Booking choice: The classic speedboat day from Phuket with Maya Bay first, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Maya Bay sits on Ko Phi Phi Le, a small uninhabited island in Krabi province, inside a national park. Nobody sleeps there. Every visit is a boat trip, and boats reach it from three places: the marinas of Phuket, the beaches around Ao Nang in Krabi, and the pier at Tonsai on Phi Phi Don, the larger island next door.
Once you land, the rules are the same for everyone: a walk in from the pier at Loh Samah, about an hour on the beach and no swimming. What differs is everything around that hour. How long you sit on the boat, how many people share it, what time you step onto the sand, and what else the day includes. This guide sets the tours on this site side by side, using what each listing states.
The quick answer
For most visitors staying on Phuket, the best Maya Bay tour is the big speedboat day: Maya Bay as the first stop, then Pileh Lagoon, snorkelling, lunch on Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island, back by early evening. From Krabi, choose the early-bird trip with hotel pickup from about 5:50 am and a group of 30 at most. If you sleep on Phi Phi Don, take the private longtail and land at 7 am, when the bay opens. Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September; in those weeks day trips pass it by boat but cannot land.
What is the best Phi Phi Island tour?
The best tour is the one that leaves from your side of the sea and lands you at Maya Bay when you want to be there. Pick the dock first, then the clock.
The tours on this site fall into three groups. Long speedboat days leave from Phuket marinas and run 8 to 10 hours. One trip collects you from hotels around Ao Nang in Krabi before 6:30 am. And short trips leave from Phi Phi Don itself, either a shared speedboat or a private longtail, for travellers who stay on the island.
The table lists each tour with its dock, length, Maya Bay stop and group, per the listings. For the timing questions, read the best time to visit Maya Bay.
| Tour | Leaves from | Length | Maya Bay stop | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maya, Phi Phi and Bamboo Island with buffet lunch | Phuket pier, optional hotel pickup | 8 hours | First stop, 50 minutes | Speedboat, 35 to 70 passengers |
| Phi Phi Early Bird and 4 Islands | Krabi, hotel pickup in Ao Nang from 5:50 am | About 9 hours | Second stop, 1 hour | Up to 30 on board |
| Private longtail | Phi Phi Don, near McDonald's | 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours | From 7 am on the morning trip, about 1 hour | Private |
| Sunrise small-group speedboat | Boat Lagoon Marina, Phuket | 8 hours | Breakfast on the beach, 45 minutes | Small group |
| Avoid the crowds speedboat | Phi Phi Don, near McDonald's | 4 to 6.5 hours | First stop, 1 hour, before midday | Shared speedboat |
| Premium day with seaview lunch | Royal Phuket Marina | 9 hours | Last stop, 40 minutes | Shared speedboat |
| Sunset and plankton | Tonsai Pier, Phi Phi Don, 1:30 pm | 5 hours | 1 hour, late afternoon | Shared speedboat |
| Phi Phi and James Bond Island combo | Royal Phuket Marina | 10 hours | 1 hour | Shared speedboat |
Does the Phi Phi Island tour include Maya Bay?
Most Phi Phi day trips land at Maya Bay from October to July. From 1 August to 30 September the bay is closed, and boats pass it without landing.
Every tour in the table above lists a Maya Bay stop. The national park closes Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Kor Bay each year from 1 August to 30 September, to let the reef rest and because monsoon waves make the Loh Samah pier unsafe. In 2026 the bay reopened on 1 October.
During the closure, operators keep running but swap the landing for longer stops elsewhere, usually Bamboo Island. If a trip in those weeks promises a walk on Maya Bay, read its listing twice. The rules on the beach itself are in Maya Bay rules.
Which dock should I leave from?
Leave from the dock nearest your bed. Phuket means a long speedboat day, Krabi means an early pickup, and Phi Phi Don means a short hop.
From Phuket, the buffet-lunch speedboat day checks in at the pier by 08:15, crosses in about an hour and returns around 5:30 to 6 pm. Hotel pickup is an option. From Krabi, the early-bird trip collects you in Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tub Kaek between 5:50 and 6:30 am and is back at the pier around 4 pm.
From Phi Phi Don, the ride is minutes, not an hour. That is the reason to spend a night or two on the island: you can be at Maya Bay while the Phuket boats are still at sea. The options are in Maya Bay from Phi Phi Don.
Maya Bay first, then Pileh, snorkelling, lunch and Bamboo Island in one long Phuket day.
Book thisWhat time should I land at Maya Bay?
