What you will see on Phi Phi
Phi Phi is a group of islands in the Andaman Sea between Phuket and Krabi. They belong to Krabi province and to Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, 242,437 rai (about 388 km²) including sea and the coast near Ao Nang. A tour from Phuket usually covers six places.
Maya Bay. The bay on uninhabited Phi Phi Leh where “The Beach” was filmed. The DNP kept it closed from 2018 to 2022 to let the coral recover. Boats no longer enter the bay itself: you land at a jetty in Loh Samah Bay on the far side of the island and walk across. Swimming at Maya Bay is not allowed.
Pileh Lagoon. An inlet of green water ringed by the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh. Phuket Tour and Love Andaman both include a swim and snorkel here.
Viking Cave. A cave in the Phi Phi Leh cliffs where swiftlet nests are harvested. Visitors are not allowed inside; you see it from the boat, usually with a snorkelling stop nearby.
Monkey Beach. A beach on Phi Phi Don with macaques on the rocks. Do not feed them and keep your things zipped up: they grab bags.
Phi Phi Don and Tonsai Bay. The only inhabited island of the group, with a village, hotels and the main pier. Tours stop here for lunch.
Bamboo Island (Ko Mai Phai). A flat island about 7 km north of Phi Phi Don, by our calculation from OpenStreetMap coordinates. A long white beach for swimming, with a DNP ranger post. Some itineraries stop at Khai Island on the way home instead.
The tour step by step
This is how the day runs in the Phuket Tour and Love Andaman itineraries as of October 2026. Operators shuffle the order around the tide and the number of boats at Maya Bay.
- Around 7:00 a minibus picks you up from your hotel and drives to a pier on Phuket’s east coast
- Breakfast or coffee at the pier, briefing, masks and life jackets handed out
- Around 9:00 the boat leaves: 45-75 minutes by speedboat to Phi Phi Leh
- Maya Bay: landing at Loh Samah and a walk on the beach
- Pileh Lagoon: swimming
- Viking Cave from the water, snorkelling nearby
- Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don
- 12:30-13:30 lunch at a restaurant on Tonsai Bay
- 14:00-14:30 Bamboo Island: beach and swimming
- 15:30-16:00 head back, at the pier by 16:15-17:00, transfer to your hotel
How long it takes and when to go
The whole day is 9-10 hours including the hotel transfer. Love Andaman quotes “8-9 hours”; Phuket Tour runs from a 7:00 pickup to arriving back at the pier at 16:30-17:00. Simba Sea Trips leaves earliest to reach Maya Bay around 7:15 and also keeps it to 8 hours.
Seasonal closure: Maya Bay and Loh Samah are closed to visitors from 1 August to 30 September; in 2026 the bay reopened on 1 October. As of 17 October 2026 the DNP has closed only diving at Ko Yung and on the west side of Ko Kai, and the rest of the park is open (status on the DNP portal).
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December-March | calm sea, the best time for speedboats and snorkelling |
| April | hot, sea still calm, first thunderstorms possible |
| May-July | rain and swell, trips are cancelled in storms |
| August-September | Maya Bay and Loh Samah closed, the wettest months |
| October-November | Maya Bay open again, sea still choppy |
More in Phuket climate by month.
What to bring
- Cash for the park fee if the operator has not included it
- Swimwear under your clothes, a towel and a dry T-shirt for the ride back
- Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses: there is almost no shade on a speedboat
- A waterproof pouch for your phone and documents
- A seasickness tablet, taken before the boat leaves
- Water shoes: some beaches have rocks and broken coral
Who should skip it
- Pregnant women. Phuket Tour says pregnant guests are not accepted on speedboats and some catamarans. A speedboat slams on the swell and your back takes the hits
- Children under 4. Operators’ child fares start at 4, and the day runs from 7 am into the evening
- People prone to seasickness. The ride back after lunch is often into the swell. Sit towards the stern
- Anyone after peace and quiet. In high season dozens of boats anchor at Maya Bay and Bamboo Island at once
National park fee
| Area | Foreign adult | Foreign child | Thai citizen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Bamboo | THB 400 | THB 200 | THB 40 / 20 |
| Rest of the park (Ao Nang, Noppharat Thara) | THB 200 | THB 100 | THB 40 / 20 |
Source: DNP table of entrance fees for individuals, revision of 02.06.2023, checked 17.10.2026. Keep the ticket on you all day: the DNP asks visitors to show it at checks. Do not stand on coral or feed the fish.
