The best things to do in the Phi Phi Islands are, in order: Maya Bay (when it is open and before 8 am), a swim in Pileh Lagoon, a snorkel stop chosen for that morning's sea state — Nui Beach (Camel Rock), Monkey Beach or Bamboo Island — the Phi Phi Don viewpoint hike, and — if you stay overnight — a longtail to the quiet east-coast beaches and one evening on Loh Dalum. The islands are two main islands plus four islets: Phi Phi Don (where the village, hotels and viewpoints are) and Phi Phi Leh (uninhabited national park — Maya Bay, Pileh, Viking Cave). Most day-trippers from Phuket see Leh; overnighters get Don. This guide covers both, with the current park rules, because half the "must-do" lists online still describe a Maya Bay that closed in 2018.
We have been running boats from Phuket to Phi Phi since 2005, and the whole point of our schedule is timing: our Sunrise tour leaves Boat Lagoon Marina at first light, catches sunrise at sea on the 1 hour 10 minute crossing, and puts guests at Maya Bay after the light is up but before the main fleet arrives around mid-morning. That hour is the difference between the Maya Bay in the photographs and a car park. It also shapes this list — the stops below are ordered the way the crowds move, not the way the map is drawn.
If you want the Leh side done properly in a day from Phuket, that is our Phi Phi Sunrise Tour — small group, maximum 18 adults, all-inclusive from ฿5,310 per adult — or the same route on a private boat from ฿40,700. If you are staying on Phi Phi Don, most of the list below is a longtail ride from Tonsai pier.
Everything on Phi Phi Leh sits inside Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, and the rules change: Maya Bay closes for two months every year, landing and swimming restrictions apply, and fees are collected at the pier. We operate under TAT licence 34/02111 and our captains follow the park's daily instructions, which is why the itinerary flexes — a stop we cannot make legally on the day gets swapped, not skipped quietly. Check current Maya Bay rules on our Is Maya Bay open? page before you book anything that promises "swimming at Maya Bay".
Phi Phi at a glance
| Phi Phi Leh (day-trip side) | Phi Phi Don (overnight side) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stops | Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah, Viking Cave, Bamboo Island (nearby islet) | Viewpoints 1–3, Nui Beach (Camel Rock), Monkey Beach, Long Beach, Loh Dalum, Tonsai village |
| Access | Speedboat from Phuket (1 h 10 min) or Krabi; longtail from Tonsai | Ferry from Phuket/Krabi, then on foot or longtail |
| Best hours | 07:00–10:00 (before the fleet) | Viewpoint at dawn or sunset; beaches all day |
| Season | Year-round; Maya Bay closed 1 Aug–30 Sep | Year-round; calmer seas Nov–Apr |
1. Maya Bay — go early, follow the rules
Maya Bay is the one stop everyone wants and the one with the most misinformation. Current arrangement: boats moor at the Loh Samah side, you walk through to the beach, you can wade but not swim in the bay, and the whole bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September to let the reef and the blacktip sharks recover. It reopens on 1 October. It is also where the blacktip reef sharks are most reliably seen — small ones patrolling the shallows off the beach, especially early. Our crew — Momo has been running this arrival for years — lands guests in the first slot of the morning so the beach is close to empty; by 10 am the fleet from Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi Don has arrived and the experience changes completely. During the closure our Sunrise itinerary substitutes Bamboo Island.
2. Pileh Lagoon — the swim stop
A cliff-ringed inlet on the east side of Phi Phi Leh with water the colour of a swimming pool and, at the right hour, almost no wind. This is the swim on our Sunrise itinerary and it is the stop guests talk about afterwards more than Maya. Deep enough to swim properly, sheltered enough for weak swimmers with a float. Guide: Pileh Lagoon.
3. Blacktip reef sharks — and Loh Samah
The sharks are a Maya Bay story: since the closure and reef recovery, blacktips are most reliably seen from the beach at Maya itself, in the shallows, especially early before the fleet arrives. Loh Samah, the small bay behind Maya where boats moor, is a calm, shallow snorkel for first-timers when conditions suit, but it is not the shark spot people think it is. If seeing sharks is your priority, our seasonal Phi Phi Sunset Shark Tour (November–April) is built around it. More on the population recovery: blacktip reef sharks at Maya Bay.
