Phi Phi island hopping is a boat circuit around the Phi Phi islands that links stops such as Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Maya Bay, Monkey Beach and Bamboo Island, either on a shared tour or on a private longtail. Most trips cover the same stops, so the choices that matter are the boat, the length of the route and the departure time.
This guide explains the main Phi Phi island hopping routes, what each stop is like, how longtails, speedboats and party boats differ, what you should expect to pay and when to go. It draws on two guides from Phuket 101 and Phuket 101, Pelago, The Thai Pass, Time Out Bangkok and GetYourGuide listings that we checked on 30 October 2026. Prices and quotes differ between sources, so confirm them before you book.
- Private longtail
- ฿1,500 to ฿3,000 a boat
- Shared speedboat
- ฿1,500 to ฿3,000 each
- Route lengths
- 4, 6 or 7 hours
- Park fee
- ฿400 adult, often extra
- Maya Bay
- Closed August and September
- Calmest seas
- November to April
What is the best way to do Phi Phi island hopping?
If you sleep on Phi Phi, a private longtail from Ton Sai gives you your own pace and a route you can shape. If you stay in Phuket or Krabi, a full-day speedboat tour is the practical choice. Either way, check which stops are listed, whether the park fee is included and how long you get at each one.
Phi Phi Island Hopping at a Glance: Routes, Boats and Costs
A typical Phi Phi island hopping circuit is centred on Phi Phi Leh, the small island with Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, then extends to the beaches of Phi Phi Don or north to Bamboo Island. Phuket 101 describes a standard day trip as a pickup between 6:30 and 7:30 am and a return at 4 to 5 pm, about 8 to 9 hours in total. A private longtail from Phi Phi Don is much shorter, usually between 3 and 7 hours.
Longtails are the traditional private boat for Phi Phi island hopping, and speedboats and catamarans carry the larger groups. Phuket 101 says longtails mainly run half- or full-day private tours from Phi Phi Don and can enter shallow bays that speedboats cannot. Where you start decides your options, because the cheapest and most flexible boats leave from Ton Sai.
Good
- Reach several islands in one day
- Swim and snorkel at the stops
- A private longtail lets you set the pace
- Easy to book online or on the island
Not so good
- Maya Bay is crowded and closed every August and September
- Park fees are often extra
- Speedboats can be rough on afternoon returns
- Quotes vary widely between sources
Phi Phi Island Hopping Routes: 4, 6 and 7 Hour Circuits
The private longtail listing below offers three lengths of Phi Phi island hopping, and its stop lists show how a route grows. Pelago's private longtail offers 3 and 4 hour options on the same core circuit, and adds Shark Point at 4 hours. Your captain can often change the order, so tell them what matters most to you.
| Route | Stops | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi Leh loop | Monkey Beach, Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah Bay and Maya Bay; Bamboo Island not included | 4 hours | GetYourGuide private listing |
| Leh plus Don | Phi Phi Leh, then the beaches of Phi Phi Don such as Loh Moo Dee, Rantee, Nui and Wang Long | 6 hours | GetYourGuide private listing |
| Leh plus Bamboo Island | Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island, with another stop if Bamboo is unavailable | 7 hours | GetYourGuide private listing |
| Full-day speedboat from Phuket | Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island | About 10 hours | GetYourGuide Phuket listing |
For help choosing between full tours, our Phi Phi island tour guide compares half-day, full-day and private options. If you only want the reefs, see our guide to snorkeling in Phi Phi.
Phi Phi Island Hopping Stops in Order: What Each One Is Like
Phuket 101 lists the usual order of a standard Phi Phi island hopping day trip: Pileh Lagoon for swimming, then Maya Bay, Viking Cave from the boat, Monkey Beach for photos, a snorkeling stop, lunch on Phi Phi Don and sometimes Bamboo Island or Khai Island on the way back. Private trips follow your own order.
Pileh Lagoon
Phuket 101 calls it very busy, with longtails and speedboats coming and going constantly. The cliffs cast deep shadows in the morning, and the bright blue water looks best around midday. You can swim here, which makes up for the swimming ban at Maya Bay.
