Visit the beautiful Koh Phi Phi: A complete travel guide

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After visiting the beautiful island of Koh Phi Phi twice, in 2022 and 2026, I’ve put together a handy guide for everything you need to know about visiting Koh Phi Phi.

In this post, I’ll cover some of the best things to do on Koh Phi Phi. I’ll also share practical information to help you plan your trip, such as how to get to Koh Phi Phi and where are the best areas to stay on Phi Phi island.

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Koh Phi Phi: At a glance

Budget accommodation: Blue Flow Hostel, The One Hostel, Blu Monkey hotel, City hostel .

Mid-range accommodation: Phi Phi Indigo Hotel, PP Casita Hotel, Phi Phi Harbour View Hotel

Luxury accommodation: Phi Phi CoCo Beach Resort, Phi Phi Holiday Resort, SAii Phi Phi Island Village

Best things to do: Hike to Phi Phi Viewpoint, or book a Half Day and Sunset Island Hopping Tour

Hoe to get to Koh Phi Phi: Regular speedboats and larger ferry boats connect Phi Phi with popular destinations such as Krabi, Phuket and Ko Lanta. Book the larger ferry boat for a smoother, more comfortable journey.

Visit the beautiful Koh Phi Phi: A complete travel guide

Before we dive into some of the best things to see and do on the island of Phi Phi, let’s cover some key details to help you plan your trip to Koh Phi Phi…

Where is Koh Phi Phi?

If you are planning a trip to Thailand, you have probably heard about Koh Phi Phi. The Phi Phi islands are actually an archipelago made up of six smaller islands, although most people only really know Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Leh. Phi Phi Don is the largest island in the archipelago and the only inhabited island of the 6. Therefore when people say they are going to ‘Phi Phi’, they mean Koh Phi Phi Don.

Despite its small size, Phi Phi Don is one of the most popular islands to visit, especially for backpackers. The island sits between Phuket, Krabi and Ko Lanta in the stunning Andaman Sea. The convenient location and good ferry links makes it a great addition to any Thailand itinerary, especially if you are travelling around the south of Thailand.

Even though the official name is Koh Phi Phi Don, most people, even locals drop the ‘Don’.

How long do you need on Koh Phi Phi?

Many tourists visit Koh Phi Phi on a daytrip from Krabi or Phuket. However, you really don’t get much time to spend on the island, as it is usually used as a lunch stop.

I would really recommend spending a couple of nights here. Three or four nights is a good amount of time to spend on Phi Phi. This gives you time to do a couple of activities, enjoy the beach and nightlife. Of course you could spend less time if your itinerary is tight, and if you wanted to, you could do the main activities with just two nights here.

How to get to Koh Phi Phi?

Koh Phi Phi is one of the most visited islands in the south of Thailand and therefore reaching it is very easy with many routes from the mainland and neighboring islands.

By speedboat – The fastest way to get to Koh Phi Phi is by Speedboat and there are numerous operators to choose from. Speedboats are definitely faster but they are more bumpy and can be more expensive. If you prefer to get there quick, book your speedboat here.

By big boat (ferry) – The alternative option is to go by ferry, although this does depend on where you are coming from. I travelled by ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi and although it did take twice as long as the speedboat (the journey from Phuket to Phi Phi by ferry is around 2-2.5 hours), it was really smooth and comfortable. If you are prone to seasickness, then I would recommend getting the ferry if you can. Book your ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi here.

I also travelled by big boat from Phi Phi to Ko Lanta, which again was really smooth and only took 1 hour. Book your ferry between Phi Phi and Ko Lanta here.

Tips for getting to Koh Phi Phi

If you are travelling in peak season (December- February) and need to travel on a specific day, I would recommend that you book your boat tickets in advance. I always use 12go to do this. I have the 12go app, but I always try to print the tickets in advance as well. When you get to the ferry terminal, you’ll swap your printed ticket for some kind of boarding card and a sticker. (If you’ve travelled in Thailand before, you’ll know how much they love a sticker!)

