Phi Phi island tour from Phuket

Which tour to take

For a group of eight or more, take a private speedboat from Phuket: the whole group on one boat, leaving when you want, at Maya Bay before the day boats.

Here's how the options compare for a group of 12:

Price both for your group before you pick.

What it costs

Seats on a group speedboat are priced per person and quoted on request; your own boat is quoted to your plan. On top, the national park charges ฿400 per foreign adult and ฿200 per child to land, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Department of National Parks say.

The fee is paid in cash to the ranger at the pier.

We price the private boat with everything in, so there's one number to compare.

Budget boats carry 45 to 65 passengers, which is why the cheapest seats feel crowded.

Ask whether the park fee is included. Many tour prices leave it out.

Ask Tanner for one price with everything in.

The Maya Bay rules

Maya Bay is open from about 7am to 6pm, except for the national park's yearly closure from 1 August to 30 September, as in 2026 (checked October 2026). Boats can't enter the bay.

We check the closure dates each year before we book.

Boats moor at Loh Samah Bay and you walk in on a boardwalk of about five minutes. Tisland Travel reports about an hour per group, with up to 375 people an hour on the beach.

Swimming has been banned since the bay reopened in 2022, after a closure of nearly four years to let the coral recover. You can wade, but not swim.

The bay fills up by mid-morning, so the earlier you arrive, the better the photos.

Be on the first boat in.

Is it worth it?

Yes. The Phi Phi Islands are some of the most dramatic scenery in Thailand, with limestone cliffs, clear lagoons and white beaches. Go early, and choose the right boat, and it's the best day at sea from Phuket.

Know what to expect: the swim of the day is Pileh Lagoon, not Maya Bay.

Pileh Lagoon is an enclosed pool about 300 metres wide, reached through a narrow gap in the cliffs, and for most groups it's the highlight of the day.

The crowds are the downside. That's why a private boat, leaving before the day boats, changes the whole day.

Do it the early way, and it's worth every minute.

What the day takes in

The day takes in Maya Bay by boardwalk, a swim in Pileh Lagoon, a look at Viking Cave, snorkelling, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don, and a last stop at Khai or Bamboo Island.

Khai Island is closer to Phuket, so the ride home is shorter. Bamboo Island has softer sand and quieter water, but it's further out.

Group tours include hotel pickup, lunch, snorkel gear and a guide. Check whether the park fee is included.

On a private boat, you pick the stops and the order, and add what you like: drinks, a DJ, or a longer swim.

Pick your stops; the boat goes where you say.

How long it takes

A full day takes about 9 to 10 hours, from hotel pickup at 7am to 8am to a return around 5:30pm. The crossing is about an hour each way by speedboat.

From Boat Lagoon Marina, the run takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Group tours run to a fixed timetable, so the whole boat moves together.

On a private boat, you can leave earlier, beat the crowds at Maya Bay, and be back at your villa by mid-afternoon.

Back by mid-afternoon means a nap before the night.

The movie that made it famous

The Beach, with Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed at Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh and released in 2000. The film made the bay famous, and the crowds that followed led to its closure from 2018 to 2022.

After the film, thousands of visitors a day damaged the coral.

It reopened in January 2022 with the rules still in place today.

Get there before the crowds, and you see the bay the way the film did.

Speedboat or yacht?

Just need to get to Phi Phi fast? A speedboat drops you there in about an hour. For a day on the water, take a yacht.

A yacht turns the crossing into part of the party: the DJ on deck, lunch at anchor and a swim off the back.

Here's the tip: Maya Bay opens at about 7am, so the first boat out of Phuket gets the beach before the day boats.

Tanner's pick: for 12 of you, a private speedboat for Phi Phi, then a yacht day in Phang Nga Bay later in the week.

Ask Tanner which boat suits your day.

Island hopping on your own boat

We book a private speedboat from Phuket, leave early for Maya Bay at opening, then island-hop to Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Phi Phi Don and Khai Island on your own schedule.

Fully crewed, snorkel gear and drinks on board. You just turn up.

See our private yachts in Phuket for boats and prices.

Prefer limestone cliffs and sea caves? Pair it with a day in Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island.

Stay in a pool villa, and the car takes the group to the pier and back.

For the evening, see our Phuket nightlife guide.

Plan it with Tanner, and the car's at your villa at dawn.

Phi Phi island tour in short

• A Phi Phi island tour from Phuket takes about 9 to 10 hours, with about an hour by speedboat each way.
• Maya Bay is open from about 7am to 6pm, and closes from 1 August to 30 September.
• You can't swim at Maya Bay; Pileh Lagoon is the swim of the day.
• The national park landing fee is paid in cash at the pier.
• Shared speedboats carry 45 to 65 people; a private boat runs on your schedule.
• For the islands themselves, see Phi Phi.

Checked October 2026.