Destination guide · Phi Phi Islands
Things to Do in Koh Phi Phi
Two bays, one sandbar, and the best of it before the day boats arrive
- Budget
- ฿2,500–5,000/day
- Best for
- first-timers, couples
- Logistics
- Easy
- Updated
- Oct 27, 2026
The best things to do on Koh Phi Phi are the boat circuit of Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, on the 07:00 departure, the climb to the viewpoint over the twin bays, a morning on Long Beach with the blacktip reef sharks at Shark Point, and a day of diving or snorkeling on some of the best-value reefs in Thailand. Almost all of it happens on or from the water, and almost all of it is better early, before the day boats from Phuket and Krabi arrive between about 09:30 and 11:00.
That's why my first piece of advice is to sleep on the island for two nights rather than day-trip. Below is my ranked list of 13 with prices and the timing that makes each one work, then a straight comparison of a day trip and an overnight stay, what still runs while Maya Bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September, and the questions people ask most.
Key Facts
The Phi Phi Leh circuit is ฿1,200–1,500 shared or ฿2,500–3,500 private, plus a ฿400 park fee
Every hotel and dive shop in Tonsai sells the half-day longtail loop of Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and the snorkel stops. A private boat takes up to six people. The national park fee is ฿400 for foreign adults and ฿200 for children, usually paid in cash on a private longtail, so agree the price, the fee and every stop before you leave the beach.
Take the 07:00 boat, because the day trips reach Maya Bay from about 09:30
Maya Bay opens at 07:00 and runs one-hour rounds of up to 375 people until 18:00. The speedboats from Phuket and Krabi land between about 09:30 and 11:00, so the first two hours are the quiet ones, and Pileh Lagoon is calmer then too.
Maya Bay closes from 1 August to 30 September every year
The park closes Maya Bay and the two bays behind it, Loh Samah and Lo Ko, for two months. Boat tours keep running in those months, but they don't land there. When it's open you can wade to your knees but not swim, and the park fines swimmers ฿5,000.
On land, almost everything is cheap or free
The viewpoint costs ฿50 in cash and the beaches cost nothing. Phi Phi Don has no roads, so you walk, or take a longtail as a taxi to the outer beaches, about ฿100–150 to Long Beach. The money goes on boats and diving.
Stay two nights if you can
One afternoon for Long Beach and the viewpoint, one early morning for the Phi Phi Leh circuit, and the evenings for Loh Dalum. A day trip from Phuket gets you the sights at their busiest hour, which I come back to below.
Go between December and March
The Andaman Sea is flat, the boats run every day, and rain falls on only 2 to 8 days a month. September and October are the wettest months, with rain on about 19 days, and some boats cancel when the swell is up.
The 13 Best Things to Do on Koh Phi Phi
Ranked on what earns the time and the money once you're on the island. The first three are why people come, and the order after that is the order I'd fit them into two or three days. Prices are the boat and park rates the rest of this site uses.
1. Maya Bay on the first boat, Phi Phi Leh
The famous oneThe cove from The Beach is still the most beautiful in the country, white sand closed in on three sides by limestone cliffs, with small blacktip reef sharks cruising the shallows. Boats no longer enter the bay. They drop you at the pier in Loh Samah on the back of the island, and a boardwalk of about 300 m takes you over the headland to the sand.
Don't plan a beach day. You get about an hour, you can wade to your knees but not swim, and from mid-morning you share it with every speedboat from Phuket. On the 07:00 departure from Tonsai you share it with a round or two of early boats instead, which is the single best reason to sleep on Phi Phi.
- Getting there
- Longtail from Tonsai, 20 to 30 minutes, on the shared circuit (฿1,200–1,500) or a private boat (฿2,500–3,500 for up to six), plus the ฿400 park fee.
- When to go
- 07:00, October to July. Closed 1 August to 30 September.
