Best Way To Get To Phi Phi Island In 2022

Want to know the best way to get to the Phi Phi Islands? I have the answers to all your questions.

The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand’s the Andaman Sea, 740 kilometres south of Bangkok, between the big island of Phuket and the Straits of Malacca.

The islands are part of the Krabi Province, and you can get to Phi Phi from either Phuket or Krabi. The lone island in the group, Phi Phi Don, is where the lodging is located. It’s a small island with easy access by foot, boat, or bicycle.

We’ll go through your transportation options in this article so you know how to get to and around the Phi Phi islands.

The best way to get to Phi Phi Island is by boat

The journey to Phi Phi Island is rather simple. The islands are around 46 kilometres from Phuket and about the same distance from Krabi.

You have two alternatives for getting to Phi Phi: a ferry or a speedboat. The boat is by far the most common mode of transportation for tourists visiting the Phi Phi islands.

A ferry voyage from Phuket to Krabi takes two hours and 90 minutes. In order to acquire good seats during peak season, we recommend arriving early. Arriving half an hour before departure is usually sufficient in low season.

Phi Phi Island via speedboat

The second option for travelling to Phi Phi is to take a speedboat transfer. You can take a private or scheduled boat, and both will take less than an hour.

The speedboat is more expensive than the ferry, but it saves you a lot of time because the trip takes only 45 to an hour.

If you’re travelling with a large group, dividing the cost of a private speedboat can be a great way to save money. You can also be dropped off directly at your selected hotel in a private boat, saving you even more time.

Phi Phi Island Ferry

Ferries are the most convenient and secure mode of transportation. Tourists utilise the ferry’s top deck as a sundeck, which is ideal for people who want to work on their tans.

Air-conditioned rooms and a small shop on the lower level provide food, snacks, and cool beers and soft drinks. A VIP ticket will provide you a more comfortable air-conditioned seat on the middle deck for a little more money.

During peak season, the boats can be highly crowded, so keep that in mind while making your decision.

From Thailand’s Major Cities, Getting to Phi Phi Island

From most of Thailand’s cities, getting to Koh Phi Phi is simple. We’ll provide you with the most up-to-date transportation information for visiting Koh Phi Phi from Thailand’s most popular tourist spots.

Our travel experts are here to help you book flights or any other mode of transportation if you run into any difficulties.

From Phuket to the island of Phi Phi

The main departure/arrival port on Phuket is Rassada, which is located near Phuket Town in the island’s extreme south. From the airports in Phuket and Krabi, it takes 90 minutes by private transfer or taxi (guide on Phuket town to Phi Phi Island).

Another option is to take local buses or a minivan from the airport, although these options can take a long time and are not necessarily the most pleasant mode of transportation. A private transfer with one of our skilled English-speaking guides would be our first choice.

Bangkok to the island of Phi Phi

If you’re coming from Bangkok, you’ll need to get to one of the above-mentioned docks, either in Phuket or Krabi, to get a ferry or speedboat to Phi Phi Island.

There are no railroads to Phuket or Krabi, and getting there by bus or minivan from Bangkok takes about 12 hours. As a result, flying to Phuket or Krabi is the preferred mode of transportation.

You can take a taxi or a local bus to the ferry terminal after arriving at the airport. Hundreds of flights a day fly from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports to Phuket and Krabi (see how to get from Bangkok to Phi Phi).

Because there is so much rivalry among airlines, you can generally find a great rate on a ticket from Bangkok to either location.

From Krabi to the Phi Phi Islands

Despite the fact that Phi Phi is administered by Krabi, the distance between Phi Phi and Krabi is not as great as the distance between Phi Phi and Phuket.

However, departing from Krabi town to Phi Phi Island saves time because the Krabi ferry port is closer to the airport than the Phuket ferry terminal. The major ferry terminal in Krabi is located in Klong Jilad, which is just south of Krabi Town.