Land early or late. The first round starts at 7 am, sunrise trips arrive for breakfast, and Maya-last or sunset trips arrive as the day boats leave.
The park runs visits in rounds of up to an hour between 07:00 and 18:00, per its published rules for the season. Midday is the busiest stretch, when the long day trips overlap. The private longtail morning option lands at 7 am, and the sunrise speedboat serves breakfast on the beach after watching the sun come up at the Khai Islands.
Late arrivals work too. The premium day keeps Maya Bay for last, and the sunset trip reaches the bay in the late afternoon, then waits for sunset off Phi Phi Le.
Big speedboat, small group or private longtail?
A big speedboat is the simple choice, a small group buys calm, and a private longtail buys control of the clock. Choose by how much the timing matters to you.
The Phuket buffet-lunch day carries 35 to 70 passengers, with an English-speaking guide, lunch and a full list of stops. The Krabi trip caps the boat at 30. The sunrise trip runs as a small group and may move you to another date if fewer than 8 seats are booked.
A private longtail is slower than a speedboat and the captain speaks basic English, but the boat is yours. Choose 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours; the afternoon options add sunset and a plankton swim, and the 7-hour trip adds Bamboo Island.
Your own longtail from Phi Phi Don, on the sand at 7 am when the bay opens.
Book thisIs a Phi Phi Island tour worth it?
Yes, if you go in season and accept the rules. The cliffs, Pileh Lagoon and the snorkelling stops justify the day even with an hour on Maya Bay.
Maya Bay is the headline, but the day is longer than one beach. Pileh Lagoon is a shallow, cliff-walled inlet on the same island. Viking Cave is seen from the boat. Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island and the reef stops give you time in the water, which Maya Bay does not.
A tour is less worth it in August and September, when you cannot land. It is also a long day from Phuket: the buffet-lunch listing says it is not suitable for under-3s, over-60s, pregnancy or back and heart problems, because of speedboat bumps.
Should I book a Phi Phi Island tour in advance?
Yes, book a few days ahead in high season, especially for small groups and early departures. Cancellation terms are shown on each listing.
Small boats and sunrise departures have fewer seats, and the 7 am slot on the longtail trip is the one to book first. The Phuket buffet-lunch listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The price is shown at checkout and changes with the season; what changes it is length, lunch and group size. Check whether the national park fee is included: per the listings, the Phuket buffet-lunch day includes it only if you select that option, and the Krabi trip lists it as included but collects it in cash on the day. See the comparison for a quick overview.
Hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Maya Bay before most Phuket boats, and a group of 30 at most.
Book thisWhat should I bring on a Maya Bay day?
Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, water, a dry bag and a seasickness tablet if you need one. Wear the life jacket the crew hands you.
- Sunscreen that is reef-safe: chemical sunscreen harmful to coral is on the park's banned list.
- Water and a hat: there is little shade on a speedboat.
- Sandals or water shoes for the pier and the walk in.
- A tablet before boarding if you get seasick; speedboats bounce in open water.
- A small bag for your park ticket, which you keep for inspection.
Listen to the crew at snorkel stops, and stay with the group on the walk to the beach.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Maya Bay tour cost?
The price is shown at checkout and changes with the season; what changes it is length, lunch and group size.
Can you swim at Maya Bay?
No. Swimming is banned in the Maya Bay area. You can wade at the waterline; other stops on the day are for swimming and snorkelling.
How long do you get on Maya Bay?
About an hour on most listings; the sunrise trip lists 45 minutes and the premium day 40 minutes.
Which tour is best from Krabi?
The early-bird trip with hotel pickup from about 5:50 am, a group of 30 at most, and Maya Bay as the second stop.
Ready to book
Choose your Maya Bay tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Maya Bay, Phi Phi & Bamboo Island by Speedboat
- Maya Bay as the first stop, with about 50 minutes on the beach
- Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and a snorkel stop off Phi Phi Le
- Buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, then about an hour and a half on Bamboo Island
Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands from Krabi
- Hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tub Kaek between about 5:50 and 6:30 am
- A coffee stop at Tup Island, then about an hour at Maya Bay
- Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Bay, a snorkel stop and lunch on Bamboo Island
Private Longtail to Maya Bay & Pileh Lagoon
- A private wooden longtail boat with a local captain, for 3, 4, 6 or 7 hours
- About an hour on Maya Bay; the morning option lands at 7 am, when the bay opens
- Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Bay, Loh Samah and Viking Cave; Bamboo Island on the 7-hour trip