How to choose a Phi Phi tour
- Speedboat or catamaran. A speedboat is faster but harder on the swell. A fast catamaran is roomier and smoother, a good pick for families and anyone who gets seasick. Pregnant travellers need a large boat, and only if the operator allows it
- Departure time. An early tour reaches Maya Bay before the main wave of boats. A late start lets you sleep in, but the bays will be crowded
- What is included. Check the transfer (extra with Love Andaman), lunch, masks and the park fee. Phuket Tour lists park tickets in the price; ask other operators before paying
- The second island. After Phi Phi some itineraries go to Bamboo, others to Khai. Bamboo is further out and emptier, Khai is closer to Phuket
- Group size. Simba Sea Trips takes at most 18 adults; standard tours carry larger groups
If you would rather not rush, spend two days with a night on Phi Phi Don: ferries run there from Rassada Pier. To compare other trips, see the guide to excursions from Phuket.
FAQ
Should I do Phi Phi as a day trip or stay overnight?
A day tour gets you Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island, but about two hours of it is spent on the boat and the bays are busy with groups. If you stay a night on Phi Phi Don, you can take a ferry from Rassada Pier (Andaman Wave Master is one operator on the route) and see the bays early in the morning before the tours arrive. Either way the park fee is THB 400 per foreign adult and THB 200 per child.
Can you swim at Maya Bay?
No. Since the bay reopened on 1 January 2022 the park has banned swimming at Maya Bay so the coral can recover, and the ban is still in force in 2026. Boats drop visitors at a jetty in Loh Samah Bay on the other side of the island and you walk to the beach. Tours usually let you swim in Pileh Lagoon instead.
When is Maya Bay closed and what do tours show instead?
Maya Bay and Loh Samah close every year from 1 August to 30 September: only these two are named in the park's seasonal closure announcements, and Pileh Lagoon is not among them. Tours still run: Love Andaman says it shows the bay from the water, and Simba Sea Trips swaps the stop for Bamboo Island. If you travel in late July or early October, check the status on the DNP portal before you book.
Is the Phi Phi trip OK when pregnant or with a toddler?
Many operators will not take pregnant women on speedboats or even some catamarans; Phuket Tour says so on its site. Child fares start at age 4. For toddlers the day is too long, with about two hours in the boat, an early start and heat; Coral Island is an easier choice.
How long is the boat ride from Phuket to Phi Phi?
By speedboat 45-60 minutes according to Love Andaman, and about 1 hour 10 minutes from Boat Lagoon with Simba Sea Trips. In a straight line Rassada Pier is about 42 km from Phi Phi Don; the sea route is longer. Add 30-60 minutes for the drive from your hotel to the pier.
Is a Phi Phi trip worth it in July?
It can work, but it is a gamble. July is southwest monsoon season: TMD normals give Phuket 240 mm of rain and 19 rainy days, and the open sea is rougher than in winter. Maya Bay is still open in July and closes from 1 August. For calm water, aim for December to March.
Is Phi Phi part of Phuket or Krabi?
Krabi. The islands are part of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, run from Ao Nang. People go from Phuket because the east-coast piers are about as close as Krabi.
Sources
- DNP. National park opening and closure status
- DNP. Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park
- Thai PBS. Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park announces the 1 August-30 September closure of Maya Bay and Loh Samah (01.08.2023, in Thai)
- DNP. National park entrance fees for individuals (dataset, CSV)
- TAT Newsroom. Opening/closed status of Thailand's national parks (07.07.2023)
- TAT Newsroom. Krabi's world famous Maya Bay eyeing 1 January 2022 reopening (16.11.2021)
- TMD. Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), Phuket station
- Phuket Tour (TAT licence 34/03743). Phi Phi and Bamboo Island by speedboat: itinerary
- Phuket Tour. Phi Phi and Khai Island by premium catamaran: itinerary
- Love Andaman. Phi Phi Islands and Bamboo Island: day trip itinerary
- Simba Sea Trips. Join-in tours: Phi Phi Sunrise Tour
- Andaman Wave Master. Ferry Phuket (Rassada Pier) to Phi Phi Tonsai Pier
- Bangkok Post. Jan 1 reopening of Maya Bay confirmed
- Time Out Bangkok. Maya Bay reopens October 1 after annual closure (29.09.2026)
- OpenStreetMap. Ko Phi Phi Don (relation 6 099 581), Maya Bay (node 5314772921), Bamboo Island (way 23 605 775), Rassada Pier (node 260742667)
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