2. Pileh Lagoon, Phi Phi Leh
Best swimA green inlet walled in by sheer gray cliffs with jungle on top, and the stop where the photos in every Phi Phi ad are taken. There's no beach and no land access. Boats tie off to a mooring line, people jump off the back into calm water at around 28°C, and after 20 to 30 minutes the tour moves on. Life jackets are handed out, so it works for nervous swimmers.
In high season it's loud, with engines and ten or so other boats on the same line, so anyone picturing a silent lagoon will be disappointed at 11:00. The early departures get the empty version, and you can stay on the boat and just look.
- Getting there
- Part of the same Phi Phi Leh circuit as Maya Bay, from Tonsai or on any day tour from Phuket or Krabi.
- When to go
- Early morning. Boats come and go from 07:00 to 16:00.
3. The Phi Phi Viewpoint, Phi Phi Don
Best viewThe postcard of Phi Phi, the two bays of Tonsai and Loh Dalum curving away from the thin sandbar the village sits on, is taken from three platforms on the hill above the village. The climb is a long run of steep steps, 15 to 20 minutes to Viewpoint 2 for a reasonably fit walker, and Viewpoint 2 is the one I'd aim for. Viewpoint 1 is a halfway house, and Viewpoint 3 above it is the calmest of the three.
Sunrise is the quiet option, with the sun up around 06:30 and the steps still cool. Sunset is the famous one and the busy one, so arrive by about 17:30 for a spot on the rocks. Wear sneakers and carry water, because coming down is harder on the legs than going up.
- Getting there
- On foot from Tonsai village. The entry fee is ฿50 in cash and covers Viewpoints 1 and 2.
- When to go
- Viewpoint 1 opens 05:30–20:00, Viewpoint 2 06:00–19:30, Viewpoint 3 05:30–18:30. Skip the middle of the day.
4. Long Beach and Shark Point, Phi Phi Don
Best beach dayThe best swimming sand on Phi Phi Don, with water clear enough to see fish close in and a straight-on view of Phi Phi Leh across the channel. Shark Point, off the beach, is where snorkelers see blacktip reef sharks, and the dawn hours are the time to go.
It isn't empty. Longtails moor along a fair stretch of the shore, and the crowd thins the further you walk. The water drops noticeably in the afternoon, so swim in the morning, wear something on your feet for the shells and rocks, and eat before you come, because food is one resort restaurant and a couple of bars.
- Getting there
- A longtail from Tonsai pier for about ฿100, or a 20 to 25 minute walk along the coast path that feels a good deal longer in the heat.
- When to go
- Morning, for the tide and the sharks.
5. A day of diving, Phi Phi Don
Best for diversPhi Phi is one of the best-value places in Thailand to dive. A two-dive day runs ฿2,500–3,500 and Open Water certification ฿12,000–14,000, and the King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point and Bida Nok are 30 to 60 minutes out. Divers report blacktip reef sharks, green turtles and sea snakes, and some shops dive Maya Bay itself, which is a very different visit from the one on the boardwalk.
The Tonsai dive shops are all within a few minutes of the pier. DPM Diving runs everything from intro dives to rescue courses, and The Adventure Club, Princess Divers and PKT Diving are the other names that come up most. A course eats most of a day once briefings and surface intervals are counted, so don't stack it with the Phi Phi Leh circuit.
- Getting there
- Shops are in Tonsai village, a short walk from the pier.
- When to go
- November to April for the clearest water. Book ahead for a course in high season.
6. Bamboo Island, Off Phi Phi Don
Best lunch stopKoh Mai Phai is the odd one out, a low, flat ring of white sand and trees about 5 km north of Phi Phi Don rather than another limestone tower. The water is clear and shallow, and most tours stop here for a swim and a long lunch on the sand.
It's on the same park ticket as Maya Bay, so a longer tour or a private longtail can add it without a second fee. It's a stop, not a place to stay, so check that your boat actually lands.
- Getting there
- About 30 minutes by longtail from Phi Phi Don, or on the longer tours from Phuket and Krabi.
- When to go
- Late morning, after the Phi Phi Leh circuit.
