The Phi Phi Islands are an archipelago of six islands in Krabi province. They are a two-hour ferry ride (or about an hour by speedboat) from Phuket or Krabi and offer some of Thailand's most spectacular scenery: steep limestone cliffs, the twin bays of Koh Phi Phi Don separated by a palm-fringed sandbar, and Maya Bay on the uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh – the beach made famous by the film "The Beach." Only Phi Phi Don is inhabited and car-free. The island is easily explored on foot and is more lively than it appears in photos.
The best decision you can make is to book two nights instead of a day trip. This way, you'll arrive at Maya Bay at 7:00 AM, before the boats from Phuket arrive, and can enjoy the viewpoint at sunset. Expect prices to be 25–40% higher than on the mainland, and note that Maya Bay is closed every August and September.
Accommodation on the Phi Phi Islands
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My recommendations for every price category on the Phi Phi Islands
Key Facts (2026)
You can reach the location by ferry (2 hours from Phuket or Krabi) (฿490–700).
Ferries run several times daily from Rassada Pier in Phuket and Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi. Speedboats take about an hour and cost 750–850 baht from Phuket and 790–1,300 baht from Krabi. From Koh Lanta, the speedboat from Bundhaya runs year-round in about 30 minutes, and slower ferries also operate from November to April. Booking a day in advance via 12Go is recommended, although same-day booking is usually possible outside of December and January.
Stay for 2 nights, that's the right number.
On the first day, the trip includes a ferry ride to Long Beach and a viewpoint for watching the sunset. The second day features a morning tour through Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon. Day trippers from Phuket spend over four hours on boats, experiencing Maya Bay at its busiest.
The entrance fee for the national park is 400 Baht (children 200 Baht).
The Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park entrance fee applies to boat trips departing from Phi Phi Leh, including Maya Bay. It must be paid in cash at the pier or on board. Please keep your ticket; it is valid all day.
Maya Bay departs at 7 am with the first boat, swimming is prohibited and the bay is closed from August to September.
Open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Boats dock at a pontoon at the rear; access is on foot. Swimming in the bay is prohibited to protect the blacktip reef sharks from breeding. The 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM opening time is more convenient than the day trip fleet from Phuket, which doesn't arrive until around 10:00 AM. Closed from August 1st to September 30th.
Best time to travel: November–April; High season: December–February
During the dry season on the Andaman island, the seas are calm and ferry services are reliable. For the high season, it is recommended to book rooms 2-3 months in advance. From May to October, expect rough seas and reduced ferry service; September and October are the rainiest months, and Maya Bay is closed in August and September.
The costs are 25–40% higher than on the mainland; no cars, so bring cash.
Meals cost 150–400 baht, beer 80–150 baht, and mid-range rooms 2,000–4,500 baht. Phi Phi Don is a pedestrian zone; longtail boats serve as taxis to the outer beaches (100–400 baht). ATMs in Tonsai charge the usual fee of 250–350 baht for foreign cards.
Getting to Koh Phi Phi from Phuket, Krabi or Bangkok
From Phuket, ferries depart from Rassada Pier (near Phuket Town) at approximately 8:30, 11:00, 13:30, and 15:00, taking about two hours to reach Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi (500–700 baht, plus a 20 baht port fee upon arrival). From Krabi, Songserm ferries depart from Klong Jilad Pier at 9:00 and 13:30, also taking about two hours (490 baht, or from 750 baht with the Andaman Wave Master). Speedboats halve the travel time and cost approximately 750–850 baht from Phuket and 790–1,300 baht from Krabi, but the ride is rougher. If you are prone to seasickness, opt for a larger ferry, which will have a smoother ride. Bundhaya can be reached from Koh Lanta by speedboat in about 30 minutes all year round, and slower ferries also operate from November to April.
Since there is no airport on Phi Phi, you usually fly to Phuket (HKT) or Krabi (KBV) and take the ferry from there. If you arrive in the early afternoon, you can be on the island the same day. Later arrivals should stay overnight near the pier and take the ferry the following morning. 12Go's combination tickets for flight, transfer, and ferry automatically book the pier connections.
On departure, the same ferries travel in the opposite direction, making Phi Phi such a natural midpoint between Krabi and Phuket on a longer route (this is exactly how it is planned in our 10-day itinerary: Krabi → Phi Phi → Phuket, without detours).
Phuket Airport → Rassada Pier
Book your airport transfer to the ferry terminal together with your ferry booking.
Rassada Pier is 40 to 55 minutes from Phuket Airport; Klong Jilad is 30 minutes from Krabi Airport. Pre-booking a car through 12Go (approximately 1,000–1,150 Baht to Rassada, 600–700 Baht to Klong Jilad) minimizes the risk of delays due to limited flight and ferry connections, and missing the last ferry will inevitably lead to an unplanned overnight stay on the mainland.
