Are you looking for information and an honest review of the Phi Phi Islands boat tour in Thailand? If so then you’ve definitely come to the right place. Here in this article we will fully describe the standard Phi Phi Islands boat tour and give you honest info you won’t find in the tour operators’ websites.
The Phi Phi Islands are one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. And for good reason; they contain some of the most beautiful beaches, lagoons, and dramatic seaside cliffs in the world.
Phi Phi consists of two primary islands: Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le. Don is inhabited and Le is totally uninhabited, a protected national park. Most of the most famous sites in the Phi Phi Islands are on Ko Phi Phi Le, but Don also contains some magical places. Being an uninhabited island with sharp cliffs coming out of the sea, the only way to see the most famous spots on Ko Phi Phi Le is by boat.
Here on this page I’ll go over where the boat tours start, what to bring on the trip, and what you’ll see when you’re out there. I’m certain you are going to love it!
Note: this article contains affiliate links, which means that should you purchase something or get a quote through them I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps keep the site running with up to date information. I do not represent World Nomads, Booking.com, or GetYourGuide. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy the product mentioned in this article.
Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour – The Basics
What are the Phi Phi Islands?
The Phi Phi Islands are a chain of islands in the Andaman Sea in Thailand that consist of two main islands and a number of tiny little islands. They are often regarded as the most beautiful islands in Thailand and draw visitors from around the world. The islands are southeast of Phuket and south of Krabi in southern Thailand.
The two main islands are Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le. Of these, Ko Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited one, as Ko Phi Phi Le is entirely protected as a national park. The other islands are more like rocks sticking out of the sea, so when someone says “Phi Phi Islands” they really mean just the two main islands.
Where do the Phi Phi Islands boat tours leave from?
There are two main ways to do a boat tour around the Phi Phi Islands. Arguably the most common way is to hire a longtail boat with a skipper from Ko Phi Phi Don to take you around to the highlights of the islands. It’s informal, paid in cash, and doesn’t require much advanced planning, though it is possible to book ahead of time if you’d like. We will get into that in a bit.
Most of these longtail boat tours leave from Ton Sai, the main town on Ko Phi Phi Don, where you’ll find the ferry pier and a long beach lined with longtail boats. Ferries and speedboat transfers from Phuket and Krabi take you to Ton Sai, and hiring a boat from there is easy.
It’s also possible to take a longtail boat tour from elsewhere on Ko Phi Phi Don, as Ton Sai is not the only town. We stayed at SAii Phi Phi Island Village at the northern part of the island and took a tour from there. The beach at Phi Phi Island Village is also lined with longtail boats available for hire. If you’re staying at one of the isolated resorts (of which there are quite a few), you can have your resort help organize a longtail boat tour.
The second way to do the Phi Phi Islands tour is to take a speedboat tour from Phuket. These tours are entirely on speedboats and don’t stop at Ton Sai and don’t involve longtail boats. They depart from either the Royal Phuket Marina or the Rassada Pier in Phuket. However, when you book these tours they will arrange your transportation to the piers. So essentially, they start from your hotel.
What are Longtail Boats?
Before we go any further let’s explain what a longtail boat is. You’ve seen that term numerous times already so you might be a bit confused.
A longtail boat is a typical Thai transport and/or fishing boat that has been used extensively since the turn of the 20th century. They are called “longtail” because they are long and narrow and feature a propeller on the end of a long rudder, sort of like a tail.
The longtail boats are made of wood and have a covered canopy in the middle and room to seat maybe 10-12 people comfortably. The Thai skippers decorate them with colorful paint and flowers. The sight of a longtail boat parked on a beautiful white sand beach in Thailand is simply spectacular.
Best time of year to visit the Phi Phi Islands
The Phi Phi Islands are hot and humid all year round. The seasons are characterized by the high season and the low season, which corresponds to the amount of rain the islands get. The high season runs from November to April and features less rain and slightly lower humidity than the low season, which runs May through October.
The rainiest months are September and October and the hottest months are April and May. The temperature doesn’t vary much all year round, with an average daily high of 88 (31 C) in January and 91 (33 C) in May. The main difference is that January is a bit drier than May.