7. Monkey Beach, Phi Phi Don
Best short stopA small cove about a kilometer west of Tonsai pier, white sand, clear water and a resident troop of long-tailed macaques. The snorkeling off the sand is genuinely good, with parrotfish over shallow coral in about two meters of water.
The monkeys are the catch. They're wild, used to being fed and they bite, and a bite means a doctor because rabies is a risk in Thailand. Don't feed them, zip your bag before you land, and if you're with kids, watching from the boat is a perfectly good way to do it. It's a different place from Monkey Bay, another cove about 2.6 km to the south.
- Getting there
- A stop of about half an hour on most island-hopping tours, or by kayak or longtail from the village.
- When to go
- Any time the tours aren't stacked up, so early or late.
8. Viking Cave and Wang Long Bay by private longtail, Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don
Best private boat dayViking Cave, on the way round Phi Phi Leh, is closed to visitors because swiftlet nests are harvested inside, so boats slow down outside for a look at the cave named for the boat paintings on its walls. Wang Long Bay, on the quiet west coast of Phi Phi Don, has the same trade on show, a cave where local harvesters still collect the nests, and calm water under the cliffs.
Neither is worth a trip on its own, which is why I'd fold them into a private longtail. For ฿2,500–3,500 for up to six people you set the start time, the order and how long you stay anywhere, and you can add the snorkel stops at Loh Samah. Agree the price, the park fee and every stop before you get on, because extras demanded on the day are a known complaint.
- Getting there
- Private longtail from Tonsai. Wang Long Bay has no path in, so it's boat only.
- When to go
- Morning, with the 07:00 start for Maya Bay on the same boat.
9. Kayak to Nui Bay, Phi Phi Don
Best active morningNui Bay is a small, sheltered cove on the northwest coast with black karst outcrops, jungle behind it and a clear, shallow bay for snorkeling. Walking there is a strenuous jungle hike of about two hours, so the better way in is by water.
Kayaks rent by the hour on Loh Dalum, at about ฿100–200 an hour, and the paddle out to Nui is about 30 to 40 minutes each way along the cliffs. Go early, when the bay is quiet and the water is flat. A longtail from the village is the lazy alternative.
- Getting there
- Kayak or longtail from Loh Dalum and the village.
- When to go
- Early morning, in calm dry-season weather.
10. Fire shows on Loh Dalum, Phi Phi Don
Best night outLoh Dalum, the north bay a short walk from the pier, is calm by day and turns into the island's party at night, with fire performers on the sand, beach bars and buckets until 1 or 2 in the morning. Slinky Bar is the best known, with fire shows, limbo and fire-rope games, and the party there gets going around 23:30.
It's loud, unpretentious and fun for one or two nights. Bring cash, because Slinky is cash only. If you'd rather sleep, stay on Long Beach or at Laem Tong and you won't hear any of it.
- Getting there
- A few minutes on foot from Tonsai village.
- When to go
- Early evening for an outdoor seat before the fire show, late for the party.
11. Muay Thai at Reggae Bar, Phi Phi Don
Most unusual nightReggae Bar in Tonsai village puts on Muay Thai fights in the evenings, and travelers can sign up to fight as well as watch. It's free to watch as long as you buy a drink.
I'd treat it as a show rather than a real fight night. For the real thing, my guide to watching Muay Thai fights in Thailand covers the stadiums worth the ticket.
- Getting there
- In Tonsai village, a short walk from the pier.
- When to go
- Evenings. The bar opens at 18:00.
12. The quiet north, Loh Ba Kao and Laem Tong, Phi Phi Don
Best quiet beachThe northeast coast is a different island. Loh Ba Kao is a protected bay of white sand with calm, shallow water, far from the pier and the bars, and Laem Tong at the northern tip has a handful of upscale resorts on a secluded beach with Bamboo Island offshore.
There's no road and the walk is long, so this is a longtail day, or a reason to sleep up here if your trip is about the scenery rather than the nights. Bring your own snorkel gear, because facilities are limited away from the resorts.
- Getting there
- Longtail from Tonsai pier. Laem Tong is 30 to 40 minutes away.
