How to get from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi by ferry or speedboat

Phuket to Phi Phi: ferry, speedboat or day trip?

Three ways dominate the Phuket to Phi Phi crossing, and the right one depends on whether you are moving with luggage, how you handle the sea and whether you want to sleep on the island. The big ferries are the default for anyone relocating: they are cheap, stable and have room for suitcases. Speedboats save time but trade comfort for speed. Organised speedboat tours are designed for day visitors who want Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and snorkelling in one package and are back in Phuket by late afternoon.

Prices are indicative per person and vary with season, operator and whether a hotel transfer from Patong, Kata, Karon or Kamala is included. Fewer sailings run in the green season from May to October, so always check the current timetable with the operator or an official booking platform.

How to take the ferry from Rassada pier, step by step

Rassada pier sits on the east coast just outside Phuket Town, around 30 to 45 minutes by road from Patong and a little more from the southern beaches or the airport. Several companies run large ferries to Tonsai pier on Phi Phi Don, typically with a morning and an early afternoon departure, plus extra sailings in high season. The boats have an air-conditioned cabin, an open upper deck and a luggage area at the stern or on the lower deck.

1. 1Book a ticket with hotel transfer online or through your hotel a day or more ahead (earlier around Christmas and Chinese New Year).
2. 2Be ready in the lobby well before the pick-up time; minivans collect from many hotels and traffic in Patong is slow.
3. 3At Rassada, exchange your voucher for a boarding pass or sticker at the operator's counter and pay any pier fee if asked.
4. 4Drop large bags in the luggage area, then pick a seat: indoor for shade, upper deck for the view.
5. 5After about 1.5 to 2 hours you round Phi Phi Don's cliffs and dock at Tonsai.

• Most comfortable in choppy seas
• Room for suitcases and backpacks
• Cheapest reliable option, frequent in high season

Speedboats: faster, but are they worth it?

Shared speedboat transfers and private charters often leave from smaller piers on Phuket's east coast, such as those around Ao Po or the marinas in the north-east, and sometimes from Chalong in the south. They cut the crossing to under an hour and can drop you at beaches other than Tonsai. On a calm morning they are fun; in swell, they slam hard into each wave, which is uncomfortable and, for some people, painful.

• Punishing ride when the sea is up
• Little space for large luggage
• Not recommended if you are prone to seasickness, pregnant or have back or neck problems

If you do choose a speedboat, sit at the back, where the motion is gentlest, keep your bag in a dry bag and ask the crew about life jackets before departure. Reputable operators brief passengers and cancel when the harbour authorities advise against sailing.

From Krabi, Ao Nang, Railay and Koh Lanta

Phi Phi is almost equidistant between Phuket and Krabi, so many travellers arrive from the Krabi side instead. Ferries leave Klong Jilad pier near Krabi Town and take about 1.5 to 2 hours; from Ao Nang and Railay, boats depart from Nopparat Thara pier, with most services in the high season. From Koh Lanta, ferries and speedboats leave Saladan pier in the north of the island, taking roughly 1 to 1.5 hours by ferry, with a reduced schedule in low season.

Sea conditions and seasickness by month

Phi Phi is on the Andaman coast, the opposite side of the peninsula from Koh Samui and Koh Tao, with a different weather pattern. The dry season, roughly November to April, usually brings calm seas and many departures. The southwest monsoon from May to October brings swell and squalls: ferries run most days, but crossings can be rough and some tours or speedboats are cancelled, most often in the wettest months. See the Koh Phi Phi weather month by month.

• Take seasickness tablets before boarding in the green season
• Choose the big ferry rather than a speedboat when the sea is up
• Sit low, in the middle and facing forward
• Keep at least one spare day before your flight home

Arriving at Tonsai: fees, porters and where to stay

All scheduled ferries dock at Tonsai pier on Phi Phi Don, the busy isthmus village between Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay. There are no cars on the island: you walk, pull your bag along narrow lanes or hire one of the porters with trolleys waiting at the pier. A small environmental or cleaning fee is collected from visitors on arrival, so keep some cash in baht. For beaches further away, longtail boat taxis leave from the Tonsai waterfront, and some resorts send their own boat to meet the ferry. Our guide to where to stay on Koh Phi Phi compares each area.

Day trip or overnight on Koh Phi Phi?

A speedboat day tour from Phuket shows you the famous scenery in one go, but you share it with hundreds of other boats and spend a large part of the day in transit. Staying at least one night lets you see Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon on an early longtail tour, climb to the viewpoint for sunset and swim before the day boats arrive around mid-morning. Two to three nights is ideal to add snorkelling at Bamboo Island or a relaxed day on Long Beach.

A good compromise for those short on time is the ferry over in the morning, one night, an early private longtail tour next day, then the afternoon boat to Krabi or Lanta.

Maya Bay: rules and what to know before you go

Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh, made famous by the film The Beach, reopened after a long closure to let the coral and ecosystem recover, and it now operates under strict rules set by the national park. Boats no longer anchor in the bay itself: they drop visitors at a pontoon on the back side, from where a boardwalk leads to the beach. Swimming in the bay has been restricted, visits are limited in time and the site closes for a recovery period each year, usually during part of the monsoon season.

• A national park entrance fee is charged on top of your tour price
• Visits are time-limited and supervised by rangers
• Swimming and feeding fish are restricted; follow the rangers' instructions
• Drones, littering and taking sand or coral are prohibited

Island-hopping onward: Phi Phi, Lanta and Lipe

Phi Phi is a natural stepping stone on an Andaman island route. From Tonsai, you can go north-east to Krabi, Ao Nang and Railay, or south-east to Koh Lanta, and in the high season continue by speedboat further south via Koh Ngai and Koh Mook to Koh Lipe near the Malaysian border. The long-distance speedboats to Lipe mostly run from about November to April and can be cancelled in rough weather.

Plan the route one way to avoid backtracking: for example, fly into Phuket, then Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe, and leave via the mainland at Pak Bara or by boat to Langkawi in Malaysia, checking current border and ferry rules.

How much does Phuket to Phi Phi cost? Budget scenarios

The boat is only part of the bill: hotel transfers, pier and island fees and your choice of day tour or overnight stay make the real difference. These indicative scenarios are per person, one way unless stated, excluding meals.

Accommodation on Phi Phi is expensive for what you get compared with Phuket or Krabi, especially from December to March, so budget accordingly and book early. For the whole trip, try our Thailand travel budget calculator.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking the ferry for the morning you land at Phuket airport
• Taking a speedboat in rough season when you get seasick
• Bringing a large hard suitcase to an island with no cars
• Forgetting cash for the arrival fee and national park fees
• Planning Maya Bay during its annual closure without checking
• Coming back to Phuket instead of continuing to Krabi or Lanta
• Leaving on the last boat of the day before an international flight