It’s humid all the time in the Phi Phi Islands, but as May begins and the rains become more frequent, that humidity can be downright oppressive. We visited in May and took 3-4 showers a day. There was no way around it. You break a sweat just walking outside.
The monsoons come in more towards the end of summer and into the fall. While tropical monsoons are a reality of life in Thailand, many people choose not to visit during the low, rainy season, as there is not a whole lot to do on the islands if you can’t go outside. It’s certainly cheaper to visit during the low season, though, as hotel rates are lower and it’s considerably less busy.
So in summary, the best time to visit the Phi Phi Islands is really the high season December to April if you don’t mind the higher prices. For cheaper accommodation prices and less people, the low season is what you want. Just be prepared for brutal humidity and the possibilities of having some of your activities rained out.
How long is the standard Phi Phi Islands boat tour?
From Ton Sai on Ko Phi Phi Don the typical bout tour lasts about 4 hours, though you can customize it to be longer or shorter, depending on your schedule. If you’re not staying on the islands you’ll have to get to Ton Sai, so add another 3-4 hours to your day.
The speedboat tour from Phuket will run about 8 hours, as it takes a little over an hour each way to get to the islands and includes lunch. So either way, visiting the Phi Phi Islands is a full day adventure unless you’re staying on Ko Phi Phi Don.
What to bring on the Phi Phi Islands boat tour
If you’re on a longtail boat tour you won’t have much provided for you. They provide some bottled water, but it’s often not enough and not cold. Other than that they will provide you with snorkeling gear and that’s about it. If you can’t survive the 4 hours without food you’ll need to bring it yourself.
Some things to be sure to take with you:
- Towels
- Bathing suit
- Sunscreen
- Food
- Extra water
- Sunglasses
Those are really the essentials and anything else you might want to bring would be additional. Your things will stay dry on the boat so no worries about that.
How to Book a Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour
As I’ve already mentioned, there are two primary options for going on a Phi Phi Islands boat tour: Longtail boat from Ko Phi Phi Don or speedboat from Phuket (or Krabi). Let’s go through how to book each of these options here.
Phi Phi Islands tour from Ko Phi Phi Don
My personal recommendation is to do a longtail boat tour, which means you will start the tour from Ko Phi Phi Don. If you’re not staying on the island you’ll have to take the ferry or speedboat from Phuket to get there, but it’s worth it – in my humble opinion – to get the experience of being on the longtail boat.
The beauty of this option is that you don’t have to book this tour in advance. You’ll want to book your ferry or speedboat in advance, but once you get to Ton Sai pier you’ll find dozens of skippers with longtail boats offering you tours. You’ll pay the driver in cash and get on your way.
The first time we visited the Phi Phi Islands we did it this way. We hired a longtail boat on the spot when we arrived at Ton Sai around 10 AM. We paid the driver in cash and he took us around the islands on a beautifully sunny December day.
Now, if you don’t want to worry about hiring a longtail boat on the spot then you can easily book a tour in advance. There are a ton of local companies that run tours and contract out the skippers to provide the longtail boat tour. If you book in advance you’ll have a specific spot to meet your boat, which will be reserved for you.
Click here to book your Phi Phi Islands Longtail Boat Tour from Ton Sai!
Lastly, if you’re staying in Ko Phi Phi Don you can start the tour from wherever your hotel or resort is. The second time we visited Phi Phi we stayed five nights at SAii Phi Phi Island Village and booked a tour one day ahead with a company in the little village behind the resort. This meant we didn’t have to get to Ton Sai first, which was great, as we got to totally skip it.
Phi Phi Islands tour from Phuket
If experiencing the Thai longtail boat is not a priority for you then it will be logistically easier to book a speedboat tour if you’re staying in Phuket or Krabi. This tour picks you up at your hotel and once you board the speedboat at the pier you’re on that for the entire day.
