Phi Phi sits about 45 km out to sea from the Krabi coast, and there is no bridge or flight, so everyone crosses by boat. What changes is whether you come back the same evening. A day tour collects you from your hotel, runs you round Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island and drops you home again. A ferry or speedboat transfer simply carries you, and your bags, to Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don. For a day out, the Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch is the tour we suggest first: free pickup in Ao Nang, Krabi Town, Klong Muang and Ao Nam Mao, a buffet lunch, 9:00 to 17:00 on the water, and $50 per person on the dates we checked in early November 2026. Our review →
Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch
The three ways across
| Way | Leaves from | Crossing | Price checked Nov 2026 | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day tour by speedboat | Ao Nang side (Nopparat Thara pier or Ao Nang beach), hotel pickup | About 45 to 60 min | From $47 per person, plus park fee | A day out, back in your Krabi hotel at night |
| Ferry | Klong Jilad pier, Krabi Town | About 2 hours | $15 | Staying on Phi Phi, travelling with luggage |
| Speedboat transfer | Ao Nang side, with a stop at Railay | 50 to 70 min | $30 | Staying on Phi Phi, short on time |
Day tour or transfer?
Decide this first, because the two don’t mix. Day tours do not take luggage: Sea Eagle’s Phi Phi speedboat tour, the early birds and the sunset tours all list “luggage or large bags” as not allowed. A transfer, on the other hand, drops you at Tonsai Pier and that is all. Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon are on Phi Phi Leh, the smaller island to the south, so from Tonsai you would still need a separate boat trip to see them.
If you are sleeping in Krabi, take a tour. If you are moving to Phi Phi for a few nights, take a ferry or speedboat over and book your sightseeing from the island.
From Ao Nang
Almost every Phi Phi tour from Krabi starts on the Ao Nang side, so this is the easiest base. The vans collect you from your hotel and take you to Nopparat Thara pier, at the western end of Nopparat Thara beach just north of town, or to Ao Nang beach itself. The Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch checks in at an office next to Burger King in Ao Nang and leaves from the beach. From there the speedboat crossing takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
For a one-way trip there are three bookable options. The Ao Nang to Phi Phi Speedboat Transfer ($30, 4.6 from 210 reviews) sails at 10:30 and 15:00, calls at Railay and reaches Tonsai at 11:40 or 16:10; hotel transfer within Ao Nang is included. The Speedboat Transfer between Ao Nang and Phi Phi ($49, 4.2 from 45 reviews) includes a van from Ao Nang hotels and takes about 50 minutes. The slower Ao Nang to Phi Phi Ferry ($28) leaves Nopparat Thara pier after an 08:00 to 09:00 hotel pickup and takes about 2 hours, though it has only 9 reviews so far. Our Ao Nang to Phi Phi page compares them, and the Ao Nang tour page covers the day trips.
From Krabi Town
Krabi Town has the main ferry pier, Klong Jilad, and the cheapest crossing. The Krabi to Phi Phi Ferry (Klong Jilad) from Andaman Wave Master was $15 on 8 November 2026, or about $19 with hotel pickup. It runs twice a day, takes about 2 hours (the listing allows 1.5 to 3 depending on the sea), and has an air-conditioned cabin, a sundeck and room for luggage. Seatran Discovery’s Krabi Ferry Transfer to Phi Phi Don costs the same and asks you to check in 30 minutes before departure. Details are on our Krabi to Phi Phi ferry page.
For a day tour from Krabi Town, the boats still leave from the Ao Nang side, about 28 km away by road, so the pickup comes earlier. The Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch collects in Krabi Town for free. The Maya Bay, Bamboo & Phi Phi Day Tour adds THB 100 per person for Krabi Town, Klong Muang or Tubkaek, and the Sea Eagle tours do not collect near the airport, the bus terminal or Krabi Old Town.
