Andaman Sea · no roads · two bays back to back

Koh
Phi Phi

The most photographed islands in Thailand, and the two bays that made them famous.

Book your stay

Find a room before you go.

Find hotels on Booking.com · Koh Phi Phi
Maya Bay
Viewpoint
No cars
Longtail boats
Diving and snorkelling
Day trips from Krabi
Introduction

Two bays, one narrow waist

Koh Phi Phi Don is shaped like a butterfly: two limestone masses joined by a sandy strip barely three hundred metres wide, with Tonsai Bay on one side and Loh Dalum on the other. Everything — the ferries, the village, the bars, most of the hotels — sits on that strip. There are no cars, only longtail boats and hand carts.

Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh

Maya Bay, on the uninhabited neighbour island of Phi Phi Leh, is the one from the film. It was closed for years to let the coral recover and now runs on limited numbers and fixed hours — which, honestly, made it worth seeing again. The bays north of Tonsai are where you go when the day boats arrive.

Transport

Tickets & connections

Search tickets on 12go

Affiliate link. If you book through it we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Tours

Tours & activities

See tours on GetYourGuide →

Quick facts

Koh Phi Phi

  • Phi Phi Don is inhabited; Phi Phi Leh with Maya Bay is a national park
  • No roads and no cars — everything moves by boat or by foot
  • Season November to April, with the calmest sea in December and January
  • Ferries from Krabi and Phuket take about 90 minutes
  • National park fee applies to Maya Bay and the snorkelling stops
Tonsai Bay on Koh Phi Phi
Getting there

Getting to Koh Phi Phi

Ferries run from Krabi's Klong Jilad pier and from Phuket's Rassada pier, both around ninety minutes, several times a day in high season and twice a day in low season. Koh Lanta has a seasonal connection too.

From the Gulf coast, cross the peninsula to Krabi — bus or train to Surat Thani, then a minivan — and take the morning ferry. It is a long day from Ban Krut, so plan an overnight in Krabi or Surat Thani.

There is no airport. The nearest are Krabi and Phuket, and both connect to the piers by shuttle bus.

Good to know

On the island

  • Tonsai is loud until late — book north or on the far bays if you want to sleep.
  • Day trippers arrive from ten to four. Swim early and late.
  • The viewpoint climb takes half an hour, mostly up steps. Go at sunrise.
  • Bring cash and reef-safe sunscreen; the national park bans the other kind.
Ferry on the Andaman coast
Highlights

What to do on Koh Phi Phi

  • The viewpoint — the classic look down over both bays and the sandy waist.
  • Maya Bay — reopened, capped and better for it, on Phi Phi Leh.
  • Bamboo Island — a white sandbar north of Phi Phi, best before the day boats.
  • Diving — leopard sharks and drop-offs at Bida Nok and Hin Muang.
Where to stay

Where to sleep on Phi Phi

Tonsai is convenient and loud. Loh Dalum, over the strip, is quieter and has the swimming bay. Long Beach, twenty minutes by longtail, is the compromise many people wish they had booked. The far north bays are resorts with their own boats.

Browse hotels on Koh Phi Phi on Booking.com →
Where next

Nearby islands

Home › Thailand › Islands › Koh Phi Phi