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Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and the Phi Phi Leh Circuit
Maya Bay really exists and is indeed as beautiful as it appears: a 250-meter-long stretch of white sand enclosed on three sides by 100-meter-high cliffs. Since reopening after its ecological closure from 2018 to 2021, visitor numbers are regulated. Boats dock at a floating pontoon on the back side of the island. From there, a short wooden walkway leads to the beach. Swimming in the bay itself is prohibited (blacktip reef sharks have returned to breed and are likely to be spotted from the beach). The bay is completely closed every August and September. Leave Phi Phi Don at 7:00 a.m. on the first boats, and you'll share the bay with just a few dozen other visitors instead of the thousands who arrive from Phuket at midday.
The standard Phi Phi Leh tour, bookable as a half-day trip by longtail boat (1,200–1,500 baht for groups, 2,500–3,500 baht for individuals) or as a speedboat tour, combines Maya Bay with Pileh Lagoon, a pool completely enclosed by cliffs with incredibly green water, particularly impressive around midday, as well as the Viking Cave and the Loh Samah snorkeling stop. Longer tours can include an additional visit to Bamboo Island (with its perfect white sand beach, included in the same park ticket).
For photographers, the classic view of Maya Bay is best from the boat dock, not from the beach. The postcard-perfect view of the twin bays of Phi Phi Don, however, can be had by climbing to the viewpoint on the main island. See below.
Activities on Phi Phi Don: From the viewpoint and Long Beach to diving and nightlife
The viewpoint (points 1, 2, and 3, 50 baht cash) is an absolute must-see on Phi Phi Don: A strenuous 15- to 20-minute climb from Tonsai village offers a breathtaking panorama of the two bays and the sandbar between them. The golden hour around 6 pm is particularly recommended; be sure to bring water! Long Beach, just a 5-minute longtail boat ride (or a 30-minute walk along the coast) from Tonsai, boasts the island's finest sand and a direct view of Phi Phi Leh across the channel.
The underwater world is half the fun here. Phi Phi offers some of the best diving in Thailand with excellent value for money: diving days with two dives cost between 2,500 and 3,500 baht, and the Open Water certification between 12,000 and 14,000 baht. The dive sites King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point, and Bida Nok can be reached in 30 to 60 minutes. Snorkelers can observe leopard and blacktip reef sharks at dawn off Shark Point on Long Beach, right from the beach – no boat required.
The nightlife is concentrated in Loh Dalum Bay, with fire shows, beach bars, and buckets that stay open late into the night. It's cheerful, unpretentious, and loud. If that's too much for you, you can stay at Long Beach or in the far north of the island (Laem Tong) and escape the noise of Tonsai completely.
Phi Phi Beaches & Activities
Long Beach Koh Phi Phi
Monkey Beach
Ton Sai Strand (Koh Phi Phi)
DPM Diving Koh Phi Phi
Phi Phi Standpoint 2
The Adventure Club – Diving on the island of Phi Phi
The best-rated hotels on the Phi Phi Islands
Here is my ranking of the 9 best hotels on the Phi Phi Islands. Each button will take you directly to the hotel's page on Booking.com, where you have already entered your travel dates.
Where to stay on Koh Phi Phi (Tonsai, Long Beach or Laem Tong)
Tonsai Village is the island's hub (ferry pier, restaurants, dive schools, nightlife) and offers the most affordable accommodation (hostels 400–700 baht, guesthouses 1,200–2,500 baht). Stay here for its convenient location and lively atmosphere, but bring earplugs, as the bass from Loh Dalum is loud until 1–2 a.m.
Long Beach (Hat Yao) is especially popular with couples. It boasts the finest sand on the island, peaceful nights, breathtaking sunrises over Phi Phi Leh, and is just a 100–150 baht walk (or a half-hour walk at low tide) from the village. Mid-range bungalows cost between 2,000 and 4,500 baht.
Laem Tong, the northernmost tip of the island, is an exclusive retreat with a handful of resorts (Zeavola, Holiday Inn, SAii) on a secluded beach with the offshore Bamboo Island. The journey by longtail boat from Tonsai takes 30–40 minutes, which is part of its charm, because on Phi Phi you'll find breathtaking scenery, not parties. It's best to book one of these resorts 2–3 months in advance for the months of December to February.
How much Koh Phi Phi costs (2026)
Prices are approximately 25–40% higher than on the mainland, as everything is transported by ship. For complete travel cost overviews for the entire country, please see our Thailand Travel Cost Index.
When is the best time to travel to Koh Phi Phi?
The best time to visit is from December to March. The Andaman Sea is calm, ferries and boats to Phi Phi Leh run daily, and it only rains on 2 to 8 days a month, least frequently in February. November and April mark the transition period: November is still dry, while April is hot with highs around 34°C and the first thunderstorms. Phi Phi does not have its own weather station, but the stations on the neighboring islands of Phuket and Koh Lanta agree within a few percent, so their readings are generally considered valid.
