The best things to do on Koh Phi Phi are an early longtail trip to Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, the sunrise or sunset hike to the Phi Phi Viewpoint, snorkelling at Shark Point off Long Beach, a day at Bamboo Island and a dive at Bida Nok. Stay at least two nights to see it before and after the day-trippers.
Koh Phi Phi is a small archipelago in the Andaman Sea, roughly halfway between Phuket and Krabi. Only one island, Phi Phi Don, is inhabited. Its famous shape, two limestone-framed bays joined by a narrow sandy isthmus, holds the village of Tonsai, with the pier on one side and Loh Dalum Bay on the other. There are no cars: you walk, or take a longtail boat.
Just south lies Phi Phi Leh, uninhabited and protected as part of a national park, home to Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave. The rest of the archipelago includes Bamboo Island and Mosquito Island to the north-east and a handful of rocky outcrops that make superb dive sites.
Phi Phi has two personalities. By day, thousands of visitors arrive on tours from Phuket and Krabi; by night, Tonsai and Loh Dalum turn into a party village. Beyond that strip, the resorts on Long Beach, Loh Bakao and Laem Tong are calm and scenic. Which Phi Phi you experience depends mostly on where you sleep.
Everyone arriving at Tonsai pier pays a 20 THB island cleaning fee. ATMs are plentiful but charge around 220 THB per withdrawal, and prices for food and drinks run noticeably higher than on the mainland because everything arrives by boat.
Maya Bay, made famous by the film The Beach, reopened in 2022 after a long closure to let its coral and blacktip reef sharks recover. The rules are now strict: swimming is not allowed, boats no longer enter the bay, and visitors land at a pontoon in Loh Samah Bay on the far side and walk a short boardwalk to the beach. Visits are time-limited, and the bay closes completely every year from about 1 August to 30 September.
The national park fee is 400 THB for foreign adults (200 THB for children), paid once per day. Keep the ticket, as it also covers the other park sites you visit that day.
The rest of Phi Phi Leh is seen from the water: Pileh Lagoon, a turquoise inlet enclosed by cliffs where boats anchor and you can swim, and Viking Cave, where swiftlet nests are harvested and which you view from the boat only. From Tonsai, a private longtail for a half day to Phi Phi Leh costs about 1,500-2,500 THB per boat, or join a shared longtail tour for 600-1,000 THB per person.
Timing is everything. Leave Tonsai at 07:00 or earlier and you arrive before the speedboats from Phuket and Krabi; by 10:00 the beach can hold hundreds of people. A sunset trip is the other quiet window.
The view of Tonsai and Loh Dalum bays curving away from each other is the defining image of Phi Phi, and you earn it with a 20-30 minute climb up concrete stairs from the village (follow the signs from behind Tonsai). There are several viewpoints: the lower one has the classic view, and a path continues up to a higher viewpoint with a café. Entry costs around 30-50 THB.
Go at sunrise, when the light hits the bays and the path is cool, or for sunset, when it gets busier. Bring water and wear shoes with grip, as the steps are steep and can be slippery after rain. From the top, trails also lead down to quieter beaches such as Ao Rantee on the east coast.
Phi Phi's beaches are small, and many are only reachable by longtail. The best ones:
Rent snorkel gear in Tonsai for about 100-150 THB a day, or join a half-day snorkel trip that visits several reefs around Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh.
Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai), about 30 minutes north-east of Phi Phi Don by longtail, is a low, round island with a ring of powdery white sand and shallow turquoise water, ideal for a lazy afternoon. It belongs to the same national park, so the 400 THB fee applies unless you already paid it that day. Neighbouring Mosquito Island (Koh Yung) has good snorkelling off its rocky shore.
A private longtail to both costs roughly 1,800-3,000 THB per boat for a half day. Combine them with Phi Phi Leh on a full-day charter if you are a group of four or more; it often works out cheaper per person than a shared tour and you can choose your own timing.
The Andaman Sea around Phi Phi offers some of the most varied diving on Thailand's west coast. Bida Nok and Bida Nai, two limestone islets just south of Phi Phi Leh, have walls covered in soft coral, leopard sharks resting on the sand and big schools of fish. The Kled Kaew wreck, a former navy ship sunk as an artificial reef in 2014, sits at about 18-26 metres and is home to barracuda and lionfish.
Diving here costs more than on Koh Tao: expect roughly 3,000-4,500 THB for a two-dive trip and 13,000-16,000 THB for an Open Water course. Visibility is best from about December to April. If you want the cheapest certification, learn on Koh Tao first; our Koh Tao diving guide explains how.
Look out for the tsunami evacuation signs around the village. Phi Phi Don was hit hard in December 2004, and the routes to higher ground are well marked.
Because there are no roads, your base decides how much walking and how many boat rides your days involve. The main options:
| Area | Access | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonsai village | Walk from the pier | Budget rooms, restaurants, nightlife | Noise until late, crowded lanes |
| Loh Dalum | 5-10 min walk | Beach bars and sunsets | Loudest area at night |
| Long Beach | Longtail or 30-40 min trail | Views of Phi Phi Leh, snorkelling | Relies on boats after dark |
| Loh Bakao and Laem Tong | Resort boat transfer | Couples, families, quiet | Far from the village, pricier |
Budget rooms and hostel beds in Tonsai start at roughly 400-800 THB, mid-range air-conditioned rooms cost about 1,500-3,500 THB and beach resorts on the north coast from about 4,000 THB in high season. Book early for December to February, when the island fills up. Porters with carts meet the ferries and will take your bags to village hotels for a small fee; resorts outside Tonsai usually arrange a longtail pickup at the pier.
Phi Phi follows the Andaman weather pattern. The dry, calm season runs from about November to April, with the clearest sea from December to March. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher seas; ferries still run most days, but longtail trips can be cancelled and Maya Bay closes in August and September. See the best time to visit Thailand.
Stay at least two nights. That gives you an early morning at Maya Bay, a viewpoint sunrise and evenings without the day-tour crowds. If you only have one day, our guide to the Koh Phi Phi day trip explains the best tours from Phuket and Krabi.
Ferries reach Tonsai from Phuket's Rassada pier (about 1.5-2 hours), Krabi's Klong Jilad pier and Ao Nang (about 1.5-2 hours) and Koh Lanta (about 1-1.5 hours). Tickets typically cost 400-800 THB depending on route and boat; book on our transport tickets page. Phi Phi fits naturally into a loop between Phuket, Krabi and Koh Lanta, as shown in our island-hopping routes. Then compare hotels on Koh Phi Phi: Tonsai for convenience and nightlife, Long Beach or Laem Tong for peace.
Two to three nights is ideal. It lets you visit Maya Bay early before the day-tour crowds, hike to the viewpoint at sunrise, and spend a day on Long Beach or Bamboo Island.
No. Since Maya Bay reopened in 2022, swimming is not allowed. Visitors land at a pontoon in Loh Samah Bay and walk to the beach, and the bay closes each year from about 1 August to 30 September.
Foreign adults pay 400 THB and children 200 THB to visit Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island. The ticket is valid for the day, so keep it with you. Arriving at Tonsai pier costs a separate 20 THB island fee.
Yes, for the scenery, snorkelling and diving, as long as you avoid only seeing it at midday with the crowds. Staying overnight and heading out early transforms the experience.
Long Beach is the best all-rounder, with views of Phi Phi Leh and reef sharks at Shark Point. Laem Tong is the calmest, and Bamboo Island has the whitest sand.