A Complete Guide to Visiting Koh Phi Phi in Thailand

Koh Phi Phi in Thailand is a paradise on Earth. If you’ve been dreaming of the white sandy beaches and turquoise sea, here you will find it.

In this travel guide I will share with you general tips for visiting Koh Phi Phi, where to stay and best things to do.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

Heads up! Some links in this blog are affiliates. If you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Rest assured, I only recommend stuff I’ve tested or trust. You can read more about our affiliate disclaimer here.

📖 Read my The Ultimate Thailand 2 Week Itinerary: The Best of Thailand blog post.

How to Get to Koh Phi Phi

Once you’re in Krabi or Phuket, then take a ferry to Koh Phi Phi.

You can also take a day trip to Koh Phi Phi and visit that way (that’s how I’ve done it).

Where to Stay in Koh Phi Phi

Even though Koh Phi Phi consists of six islands, the only inhabited island is Koh Phi Phi Don. So, if you decide you’d love to stay in Koh Phi Phi for a few days instead of visiting as a day trip, then you will stay on Koh Phi Phi Don.

Best Guided Tours to Koh Phi Phi

If you decide to visit Koh Phi Phi from Krabi or Phuket, then the best is to take a guided tour, so you can make the most out of your day.

But even if you stay on the island, you still need to take a tour or rent a private boat to explore Koh Phi Phi islands.

📖 Read my The Perfect 4 Days Krabi Itinerary blog post.

Best Things to Do in Koh Phi Phi

No matter how or from where you visit Koh Phi Phi, these are the best things to see and do on the islands.

Maya Bay

The most beautiful, but also the most popular spot in Koh Phi Phi is the Maya Bay which gained popularity after the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sadly, this led to overtourism which destroyed the coral reef. Only 8% of it survived when the authorities decided to close the Maya Bay for tourists to renew the reef. It was closed in 2018 and reopened again in 2022, with a big change.

The maximum number of tourists allowed on the bay at a time is limited to 300 people, while visits are capped at 1 hour, allowing for 7 to 8 daily rounds of visitors from 10 am to 4 pm. The shores of Maya Bay are off-limits for boats, which are only allowed to dock at the new piers. You also need to pay 400 baht to enter the bay.

💡The swimming is strictly prohibited and you can only enter the sea at the ankle-height. But there were some tourists ignoring the rules and were going further away, even dipping their full body into the sea. They were called out immediately, but please DO RESPECT THE RULES.

Pileh Lagoon

Pileh Lagoon is situated on the idyllic island of Koh Phi Phi Leh. It is a popular swimming and snorkelling location.

We really enjoyed our time there and spent about 45 minutes swimming and snorkelling.

Viking Cave

After snorkelling and swimming, we passed by the Viking Cave which looked incredible, especially the colour of the water.

Sadly, the Viking Cave is privately owned, so we could only enjoy it from the boat.

Monkey Beach

Monkey Beach is one of the most fun places in Koh Phi Phi, but you need to be careful.

As you can guess from the name, it is inhabited by monkeys. But beware of them as they like to steal and bite!

Even though the beach is beautiful, it is not allowed to swim there and if you’d love to feed them, be extra careful. I personally refrained from that as I didn’t trust their devilish look.

Ko Phi Phi Don

As mentioned, Koh Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited Phi Phi island and is full of restaurants, shops and beautiful white sand beaches.

Long Beach is the most famous which is located near Tonsai Village. You can walk there from the centre, though the path is rocky and there’s a short jungle trail. You can also take a 5 minute long-tail boat.

Laem Tong Beach is on the other hand a more quiet and secluded beach located on the northern side. You need to take a long-tail boat and the journey will take about 2h.

Bamboo Island

Bamboo Island was the most beautiful place for me in Koh Phi Phi with the most beautiful beach.

Don’t miss this heaven on Earth.

Getting Around Koh Phi Phi

The beauty about Koh Phi Phi is that there are no cars and motorcycles, so you can only get around by foot or by taking a long-tail boat.

When to Visit Koh Phi Phi

The best time to visit Koh Phi Phi is between November and April, though it’s a peak season then, so the prices are higher. However, Thailand is one of the most affordable countries in the world, even in the high season, which is why I wouldn’t bother with that.

May to October is a rainy season, so I would not visit during that period despite the lower prices.

How many Days in Koh Phi Phi is Ideal

If you’re short on time, you can absolutely visit and experience Koh Phi Phi as a day trip. It’s how I’ve personally done it and I had a lot of fun!

But, if you’d love to have a slower pace and relax at the most beautiful beaches in the world, I recommend staying about 3 days, which is ideal to see all the highlights of Koh Phi Phi and relax at the beaches or your resort.

Is Koh Phi Phi worth Visiting

Koh Phi Phi was one of the best day trips I did from Krabi and I regretted not staying a couple of nights there.

While Maya Bay is very touristy, it is still breathtakingly beautiful and definitely a place to see at least one in your lifetime.

But beside Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi islands have some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches in the world and many great bays for snorkelling.

Even if you have a busy schedule, Koh Phi Phi is so worth visiting.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

Like this post? Pin it!📍