Phi Phi Beaches: Which to Visit, How to Get There (2026)

Featured image: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick answer: the best Phi Phi beaches by traveler type

Match the beach to the day you want, not to a photo. Each pick below names its criterion. For a swim without booking anything, start at Loh Dalum on Phi Phi Don. For a longer sand stretch, choose Long Beach (Hat Yao). For wildlife and snorkeling, book a boat to Monkey Beach and Pileh Lagoon on Phi Phi Leh. Maya Bay is a sightseeing stop, not a swimming stop. Our full beach ranking covers each sand strip in more depth.

How you reach each beach: walk, kayak, longtail or tour

Three access groups sort every beach here. Group one is on Phi Phi Don and reachable on foot from the village. Group two is also on Phi Phi Don but needs a longtail, a kayak or a hike. Group three sits on Phi Phi Leh or inside the marine park and is reached only by tour or chartered boat. Walking costs nothing and gives total flexibility. A private longtail costs more than a shared speedboat tour, but you set the timing. A shared tour is cheaper per person, though it follows a fixed route and fills the same stops as every other boat. For boat basics, read our longtail boat guide. Our day trip options compare the tour route in more detail.

Beaches you can walk to from Tonsai village

Phi Phi Don's village sits between two bays, so two beaches need no boat. Tonsai is the pier side. Expect boats, luggage and little swimming appeal, so treat it as a transit point. Loh Dalum is the better swim and the easier place to watch the evening light. Walk there after the day-tour boats leave, when the beach thins out. Sand can shrink at high tide, so check the tide before spreading out a towel. Our sunset spots guide suggests where to watch the light fade. If your hotel is on the village side, you can plan these beaches without paying for any transport. Our local transport notes cover the walking routes.

Beaches that need a longtail or a hike

Long Beach (Hat Yao) is the standard step up from the village. Longtails typically run to it from the Tonsai side, and a hiking route exists too. Confirm the current walking route and boat price before you commit. Laem Tong is the stretch usually linked to resort stays, so it suits overnight visitors more than day-trippers. Viking Beach, Nui Beach, Loh Moo Dee and Lok Ba Kao Bay also appear in SERP lists. Each needs a boat, a kayak or a hike, and facilities are thin. Bring water, cash and shade. Treat Nui as a quieter alternative, not a guaranteed empty one, because crowd levels shift with boat schedules. Our single-beach reference page goes deeper on one stretch.

Boat-tour beaches and lagoons

Phi Phi Leh holds the beaches most visitors come for. Maya Bay closed to visitors in June 2018 to let the reef recover. It reopened in January 2022 under limits, and current rules are set by the national park. Expect no swimming in the bay itself and a cap on visitor numbers, but confirm both on the park's notice before booking. Pileh Lagoon is the calm-water swim stop on most routes. Monkey Beach is the wildlife stop, and wild monkeys can snatch food and bags, so keep everything zipped. Bamboo Island appears in some tour lists as an add-on. Compare operators on stops and timing, not just headline price. Our ferry and boat basics explain how boats leave the pier.

When to go: season, tide and crowd timing

Season changes what the sea allows. Boats can be cancelled in rough monsoon weather, and some beaches lose sand at high tide. Check the Thai Meteorological Department forecasts for current sea-state warnings before booking a boat. Our seasonal planning page covers the months in full. For crowds, go early or late. Day-tour boats fill Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Monkey Beach through the middle of the day, so a first-departure or late-afternoon boat is quieter. Walkable beaches near the village thin out once the tours return to the pier.

Costs and permits at a glance

Verification note, November 2026: this brief supplied no confirmed THB figures, so none are printed here. Park fees, closed periods and visitor caps change, so confirm them with the national park's current notice. For boat prices, ask the operator or the pier counter before you pay. Anchor your budget on relative costs: walking is free, a shared tour is the cheaper boat option, and a private longtail is the pricier one. If you arrive through Phuket, check flight details with Airports of Thailand. Our arrival route overview covers the rest of the journey.

Where to stay by beach area

Stay in the village if you want walkable access to Loh Dalum and easy boat departures. Stay near Long Beach or Laem Tong if you want quieter evenings and accept transfers. Remote beaches suit day visits better than overnights because they lack facilities. Our accommodation guide compares the areas.

Mistakes to avoid and safety notes

A few repeat errors waste a beach day. Use this checklist before you go.

• Do not plan a swim at Maya Bay. Check current rules first.
• Do not rely on cards at remote beaches. Bring cash and water.
• Do not leave bags unattended at Monkey Beach.
• Do not ignore the tide at Loh Dalum. Sand shrinks at high water.
• Do not wear sunscreen your tour operator discourages. Ask about reef-safe options.
• Do not book a boat in rough weather without checking the forecast.

For the wider city context, see our complete Phi Phi tourism attractions guide.