How to get to Koh Phi Phi

From Phuket

Phuket is the busiest route and runs in every month of the year. Boats leave from Rassada Pier on the east side of Phuket Town, about 45 minutes by taxi from the airport and 20 minutes from Patong. Ferries take about two hours, speedboats about one hour, and there are departures through the morning and early afternoon, roughly from 08:00 to 15:00.

The big ferries are the cheapest and the steadiest, recently about ฿450 to ฿700 one way. Speedboats cost more, about ฿700 to ฿1,000, and get bumpy when the sea is up. Most tickets can be bought with a hotel pickup in Phuket included, which saves the taxi to the pier. Andaman Wave Master, Chaokoh, Phi Phi Cruiser and Bundhaya are the names you will see most.

If you fly into Phuket in the morning you can be on the island the same afternoon. The last boats leave Rassada around 14:30 to 15:00, so a late flight means a night in Phuket.

From Krabi and Ao Nang

From Krabi Town the boats leave Klong Jilad Pier, about 4 km from the centre. The ferry takes about two hours and speedboats about one, several times a day from around 08:00 to 15:00. Recent fares are about ฿400 to ฿500 for the ferry and ฿700 to ฿900 for a speedboat. Krabi airport is about 30 minutes from the pier.

From Ao Nang the ferries leave Nopparat Thara Pier and usually call at Railay on the way, which adds a few minutes. Count about two hours by ferry and about one hour by speedboat. Ao Nang is the better start if you are staying on that side of Krabi.

From Koh Lanta

Boats leave Saladan Pier in the north of Koh Lanta. The ferry takes about one hour and the speedboats 30 to 45 minutes. In high season, roughly November to April, there are several departures a day. In the rainy months the direct boat often stops and you go via Krabi instead, so check the dates before you plan a Lanta to Phi Phi hop in the summer.

The same boats continue south in season: Phi Phi, Lanta, Koh Ngai, Koh Mook, Koh Kradan, Koh Lipe. Island hopping down the Andaman coast is easy from here.

Arriving at Tonsai Pier

Every public boat ties up at Tonsai Pier on the south side of Phi Phi Don. At the gate you pay a ฿20 cleaning fee for the island. From the pier it is a flat walk of two to ten minutes to most hotels in Tonsai Village and on Loh Dalum. There are no cars and no motorbikes, only handcarts for luggage; the porters charge a small fee per bag.

Hotels on Long Beach, Loh Bagao, Laem Tong and the other beaches send a longtail or their own speedboat. Long Beach is five to ten minutes by longtail from the pier, Laem Tong about 45 minutes. A few resort boats serve Laem Tong Pier in the north directly from Phuket.

Koh Phi Phi is part of Hat Noppharat Thara Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The park fee of ฿400 for adults and ฿200 for children is collected in cash on the boat trips to Phi Phi Leh, Maya Bay and Bamboo Island, not at the pier.

Places to stay near the pier

These beds are a few minutes on foot from Tonsai Pier. Every place to stay is on Hotels on Koh Phi Phi.

• Chaokoh Dorm Room, Tonsai Village
• Dormsin, Tonsai Village
• Papaya Guest House, Tonsai Village
• Paradise Dorm Room, Tonsai Village
• P.P. Baan Thai Guesthouse, Tonsai Village
• P2 Wood Loft, Tonsai Village

Tips

• Be at the pier at least 30 minutes before departure. Boats leave on time and they leave without you.
• Plan a spare day before a flight home. In rough seas, especially from May to October, boats can be cancelled.
• Bring cash for the cleaning fee, the longtail and the park fee, see Money and ATMs.
• Timetables change with the season. More about the boats: Ferries and boats.