By private transfer or taxi, the travel from Krabi airport to the dock takes about half an hour, making these the quickest and most convenient options. Traveling by bus is less expensive, but it can take up to an hour and a half depending on how many stops they make.

Koh Samui to Phi Phi Island 

Because the Phi Phi islands are located in the Andaman Sea, on the opposite side of Thailand’s Gulf, a combined excursion is necessary.

Depending on your circumstances, you have a couple of possibilities. Flying is the fastest and most pleasant way to get to the island, but if you don’t want to fly, you can take a minivan or private transfer and boat combination. Let’s have a look at your options:

Getting to Koh Phi Phi by plane:

 The only airline that flies directly between Koh Samui and Phuket/Krabi is Bangkok Airways, and this is by far the most convenient method to go to Phi Phi. Thai Airways has daily flights as well, but they require a transfer in Bangkok, which adds at least two hours to the journey duration.

Combo of Overland and Boat Travel You must take the ferry from Koh Samui to Don Sak Pier in Surat Thani.

Transfer by private car

This method has the advantage of being comfortable and dependable, as well as the ability to stop whenever you need to use the restroom or grab some drinks.

Taxis

Taxis are an excellent choice. They are easy to locate at Surat Thani Airport and are a dependable mode of transportation to Krabi. The one disadvantage is that the airport is the only legal spot to get a cab, thus pricing will be significantly higher than everywhere in Thailand. Because there are no metre taxis available at Surat Thani Airport, plan to pay between 3000 and 4000 baht for the journey.

Minivan 

Although a minibus is a cheap way to go from the airport to town, it is not necessarily the safest or most comfortable mode of transportation. If you’re on a tight budget, a minivan is the way to go. Depending on your preferences, you can combine any of the aforementioned alternatives with a ferry or speedboat excursion.

From Chiang Mai to the island of Phi Phi

It’s simply not practicable to travel from Chiang Mia to Krabi by bus or minivan because it would take you an entire day. Take a direct flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket or Krabi and then utilise one of the recommended transportation alternatives to get to the boat terminal.

What is the best way to go about Phi Phi Island?

Walking

Despite the fact that Phi Phi Don is a rather large island, the inhabited areas are not. Walking around the island is a terrific way to see a lot of it. You may take a stroll through the main town to do some shopping and have a bite to eat at one of the town’s many restaurants and bars.

From there, you can trek up to the stunning viewpoint or visit the island’s secluded east coast beaches. It should take no more than 2 hours to stroll around the entire island.

In a Boat

Renting a traditional longtail boat with a driver is one of the best ways to navigate around Phi Phi. The cost is roughly 3000 baht, and the boat can comfortably accommodate up to 8 persons.

You’ll be able to tour different portions of the island as well as visit sites like Bamboo Island, Monkey Bay, Mosquito Island, and Maya Bay, all of which provide fantastic snorkelling options.

Longtail ‘taxi’ boats that will take you wherever on the island for a fee are also available. However, if you plan on taking several trips and are travelling with a group, renting a private boat may be the more cost-effective alternative.

Kayak is a type of kayak.

Kayaking is one of the most popular (and inexpensive) ways to get about Koh Phi Phi. Most resorts on the island would gladly arrange a tour for you, and a single person kayak costs around 500 baht per day and a double kayak costs 700 baht per day.

If you want to take a short excursion, you can hire them for 200 baht per hour. It’s a terrific way to explore the island at your own leisure, and you’ll be able to get into all the little nooks and crannies that the boats can’t reach, such as small caves.

On a bicycle

Bicycles aren’t as common on Phi Phi Island as they are on the mainland, although they can be found. Bike rentals are available at a couple of the main town’s hotels and resorts (check out the Phi Phi Island Resorts here). Because there aren’t many good roads on Phi Phi, you’ll be limited in where you may bike, but cycling can be a terrific way to travel from your hotel to the town and main beach at Tonsai Bay.