How far are the Phi Phi Islands from Phuket?

Phi Phi lies about 45 km southeast of Phuket. Speedboats make the crossing in 45–60 minutes from the east-coast marinas, while catamarans and big boats take around two hours each way — slower but noticeably more comfortable in choppy seas.

Is Maya Bay open, and can you swim there?

Maya Bay is open most of the year but closes for roughly two months annually — usually August and September — to let the reef recover. Even when open, swimming inside the bay is prohibited; visitors arrive via a pier at the back of the island and walk to the beach for photos.

What is not included in the tour price?

Most tours exclude the Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park fee of ฿400 per adult, payable in cash on the day. Check each listing — lunch, hotel pickup and snorkel gear are usually included, but the park fee rarely is.

Home/Destinations/Phuket/Phi Phi Islands day trip

Full day · Phuket itinerary

Phi Phi Islands Day Trip from Phuket: Maya Bay, Snorkelling & the Khai Islands

The Phi Phi Islands are Phuket's most famous day out — sheer limestone towers, the turquoise crescent of Maya Bay and some of the clearest snorkelling water in the Andaman Sea. Here is how to see Phi Phi in one full day from Phuket, with the best-rated speedboat, catamaran and Khai Islands tours to book.

At a glance

1Speedboat out to Maya Bay early
2Snorkelling at Pileh Lagoon
3Beach time & lunch on Phi Phi Don
4Khai Islands stop on the way back

Speedboat or catamaran: choose your ride

Speedboats reach Phi Phi from Phuket's east-coast marinas in about 45–60 minutes and squeeze Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, snorkel stops and lunch into one fast-moving day — group tours typically start from around $60–90 (฿2,000–3,000) with hotel pickup included. If rough water worries you or you're travelling with kids, a catamaran or big-boat cruise takes closer to two hours each way but rides far more smoothly, and premium trips cap group sizes and upgrade the food.

Maya Bay: go early and know the rules

Maya Bay, the cove made famous by The Beach, is the day's headline stop — and its busiest. Boats now dock at a pier on the back of the island and swimming inside the bay is banned to protect the recovering coral and blacktip reef sharks, so this is a walk-and-photograph visit. The bay also closes for about two months each year, typically August–September, so check dates before booking. Early-departure tours arrive well ahead of the midday crowds.

Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and the snorkel stops

Phi Phi Leh delivers the postcard scenery: Pileh Lagoon's emerald water walled in by 100-metre cliffs, a slow cruise past Viking Cave, and reef snorkelling at spots like Loh Samah Bay, where visibility regularly tops 10 metres in high season (November–April). Most itineraries then cross to the larger Phi Phi Don for a buffet lunch and beach time — mask and fins are almost always included, but bring reef-safe sunscreen.

The Khai Islands on the way home

Many speedboat routes finish at the Khai Islands — three tiny sandbar islets (Khai Nok, Khai Nui, Khai Nai) just 15–20 minutes off Phuket's east coast. The shallow, glassy water here is ideal for easy swimming and spotting darting sergeant-major fish, a relaxed final hour before the run back to the marina. If Phi Phi feels like too long a day, dedicated half-day Khai snorkel trips are a gentler alternative.