Booking choice: A private longtail from Phi Phi Don, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
The Phi Phi Islands can be reached by boat and nothing else; there is no airport and no bridge. Phi Phi Don has the hotels, the pier at Tonsai and the shops. Phi Phi Le, home to Maya Bay, has no hotels at all.
Ferries run to Phi Phi Don from Phuket and from Krabi. Once you are on the island, two kinds of tour leave for Maya Bay: a private longtail with a local captain, or a shared speedboat with a guide. Both meet near the McDonald's by the pier.
The quick answer
From Phi Phi Don, take a private longtail if you want to land at 7 am when Maya Bay opens, or a shared speedboat if you want a guide and a fixed route. The private longtail leaves from outside The Coffee Club next to McDonald's and runs 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours. The avoid the crowds speedboat makes Maya Bay its first stop, before midday. The sunset trip leaves Tonsai Pier at 1:30 pm. Each of these needs you to stay on Phi Phi Don.
How do I get to Maya Bay from Phi Phi Island?
Book a boat trip from Phi Phi Don. Maya Bay is on the neighbouring island, Phi Phi Le, and you land at the pier in Loh Samah Bay.
Boats cannot enter Maya Bay itself; buoys keep them out. They tie up at Loh Samah, on the back of Phi Phi Le, and you walk across to the beach for about an hour. From Phi Phi Don the ride is short, which is the whole advantage of staying on the island.
The beach rules are the same for every visitor; read Maya Bay rules before you go.
Private longtail or shared speedboat?
Choose the longtail for control of the clock, the speedboat for a guide and a set route. Both include the park fee, per the listings.
The table compares the three trips that leave from Phi Phi Don.
A longtail is the classic wooden boat with a long-shafted engine. It is slower and the captain speaks basic English, but you choose the length. Some longtail trips visit Maya Bay at low tide, per the listing. The speedboat trips are faster, carry a group and follow a fixed order of stops.
| Trip | Meets | Length | Maya Bay timing | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private longtail | Outside The Coffee Club, next to McDonald's | 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours | 7 am on the morning trip | Lunch, water, fruit, snorkel gear |
| Avoid the crowds speedboat | McDonald's on Phi Phi Don | 4 to 6.5 hours | First stop, before midday | Full day adds Bamboo Island and lunch |
| Sunset and plankton speedboat | McDonald's next to Tonsai Pier, 1:30 pm | 5 hours | Late afternoon, 1 hour | Sunset at Phi Phi Le |
Your own boat and captain, on Maya Bay at 7 am, back for a late breakfast.
Book thisCan I go to Phi Phi Island without a tour?
Yes. Ferries run from Phuket and Krabi to Phi Phi Don, and you can stay as long as you like. To reach Maya Bay you still need a boat.
The ferry lands at Tonsai Pier, a short walk from the meeting points for the Maya Bay trips. A national park fee per person applies to visitors to Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le; keep the ticket for inspection.
Without a hotel on the island, a day trip is easier. From Phuket or Krabi the tour boats go straight to Maya Bay and back; compare them in the best Maya Bay tour.
Can I visit Maya Bay without a tour?
You need a boat, so in practice you book one. A private longtail is the closest thing to going on your own.
Phi Phi Le has no hotels, no ferry and no road. Visits run in park rounds of up to an hour, with landing at the Loh Samah pier. A private longtail lets you pick the hour and the length while the captain handles the landing.
The avoid the crowds speedboat is the shared alternative. It lands at Maya Bay first, for an hour regardless of tide, and adds Pileh Lagoon, a snorkel at Viking Cave, Loh Samah and Monkey Bay.
Maya Bay first and before midday, with baby blacktips often seen in the shallows.
Book thisHow many days in Phi Phi is enough?
Two nights is a good minimum. That gives you one morning for Maya Bay at 7 am and one afternoon for a sunset trip or the beach.
With one night, you can do the morning longtail and catch a ferry out. With two, you can add the sunset trip or a longer longtail with Bamboo Island. Three nights let you rest, swim and wait out a rough day at sea.
Plan around the closure: from 1 August to 30 September you cannot land at Maya Bay. Dates and seasons are in is Maya Bay closed.
Which beach is best in Phi Phi?
It depends on what you want: Maya Bay for the view, Bamboo Island for a long swim, Monkey Beach for a short stop and Loh Samah for its quiet cove.
Maya Bay is the famous one, but you cannot swim there. Bamboo Island is a white-sand island with casuarina trees and a long swim stop on several trips. Monkey Beach and Monkey Bay are short stops on several trips. Loh Samah is the small bay behind Maya, where boats land.
Pileh Lagoon is not a beach but an emerald inlet walled by cliffs, and on several trips you can swim there. Keep your distance from monkeys and carry nothing they could grab.
Can I see Maya Bay and the sunset in one trip?
Yes. The sunset trip and the afternoon longtail options both include Maya Bay and a sunset off Phi Phi Le, and they add a plankton swim after dark.
The sunset speedboat meets at 1:30 pm and returns after dark, about five hours later. The private longtail's afternoon options, 4, 6 or 7 hours, include sunset and a plankton swim, per the listing.
Bring a light top for the ride back, a dry bag and a torch on your phone. Wear the life jacket for the night swim, and stay close to the boat. For other day trips beyond Phi Phi, see Phi Phi or James Bond Island.
An afternoon on Phi Phi Le, an hour on Maya Bay and sunset at sea, back after dark.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Where do Maya Bay trips leave from on Phi Phi Don?
Near the McDonald's by Tonsai Pier; the private longtail meets outside The Coffee Club next door.
Is the park fee included?
Yes on the longtail, avoid the crowds and sunset trips, per the listings.
Can children join the private longtail?
The listing says it is not suitable for children under 3.
Is there a ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi Don?
Yes, ferries run from Phuket and from Krabi to Tonsai Pier.
Ready to book
Choose your Maya Bay tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Private Longtail to Maya Bay & Pileh Lagoon
- A private wooden longtail boat with a local captain, for 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours
- About an hour on Maya Bay; the morning option lands at 7 am, when the bay opens
- Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Bay, Loh Samah and Viking Cave; Bamboo Island on the 7-hour trip
Avoid the Crowds: Maya Bay, Sharks & Snorkel
Maya Bay as the first stop before midday, often with baby blacktips in the shallows, from Phi Phi Don
Maya Bay Sunset & Plankton by Speedboat
An afternoon from Tonsai Pier: Pileh, an hour on Maya Bay, then sunset at Phi Phi Le and glowing plankton
