Where to Book Morning Sailings: 6 Trips Worth the Crossing

1.Morning Cruise to Symi Island & St. George Bay

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,671 reviews · 8 hours · from $64Our pick

Set out from Mandraki Harbour aboard Doll, a modern, accessible boat with indoor and outdoor seating, Wi-Fi, toilets, and a snack bar. Swim or snorkel at St George’s Bay, then spend three hours in Symi’s photogenic harbour, with time for lunch, shops, and Kali Strata.

“Great day out and such a good price for everything included! Would definitely recommend! 3 hours to roam Symi is definitely enough time too”

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2.Morning or Afternoon Harbour Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,520 reviews · 1h 30m · from $38Best value

Cruise Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay for 90 minutes, with live English commentary from skippers such as Ron or Bruce. You’ll pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, and other landmarks while enjoying tea, coffee, water, fruit, and biscuits.

“Very informative guide and a really nice way to look round the harbour”

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3.Phi Phi: Morning Speedboat Tour to Maya Bay with Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,244 reviews · 4 hours - 390 minutes · from $51

Start early from Tonsai Pier for Maya Bay before the crowds, then swim at Pileh Lagoon, spot monkeys, snorkel with reef sharks, and photograph Viking Cave. Choose the half-day trip or add Bamboo Island, lunch, and extra swimming with the full-day option.

“Highlight of our trip so far! Definitely book the full day to get to bamboo island it’s magical! It’s an early start but you miss all the larger tours from Phuket and are the first group into maya bay & bamboo island so you have the place to yourself before the bigger groups arrive a little later. We had lots of time for swimming, relaxing & snorkelling! Guide was amazing and very friendly!”

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4.Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise Morning or Afternoon Departure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 704 reviews · from $39

Cruise Sydney Harbour for 90 minutes from the Eastern Pontoon at Circular Quay. You’ll pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Luna Park, sandstone cliffs, and small bays while a live guide, often Ron, explains Sydney’s story. Tea, coffee, indoor seating, outdoor decks, and a restroom are included.

“Great cruise around the harbor. The guide gave us a lot of great info about Sydney. It was a beautiful cruise and a beautiful day.”

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5.Phang Nga Treasures Sunrise Trekking and No-crowd James Bond by longtailed boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · from $132Top rated

Leave Phuket before dawn for Samet Nangshe sunrise, then reach James Bond Island before the crowds by longtail boat. With a maximum of eight people, you’ll canoe through hongs, explore caves and mangroves, follow a treasure legend, and finish with Thai, Western, or vegetarian lunch.

“I think that the overall experience is that this was an amazing tour ... even if getting up at 3am was a bit ‘tricky’ But it proved to pay off ... we ended in first row for the sunrise pictures, and being the first and only people on James Bond Island 👍🏼 Afterwards we climbed the sRead more”

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6.Lan Ha Bay: Experience the Magic Bay at Sunrise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $51

Start at 5:15 AM for a three-hour Lan Ha Bay boat trip with an English-speaking guide such as Lam, Tran, or Luan. Watch sunrise, kayak through Cai Beo floating village, spot monkeys near Monkey Island, swim at a quiet beach, then enjoy banh mi, coffee, and tea.

“This trip was truly amazing ! we thought that monkey island was beautiful and kayaking in the floating village was super fun. Do it!”

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