Maya Bay and Loh Samah Bay
Boats do not enter Maya Bay. They tie up at a floating pier in Loh Samah Bay, and a boardwalk of about five minutes leads to the beach, according to Phuket 101. Swimming is banned and visitors can only wade, with a cap of 375 visitors an hour. The bay closes every August and September, and Time Out Bangkok reported that it reopened on 1 October 2026. Our Maya Bay guide has the full rules.
Viking Cave
Phuket 101 explains that the Viking name comes from old wall paintings that look like Scandinavian longships, and that local collectors once climbed bamboo ladders to harvest swallow nests. Visitors have not been allowed in for years, so boats only slow down so you can look from the water.
Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island and Shark Point
Monkey Beach is a short stop to see wild macaques, and our Monkey Beach guide explains the feeding ban. Bamboo Island is a white-sand beach with shallow water, covered in our Bamboo Island guide. Some private routes also stop at Shark Point, where the listing says you can snorkel with blacktip reef sharks, but no sighting is guaranteed.
Phi Phi Island Hopping Boats: Longtail, Speedboat or Party Boat
| Boat | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private longtail | Small groups and families who want their own pace | Leaves from Ton Sai, can enter shallow bays, and the park fee is usually extra |
| Shared speedboat | Covering a lot in one day from Phuket, Krabi or Phi Phi | Carries 14 to 40 people and can be rough on afternoon returns, says Phuket 101 |
| Catamaran or big boat | Comfort and stability | The Thai Pass says higher-end catamaran tours include lunch, kayaks and paddleboards, and often the park fee |
| Party boat | A social day with a bar on board | The pirate boat tour listed on GetYourGuide leaves at noon from Pirate Bar on Phi Phi and lasts 7 hours |
The pirate boat tour is a branded party-style trip with snorkeling and optional paddleboarding or kayaking, and it lists Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah Bay and Bamboo Island as stops. It is the opposite of a quiet private longtail, so pick it for the atmosphere and not for solitude. If you want the calmest seas, Phuket 101 says the big boat or ferry is more stable but slower, at about 2 hours from Phuket.
Phi Phi Island Hopping Prices and Park Fees
Prices for Phi Phi island hopping depend on the boat and on where you start. Phuket 101 gives about ฿1,500 to ฿3,000 per person for a basic group speedboat tour, ฿1,500 to ฿3,500 for a Phuket day trip with transfers, lunch and snorkel gear, and ฿1,500 to ฿3,000 for a private longtail from Phi Phi Don. Another section of the same guide quotes ฿3,000 to ฿5,000 for a half day, so confirm the duration when you negotiate.
Pelago lists a private longtail from Ton Sai in dollars. A 3 hour trip costs from about $148 for 1 to 2 people and about $300 for 11 to 15, and a 4 hour trip costs from about $164 to $324, with ฿400 for each extra person and ฿800 for each extra hour. The GetYourGuide private listing below starts from about €133 for a group of up to two.
- Park fee: Most operators quote ฿400 for an adult and ฿200 for a child, paid in cash at Maya Bay or Bamboo Island when it is not included. The park's own page on Thai National Parks lists ฿200 and ฿100 park-wide.
- Included on private tours: usually a snorkel mask, life jacket, water and fruit. Fins may be a paid extra.
- Often extra: lunch, hotel pickup from outlying beaches and the park fee.
- Sunscreen: Thailand bans filters such as oxybenzone and octinoxate in marine parks, with fines of up to ฿100,000, says Khaosod English.
Best Time for Phi Phi Island Hopping: Season and Departure
Seas for Phi Phi island hopping are calmest from November to April, and Phuket 101 says December and January are the busiest months. May to October brings fewer crowds but occasional rain and rougher water, and some speedboat departures may be cancelled in the monsoon.
Time of day matters as much as the month. Phuket 101 suggests a sunrise tour, an early start or a late-afternoon trip to beat the day-trip crowds, and says sunset tours run the itinerary in reverse and tend to be calmer because the morning rush has left. If you can, sleep on Phi Phi, because the author says the islands feel like a different place without the day-trippers.
