Things to do in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand: the complete guide

Koh Phi Phi belongs to the group of islands in the Andaman Sea.

December to April: The weather is mild and it doesn't rain. This is the best time to travel to Koh Phi Phi, but it's also high season, with lots of tourists and higher prices.

May to August: The monsoons reach the Andaman islands, which means Koh Phi Phi, so at this time of year it's better to visit the Gulf beaches. In Koh Phi Phi it's extremely hot and it rains almost every day.

September to December: The rains start to let up in Koh Phi Phi and the Andaman islands as the monsoons move on to the Gulf islands. It's a good time to go to Koh Phi Phi, since the rain stops and the tourists haven't arrived yet.

Keep in mind that the weather isn't always predictable. Some years the rains come earlier or later, or aren't as heavy. That's why we think it's really important to try to stay flexible, keep checking the weather and not plan too far ahead.

To get to Koh Phi Phi, you have no choice but to take a ferry or a speedboat. You can go from these places and islands:

From Bangkok you have two options:

Bus or train + ferry: You can take a bus or train from Bangkok to Krabi, then a ferry to Koh Phi Phi. Khao San Road is full of agencies that sell you the whole trip as a package and make sure you arrive on time for the ferry to Koh Phi Phi, or you can buy it online here. The whole journey is quite long, about 20 hours. Flights from Bangkok to Krabi or Phuket are usually pretty cheap and can even cost the same as the overland trip, and flying is far faster.

Plane + ferry: The fastest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Phi Phi is to fly to Phuket or Krabi (whichever is cheaper) and take a ferry to Koh Phi Phi from there.

From the beaches and islands of the Andaman Sea:

• Phuket: The ferry leaves from Rassada Pier, southeast of Phuket Town, and arrives at Tonsai Beach in Koh Phi Phi. You can also take a speedboat, which takes 1 hour but costs quite a bit more. Here you can see schedules and prices and book your ticket.
• Krabi: The pier is 4 km from Krabi Town. The transfer includes transportation to the pier where the ferry leaves. The trip to Koh Phi Phi takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. See the transfer here.
• Ao Nang: There are also boats from Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi during high season (November to April). You can see prices and schedules here.
• Koh Lanta: A direct ferry connects Koh Lanta with Koh Phi Phi. Ferries leave from Saladan Pier and the trip takes about 2 hours. In high season there are two ferries a day. You can see all the schedules and prices here.
• Koh Lipe: A speedboat connects the two islands, usually during high season. You can check prices and schedules and book it here.

From the islands in the Gulf of Thailand:

• Koh Tao / Koh Samui / Koh Phangan: This transfer will take you almost a full day. It includes a ferry from whichever island you're on to the mainland, then a minivan to Krabi, and from Krabi a ferry to Koh Phi Phi. On this website you can see all the transfers, with prices and schedules, and even buy them. It's the platform we trust when we travel through Asia.

1. Island hopping

One of the main things to do in Koh Phi Phi is to hop on a long-tail boat and visit all its islands and beaches. There are private and shared tours for this. We chose a shared one, but if you're looking for something quieter and more personalized, you're probably better off with a private tour.

The most common island-hopping tour includes:

• Bamboo Island
• Mosquito Beach
• Monkey Beach
• Nemo Bay
• Viking Cave
• Maya Bay
• Pileh Lagoon
• Snorkeling with plankton

Shared tour: The price is around 800 to 1,200 baht (US$22-34) per person, plus 400 baht (US$12) for the entrance fee to Bamboo Island (it's a national park, so there's a fee). On the tour you can choose not to get off at this island, and that way you don't pay the 400 baht. Before booking the tour, make sure to ask whether the price they quote includes the island's entrance fee, so you don't get any surprises later. The tour lasts all day and stops at several snorkeling spots. Breakfast, lunch, a snack and water are usually included.

Private tour: You can also hire a private long-tail boat for as many hours as you like to take you wherever you choose. A good idea is to do the island hopping on a regular tour the first day, then ask a private boat the next day to take you to the beaches you liked most. For about 4 hours for 2 people, they charge 2,500 baht (US$80).

I've done this tour 3 times, the first two with agencies I booked on Phi Phi's main street, but the last time I did it with Phi Phi Latino, and we recommend them 100%. Besides being a tour in Spanish, they genuinely want you to have the best experience of this paradise, and they plan around the best times to visit each spot with as few people as possible. And best of all: being alone for a while at the super-famous Maya Bay.

