deck for the colours, be there at sunset, not after.
• November is the earliest-sunset month. On 13 November 2026, the day this article goes online, the sun sets at 18:04 in Phuket.

The Phi Phi sunset and shark-spotting trip

Our trip is a small-group speedboat day, about eight and a half hours, that ends with the sunset over the Andaman Sea. The trip page describes it like this:

• Snorkelling at Bamboo Island and at Shark Bay, where blacktip reef sharks are spotted.
• A picnic on the beach.
• A cruise past Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and Pileh Lagoon, and a stop to see Maya Bay.
• The sunset at sea, and the return to the marina after sunset.

The trip is listed with a 10:00 departure. Adding about eight and a half hours takes you to roughly 18:30, which is the same time window as the sunset in the table above, and the trip page says you head back to the marina after sunset. The operator sends the exact hotel pick-up time the day before.

On the practical side, the trip page lists as included: hotel pick-up and drop-off in Phuket, lunch, drinks and snacks, snorkelling equipment, national park fees, accident insurance, a guide, and a toilet and Wi-Fi on board. Alcoholic drinks (which you can buy on board) and tips for the crew are not included. Guides speak English and Thai.

What about the sharks?

The name of the trip makes the sharks sound like the main event, so here is what is and is not known.

What the trip page says: the snorkelling stop at Shark Bay is a place where blacktip reef sharks are spotted. That is a sighting, not a promise: wild animals do not keep a schedule, and a good guide will tell you the same.

What we know about the species. According to Wikipedia’s entry on the blacktip reef shark, it is typically about 1.6 metres long, lives mainly over shallow reefs, with young sharks preferring shallow sandy flats, and is generally timid and easily frightened away by swimmers. The few recorded bites have mostly been to the legs or feet of people wading in shallow water, apparently when the shark mistook them for prey, and they rarely cause serious injury. The same entry says the IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable. Treat that as general background, not as a safety guarantee: follow your guide’s instructions about where to swim and do not try to touch or chase any animal.

A related story, in Maya Bay. The same species lives in the shallows of Maya Bay. In March 2023 The Thaiger and Reuters, whose story Aaj News republished, reported up to 40 blacktip reef sharks swimming there and about 4,000 visitors a day. Conservationists said shark numbers had risen while the bay was closed (2018 to 2022) and were thinning out again since tourism resumed, and the authorities wanted visitors out of the water so as not to disturb the baby sharks that hide in the shallows. Reuters also reported the rules in force at that time: tour boats dock on the far side of the island, visitors walk to the beach, no more than 375 visitors an hour, and wading only to knee depth. These figures are from 2023, so check the current rules.

Why it only runs from November to April

The sunset trip is on sale from November to April. The trip page states the season; the reasons behind it are the weather and the sea:

• According to the Thai National Parks page for Phi Phi, the islands are best for snorkelling from around November or December until May, when the water is clearer and calmer. The same page says boats run less often in the rainy season and that bad weather can cancel departures.
• Maya Bay is closed to visitors every year from 1 August to 30 September, according to the same page. That closure falls outside the sunset trip’s season, so Maya Bay is part of the route whenever the trip runs.

For forecasts and warnings on the day, the Thai Meteorological Department publishes them on its warnings page, with separate pages for ocean wave forecasts. Weather also decides the sky: a clear horizon gives a bright sun disc and a clean reflection, and clouds can give a better colour or hide the sun altogether. No operator can promise a sunset.

Shared small group or private sunset cruise?

Our Phi Phi sunset trip is a shared day for small groups. It is a day out, with snorkelling and a picnic, that ends with the sunset. If you only want the evening, there is a different product:

• Private Phang Nga Bay sunset speedboat charter. About four and a half hours, leaving at 14:30, for groups of 2 to 20 guests. According to the trip page you visit Koh Panak, pass the floating village of Koh Panyee, cruise the mangrove waterways, stop at James Bond Island, sail back to Phuket at sunset with a beach stop, and have a family-style dinner at a pool club. The price depends on the size of the group and the calendar shows the total for yours. See the private sunset charter, or all our private charters in Thailand.

Leaving at 14:30 and lasting about four and a half hours, the private cruise finishes around 19:00, so it is timed to be on the water at sunset in every month of the table.

If you would rather see the sunrise side of Phi Phi, read our Phi Phi island tour guide, or look at the Phi Phi sunrise trip and the small-group James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay trip.

What to bring

From the trip page’s list:

• Your passport number (you do not need to bring the passport).
• Towel and swimwear.
• Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses.
• Camera or phone, and cash for tips and extras.

Our own suggestion, not on the trip page: because it gets dark quickly after sunset, keep your phone charged and your bag in one place, and bring a light layer for the ride back, since a speedboat is windier than the beach.

Practical checklist

• Pick-up: free around Kata, Karon, Patong, Kamala, Surin and Bangtao; other areas may cost extra (about 1,000 THB per vehicle on some trips).
• Ages: adults 13 and over, children 4 to 12, infants 0 to 3 (free). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• Health: not recommended for pregnant travellers or people with heart or back problems; not wheelchair accessible.
• Minimum numbers: the operator may reschedule a trip if fewer than six seats are booked, as stated on the trip page.
• Park hours: the Thai National Parks page lists the park attractions as open from 08:00 to 16:30, so ask the operator how the stops are timed on your day; the sunset itself is enjoyed from the sea.
• Before you fly: entry rules change. Check your own government’s advice and the official Thai sources.

Know where you are staying? Read the full Phuket destination guide or browse all our trips from Phuket.

Quick answers

• What time is sunset in Phuket? Between 18:04 (November) and 18:49 (July) on the 15th of each month, according to the US Naval Observatory calculator; in November to April, between 18:04 and 18:38.
• How long does it stay light after sunset? Civil twilight ends 20 to 23 minutes after sunset in every month of the table.
• When does the Phi Phi sunset trip run? From November to April.
• Will I see sharks? The trip page says blacktip reef sharks are spotted at Shark Bay. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
• How long is the trip? About eight and a half hours on the trip page, with a 10:00 departure.

Sources

All read on 30 October 2026.

• US Naval Observatory, Rise/Set/Transit API (example query; one query per month, 15th of each month from October 2026 to September 2027, Phuket coordinates) and Definitions of rise, set and twilight.
• Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Thai National Parks (season, annual closure, boats and weather, opening hours).
• Managing blacktip reef sharks in Maya Bay, The Thaiger, 28 March 2023.
• Sharks, tourists jostle for space around Thai destination island, Reuters story republished by Aaj News, 28 March 2023.
• Blacktip reef shark, Wikipedia.
• Warnings, Thai Meteorological Department.
• Our trip pages (supplier information in Bókun).