6 Best Beaches in Koh Phi Phi: How to Reach Each One

Featured image: Caitriana Nicholson from 北京 ~ Beijing, 中国 ~ China, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick Comparison of Phi Phi Beaches

Use this table to match a beach to your day before reading the ranking. Access notes are general, so confirm current boat options and national park rules locally.

6 Best Beaches in Koh Phi Phi, Ranked by Use

Our ranking is editorial and based on access, swimming and crowd logic, not on measured scores. Beach names and spellings vary between maps, so check the exact label with your boat operator.

• 1. Loh Dalum Beach: best for swimming near the pier
  • Loh Dalum sits on the Tonsai side of Phi Phi Don, so you can reach it on foot without booking a boat.
  • Pair it with a late-afternoon stop; our Phi Phi sunset ideas cover timing.
  • Skip if you want quiet. Expect it to be busy around midday and after dark.
• 2. Long Beach (Hat Yao): best for snorkeling and a calmer base
  • Long Beach is lined with low-key resorts and has reef just offshore, so you can snorkel without a tour.
  • Reach it by longtail boat; longtail boat details explain how charters work.
  • Skip if you want restaurants and shops next door.
• 3. Laem Tong: best for soft sand and space
  • Laem Tong is at the northern end of Phi Phi Don and is described as soft sand with clear water and fewer people.
  • Confirm your return boat before you settle in, because transport thins out later in the day.
  • Skip if you need a quick walk back to the village.
• 4. Monkey Beach: best for a short wildlife stop
  • Monkey Beach is usually visited on a boat loop, not as a standalone beach day.
  • Keep food sealed and give the monkeys distance.
  • Skip if you want a long, undisturbed swim.
• 5. Maya Bay: best for scenery, not for a swim
  • Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh was closed to visitors in 2018 for coral recovery and reopened to tourists on January 1, 2022.
  • Rules on landing and swimming are set by the national park, so check them before you book.
  • Skip if your priority is time in the water. Compare tours in Day Trips From Phi Phi: Islands, Mainland & Timing Tips.
• 6. Bamboo Island: best for a full beach day by boat
  • Bamboo Island is a separate islet reached on boat tours, usually grouped with other stops.
  • Sea state matters for the crossing, so choose calmer months where you can.
  • Skip if you are short on time or prone to seasickness.

How to Get Between Beaches

Loh Dalum is the only beach here you can treat as a walk-up stop. For the rest, you hire a longtail boat or join a shared tour. Start with Getting Around Phi Phi: Walking, Boats & Costs for the basics. A workable one-day route is a morning snorkel at Long Beach, a boat ride back to Tonsai and a sunset swim at Loh Dalum. If you're arriving first, read How to Get to Phi Phi: Ferry, Speedboat & Routes. Agree on the price and pickup time before the boat leaves, and ask whether park fees are included.

Best Time for Phi Phi Beaches

Sea conditions decide how many of these beaches are practical. Rough water can cancel boat trips to Maya Bay, Bamboo Island and the remote beaches. Our Best Time to Visit Phi Phi: Seasons and Trade-Offs page explains the seasons. For forecasts closer to your dates, check the Thai Meteorological Department. If you travel in a rougher month, plan Loh Dalum first and treat boat beaches as bonus days.

Which Beach Is Right for You

Pick by priority, then check the access note. Where you sleep changes the answer, so see Where to Stay in Phi Phi: 4 Best Areas Compared.

• Walk from the pier: Loh Dalum.
• Snorkeling: Long Beach.
• Quiet sand: Laem Tong.
• Wildlife stop: Monkey Beach.
• Scenery photos: Maya Bay.
• Full boat day: Bamboo Island.

Mistakes to Avoid

Do not assume every beach allows swimming; Maya Bay rules are set by the park. Do not book a remote beach without a confirmed return boat. Do not ignore tide and wave conditions when snorkeling. Use reef-safe sunscreen, or cover up, near coral. For more ideas beyond sand, browse Things to Do in Phi Phi: 8 Best Activities & Tips.

How Many Days You Need for Phi Phi’s Beaches

Allow 1 day if you mainly want easy sand time on Phi Phi Don. The guide’s simple route combines a morning snorkel at Long Beach with a sunset swim at Loh Dalum. Loh Dalum is the only one of these 6 beaches that works as a walk-up stop from the pier area.

Plan a second flexible day if boat beaches matter most to you. Maya Bay, Monkey Beach and Bamboo Island require a boat trip, and rough water can cancel or reshape the plan. Keep a beach on Phi Phi Don as your fallback rather than booking every stop into one outing.

Laem Tong also needs return-boat planning, so it is better suited to a day with no tight ferry connection. Confirm pickup times before leaving Tonsai. Check park rules before booking Maya Bay, which reopened on January 1, 2022 after its 2018 closure for coral recovery.