- When to go
- Any day in the dry season, November to April.
13. Tonsai village and a climbing session, Phi Phi Don
Best for a rest dayTonsai is where the ferries land, so treat the beach as the island's front door rather than a place to swim, because the water shares space with constant boat traffic. What it's good at is everything else. Shops, bars, dive centers and rock climbing outfitters line the back of the beach, and the limestone above the bay is there to climb.
On a day off the boats, I'd wander the lanes, book a massage, and leave the beach to the lunchtime crowd from the hopping tours, which all pull in at once.
- Getting there
- You arrive here. Everything is on foot.
- When to go
- Mornings and evenings. Lunchtime is the crush.
Phi Phi Day Trip or Overnight Stay, Compared
| How | Time on boats | Cost | Maya Bay at | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat day tour from Phuket | About 4 hours of an 8–11 hour day | About ฿1,900–6,200, standard from about ฿2,400 | About 09:30–11:00, with everyone else | A packed Phuket-based trip |
| Speedboat day tour from Krabi or Ao Nang | About 45 minutes each way plus the stops | About ฿1,300–1,600 plus the ฿400 park fee | About 09:30–11:00 | Krabi-based trips |
| Ferry to Phi Phi and two nights | About 2 hours each way | Ferry ฿500–700 from Phuket or ฿490 from Krabi, then the ฿1,200–1,500 circuit and the ฿400 fee | 07:00, on the first boat | Anyone who can spare the nights |
Day tours usually include Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach and lunch on Phi Phi Don, and some include the park fee. Check before you pay. From 1 August to 30 September tours run but don't land at Maya Bay.
Is a Phi Phi Day Trip From Phuket Worth It?
Yes, if it's the only way you'll see Phi Phi, and no if you can spare two nights. A speedboat day tour from Phuket does show you the real thing, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach and lunch on Phi Phi Don, for about ฿1,900–6,200, with a standard trip from about ฿2,400. But it runs 8 to 11 hours door to door, spends about four of them on boats, and reaches Maya Bay between about 09:30 and 11:00, which is exactly when every other boat does.
Sleeping on Phi Phi Don changes all of that. The 07:00 longtail gets you Maya Bay and Pileh before the speedboats, the viewpoint is yours at sunrise or sunset, and Long Beach and the snorkel stops fill the afternoons the day trippers spend on the boat home. The day trip still makes sense in two cases, when your trip is based in Phuket and the days are full, or in the monsoon months, when a tour you can rebook beats paying for island nights in rough weather.
If you do day-trip, book the earliest boat
The later departures all reach Maya Bay together, so the first one on offer is worth paying a little more for. Check whether the park fee is included, and confirm the boat goes into Pileh Lagoon, not just past it.
If you stay, take the ferry
Ferries from Rassada Pier in Phuket and Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi take about two hours to Tonsai Pier, for ฿500–700 from Phuket or ฿490 from Krabi, and the Phuket to Phi Phi and Krabi to Phi Phi guides have the times.
What to Do on Phi Phi When Maya Bay Is Closed
From 1 August to 30 September the park closes Maya Bay, Loh Samah and Lo Ko, so no boat lands on that side of Phi Phi Leh. The tours keep running, and most of this list still works. Pileh Lagoon is still the swim stop, Viking Cave is still the slow cruise past, and Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach and the snorkel stops fill the gap. On land, the viewpoint, Long Beach and the evenings on Loh Dalum don't change.
The real limit in those months is the sea, not the closure. August to October is the heart of the monsoon on this coast, the crossings get rough, and some boats cancel when the swell is up. If Phi Phi is on a summer trip, I'd keep a spare day and book things you can move, and if Maya Bay is the reason you're going, wait for October, when it reopens.