Monsoon season runs from May to October, with September and October being the wettest months, averaging around 19 rainy days per month. The crossings can be rough, some boats are cancelled due to high seas, and Maya Bay is closed from August 1st to September 30th. However, accommodations are significantly cheaper, and an overnight stay on the island with a flexible boat trip day is quite feasible in May, June, or early October. My Krabi weather guide for each month contains the exact data for this stretch of coastline.
Is one day enough for Phi Phi? Day trip vs. overnight stay
If possible, stay overnight on Phi Phi. This is the best way to make your stay even more enjoyable. Day trips from Phuket or Krabi take over four hours by boat and only reach Maya Bay when everyone else is already there. With two overnight stays (which are ideal for most), you'll experience Maya Bay as early as 7 a.m., the sunset viewpoint, Long Beach in between, and the tranquil morning hours of the island that remain hidden from day-trippers.
A day trip is still worthwhile in two cases: if your trip is in Phuket and you have a full itinerary, or if you're traveling in August/September when Maya Bay is closed and the sea is rough. During monsoon season, a flexible speedboat tour is better than booking overnight stays on the islands. If you do take a day trip, book the earliest possible departure and make sure the boat goes to Pileh Lagoon and not just Maya Bay.
Phi Phi fits seamlessly into these routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the Koh Phi Phi Islands.
Yes. Phi Phi boasts the most spectacular scenery of all the Thai islands, and an overnight stay (rather than a day trip) makes the experience completely different: Maya Bay at 7 a.m., the viewpoint at sunset, and the tranquil morning hours before the boats arrive. If you only have time for a day trip from Phuket and want to avoid crowds, you should lower your expectations for Maya Bay around midday.
Two nights are ideal for most travelers: On the first day, the ferry, Long Beach, and the sunset viewpoint; on the second day, the early morning boat trip to Maya Bay/Pileh Lagoon. Divers and those who prefer a more relaxed pace often spend three to four nights there. While one night is possible, it makes the early morning Maya Bay trip somewhat hectic.
No. Swimming in Maya Bay itself has been prohibited since its reopening in 2022 to protect the recovering reef and the blacktip reef sharks that breed there. Boats anchor at a pontoon on the other side of the island, from which you can walk to the beach. You can wade along the shore and often observe the sharks in the shallows. The bay is also completely closed every year during August and September.
Both ferry routes take about two hours and are comparable in price. Choose the one that best suits your itinerary. Phuket is served by significantly more cities and is therefore a popular starting point. Krabi is particularly suitable if you also plan to visit Railay and Ao Nang. For trips with multiple stopovers, it's advisable to include a stopover on both the outbound and return journeys (Krabi → Phi Phi → Phuket) to avoid unnecessary detours.
Yes, by Thai standards. Expect prices to be 25–40% higher than on the mainland, as everything from beer to building materials is transported by boat. Budget travelers can get by on 1,500–2,500 baht per day (US$45–75), while middle-class travelers can manage with 3,500–6,000 baht (US$105–180). The biggest expenses are the boat tour (1,200–3,500 baht) and diving. The higher prices for food and beer are noticeable, but not excessive.
From December to April, the Andaman coast experiences its dry season with calm seas and reliable ferry services, with November being the transition period. December to February is peak season, so it is advisable to book accommodation two to three months in advance. From May to October, it is monsoon season with heavy seas and rain, resulting in rougher crossings and reduced ferry services. September and October are the wettest months, and Maya Bay is closed every August and September.
In the village of Tonsai and in Loh Dalum Bay, there's a lively atmosphere with fire shows, beach bars, and buckets of beer that stay open until 1 or 2 a.m. – though the partying is relatively low-key. Those staying in Long Beach (about 100-150 baht from the village by longtail boat) or in Laem Tong in the far north will be none the rage. Phi Phi is small enough that you can choose how you want your evening to be: loud in Tonsai or quiet in the rest of the island.
They serve different functions. Phuket acts as a base with an international airport, hospitals, hotels of all categories, and beaches to suit every taste. Phi Phi, on the other hand, captivates with its picturesque landscape, is car-free, reachable by ferry in two hours, and is best suited for a two-day stopover, not as a permanent base for a whole week. For most travel plans, the answer is: both. Phuket or Krabi serve as the base, and Phi Phi is the highlight of the trip.
Fly from Bangkok to Phuket (HKT) or Krabi (KBV), transfer at Rassada Pier (45 minutes) or Klong Jilad Pier (40 minutes), and then take the ferry (2 hours) to Tonsai Pier. If you arrive in the early afternoon, you can be on Phi Phi the same day. If you arrive later, stay overnight near the pier and take the ferry the following morning. Combined flight-transfer-ferry tickets from 12Go take care of the connections.
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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