4. Viking Cave
A drive-past, not a landing: the cave on the north-east of Phi Phi Leh holds a licensed bird's-nest concession and old wall paintings, and boats are not permitted to put guests ashore. Worth five minutes from the water. Guide: the Viking Cave.
5. Bamboo Island
A flat, white-sand islet north of Phi Phi Don with the best beach-and-snorkel combination in the group and fewer boats than the Leh side. It is covered by the same national-park fee as the rest of the islands. It is our final island stop on the Sunrise itinerary and the stand-in for Maya Bay during the August–September closure. Guide: Bamboo Island.
6. Monkey Beach
A short longtail hop from Tonsai on Phi Phi Don. The macaques get the name, but the reef is the reason to stop: good coral, large and spread out, so a group can snorkel without bunching up. It gets busy from late morning, which is why it is an early stop or not at all. Do not feed the monkeys, keep bags closed, and give the big males room. Guide: Monkey Beach.
7. The Phi Phi Don viewpoints
The one land activity that is worth the sweat. Three viewpoints on the hill above the village; the trail starts at the east end of Loh Dalum and the last stretch is steps. Viewpoint 3 gives the classic double-bay photograph. Go at dawn (cool, empty) or for sunset (bring a torch for the way down). Expect a small entry fee at the top. Not doable on a day trip from Phuket — this is an overnighter's reward.
8. Long Beach and Nui Bay
If you are staying on Phi Phi Don and want quiet water: Long Beach (Hat Yao) on the south-east has the clearest swimming near the village and a longtail shuttle from Tonsai; Nui Bay on the west coast is the small, sheltered cove for a half-day with a book. Neither is on the day-trip circuit, which is the point.
9. Snorkel spots — the sea decides
There is no fixed best snorkel spot in Phi Phi; sea and wind conditions on the day decide which side of the islands is calm and clear, and our captains choose accordingly. In high season, when the west coast of Phi Phi is calm, the usual pick on our tours is Nui Beach (Camel Rock) — nice corals, and a cave swim for the adventurous. Monkey Beach has good reefs, large and spread out, but is best early before it fills up. Bamboo Island is the reliable beach-plus-reef combination off the sand. Pileh's entrance walls and Loh Samah are the sheltered options when the outer coast is blowing. Equipment and floats are included on our tours; on Phi Phi Don the dive shops rent by the day.
10. Diving
Phi Phi is one of Thailand's easiest places to learn to dive: sheltered sites, warm water, a dozen schools on Tonsai. The headline sites — Bida Nok, Bida Nai, Hin Bida, the King Cruiser wreck — are all under an hour by dive boat. Choose a school by its equipment and instructor-to-student ratio, not its price. If you are coming from Phuket, diving can also be arranged as part of a private Phi Phi charter with us — tell us when you book and we build the dive stop into the day for your group.
11. Rock climbing and kayaking
Tonsai Bay's wall on Phi Phi Don takes beginners with a guide; the Pileh routes on Leh are for climbers who already lead. Kayaks rent by the hour on Loh Dalum and the sea caves and coves along the north side of Leh are best explored on a falling tide, when more of the cave mouths are open.
12. Tonsai and Loh Dalum after dark
Phi Phi Don's evening is a beach-bar strip: fire shows on Loh Dalum, buckets in Tonsai. It is fun once and loud always. We keep a separate, honest guide to Phi Phi nightlife; for a quieter dinner, the restaurants on the Tonsai side facing the pier are the calm end.
Planning notes
- From Phuket: speedboat is 1 hour 10 minutes each way from Boat Lagoon Marina; ferry from Rassada Pier is about two hours. For a comparison of every option see how to get to Phi Phi from Phuket.
- Day trip or overnight? A day trip covers the Leh side (stops 1–5). The viewpoints, Long Beach, Nui Bay and the nightlife need a night on Phi Phi Don. Our Phi Phi island-hopping planner works through the trade-offs.
- Best time: November to April for the calmest crossings and clearest water; the islands run year-round. Month-by-month detail: best time to visit Phi Phi from Phuket.
- Fees: national-park fees are collected per person; on our tours they are included in the price.
For the full picture of the archipelago — which islands, which tours cover which stops — start at our Phi Phi Islands destination page. Questions: sales@simbaseatrips.com.