The downside of this, of course, is that you don’t get to ride on the longtail boats and get the pretty pictures of the colorful boats in the lagoons and bays. You also don’t get a private tour for your group and you’ll be on the boat with other random people. The plus side is that the speedboats are more comfortable, larger, and (obviously) faster, so you can see more places in the same amount of time.
Click here to book your Phi Phi Islands boat tour from Phuket!
Which option you choose is entirely up to you and depends on where you are staying and your priorities. I’ve done the tour twice and did the longtail boat option both times, so clearly that’s my recommendation. It’s up to you though!
Stops on the Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour
So now that we have discussed the logistics around booking the tours let’s talk about what exactly you are going to see on a Phi Phi Islands boat tour. There’s a reason why these tours are so popular! You can see where each of these spots is on the map below.
Maya Bay
Maya Bay is perhaps the most famous bay and beach in all of Thailand. It was forever immortalized in Leonardo DiCaprio’s 1999 movie “The Beach” and its beauty is known internationally.
Maya Bay is a large cove surrounded by towering cliffs with a sandy beach and stunning turquoise water. It’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in Southeast Asia and the most popular stop on the Phi Phi Islands boat tour. No one skips stopping at Maya Bay.
For years Maya Bay was closed to tourists due to overtourism damaging the fragile ecosystem. The first time I went to the Phi Phi Islands we could only see it from a distance. These days it’s open again but boats are not allowed to enter the bay itself. So to visit Maya Bay your boat will park at a small pier on the other side of the island.
Now, that might sound preposterous, but the island is only like 300 meters wide at that point. The walk from the dock to the beach only takes about 5 minutes and is entirely on an elevated boardwalk above the natural vegetation. When you reach the end you’re greeted with a panoramic view of the beautiful Maya Bay.
You’ll typically be given about an hour at Maya Bay. It’s the highlight of the tour and they want to make sure you get to enjoy it properly. Note that there is an additional fee of 400 Baht (subject to change) for entrance to Maya Bay. This is payable cash only to your skipper who will handle the payment for you. Some of the speedboat tours include this cost in the tour so be sure to check that when booking a speedboat tour.
Pi Leh Bay
Now if you ask me, Pi Leh Bay – or Pi Leh Lagoon depending on who you ask – is the true highlight of the Phi Phi Islands boat tour. This is a narrow inlet that leads to a vast lagoon with a greenish-blue water you can see right through. Massive cliffs covered in tropical vegetation rise from the sea in every direction. It’s truly a spectacular site.
You’ll usually be given about 30-60 minutes to hang out at Pi Leh and you’ll have the opportunity to swim in the lagoon. You can jump right off the boat into the water. The depth of the water varies greatly with the tides, so depending on what time of day you are there it could be shallow enough to walk on the seabed, or deep enough to dive.
The water is nice and warm and perfect for swimming around. Enjoy it and don’t be rushed to move onto the next place. Pi Leh Bay is simply gorgeous.
Viking Cave
Viking Cave is a small cave on the east side of Ko Phi Phi Le that is only accessible by boat. You can’t get too deep into the cave, but the boat can get up in there so you can see the stalagmites and stalactites. You know, typical cave stuff.
The cave is known for its ancient rock paintings that feature boats that look like Viking ships. Now, obviously the Vikings never made it over to Southeast Asia. But the old Thai ships look a bit like Viking ships. If you want to learn about Vikings, you best head to Scandianvia and not Thailand!
Monkey Bay
One of the few places on Ko Phi Phi Don that you’ll visit on the tour is Monkey Bay. It’s southwest of Ton Sai and only accessible by boat. Monkey bay is – you guessed it – populated with dozens of little monkeys. They hang out on the beach, mainly to get food from visitors. Many skippers will have small bananas you can give to the monkeys.
The monkeys are accustomed to humans and will pretty much do anything they can to get food from you. It’s a bit disappointing that we have pretty much ruined them into needing food from us, but if you can get past that it’s quite enjoyable to watch them scurry around, cleaning each other, fornicating, and jumping on your boat to steal food.
That’s right, we literally had a monkey jump onto our boat and steal a bag of potato chips. He ran back to the rocks and opened the bag and ate it right in front of us. What a little jerk!