In August and September Maya Bay is closed, and the private listing says the captain will shift the route, for example to Loh Moo Dee beach, and may pass in front of the bay if the weather allows. Our guide to the best time to visit Phi Phi explains the seasons in more detail.
Phi Phi Island Hopping Tours to Book: Private Longtail or Full-Day Speedboat
These two GetYourGuide listings suit different travelers. The first is a private longtail from Ton Sai for people already on the island, and the second is a shared speedboat day trip for people staying in Phuket.
Phi Phi Islands: Private Longtail Tour, 4 to 7 Hours
A private longtail with a local captain and your choice of 4, 6 or 7 hour routes, with stops at Monkey Beach, Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah Bay and Maya Bay, plus Phi Phi Don beaches or Bamboo Island on the longer options.
Check on the listing before you book
- Meets at McDonald's on Phi Phi, near Ton Sai
- Snorkel mask, life jacket, fruit and water included
- Park fee of ฿400 is paid in cash
Powered by GetYourGuide. Price, duration and availability depend on your date.
The listing is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 199 reviews, with 4.7 for the guide and 4.6 for value, and it showed a price from about €133 for a group of up to two. Reviewers praise friendly captains who take photos and let them choose how long to stay at each stop.
The listing contradicts itself on the park fee and on pickups, so confirm both: its description says the ฿400 fee is not included and must be paid in cash, yet its included list names it, and it says it picks up only from hotels on Phi Phi, with a charge for outlying beaches such as Long Beach. It excludes pregnant women, people with back problems, wheelchair users, people prone to seasickness and people over 70.
Phi Phi and Bamboo Islands: Speedboat Snorkeling Tour From Phuket
A 10-hour shared speedboat tour from Royal Phuket Marina with Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don and 70 minutes on Bamboo Island.
Check on the listing before you book
- Pickup from Phuket hotels and park entry fee included
- Buffet lunch, snorkel gear and fins, life jackets
- Two snorkeling sessions and paddleboards
Powered by GetYourGuide. Price, duration and availability depend on your date.
This listing is rated 5.0 out of 5, but from only three reviews, so treat the score with caution. It showed a price from about €98 on the page we checked, and itinerary and times can change with tide and weather.
Phi Phi Island Hopping FAQ
How long does Phi Phi island hopping take?
A private longtail trip takes 3 to 7 hours, and a shared day tour from Phuket takes about 8 to 10 hours, including the boat ride.
How much does Phi Phi island hopping cost?
Phuket 101 quotes about ฿1,500 to ฿3,000 per person for a shared speedboat tour or a private longtail from Phi Phi Don. Private longtails are priced per boat, so the price per person drops with a bigger group.
Is the national park fee included?
On most Phuket day tours it is, but on many private longtail trips you pay the ฿400 adult fee in cash at Maya Bay or Bamboo Island. Ask before you pay.
Is Maya Bay open for Phi Phi island hopping?
Maya Bay is open from October to July and closed in August and September. Swimming is banned all year and you can only wade.
Can you do Phi Phi island hopping on your own?
Yes. Boat operators in Ton Sai rent private longtails, and you can also book one online. Agree the route, the duration and the park fee before you leave.
What is the Phi Phi pirate boat?
It is a branded party-style tour that leaves at noon from Pirate Bar on Phi Phi and lasts 7 hours, with snorkeling and optional paddleboarding or kayaking.
What should you bring?
Sunscreen without the banned filters, a hat, a towel, a dry bag, cash for the park fee and seasickness tablets if you need them.
Ready to plan your Phi Phi island hopping day?
Check dates, start times and the price for a private longtail tour from Ton Sai.
Photo credits: Loh Samah Bay by Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Pileh Lagoon by Vincent (public domain, Wikimedia Commons); Viking Cave by JULIANISME (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Longtails of Krabi by Brandon Minieri (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons). Tour photos: GetYourGuide.
Disclosure: InsideSamui may earn a commission when you book through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This guide is compiled from published park, operator and traveler information, checked on 30 October 2026. We have not run these trips ourselves for this page. Prices, schedules, fees and rules around Koh Phi Phi change often, so confirm with your operator before you travel. Tour bookings are handled by GetYourGuide.