If you are flexible with your dates, you can book with your hotel/hostel, through a tour company, or at the ferry terminal.

When you arrive at Ton Sai pier on Koh Phi Phi, you’ll need to pay 20thb entry fee per person, which goes towards painting and caring for the environment on the island, so have this ready.

Most of Phi Phi Don is pedestrianised so you will have to either walk to tour accommodation or travel by long tail boat. If your accommodation is in Long Beach, or further away on the island, check if they offer a complimentary boat transfer as many do. There will be lots of other people offering taxi boats to Long Beach, and some have the names of the hotels and resorts listed, so it can be confusing, but these are paid transfers. If your hotel had a complimentary service, look for a sign with only your resort name and / or logo.

Where is the best area to stay on Koh Phi Phi Don?

Phi Phi Don may be small but due to the island’s landscape, choosing where you stay is important.

Ton Sai

The area around Ton Sai Pier is very busy. It can feel a bit hectic when you first arrive on the island, but as soon as you walk a hundred metres or so away from the pier, it quickly calms down.

This area is mostly made up of cafes, shops and your companies, however there are a few hotels in this area. If you want a larger resort type hotel with a pool, there is the Phi Phi Harbour View Hotel with a gorgeous rooftop pool, as well as the Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel with sea views.

For something a little more budget friendly, check out the Blue Flow Hostel or By the Beach Hostel.

Just note that it can get busy and Ton Sai Beach is not the nicest beach due to the amount of boats in the water. However, you are only a short walk away from Loh Dalum beach.

Loh Dalum beach

Directly opposite Ton Sai is Loh Dalum beach. This beach, although still busy, feels much calmer with fewer boats and no shops directly on the beach.

There are some higher priced hotel resorts at the far end of the beach, such as the Phi Phi CoCo Beach Resort, but on the other side of the beach, past the beach bars, you’ll find more affordable options such as The One Hostel. Just note that this end of the beach is very lively at night, with parties on the beach bars so it can get quite noisy.

Centre / inland

The area that is often considered the ‘main town centre’ of Phi Phi Don is basically the trainable shape between Loh Dalum, Ton Sai and Long Beach.

This area is packed with restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and other services and facilities. This is the best area to stay if you want to be in the thick of it. On a previous visit, I stayed at the Phi Phi Indigo Hotel. It can get noisy at night, but if you don’t mind that, it is a lovely little hotel.

This area offers a lot more affordable options, and there are several hostels here such as the popular Blu Monkey hotel and the City hostel. You can also find some mid range hotels such as the PP Casita Hotel with a small outdoor pool.

Long Beach

If you’re looking for a bit of tranquility, with a jungle feel, and great beaches, (and are not on a tight budget) then Long beach could be a great option for you.

Viking Nature Resort sits along the jungle path between Ton Sai pier and Long Beach, so is a good option if you don’t want to be too far away.

On Long Beach there are several resorts to choose from including the gorgeous Phi Phi Holiday Resort. During the day, if you are active, you can walk the jungle path into town, or if you prefer (or at night), you can get a longtail taxi boat between Ton Sai pier and Long Beach for about 200thb per person. Some hotels may offer complimentary taxi boats, but it is best to check first.

Top tip: If you don’t want to be in the center of Phi Phi, but feel that Long Beach is a bit too far out, go for accommodation just off Ton Dai Beach Road, such as the luxury beachfront Andaman Resort or the Phi Phi Villa Resort

Loh Ba Kao Bay / Loh Lana Bay

For the ultimate peace and relaxation, stay on the Northern side of the island around Loh Ba Kao Bay or Near Loh Lana Bay. Here, you will find luxurious resorts nestled in the hills. Getting to these resorts is not easy and your accommodation should offer transfers from Ton Sai Pier but if you are craving a quiet break, then this could be the area for you. For ultimate luxury, stay at the SAii Phi Phi Island Village, or the Phi Phi Phu Chalet Resort.

