WORLDWIDE · ONE-DAY ISLAND TRIPS
Good one-day island trips anywhere in the world fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Review of Krabi’s 4-island longtail boat tour, with snorkeling, sandbars, Thai lunch, hotel pickup, pricing, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Well organised. Our tour guide Toy was amazing and made the whole experience great. Fun day”
Review of Krabi’s Hong Islands speedboat tour, with beaches, snorkeling, lunch, kayaking, lagoon views, and a rewarding 360-degree hike.
“all islands were so scenic and unbelievably beautiful. the tour guide was sweet and very friendly. a well planned day. it would have been great to spend more time at each island as it seems rushed at each one.”
Review of Sardinia’s La Maddalena boat trip, with island stops, swimming, costs, food, timing, and practical advice for booking.
“It was such a good trip, I was able to enjoy the beach, there was food/snacks and drinks available to buy at the boat. The staff were friendly.”
Review of Krabi’s 4 Islands speedboat tour, with snorkeling, beaches, lunch, hotel pickup, practical tips, costs, and honest drawbacks.
“Very well organised 5 hr tour..hotel pick up etc...the young guide James (with the teeth braces) was fantastic and always smiling..Keep it up young man...easy paced and plenty of time at every location..water/melon/photos..couldn't ask for more..We'll done James & crew.”
Review of Phuket’s Phi Phi speedboat day trip, including Maya Bay, snorkeling, lunch, costs, crowds, boat comfort, and practical tips.
“Really solid Phi Phi Islands tour from Phuket. It’s a long day and the boat ride can be bumpy,but everything was well organized and the crew did a great job looking after everyone.The islands are beautiful, especially Maya Bay, and snorkeling was fun with clear water and plenty of fish. We had enough time at each stop without feeling too rushed. Overall a great experience and definitely worth doing if you’re visiting Phuket.”
Review the Similan Islands day trip from Phuket or Khao Lak, with snorkeling, white-sand beaches, Thai food, transport, and practical tips.
“Really good day but too many people .. especially those one which didn’t know how to swim but they push you or even swim and on you to see the fish or turtles Hopefully I know how to swim but i swallowed a bit of water because of those tourist who pushed me without caring or apologies… And also all the tourist try to touch the turtle even if the guide told to not to !”
Cruise from Dubrovnik to Koločep, Šipan, and Lopud for beaches, island walks, onboard lunch, unlimited drinks, and Adriatic views.
“Such a great day out , beautiful islands I wouldn’t have seen without the tour”
Review of Phuket’s Racha and Coral Island speedboat trip, with snorkeling, lunch, hotel pickup, costs, timing, and practical tips.
“Phi Phi is the popular tour but this was a GEM. The waters in both islands were beautiful and so so clear. There were sooo many fishes by the shore alone. There was no rush to tick boxes, and we were given 2-3h at each island to relax and have free time. There was an optional snorkel part where the boat took the ones who wanted to snorkel, to an area where the underwater life was beautiful. Pick up was punctual, free drinks on the boat, everything felt safe and enjoyable. Best part was the clear waters, and no overcrowding.”
Review of Praslin’s Curieuse and St. Pierre boat trip, with giant tortoises, mangroves, Creole BBQ, snorkeling, costs, and practical tips.
“The trip involves walking from Doc's House to the Turtles' beach so wear comfortable shoes (not flip-flops) due to multiple rocky steps along the way. Take umbrella if you plan visiting the island in the rainy season.”
Review of Curaçao’s $75 turtle snorkeling and beach tour, with Playa Grandi, Grote Knip, flamingos, transport, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“It was a wonderful and informative experience for my family - beautiful views, turtles, tour around the island!!! Highly recommend this comfortable and amazing turtle swim.”
Cruise Dubrovnik’s Elaphiti Islands with beach time on Lopud, quiet Šipan, swimming at Koločep, lunch, drinks, and multilingual hosts.
“Dangerous! we went to sea as the weather conditions deteriorated. we found ourselves in the middle of quite waves and storm while we had children (a baby on the boat ). the water was coming back on the boat! The captain hit rock bottom wanted to dock... a real movie! On the return we made a mega detour to be dropped off at Slaton 48min from Dubrovnik! We were made to cross 9 boats because the captain could not land , hyper dangerous because large spaces to span between the boats. Fleeing may be better to pay more and be between safetyAuto-translated”
Review of Stockholm’s small-group archipelago kayak tour, with campfire lunch, wildlife, practical tips, price, weather advice, and booking details.
“Wow! What a beautiful day out in the archipelago. Being on the water was a very relaxing experience. Rostam is a great teacher and guide and is a fun guy to hang out with. Learning how to use a kayak was challenging and fun. The drive to and from Dalarö was scenic. We saw wildlife throughout the day. Thanks for the unforgettable experience!”
Review of the Taormina day trip to Panarea and Stromboli, with boat logistics, volcano views, costs, tips, drawbacks, and booking advice.
“Had a great time on the tour, getting collected from Taormina was convenient and the bus and boat rides were good. Unfortunately on our day the tour was not able to stop on Stromboli however seeing dolphins following the boat and getting to see some lava and fire fountain made up for it. Thanks!”
Review of Port Barton from Puerto Princesa: island hopping, turtle snorkeling, BBQ lunch, costs, timing, transport, and practical tips.
“Port Barton é maravilhoso, mas extremamente cansativo ir e voltar de Purto Princesa .. ideal ficar um ou dois dias no destino”
Review of a private La Maddalena boat tour from Porto Pozzo, with Spargi, Budelli, Caprera, swimming stops, costs, and practical tips.
“The boat ride and scenery were amazing. The driver Tiziano had zero personality. He steered a lot with his feet while texting which did not seem safe. He didn’t tell us much about what we were seeing either.”
Every kind of island day we have been out on.