Boat Trips, Dive Shops & Viewpoints
Browse all
Pi Leh Bay
DPM Diving Koh Phi Phi
Phi Phi Viewpoint 2
The Adventure Club - Scuba Diving Phi Phi Island
Blacktip Reef Shark Point
Mr. Chet Longtail Boat Trip
Beaches Worth the Longtail
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Long Beach Koh Phi Phi
Monkey Beach
Nui Beach
Loh Moo Dee Beach
Wang Long Bay
Loh Ba Kao Bay
Bars & Fire Shows
Browse all
Slinky Bar
Reggae Bar
Carlito's bar
Stones Bar
Where to stay
Best Hotels in Phi Phi Islands
My pick at each price level in Phi Phi Islands, going by Google's hotel class. Hotels from my ranked list of the 9 best come first, then the best-reviewed. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Luxury · 5-star
SAii Phi Phi Island Village Resort4.5 (5,076 reviews)
Unfussy beachfront resort with 3 restaurants & a gym, plus an outdoor pool, a spa & free breakfast.
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#5Mid-range · 4-star
Phi Phi CoCo Beach Resort4.2 (1,918 reviews)
A beach base away from the party strip, for people who want Phi Phi's water without the noise all night.
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#2Budget · 3-star
Phi Phi The Beach Resort4.3 (2,629 reviews)
A beachfront base on Phi Phi for people who want the boat trips, not the bar crawl.
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How Many Days to Spend on Phi Phi
Two nights covers the list above for most people. Day one is the ferry, Long Beach and the viewpoint at sunset. Day two is the 07:00 Phi Phi Leh circuit, Bamboo Island if your boat goes, and Loh Dalum in the evening. Add a third night for a dive day or the kayak to Nui Bay, and a fourth or more only if you're doing a dive course. Where to stay, by beach, is in my Koh Phi Phi guide.
Plan the rest of Phi Phi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Things to Do in Koh Phi Phi.
Yes, if it's your only chance to see Phi Phi. A speedboat tour costs about ฿1,900–6,200, with a standard trip from about ฿2,400, and runs 8 to 11 hours with Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach and lunch on Phi Phi Don. If you can spare two nights, stay instead, because the day boats reach Maya Bay between about 09:30 and 11:00 and the 07:00 longtail from Phi Phi Don gets there first.
The ferry from Rassada Pier is ฿500–700 one way and takes about two hours. A speedboat day tour is about ฿1,900–6,200, with a standard trip from about ฿2,400. Either way, add the ฿400 national park fee for Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay if your tour doesn't include it.
Almost everything else. Maya Bay, Loh Samah and Lo Ko close from 1 August to 30 September, but the tours keep running to Pileh Lagoon, past Viking Cave, to Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach and the snorkel stops, and the viewpoint, Long Beach and Loh Dalum are open as usual. Rough seas are the bigger risk in those months, so keep a spare day.
Yes. Pileh Lagoon is the swim stop on the Phi Phi Leh circuit. Boats tie off to a mooring line, life jackets are handed out, and you get 20 to 30 minutes in calm water at around 28°C. There's no beach or land access. Swimming is banned at Maya Bay, where you can only wade to your knees.
Entry is ฿50 in cash and covers Viewpoints 1 and 2. The climb from Tonsai is steep steps, about 15 to 20 minutes to Viewpoint 2 for a reasonably fit walker. Viewpoint 2 opens 06:00–19:30, so both sunrise and sunset work, and sunrise is far quieter.
Loh Dalum is the party, with fire shows, beach bars and buckets until 1 or 2 in the morning, and Slinky Bar the best known of them. Reggae Bar in Tonsai runs Muay Thai fights that are free to watch if you buy a drink. For quiet evenings, stay on Long Beach or at Laem Tong.
December to March, when the sea is flat, the boats run every day and rain falls on only 2 to 8 days a month. November and April are the edges of the season. September and October are the wettest months, and Maya Bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September.
They do different jobs. Krabi is the base, with an airport, Railay, the Four Islands and Hong Islands boat trips and cheaper rooms. Phi Phi is the scenery, two hours away by ferry and best as a two-night stop. On most trips the answer is both, with Phi Phi between Krabi and Phuket so you never backtrack.
Where to stay in Phi Phi Islands
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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