Booking choice: The early bird from Krabi with the 4 Islands, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Maya Bay is on Ko Phi Phi Le, which belongs to Krabi province and sits inside a national park. Boats reach it from Phuket to the north-west and from the Krabi coast around Ao Nang. That is why both places sell Phi Phi trips, and why the choice of day trip often depends on where you sleep.
The three days differ in what you do. Phi Phi is about beaches and the water. The 4 Islands trip is shorter and calmer, with a sandbank to walk at Tup Island. James Bond Island, in Phang Nga Bay north-east of Phuket, is about limestone scenery and canoeing, with little swimming.
The quick answer
Pick Phi Phi for Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and snorkelling. Pick the Krabi 4 Islands for a shorter day close to Ao Nang, with Tup Island and Chicken Island. Pick James Bond Island for limestone towers, canoeing in Phang Nga Bay and Ko Panyi. If you cannot choose, combine them: the Krabi early-bird trip pairs Phi Phi with the 4 Islands, and the Phuket combo pairs Phi Phi with James Bond Island.
Is Maya Bay in Phi Phi or Krabi?
Both. Maya Bay is on Ko Phi Phi Le, one of the Phi Phi Islands, and the islands belong to Krabi province.
Phi Phi Le is about 2 square kilometres and uninhabited, the second-largest island of the group after Phi Phi Don. It lies inside the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. A ring of steep limestone hills surrounds two shallow bays: Maya Bay and Loh Samah.
Day trips leave from both Phuket and Krabi. For the dock that suits your hotel, see the best Maya Bay tour.
Which is better, Phi Phi or the 4 Islands tour?
Phi Phi for scenery and snorkelling, the 4 Islands for a shorter, easier day near Ao Nang. If you stay in Krabi, you can do both in one trip.
Phi Phi is the bigger day: open-sea crossings, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and reef stops. The 4 Islands trip stays close to the Krabi coast, with Tup Island, where a sandbank links islands at low tide, plus Chicken Island and Ko Poda.
The Krabi early-bird trip joins the two. It starts at Tup Island, lands at Maya Bay for an hour, then visits Pileh, Viking Cave from the boat, Monkey Bay, a snorkel stop, lunch on Bamboo Island, Chicken Island and Ko Poda, in about nine hours.
Phi Phi and the 4 Islands in one day from Ao Nang, with a boat of 30 at most.
Book thisIs Phi Phi or James Bond Island better?
Phi Phi if you want to swim and snorkel, James Bond Island if you want limestone scenery and a canoe. They are different kinds of day.
The table sets the trips side by side, per the listings on this site.
James Bond Island is Khao Phing Kan, a limestone island in Phang Nga Bay, north-east of Phuket. It took its nickname from the 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. The bay is a sheltered sea of limestone towers, best seen from a canoe.
| Trip | Leaves from | What you see | Swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi day | Phuket marinas, or Phi Phi Don | Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island | Snorkel and swim stops; no swimming at Maya Bay |
| Krabi 4 Islands | Ao Nang and nearby beaches | Tup Island sandbank, Chicken Island, Ko Poda | Beach and swim stops |
| James Bond Island | Phuket | Khao Phing Kan, limestone towers, Ko Panyi | Little swimming; canoeing instead |
| Phi Phi and 4 Islands combo | Krabi, hotel pickup | Tup Island, Maya Bay, Pileh, Bamboo Island, Chicken Island, Ko Poda | Snorkel and swim stops |
| Phi Phi and James Bond combo | Royal Phuket Marina | Maya Bay, Pileh, Viking Cave, Phi Phi Don, James Bond Island, Ko Panyi | Snorkel stop on Phi Phi Don |
What is the Krabi 4 Islands trip like?
Short hops between islands close to Ao Nang, with time on beaches and a sandbank. It suits families and anyone who dislikes long crossings.
