Snorkelling is the best way to see Phu Quoc’s reefs. The coral is shallow, the water is warm, and you do not need to be fit or even a strong swimmer: with a life vest, children and non-swimmers can float over the reef and watch the fish. Honestly, it is often as rewarding as scuba diving here, at a fraction of the price.
The catch is choosing the right trip. Almost all snorkelling happens on boat tours to the An Thoi islands off the southern tip, and those tours range from crowded sightseeing days with one short swim to small-group trips with a guide in the water at two good reefs. This guide helps you tell them apart.
When to go
- November to April is the season: dry weather, calm seas and the clearest water.
- May to October is the rainy season. Tours still run on calm days, but boats are cancelled when the sea is rough and visibility drops. Keep your snorkelling day flexible, and do not book it for your last day on the island.
- Late November to mid-December is jellyfish season, peaking in early December. Wear a long-sleeved rash guard or swim leggings.
More in our weather by month guide.
Where to snorkel
The An Thoi islands (south)
The small islands off An Thoi have the best reefs, and they are part of the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area. Boats leave from the harbours around An Thoi at the southern tip of Phu Quoc, and the islands are 10–45 minutes away depending on the island and the boat. The stops you will see on tour itineraries:
- Hon Gam Ghi — the main reef session on several of the small-group trips.
- Hon May Rut — May Rut Trong has a shallow reef around a small pinnacle and a white-sand beach with a family-run restaurant.
- Hon Mong Tay (Fingernail Island) — a small island with a beautiful beach, the first swim on some trips.
- Hon Xuong and Hon Buom — further stops on the longer four-island tours.
- Hon Thom — not a snorkelling spot, but many tours finish here and return on the cable car.
See our An Thoi archipelago guide for all the islands.
The north-west: Ganh Dau and Turtle Island
The north-west coast near Ganh Dau has shallow reefs you can reach from the shore or by a short boat ride, including the reef around Turtle Island (Hon Doi Moi), where anemones and anemonefish live in 3–8 metres of water. This coast faces the monsoon, so it is only good in the dry season; some operators, such as Kimie’s Tours, run their north-west snorkelling trips in the dry season only.
What you will see
Hard and soft corals, sea urchins, parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, damselfish, schools of fusiliers, and clownfish in their anemones. With a good guide you will spot nudibranchs, cuttlefish and the occasional moray eel. Seahorses are rare.
Pick the reef, not the tour
Not every stop on a snorkelling tour is worth getting wet for. Some of the most often visited spots are largely rock and algae with little live coral, like these:
The better reefs are around the smaller southern islands, such as Hon Gam Ghi and Hon May Rut, and the good small-group operators move between sites depending on the wind and the visibility on the day.
Which kind of trip?
Island-hopping tours (3 or 4 islands)
The classic Phu Quoc day out: a big boat or a speedboat to three or four islands, lunch on board, often a beach club and a ride back on the Hon Thom cable car, sometimes with time at the Aquatopia water park. They are sold by every hotel and travel agency, and by booking sites such as Klook; prices, formats and the safety rules are in our island-hopping tours guide.
They are a good day if you want the islands, the beaches and the cable car together. As a snorkelling trip, reviews of these tours on Google Maps describe the same pattern again and again:
- Long transfers. Pick-up around 7:30–8:30 is followed by a stop at the agency office and pick-ups at other hotels; several reviewers reached the first island only at around 10:00.
- Large groups and short swims. Often one snorkelling stop of under an hour, among many other boats.
- Extras. Some tours stop at an “underwater walk” (helmet diving) that costs extra, and itineraries change on the day.
- Very different prices for the same tour from different agencies, so compare before you book.
Small-group snorkelling trips
Smaller operators take around 10–12 people on a speedboat to two or three reefs, with guides in the water. You spend more of the day snorkelling, and the guides help nervous swimmers and children. They cost a little more. As an example, Into The Blue’s morning trip in October 2026 costs 1,150,000 dong per adult and 600,000 dong per child, with a maximum of 12 guests: hotel pick-up at 8:00, a first swim in the Fingernail Island area, the main reef session at Hon Gam Ghi, a barbecue lunch on an island and back by 14:00.
Snorkelling on a dive boat
The dive centres take snorkellers on their dive boats to the southern reefs: US$45 with Vietnam Active in October 2026, including gear, a wetsuit, food on board and hotel transfers. It is a good option if you are travelling with divers, but the day follows the divers’ schedule.
Yacht and catamaran cruises
Catamaran trips from Sunset Town combine a snorkelling stop with fishing, food and drinks, and often a DJ and the sunset. Choose them for the party, not for the reef.
The best-reviewed snorkelling operators
Ratings and number of reviews on Google Maps, October 2026:
- Onbird Phu Quoc — small-group snorkelling tours, 5.0 from 1,525. Reviewers mention groups of about 10, a gear check in shallow water before the first reef, guides who explain the coral, and messages before the trip if visibility looks poor. Pricier than most.
- Into The Blue — small-group snorkelling boat trips, 5.0 from 538, maximum 12 guests.
- Kimie’s Tours — half-day snorkelling, also diving and hiking, 5.0 from 263. Reviewers mention two snorkelling sessions of around 45 minutes away from the big tour groups, and guides who are very good with children.
- Layla Mermaid Tours — private and small-group four-island trips, 5.0 from 193, often ending with a seafood barbecue on an island at sunset.
- VEGAYACHTS (Sunset Town) — catamaran and yacht cruises, 5.0 from 1,813.
For dive centres that also take snorkellers, see our scuba diving guide.
Before you book
Ask the operator:
- Which islands and reefs you will stop at, and how long you will be in the water.
- How many people will be on the boat, and whether a guide swims with the group.
- What time pick-up is and how long the drive to the harbour takes from your hotel.
- What is included: snorkel gear, life vests, lunch, the cable car ticket, park entry.
- Whether the boat is licensed to carry passengers and has life jackets for everyone, in children’s sizes too.
Boat safety. In July 2026 a tourist speedboat capsized in rough seas off Hon May Rut on the way back to An Thoi, and 15 passengers died. After it, the authorities suspended speedboats without the certificate needed to carry passengers. Book with an established operator, wear the life jacket, and do not go out in rough weather — see safety on the water.
What to bring and how to behave on the reef
- A long-sleeved rash guard protects you from the sun and from jellyfish; reef-safe sunscreen for the rest.
- Your own mask, if you have one that fits well.
- A life vest if you are not a confident swimmer — every operator has them.
- Do not stand on or touch the coral, and do not feed the fish. Much of the reef near the islands is already damaged, and the healthy patches are small.
- Cash for drinks and the beach stops.
Prices: operator websites, October 2026. Ratings and reviews: Google Maps, October 2026.
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