Andaman Coast (Krabi province), Thailand
Koh Phi Phi
The honest plan for Koh Phi Phi: how to choose the day trip versus an overnight, which beaches are worth the boat fare, and why the ฿400 national-park fee at Maya Bay catches everyone out.
In short
Koh Phi Phi at a glance
Koh Phi Phi is the postcard you've already seen — limestone towers rising out of turquoise water — split across two islands: car-free Phi Phi Don, where everyone stays, and uninhabited Phi Phi Leh, home to Maya Bay. The big decision is day trip or overnight. A day trip from Phuket or Krabi (around 2,500–3,000 baht for a speedboat tour, ~£57–68) shows you the headline bays in a packed seven hours; an overnight lets you have Tonsai and the viewpoints after the boats leave, which is when the island is actually pleasant. Either way, budget the ฿400 Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi national-park fee separately — it's almost never in the tour price, and Maya Bay now has a daily visitor cap, so book ahead in high season.
Phi Phi is two islands doing very different jobs. Phi Phi Don is the one you stay on — car-free, walkable, all longtail boats and a strip of bars in Tonsai — while uninhabited Phi Phi Leh, a short hop south, is the one everyone photographs, because that’s where Maya Bay is. Almost every UK traveller first meets the place as a day trip out of Phuket or Krabi, and the scenery survives even that treatment: the limestone walls and the impossible blue of Pileh Lagoon are exactly as good as the pictures promise.
The mistake is assuming the day trip is the whole story. For seven hours in the middle of the day Phi Phi is one of the busiest stretches of water in Thailand, and Maya Bay — capped, partly closed to swimmers and ฿400 to enter on a fee that’s never in the tour price — can feel like a queue more than a beach. Stay a night and the island swaps owners around four o’clock, when the speedboats leave and Tonsai, Long Beach and the sunrise viewpoint become genuinely calm. Come in the November-to-April dry months for the smooth crossings; through the southwest monsoon the ferries thin out and the sea has its own opinions.
The route
Most people see Phi Phi in a single rushed boat day; this is how to get more out of it. The two-night version below assumes you base in car-free Tonsai on Phi Phi Don and treat Phi Phi Leh (Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon) as a half-day boat trip. Boat times are from the Tonsai pier; all the inter-island hops are by longtail or speedboat, never road.
-
Day 1
Arrive Tonsai, walk to Long Beach
Take the morning ferry from Phuket (~2h) or Krabi (~1h30–2h) so you land before the day-trip crowds clear out. Drop bags in Tonsai — it's car-free, so a porter with a trolley carts luggage to your hotel for ฿20–50. Walk the 25–30 minutes east to Long Beach for calmer water and the best view back to the Phi Phi Don twin bays.
-
Day 2
Phi Phi Leh boat trip (Maya Bay & Pileh)
Take an early longtail or speedboat tour to Phi Phi Leh — about 15–20 minutes across to Maya Bay, plus Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Beach. A half-day longtail charter runs ฿2,500–3,500 for the boat; pay the ฿400 park fee on top. Go on the first slot to beat the Phuket day-trippers who arrive mid-morning.
-
Day 3
Phi Phi Viewpoint at sunrise, then ferry out
Climb to the Phi Phi Viewpoint (about 20–30 minutes of steps from Tonsai, ฿30 entry) for the classic double-bay shot — go at sunrise to have it nearly to yourself. Back down for breakfast, then catch an afternoon ferry back to Phuket or Krabi, or onward to Railay or Koh Lanta.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Tonsai Village (Phi Phi Don)
££ mid-rangeThe car-free hub between the two bays where the ferries dock — restaurants, dive shops and bars within a few minutes' walk, but also the noisiest part after dark with bars running late on the beach. Pick a room set back from the sandbar if you want to sleep.
Best for: First-timers, nightlife, walkability
Long Beach (Hat Yao)
££ mid-rangeA 25–30 minute walk or a ฿100–150 longtail east of Tonsai: calmer, prettier water and the best swimming and snorkelling straight off the sand, with a handful of beach resorts. Quieter at night, but you're reliant on the boat-taxi or the walk for dinner in town.
Best for: Couples, swimming, quieter nights
Laem Tong / Loh Bagao (north Phi Phi Don)
£££ premiumThe far-north beaches reached only by boat transfer (~20–30 minutes from Tonsai), home to the island's higher-end resorts and the most secluded sand. You're cut off from Tonsai's life, which is the point — book a resort with its own restaurants.
Best for: Resort honeymoons, seclusion
Getting around Koh Phi Phi
There are no cars, roads or scooters on Phi Phi — you move around on foot or by boat. Tonsai's centre is a 10-minute walk end to end; Long Beach and the viewpoint are walkable, while everything further afield is a longtail-boat ride. Longtail water-taxis cost roughly ฿100–150 for short hops (Tonsai to Long Beach) and ฿2,500–3,500 to charter for a half-day Phi Phi Leh trip; agree the price and what's included before you step in. For the Maya Bay area you'll also pay the ฿400 national-park fee at the boat, which most tours leave out. Bring cash — ATMs on the island are limited and charge the usual flat ฿220 foreign-card fee, so withdraw on the mainland before you cross.
Book the essentials
Where to stay
Tours & tickets
Airport transfers
Car hire
Stay connected
Koh Phi Phi FAQs
Should you day-trip to Koh Phi Phi or stay overnight?
How much is the Maya Bay entrance fee?
How do you get to Koh Phi Phi from the UK?
Ready to book?
Compare car hire