You’ll probably spend about 15 minutes at Monkey Bay observing the monkeys. Be sure to keep a strong grip on your phone. You don’t want a monkey stealing that too!
Bamboo Island
Bamboo Island is a tiny island north of Ko Phi Phi Don. It’s usually not included in the standard Phi Phi Islands longtail boat tour – the four previously mentioned places are the standard tour – but it can be added onto any longtail boat tour, and most of the speedboat tours do stop there. It will add significant time to the longtail boat tour, though, so be prepared to pay extra.
Bamboo Island is mostly flat, in contrast to the other islands, and consists of mostly dense forest. But there is one large white sand beach with stunning blue water that is the attraction that brings people to the island. It’s a deep, gorgeous beach, and if you visit Bamboo Island you’ll want to take some time to properly relax and enjoy the beach. There is also a small shop and toilets on the islands. The only other place you’ll find toilets is Maya Bay.
Bamboo island also charges an entrance fee. This time it’s 200 Baht, again payable in cash. Children under 12 are free though.
Snorkeling
What’s a tropical boat tour without some snorkeling, am I right? There are numerous great snorkeling spots in the Phi Phi Islands, most along the east coast of Ko Phi Phi Le. The standard longtail boat tour and speedboat tour have some time for snorkeling included. They also provide snorkeling gear so you don’t have to buy your own.
Viking Cave is a particularly great snorkeling spot and many tours will spend extra time there for snorkeling. There are also a few good spots south of Viking Cave on the east coast of Ko Phi Phi Le. Many people also choose to snorkel in Pi Leh Bay, which you stop to swim in anyways, even if the sea life isn’t as great in the lagoon.
Your skipper or tour operator will know the best places for snorkeling so you can trust their recommendations. They do this for a living and know what they are doing.
And if you don’t want to snorkel you can always ask them to spend extra time elsewhere. The second time we did the longtail boat tour it was just my wife and I with our 4 month old baby so we didn’t want to snorkel. Or rather, we wanted to but logistically could not. So we spent some extra time at Maya Bay instead and laid out on the beach for a while.
The beauty of the longtail boat tour is that you have this flexibility since it’s a private tour. If you’re on the speedboat tour from Phuket, however, this will not be an option. You’ll just have to watch everyone else snorkel!
Where to stay in the Phi Phi Islands
As you know by now, you don’t have to stay on the Phi Phi Islands in order to take a boat tour. But, after staying in both Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands I can say without a doubt that staying in Phi Phi is a much more enjoyable experience. I highly recommend staying at one of the many resorts, hotels, or hostels on Ko Phi Phi Don.
That said, my strong recommendation for where to stay in the Phi Phi Islands is SAii Phi Phi Island Village. It’s a large resort on the north side of Ko Phi Phi Don and it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s huge and has a ton of services so I even dedicated an entire post to it. You can read my post about SAii Phi Phi Island Village here.
If SAii isn’t in your budget or it’s booked, then here are some other recommendations. Note that there are a ton of budget options on Ko Phi Phi Don. It can be really cheap to stay on the island if saving money is your number one priority.
Where to stay in the Phi Phi Islands:
Budget (less than $50 USD per night):
Mid-range ($50 – 125 USD):
Luxury (more than $125 USD per night):
Travel Insurance
When visiting Thailand you’ll want to have a quality travel insurance policy. We use World Nomads when we travel and can recommend them. You can find a great policy on World Nomads by using the link below.
Phi Phi Islands Boat Tour – Final Word
The Phi Phi Islands boat tour is the highlight of any trip to the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. It’s an absolute necessity when visiting the islands and can be done multiple ways. Some people might find it overrated but I assure you it is not.
We have done it twice, nearly 6 years apart, and loved it both times. Hopefully the photos on this page gave you an idea of what to expect on the tour. If we are ever back in Thailand we will surely do it again!
It’s pretty affordable and provides you with an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful places in Southeast Asia in a matter of a few hours. Do not pass up an opportunity to visit the Phi Phi Islands if you’re in Phuket or Krabi. You will absolutely not regret it!
