Is the Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai Speedboat Day from Phuket Worth It?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 3 October 2026
Worth it if you want the whole of Phi Phi in one day at the lowest price of our Phi Phi trips: a first snorkel at Khai island at 09:45, Monkey Beach and a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, the Viking Cave and Pileh Lagoon, and Maya Bay at 15:15, back at Chalong pier around 16:15. Less so if an almost empty Maya Bay is the point, or if a bumpy speedboat worries you; the national park fee is also paid in cash on the day.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Phi Phi at sunrise: Maya Bay before the crowds | One day, 04:00–15:30 | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
| Phi Phi and Racha Yai by catamaran, with a sunset stop at Maiton | One day, 06:30–19:00 | 2,700 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Bamboo island and fishing at Rang Yai | One day | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The route, stop by stop
Pickup runs from 07:30 to 08:30. Hotels near Chalong are collected later and the north of the island earlier, and the guide confirms your time the evening before. The speedboat leaves Chalong at 09:15, and half an hour later you're at Khai island: shallow, clear water with fish coming right up to the sand. If you've never had a mask on, this is the place to start.
At 10:15 you cross to Phi Phi Don for Monkey Beach, a swim and more snorkelling, then a buffet lunch on shore at 12:15, with vegetarian dishes. At 13:20 it's Phi Phi Leh: the Viking Cave, where swiftlet nests are collected, and Pileh Lagoon inside its ring of cliffs. Maya Bay comes last, at 15:15. Back at Chalong around 16:15, then the van to your hotel. On our overnight trips Maya Bay comes in the morning instead; see does the Phi Phi overnight tour visit Maya Bay in the morning. How the Khai stop compares with a morning at Racha Yai is on Khai island or Racha Yai for snorkelling.
Why it is good value
Three things. It's the lowest-priced of our Phi Phi day trips in the table. It leaves from Chalong, the near pier, so less of your day goes on the road and more on the water. And Khai is the easiest first snorkel there is, which matters if half your group has never done it.
Masks, snorkels, life jackets, the buffet lunch, drinking water, a guide and insurance are in the price. You see the big Phi Phi names, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, the Viking Cave and Monkey Beach, in one day, and you're home before dinner.
Where it falls short
Maya Bay at quarter past three is mid-afternoon, not the quiet hour. Swimming right at the shore of the bay is limited by park rules, so on this trip you snorkel and swim from the water beside it. Pileh Lagoon depends on the tide and on the captain, and the order of stops can change.
Then the boat. It's a speedboat, and our card tells you to take a motion sickness tablet half an hour before boarding. If you know you get seasick, which boat tours work if you get seasick is worth five minutes. And the national park fee isn't in the price: it's paid in cash on the day.
How it differs from Phi Phi at sunrise
Same archipelago, opposite clock. Phi Phi at sunrise collects you between four and half past four, watches the sun come up from the boat and is in Maya Bay from 07:00 to 08:00, before the day boats, with time on the beach. Bamboo island fills the early afternoon, and you're back at the pier at 15:30.
On the sunrise trip the park fees are included. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. It costs more, and the card doesn't recommend it if you're pregnant or have back problems. We put the two Maya Bay hours side by side on Maya Bay at sunrise or after 4 pm, and the wider choice on sunrise or sunset tour.
Maya Bay: check the status for your date
Check the current status of Maya Bay when booking. The national park sets the rules and can close the bay; on those days our programmes see it from the boat and the rest of the route goes ahead. What that means in practice is on is Maya Bay open.
Who should book it, and who should pick another trip
Book it for a first Phi Phi day on a sensible budget, for kids who want to see fish without deep water, and for anyone who'd rather not set a four o'clock alarm. Pick another trip if the empty beach is the whole reason you came, or if open-water speedboats are a problem. If clear water and an empty beach are the priority, Racha Yai or Phi Phi makes the case for Racha Yai.
- First snorkel, lowest price — Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island
- Maya Bay before the day boats — Phi Phi at sunrise
- Long stops, Maya Bay after four and a sunset — the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran
- Bamboo island and a go at fishing — Phi Phi, Bamboo and fishing
- Calm water, no open sea — James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay
Booking and the day itself
Wear swimwear under your clothes, bring a towel, sunscreen, reef shoes (the islands have stones) and baht in small notes for the park fee. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price. Travelling with toddlers, or not keen on a long speedboat day? Phi Phi or Coral Island sets this trip against a half day from Rawai.
If the authorities close the sea, the card says the trip moves to another date or the payment comes back. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. The steps, from first message to pickup, are on how to book a Phi Phi speedboat tour. How a Phi Phi day differs from the slower Krabi four islands day is set out on Phi Phi or Krabi islands from Phuket. Pairing it with James Bond island? Four Pearls or separate day trips weighs that pair against the two-day tour. If a slower boat with Racha Yai in the morning and a sunset at Maiton sounds better, how to book the Phi Phi and Racha Yai catamaran shows what that day involves.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is the Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island speedboat tour worth it?
Yes, for a full Phi Phi day at the lowest price of our Phi Phi trips, with an easy first snorkel at Khai. Not if an almost empty Maya Bay is the point; for that, take the sunrise trip.
Is the national park fee included?
No. On this trip the national park fee is paid in cash on the day and is not in the tour price, so bring baht in small notes.
Can you swim at Maya Bay on this tour?
Not at the shore. Park rules limit swimming right at the beach, so snorkelling and swimming happen from the water beside the bay, at 15:15.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, both ways. Pickup runs from 07:30 to 08:30; hotels near Chalong are collected later and the north earlier, and the guide confirms your time the evening before.
Is the speedboat ride bumpy?
It can be. Our card suggests a motion sickness tablet half an hour before boarding. If you get seasick easily, the longtail day in Phang Nga Bay stays on sheltered water.
Is there an English-speaking guide?
Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.
Do I need cash on the Phi Phi speedboat tour?
Yes, a little. On this day the national park fee is paid in cash on the day, so bring baht in small notes, plus money for anything personal. The tour itself is paid by card online in advance.
How much more does a Phi Phi sunrise tour cost than a regular day tour?
On our cards Phi Phi at sunrise starts from 2,300 ฿ and the Maya Bay and Khai day from 2,000 ฿. Part of the gap is the park fee: included on the sunrise trip, paid in cash on the day on the Khai trip. The price for your date is in each card's table.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.