Monkey Beach

As the name says, it's a beach full of monkeys! They're in their natural habitat and used to seeing people all the time, but watch your belongings, because they'll try to snatch things out of your hand or your backpack! And don't invade their space too much. The island itself is paradise, but since it's quite small and full of tourists, it loses some of its charm.

Bamboo Island

This is the prettiest beach in Koh Phi Phi. The sand is very white and fine, and the color of the water is incredible. The island has an entrance fee of 400 baht per person, since it's part of a national park.

Maya Bay

The famous beach from the movie “The Beach” was closed for 4 years because of the damage mass tourism did to the coral. It reopened in 2022, and you can only visit the beach itself: you can't go in the water. It's usually packed. The best option is to go really, really early (the catch is that the beach is all sun and you can't get in the water). We were lucky enough to go in the afternoon with the Phi Phi Latino tour and were the last to leave the beach, so we got to enjoy at least 15 minutes of calm in this very famous paradise.

Snorkeling in Nemo Bay

One of the best snorkeling spots in Phi Phi. We saw tons of coral, fish of every color and even reef sharks.

Pileh Lagoon

One of the most incredible stops on the tour, and our favorite!

Snorkeling with plankton

After watching the sunset from the water, once it gets dark, you can go in with a snorkel and see the glowing plankton. It's at the end of the tour and you're usually tired by then, but we recommend jumping in anyway and enjoying the experience. It's incredible!

2. See Bamboo Island

If the island-hopping tour you took doesn't include Bamboo Island, we recommend going no matter what. It's one of the best beaches in Phi Phi and not to be missed!

3. Explore the beaches of Phi Phi Don

There are several beaches you can go to on Phi Phi Don itself:

Long Beach: A long, idyllic beach, ideal for spending the day and catching a lovely sunset. It's a 15-20 minute walk from Tonsai Pier. The path runs partly through the jungle and partly along the beach, but it's pretty well marked, so it's hard to get lost. If you don't feel like walking, you can take a long-tail boat for 100 baht and you'll be at Long Beach in a few minutes. There are a few restaurants on the beach where you can have lunch and a nice cold beer.

Nui Bay: This beach is gorgeous! It's quite a bit farther from Tonsai Village (the touristy part of the island). Walking there takes well over an hour. You can go to the viewpoints first, continue on to Lo Ba Kao and Lo Lana Bay (we recommend having lunch here, at Ton Kha, because there's nothing at Nui Bay), and from there on to Nui Bay. The path isn't marked on Google Maps, so we recommend using maps.me. Another option is to take a long-tail boat from Loh Dalum, or you can go by kayak. We walked there and took a long-tail boat back. If you want to do this, don't forget to arrange it with one of the boats on the beach.

Lo Ba Kao: You can walk there using maps.me or take a long-tail boat from Lo Lana. This beach is full of resorts and has several restaurants.

Lo Lana Bay: You can get there by long-tail boat or on foot.

Loh Dalum: This beach is also quiet early in the morning and very close to the center. The problem is that when the tide goes out, it goes out a long way, and the beach loses much of its charm.

4. Enjoy the incredible view from the viewpoint

There are 3 viewpoints in all. The second has the best view, and you've probably seen thousands of photos taken here.

There are two ways to reach the viewpoints:

• Long route: It's far longer than the short one. It follows an unpaved path through the heart of the island.
• Short route: It's short but tough, because it's uphill all the way! It takes about half an hour on foot to the second viewpoint.

The second viewpoint has an incredible view of the island. There's a combined entrance fee of 30 baht for viewpoints 1 and 2.

We recommend bringing good shoes, a bottle of water and a cap for the sun. The view is much better in the morning than in the afternoon!

5. Enjoy the island's nightlife

The island is full of backpackers, and there's always a party. What defines beach nights in Thailand are the fire shows and the buckets (drinks served in beach pails).

If you're not so into partying, we still recommend at least stopping by the beach to get to know a part of Koh Phi Phi's soul.

Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited island of the four, and it has the tourist infrastructure. Most of the places to stay and restaurants are in the village of Tonsai, which is also where the ferry pier is. There are places to stay for every taste and budget. If you have your heart set on a resort with a private beach, you can stay around Lo Ba Kao.

If you want to get some rest at night, we recommend staying away from the hotels along the Loh Dalum shore, since it's a very noisy area.

We stayed at Coco’s Guest House, a pretty bare-bones guesthouse, for US$15 a night in a private room.

We think this is very personal. In two days you can do the island's main “activities,” but if you want to enjoy it a bit more, 3 or 4 days is ideal.