Phi Phi Islands Day Trip

About this Place

The Phi Phi Islands are among the most visually dramatic destinations in all of Southeast Asia — a small archipelago of six limestone islands rising from the deep turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea between Phuket and Krabi. Their near-vertical karst cliffs, crystalline lagoons, and white-sand beaches have made them iconic, and their appearance in the 2000 film 'The Beach' (filmed at Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh) brought them global recognition. Most day trips visit both main islands. Ko Phi Phi Don is the larger inhabited island, its narrow isthmus village of Tonsai buzzing with dive shops, restaurants, and bars. Snorkelling here reveals healthy coral gardens teeming with reef fish, sea turtles, and the occasional blacktip reef shark in shallower bays. Monkey Beach — exactly as its name suggests — offers the chance to observe macaques from the boat. Viking Cave on Ko Phi Phi Leh's eastern cliffs contains ancient sea-gypsy paintings of boats and animals painted centuries ago in charcoal. Maya Bay itself was closed from 2018 to 2022 to allow the coral to recover from the damage caused by mass tourism. It has since reopened with strict visitor controls — boats now anchor at a distance and visitors wade in from a floating pier, which has significantly improved the underwater environment. Day trips depart from Rassada Pier in Phuket and take approximately 90 minutes by speedboat. Overnight stays on Ko Phi Phi Don allow visitors to experience the islands at their quietest, after the day-trip boats depart. Best visited October through April when seas are calm.