Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The two Phi Phi day trips we book run ฿3,900 and ฿5,310 per person — and the difference between them is not the destination. Every tour visits the same islands: Maya Bay, the Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, a snorkelling stop. What you are actually buying as the price rises is group size, departure time and what is already in the price. The market goes cheaper (shared boats from about ฿1,800) and higher (private charters), and we will be plain about which of those we sell. This guide breaks the ladder down step by step, with the two things nobody mentions until you are there: the national park fee, and the fact that Maya Bay closes every August and September.
The price ladder, step by step
Cheaper on the market — from about ฿1,800, but not from us
The market floor is a seven-hour shared speedboat: the Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay, a snorkelling stop and lunch, on a fixed schedule with a full group. What you buy at that price is access, not space — a big boat, a set timetable, Maya Bay at the hour everyone else arrives. It is a fair trade if budget is the constraint, but it is not a small-group experience, and a seller who calls it one at this price is overselling. We do not list this budget tier yet — our floor is the ฿3,900 tour below; if you want the rock-bottom seat, ask and we will point you to a reputable operator.
The buffet cruise — a market step up, around ฿2,500
Between the shared boat and our operator tours, the market has a cruise-ferry option around ฿2,500: comfort rather than exclusivity, hotel pickup, the Maya Bay → Pileh Lagoon → Viking Cave route, snorkelling and a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don. Smoother ride, more deck space, still a large boat. Also not in our line-up yet — ask us if it is the day you want.
฿3,900 — the operator with its own pier
The Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Bamboo Island speedboat tour costs ฿3,900 per adult and ฿2,400 per child aged 4–12, for a full day with a group capped at 35. Round-trip hotel transfer, buffet lunch, an English-speaking guide, snorkelling equipment and fruit and drinks on board are included; the national park fee of ฿400 adult / ฿200 child is paid separately on the day. Pickup runs 07:15–08:00, the boat leaves the operator's own pier at 09:00, and you are back by about 16:30. It adds Bamboo Island and the Emerald (Pileh) Lagoon to the standard route.
฿5,310 — small group, and Maya Bay before the crowds
The Phi Phi sunrise small-group tour is a genuinely different day: departure at 06:00 from Boat Lagoon Marina, at Maya Bay around 07:15 — before the day boats arrive — and a maximum of 18 guests. It is all-inclusive in the literal sense: the national park fees are already in the price, along with hotel pickup, light breakfast, buffet lunch, drinks and snorkelling gear. So the real gap to the ฿3,900 tour is smaller than the headline suggests: ฿4,300 all-in against ฿5,310 all-in, because the park fee you would pay anyway is already counted on one side and not the other.
Above our ladder — the private speedboat
The Phuket market also charters private speedboats to Phi Phi — up to about 20 guests, eight hours, your own route and timing, crew and gear included, from roughly ฿48,000 per boat before transfer and park fees. From eight to ten guests the maths beats buying premium seats one by one, and it is the only way to set your own Maya Bay hour. We do not list a private Phi Phi charter yet — tell us your group and dates and we will quote.
So what actually differs between a budget market seat and our ฿3,900 tour?
Four things, and none of them is the islands:
- Group size. A budget boat runs full; the ฿3,900 tour caps at 35; the ฿5,310 tour caps at 18.
- Who runs the boat. At the bottom of the market you are often booking through a reseller who puts you on somebody else's boat. Both mid-ladder tours here are run by operators with their own piers and their own fleets — which is why the schedule is theirs to keep.
- What is included. Cheap tours quote the seat; transfer, lunch, gear and the park fee may all be extra. Check the line «national park fee» specifically — it is ฿400 per adult and it is not optional.
- Departure time. This is the one that changes the day. Everyone reaches Maya Bay between 10:00 and 14:00 except the early boats, and Maya Bay at 07:15 versus 11:00 is not the same place.
The photo above is Maya Bay in the middle of a high-season day. The empty version at the top of this page is the same beach a couple of hours earlier. Both are real; which one you get is decided by what time your boat leaves.