Best things to do on Koh Phi Phi

For a small island, there is quite a lot that you can do on Koh Phi Phi in a few days. Whether you want to relax on the beach or by the pool, go for a short hike or spend the say out at sea. Here are some of the best things to see and do during your stay on Koh Phi Phi…

Join a diving or snorkelling trip

Almost every tropical destination we travel to, I end up booking some kind of snorkelling tour. I just love it. And I was lucky enough to get some great snorkelling on the trip I took from Koh Phi Phi. There are lots of snorkel spots around the Phi Phi Islands, including Shark Point where you can spot small black tip reef sharks.

You can book a snorkel tour directly with your accommodation or at any one of the tour companies on the island. They all pretty much offer the same itinerary, with full and half day tours. We did this popular Half Day and Sunset Tour, which stops at Monkey Beach, Bamboo island, Shark point, Phi Lei bay and Maya Bay.

You can read my full review of this tour, with my honest opinions of each stop, on my blog post, here.

If you prefer to get out deeper and away from the snorkel boats, there are a couple of diving schools offering day trips and live-a-boards as well, like this Half day Scuba Dive Trip.

Relax on a sightseeing boat trip

If you are not confident in open water, or just prefer to enjoy the beautiful surroundings from the boat, rather than getting in and snorkelling, there are lots of trips which are more sightseeing trips and don’t involve any snorkel stops.

If you don’t fancy a full day out on the water, or are short on time, there are also lots of shorter tours, which don’t include any snorkel stops or lunch, like this Early Morning Sunrise Tour.

Visit Maya Bay

Maya Bay gained notoriety after featuring in 90’s cult film ‘The Beach’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The picturesque white sand bay is now a conversation area and a nursery for baby reef sharks.

Whilst you can’t go in the water, it is pretty to visit. Most tours will stop at Maya Bay. Just be aware that this is a very busy and touristic spot. I would recommend visiting early morning or last thing at the end of the day before it closes.

Hire a private long tail boat

If you want some privacy or prefer to tailor your trip out on the water, the best way to do this is to hire a longtail boat for the day. Prices will vary depending on duration, where you are going and how many people you have in your group. Just remember to negotiate and agree on the process before setting off. If you prefer, you can also book a private longtail boat in advance.

Walk to Viking beach and Long beach

One of the best free things to do on Phi Phi Don is to walk to Viking Beach and Long Beach. It is an easy walk from the centre of town following these steps…

From the Ton Sai Pier, turn right and follow the Ton Sai road (path) out of town. Once you reach the cemetery on the corner, turn right, following the sign for ‘Hippies bar’.
The path continues until you reach the Andaman Resort. You will then need to walk about 100m on the beach to Phi Phi Bayview Resort.
On the far side of the Bayview Resort reception there are some steps, take these steps and then follow the path.
The path will take you through the Bayview Resort villas before arriving at a small beach with a shack selling drinks.
Stay here, or continue on by taking the path into the jungle to Viking Beach. This is a restaurant at Viking Beach Resort if you want to stay here, although note that this small beach can get busy with Resort guests.

To continue walking further to Long Beach…

keep following the path through the jungle and past the resorts. The path is concrete and is easy to follow for the most part until the final descent to the beach where you will have to scramble down a steep verge. There is a rope to help you and I managed it in flimsy flip flops, just take your time.
After navigating the climb down, you’ll arrive at the beautiful golden stretch of sandy beach that is Long Beach.

There are toilets, a minimart and a restaurant at Long beach. Bring your snorkel as there are lots of fish to be seen in the water here. You can also rent canoes from the beach. Be careful of leaving your valuables lying around, especially if you have food as monkeys will come down from the trees and search bags for food!

The walk from Ton Sai Pier to Long Beach will take about 40 minutes but it is a mostly shaded walk and you can take stops along the way. However, if you would rather not walk, you can take a longtail taxi for about 200thb per adult each way.

