The question usually comes from people planning a first trip to the Andaman coast and wondering where to stay. The Phi Phi islands sit in the sea between Krabi and Phuket, and day trips leave from both. Administratively they belong to Krabi: they are part of a national park managed from Krabi, and the speedboats from Ao Nang reach Maya Bay in under an hour. The departure most travelers in Krabi book, the Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands by Speedboat, picks up in Ao Nang before 6:30 and is at Maya Bay early in the opening hours.
Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands
Is Phi Phi in Krabi or Phuket?
Phi Phi is in Krabi province. Phi Phi Don, where the hotels and Tonsai pier are, and Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, are both inside Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Krabi. The park’s name comes from Nopparat Thara beach, just north of Ao Nang on the Krabi mainland, which is part of the same park.
Phuket is a separate province, and many Phi Phi tours leave from there, which is where the confusion comes from. Wherever you start, you pay the same park fee: 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, usually in cash on the day.
Crossing times from each side
From Krabi, most day trips leave from Nopparat Thara pier or the beach at Ao Nang. The distance to Tonsai on Phi Phi Don is about 42 km, and the speedboat takes about 45 to 60 minutes. From Railay it is a little shorter, about 30 to 45 minutes. Ferries are slower: about 2 hours from Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town, and longer from Ao Nang beach on the bigger boats.
Phuket tours have a longer crossing to reach the same bays, so their boats tend to arrive at Maya Bay later in the day. We do not track Phuket tours on this site, so we have no departure times or prices of theirs to quote. If you are staying in Phuket, check the crossing time on the listing before you book.
Hotel pickup adds time on both sides. In Krabi, pickups run from about 05:50 for the early tours to around 9:00 for the standard ones, and the drive from Ao Nang hotels to the pier is short. Pickups from Krabi Town take longer, and some tours charge a little extra for them.
What a Krabi departure costs
On the dates we checked in early November 2026, a full-day Phi Phi speedboat tour from Krabi cost from about $47 to $50 per person, with the early-bird tours around $74 to $79 and small groups from $89. On top of that you pay the park fee in cash on nearly every tour. Lunch, snorkel gear, water and hotel pickup in the Ao Nang area are included on the shared tours.
| Tour from Krabi | Price (early Nov 2026) | Rating | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay & Bamboo Island | $47 | 4.4 (3,941 reviews) | About 7 h |
| Phi Phi Speedboat Tour with Lunch | $50 | 4.7 (1,887) | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Phi Phi Early Bird & 4 Islands | $79 | 4.9 (3,568) | About 9 h |
| Phi Phi Small Group Speedboat Tour | $89 | 4.7 (54) | About 8 h |
| Private Phi Phi Speedboat Charter | $566 per boat, up to 12 | 4.8 (41) | About 8 h |
Our price guide covers every tier and what the park fee adds.
What Krabi tours add
Because the islands near Krabi are close, many Krabi tours combine Phi Phi with stops on the way home. The Early Bird & 4 Islands starts with coffee on the Tup Island sandbar, then does Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, a snorkel stop and lunch on Bamboo Island, and finishes with Chicken Island and Ko Poda before you are back at the pier around 15:45 to 16:00.
The sunset tours work the same way. On the Phi Phi Sunset, BBQ & Plankton tour, the Phi Phi stops are in the day and the BBQ dinner, sunset and plankton swim happen near Krabi, at Ko Poda and Ko Rang, on the way back. Neither the sunset nor the plankton is at Phi Phi itself, and Maya Bay closes around 6 pm.
Railay is another reason to start from Krabi. There is no road to Railay, but several tours collect guests by boat at the Railay East floating pier, so you can do the trip without a van ride. Our Railay departures page lists them.
Which suits you?
It comes down to where you are sleeping. A Phi Phi day trip is long, and a pickup that starts with a long drive makes it longer.
You are staying in Ao Nang, Krabi Town, Klong Muang or Railay. Book from Krabi. The crossing is short, pickups are close, and you can choose between standard, early-bird, small-group, sunset and private tours.
You are staying in Phuket. A Phuket departure saves you the drive across to Krabi. Expect a longer crossing and a later arrival at Maya Bay.
You are moving between Phuket and Krabi anyway. Many travelers spend a night or two on Phi Phi Don between the two, using a ferry. A ferry ticket that links Phuket, Ao Nang and Phi Phi is sold on GetYourGuide. If you are going from Krabi to Phi Phi to stay, our Krabi to Phi Phi ferry page and the Ao Nang to Phi Phi Speedboat Transfer cover the one-way options, and there is a Railay to Phi Phi Speedboat Transfer too.
You want Maya Bay with fewer people. From Krabi, an early-bird tour reaches the bay early in its opening hours, which starts at about 7 am. For most first-time visitors already in Krabi, that is the one I would book. Our early bird guide and our review → go through it in more detail.
Getting the day right from Krabi
A few things apply whichever tour you pick. Maya Bay is closed every year from 1 August to 30 September, and you cannot swim at the front beach when it is open. The best weather for the crossing is from about December to April; our best time guide goes month by month. And bring cash for the park fee, which our packing list covers along with sunscreen rules.
If you have decided on Krabi and want help choosing a tour, our guide to the best Phi Phi island tour from Krabi compares them side by side, and how to get to Phi Phi from Krabi covers tours against ferries.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phi Phi Island in Krabi or Phuket?
Phi Phi is in Krabi province. The islands are part of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi, although many tours leave from Phuket as well.
Is it better to visit Phi Phi from Krabi or Phuket?
Book from wherever you are staying. From Ao Nang the speedboat crossing takes about 45 to 60 minutes, and Krabi tours often add the islands near Krabi on the way back. Phuket tours have a longer crossing.
How long is the boat from Krabi to Phi Phi?
About 45 to 60 minutes by speedboat from Ao Nang, about 30 to 45 minutes from Railay, and about 2 hours by ferry from Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town.
How much is a Phi Phi tour from Krabi?
In early November 2026 the shared speedboat tours started at about $47 to $50 per person, with early-bird tours at $74 to $79. The 400 THB park fee is extra on nearly every tour.
Can I do Maya Bay from Krabi?
Yes. Every full-day Phi Phi tour from Krabi that we review stops at Maya Bay when it is open, from 1 October to 31 July. You walk in from Loh Samah Bay and cannot swim at the front beach.
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.
Check Availability & Book