Maya Bay: the closure nobody warns you about
Maya Bay is closed every year in August and September for ecological recovery. Tours still run in those months — they substitute Bamboo Island — but if the bay itself is the reason you are going, do not book an August trip expecting to see it. For the rest of the year access is regulated: boats moor on the far side and walk in, swimming in the bay is restricted, and time ashore is limited. It is still worth it; it is just not the empty beach from the film.
What a Phi Phi day actually includes
| Step | Price | Group | Park fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat, operator's own pier | ฿3,900 adult / ฿2,400 child | up to 35 | ฿400 / ฿200 extra |
| Small-group sunrise | from ฿5,310/person | up to 18 | included |
Compare the live options on the Phuket boat tours page. Booking goes direct with the operator in WhatsApp — operator prices, no aggregator markup.
Phi Phi or somewhere else?
If you have one sea day and want beaches and snorkelling, Phi Phi is the right call. If you would rather have scenery and sea caves, James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay at ฿4,500 is the sheltered alternative that also runs better in the rainy months — we compare them stop by stop in Phi Phi vs James Bond. If you dive and travel between 15 October and 15 May, the Similan Islands have clearly better water — from ฿4,900 plus a ฿700 park fee.
Practical notes
Bring cash for the park fee unless it is explicitly included. Take the earliest departure you can afford — it is the single biggest difference in how the day feels. Seas are calmest November to April; in the May–October green season Phi Phi trips still run most days, but a sheltered Phang Nga route is the safer booking. And if a storm cancels your date, operators reschedule or refund on their own terms, stated on each tour card.
Where this fits
Phi Phi is one direction out of Phuket. Our what-to-see-in-Phuket guide puts it next to Phang Nga Bay, the coral islands and the land shortlist; if you dive and travel between 15 October and 15 May, the Similan Islands have clearly better water.
Booking
Every step of this ladder is bookable through us at the operator's own price, with no aggregator markup. Tell us your dates and group size in WhatsApp and we will say which boats actually have space that week — including whether an early departure is still available.
FAQ
How much is a Phi Phi tour from Phuket?
The two Phi Phi tours we book are ฿3,900 (operator with its own pier) and ฿5,310 (small-group sunrise) per person. The market runs cheaper — shared boats from about ฿1,800 — and higher, private charters from around ฿48,000 per boat, but those are not in our line-up yet.
What is the difference between a budget market seat and our ฿3,900 Phi Phi tour?
Group size, who runs the boat, what is included and departure time — not the islands. The ฿3,900 tour caps at 35 guests, runs from the operator's own pier and includes transfer, lunch, guide and gear; the park fee stays extra at ฿400.
Is Maya Bay open?
Maya Bay closes every August and September for ecological recovery; tours substitute Bamboo Island in those months. The rest of the year it is open with regulated access — boats moor on the far side and time ashore is limited.
Is the national park fee included?
Usually not. Budget and mid-range tours charge ฿400 per adult and ฿200 per child on the day, in cash. The ฿5,310 small-group tour includes park fees, so compared all-in the steps are ฿4,300 against ฿5,310 — a smaller gap than the headline prices suggest.
Which Phi Phi tour avoids the crowds?
The early ones. A 06:00 departure reaches Maya Bay around 07:15, before the day boats; standard tours arrive between 10:00 and 14:00. Small-group tours also cap at 18 guests instead of 35 or a full boat.
Is a private boat to Phi Phi worth it?
From about eight to ten guests, yes: a private charter (market rate around ฿48,000 per boat for up to 20) costs less per head than premium seats and lets you set your own timing. We do not list one yet — ask us for a quote. Below that group size, our small-group tour is better value.
Phi Phi or James Bond Island?
Phi Phi for beaches and snorkelling; James Bond Island for karst scenery and canoeing through sea caves. Phang Nga Bay is sheltered, so it is the more reliable choice during the May–October green season.
How long does a Phi Phi day trip take?
About eight hours on the water plus transfers. Standard tours pick up at 07:15–08:00 and return by 16:30; sunrise tours start at 06:00. Phi Phi is roughly 45 kilometres from Phuket, under an hour by speedboat.
Updated: {дата публикации}. Prices are operator prices as of August 2026; check the tour card for current rates.