From Railay
Railay has no road, so nobody picks you up by van. Railay guests board the tour boat by the floating pier at Railay East, where the speedboat stops on its way out from Ao Nang. That works on the Sea Eagle tour, the Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands (at about 07:00) and the Private Phi Phi Speedboat Charter. The sunset, BBQ and plankton tour and the sunrise shark tour do not stop at Railay.
For a one-way trip, the Railay to Phi Phi Speedboat Transfer takes about 40 minutes from Railay East pier and cost $30 on 8 November 2026. There is no hotel transfer on Railay, so walk your bags to the pier. West Railay has no pier at all; boats there land on the sand and you wade. Our Railay page has the details.
From Krabi Airport
Krabi Airport is about 25 km from Ao Nang, a 30 to 45 minute taxi ride (up to an hour in traffic). No day tour we review picks up at the airport, so the usual plan is to fly in, sleep in Ao Nang or Krabi Town, and do the trip the next morning.
To go straight to Phi Phi with bags, take a taxi to Klong Jilad pier and catch the ferry, or book the Ao Nang speedboat transfer and pay its surcharge for an airport pickup. A combined Krabi Airport to Phi Phi transfer and ferry ticket was $45 on the dates we checked; it allows one suitcase and one carry-on each, but it is a new listing with no reviews yet. Allow for the last sailing of the day when you choose your flight.
Fees you pay on the way
On a day tour, the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park fee is extra on almost every listing: 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, usually paid in cash to the guide. The one exception among the tours we review is the Semi-Private Phi Phi & Early Maya Bay, which includes it.
If you land at Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don, expect a small local charge of about 20 THB per person, paid at a desk at the end of the pier. The Klong Jilad ferry listing names it as not included. Keep some baht in small notes for both. The price guide adds up a full day.
Sea conditions and the season
November to April is the drier season on the Andaman coast and the sea is usually calmer; from about May to October the southwest monsoon brings rougher water. Boats can run late, slow down or be cancelled in bad weather, and the Ao Nang speedboat listing warns that its timetable can change in a storm.
A speedboat on a choppy day is a hard, bumpy ride, and most operators advise against it in pregnancy or with back problems. If that applies to you, the ferry is the gentler option for a transfer. Our best time guide covers the months.
Which way I would choose
Staying in Ao Nang for a few days, I would book a day tour: the Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch at $50, or the early bird at $79 for an earlier start at Maya Bay (is it worth the extra?). Moving to Phi Phi with a suitcase, I would take the Krabi Town ferry and accept the two hours, unless I was already in Ao Nang or Railay, where the speedboat transfer saves the drive to Klong Jilad. Our ferry or speedboat guide goes into that choice, and which tour to book compares the day trips. To see dates for the featured tour, check availability.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Phi Phi Island from Krabi as a day trip?
Yes. Day tours from Krabi run about 7 to 9 hours with hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Krabi Town, Klong Muang and nearby areas, and they visit Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island. Prices started at $47 per person on the dates we checked in November 2026, plus the park fee.
How long does it take to get from Krabi to Phi Phi?
About 45 to 60 minutes by speedboat from the Ao Nang side, and about 2 hours by ferry from Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town. Add the hotel pickup, which can mean leaving well before the boat does.
What is the cheapest way from Krabi to Phi Phi?
The ferry from Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town, at $15 per person on 8 November 2026. You get to the pier yourself unless you book the pickup option, and the 20 THB Tonsai Pier charge is extra.
Can I bring luggage on a Phi Phi day tour?
No. Day tours list luggage and large bags as not allowed. If you are moving to Phi Phi, take the ferry, which has room for luggage, or a speedboat transfer.
How do I get from Krabi Airport to Phi Phi?
Take a taxi to Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town and catch the ferry, or book a transfer that includes the airport pickup. Day tours do not collect from the airport, so most people spend the first night in Ao Nang or Krabi Town.
Pick your Phi Phi day and check the boat
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on the tours we review. The national park fee (400 THB per adult) is usually paid in cash on the day.
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