Phi Phi Islands Travel Guide: Maya Bay, the Viewpoint, and Getting There
The Phi Phi Islands sit in the Andaman Sea between Phuket and Krabi, and they are usually visited one of two ways: as a long day trip packed onto a speedboat tour, or as an overnight stay on Koh Phi Phi Don, the only inhabited island in the group. Maya Bay, the limestone cove on neighboring Koh Phi Phi Leh made famous by the film The Beach, reopened on October 1, 2026 after its annual monsoon-season conservation closure. Swimming remains prohibited there even with the bay open, so go in with the right expectations about what kind of visit this is.
What Is the Difference Between Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh?
Koh Phi Phi Don is the only island in the group with accommodation, restaurants, and a village, built around Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay on a narrow isthmus connecting two hilly headlands. There are no cars or motorbikes here; everything moves on foot, bicycle, or handcart through a maze of narrow alleys. Koh Phi Phi Leh, a short boat ride south, is uninhabited and protected as part of Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. It holds Maya Bay along with several excellent snorkeling spots and a limestone cave used for harvesting edible bird nests. Most visitors see Phi Phi Leh only on a boat tour, not as a place to stay.
Can You Still Swim at Maya Bay?
No. Thai park authorities closed Maya Bay entirely in 2018 after years of overtourism damaged the coral reef and shoreline, reopened it in 2022 under new rules, and now run an annual closure each year during the monsoon season to let the ecosystem recover further. As of its most recent reopening on October 1, 2026, boats no longer anchor directly off the beach; visitors arrive via a rear pontoon on the back side of the bay and walk in on a boardwalk, and swimming in the bay itself remains banned to protect the reef. Visit for the view and the photo, not for a swim; if a beach day is the goal, save it for Phi Phi Don or one of the nearby smaller islands on a 7 Islands tour instead.
Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tonsai Pier, Koh Phi Phi: Fabio Achilli / CC BY 2.0
| How You Visit | Travel Time | Best For | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day trip from Phuket | ~1.5–2 hrs each way by speedboat | Travelers based in Phuket who want Phi Phi without changing hotels | Long day, Maya Bay and the viewpoint get crowded by mid-morning |
| Day trip from Krabi | ~1–1.5 hrs each way by speedboat | Travelers based in Krabi or Railay | Same crowd timing as Phuket-based tours |
| Overnight on Phi Phi Don | You are already there | Travelers who want the viewpoint at sunrise and quieter evenings on Tonsai and Loh Dalum | Nightlife around Tonsai can be loud; book accommodation away from the bar strip for a quieter stay |
TTC Verdict: Phi Phi is two different trips depending on how you visit it. A rushed day tour gets you the postcard shot of Maya Bay and little else. Staying a night or two on Phi Phi Don, hiking the viewpoint at sunrise, and letting the day-trippers leave before you explore Tonsai in the evening is a noticeably better version of the same islands.
How Do You Get to Phi Phi, and Should You Stay Overnight?
Ferries and speedboats to Phi Phi Don run regularly from Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Lanta, with speedboats roughly halving the crossing time compared to the larger passenger ferries. If Phi Phi is one stop among several on a Thailand island-hopping route, a day tour from Phuket or Krabi covers the highlights efficiently. If you have the extra night to spare, staying on Phi Phi Don gives you the viewpoint hike at sunrise or sunset without a tour schedule, and a calmer version of Tonsai once the day-trip boats head back to the mainland. Check routes and fares on 12Go.
No. Even after its October 2026 reopening from the annual monsoon-season closure, swimming in Maya Bay is prohibited to protect the recovering coral reef. Visitors arrive by a rear boardwalk for a time-limited viewing visit rather than a beach day.
Ferries and speedboats run from Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi Don, generally taking one to two hours depending on the departure point and boat type. There is no airport on Phi Phi, so a boat crossing is required either way.
A day trip from Phuket or Krabi works well if Phi Phi is one stop on a broader itinerary, but an overnight stay lets you hike to the viewpoint at sunrise and experience Tonsai and Loh Dalum once the day-tour crowds have left, which is generally the more rewarding version of a Phi Phi visit.