Relax at Loh Dalum beach

Loh Dalum beach is on the opposite side of Ton Sai Pier. If you are planning a beach day and want to stay in the centre of Phi Phi, rather than go to Long Beach, I would recommend avoiding Ton Sai beach as it gets quite polluted with all the boats pulling into the pier. It is also noisy and not very relaxing. Loh Dalum is the better option out of the two and you can easily reach Loh Dalum beach from the pier. There are plenty of places around the beach to get a drink or snack. The water at Loh Dalum beach is calm and shallow, it is also a nice spot to take an evening dip.

In the evening, Loh Dalum beach turns into a lively spot. The popular Freedom Beach bar has almost nightly fire shows with loud music and a party atmosphere. Even if you don’t want to go to the bar, bringing some drinks and a takeaway Pad Thai to the beach to soak up the atmosphere is a fun way to spend the evening.

Rent a kayak from Loh Dalum beach

At Loh Dalum Pier, you can rent kayaks for around 200thb for an hour. There are also stand up paddle boards available for hire. If you want to kayak, I would recommend going at high tide as the water can be shallow here. As you are in a bay, the water is pretty calm for kayaking, so it is a good spot for beginners.

Walk to Phi Phi viewpoint

This is one of the most popular things to do on Koh Phi Phi. The walk itself is not particularly challenging, however, in the heat, it can feel hard work if you are not used to walking uphill very often!

The walk takes around 30-40 minutes to get to the main viewpoint (viewpoint 2). The views are definitely worth the uphill stroll. Entry is 50thb per person, which is payable in cash at the entrance to viewpoint 1. There are toilets at both viewpoints 1 and 2. Take your own snacks, or buy them at the cafe or shop when you arrive to enjoy the view.

For more information on how to get to the Phi Phi viewpoint, read this guide.
And… if you enjoy hiking, you might also want to check out my post on 10 unmissable hikes in Thailand.

Browse the shops

For a small island, there are a surprisingly good amount of shops and market stalls on Koh Phi Phi. You can get all the usual beachwear and souvenirs as well as some really lovely crafts and homeware from some of the shops close to the pier road.

Get a tatoo

I personally don’t have a tattoo but there are a ridiculous amount of tattoo shops on Phi Phi island, so you can really shop around here if getting a tattoo is on your travel bucket list, or you want to add to your collection.

Make sure to discuss price beforehand, as well as after care details and of course, check the hygiene standards. As there are so many options in Phi Phi, you can also check reviews to find the best one for you.

Treat yourself to a massage

One of the best things to do wherever you are in Thailand is to get a massage. They are just so good and so affordable compared to western prices. There are so many places that offer the full range of massages, from the more local shops to the boujee salon/spas. All are roughly the same price, which starts from around 400thb for a one hour Thai massage.

Indulge in a beauty treatment

As well as massages, there are several places on Phi Phi where you can get beauty treatments, such as a Gel nail manicure or a Blow dry. You can even get a mineral IV drip treatment if you have been partying too hard and are in need of a vitamin boost!

For a small island, there really is everything on offer!

Watch a fire show at night

Have you even been to Thailand if you haven’t watched a fire show?!

Freedom beach bar on Loh Dalum beach is the main place to watch a fire show. It gets really quite popular here in the evening, especially with travellers and backpackers as it is quite a lively and budget-friendly bar.

If you are looking for something less busy, over on Ton Sai beach is Carlitos cocktail bar which holds a fire show late evening.

Enjoy the food

There are lots of restaurants and cafes on Phi Phi. You’ll of course find delicious local dishes in all the restaurants, but there are also several more western style restaurants and cafes that wouldn’t be out of place on a UK high street.

There is not a street food market on Phi Phi like there are in so many other places but there are several local restaurants in the centre, surrounded by the local fresh market if you are craving that market style feel.