The usual 4 Islands stops include Tup Island, Chicken Island, named for a rock shaped like a chicken's head, and Ko Poda. The crossings are shorter than the run to Phi Phi. On the combined trip, pickup in Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tub Kaek runs from 5:50 to 6:30 am, with Railay around 7:00, and you are back at the pier around 4 pm.
The listing sets limits: not for children under 3, people over 70, pregnancy or wheelchairs. The park fee is listed as included but is paid in cash on the day, so carry some.
What is James Bond Island like?
A short visit to a famous rock in a sheltered bay, plus canoeing among limestone cliffs and a walk on the stilt village of Ko Panyi.
The Phi Phi and James Bond combo gives James Bond Island about 40 minutes, then canoeing in Phang Nga Bay and a walk on Ko Panyi. It is a scenery day more than a beach day; bring a hat and expect to stay mostly dry.
Phang Nga Bay is calmer than the open sea to Phi Phi, which suits travellers who get seasick. On the combo day the Phi Phi crossing comes first, so take a tablet before boarding.
Maya Bay, lunch on Phi Phi Don and a canoe in Phang Nga Bay in one 10-hour day.
Book thisCan I see Phi Phi and James Bond Island in one day?
Yes, on a 10-hour speedboat day from Royal Phuket Marina. It is long, but it covers both bays and includes the park fees, per the listing.
The combo spends an hour on Maya Bay, visits Pileh and Viking Cave, then has about two hours on Phi Phi Don for lunch and a snorkel. After that the boat heads north-east to James Bond Island, canoeing and Ko Panyi.
Two separate days are more relaxed. If you have the time, do Phi Phi on one day and James Bond Island on another, and compare the Phi Phi options on the homepage.
Which day suits families and non-swimmers?
Non-swimmers do well on a James Bond day or a Maya-last Phi Phi day with lunch at a resort. Families with small children should check the age limits first.
The premium Phi Phi day starts at Bamboo Island, has a buffet lunch at a resort on Phi Phi with a restroom on board, and ends at Maya Bay for 40 minutes. Its slower pace suits mixed groups. Several Phuket speedboat days list limits for young children, older travellers, pregnancy and back problems, because of the bumpy ride.
Whichever you pick, put children in life jackets on every water stop, use reef-safe sunscreen and keep everyone drinking water. The film history of Maya Bay is in The Beach and Maya Bay.
Bamboo Island first, lunch at a Phi Phi resort and Maya Bay last, as the crowds thin.
Book thisWhich should I pick from Phuket?
Phi Phi for your first island day. Add James Bond Island as a second day, or take the combo if you have a single day.
From Phuket, the Phi Phi crossing takes about an hour by speedboat. The options range from a big buffet-lunch boat to a sunrise small group; compare them in the best Maya Bay tour. Remember the closure: from 1 August to 30 September you cannot land at Maya Bay.
The price is shown at checkout and changes with the season; what changes it is length, lunch and group size.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maya Bay closer to Phuket or Krabi?
It is in Krabi province, and trips leave from both. From Phuket the speedboat crossing takes about an hour.
Can you swim at James Bond Island?
There is little swimming on a James Bond day; canoeing in Phang Nga Bay replaces it.
What are the 4 Islands in Krabi?
Tours vary, but the Krabi early-bird trip lists Tup Island, Chicken Island and Ko Poda alongside Phi Phi.
Is the park fee included on the James Bond combo?
Yes, park fees are included, per the listing.
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Choose your Maya Bay tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands from Krabi
- Hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tub Kaek between about 5:50 and 6:30 am
- A coffee stop at Tup Island, then about an hour at Maya Bay
- Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Bay, a snorkel stop and lunch on Bamboo Island
Phi Phi & James Bond Island in One Day
Can't choose between Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay? This long speedboat day does both: an hour on Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and lunch on Phi Phi Don, then James Bond Island, a canoe through Phang Nga Bay and a walk in the stilt village of Ko Panyi.
Phi Phi & Bamboo Premium Day with Seaview Lunch
Bamboo Island first and Maya Bay at the end of the day, with a resort lunch on Phi Phi in between
