How To Get To Phi Phi Island (Thailand)
Hello my Lovelies! It’s time for a new travel tips article and this time we take you back to Thailand, more specifically to share our experimented tips on how to get to Phi Phi Islands. Enjoy!
Koh Phi Phi is a group of islands without an airport and can only be reached by ferry or speedboat from Krabi, Phuket, Ao Nang, Riley, and Ko Lanta. Ferries departing from Krabi and Phuket have connections to Phi Phi throughout the year, while the rest is only guaranteed to cover this line in high season (normally from October to May).
How to Get to Phi Phi Island
To get to Phuket or Krabi you can use the plane, both have airport that connects you to the main destinations of Thailand, or the bus, popular with low budget travelers traveling from Bangkok. Phuket has no railway connection, but Krabi has a nearby train station located in Trang.
You will have no problem hiring a trip from anywhere in Thailand to Phuket or Krabi, or even to Phi Phi with all transfers. Just go to any travel agency. Most likely your hotel or guesthouse will also be able to arrange the necessary connections to get to Koh Phi Phi.
You will also have no problem organizing your trip on your own. If you travel by bus or train to the relevant stations and buy your tickets there. The ferry ticket can also be purchased at the pier from which you travel to Koh Phi Phi. If you are traveling by plane the best option is to use a flight search engine that will help you compare prices, schedules, and airlines.
How to get to Ko Phi Phi Island from Phuket Airport (Our choice in 2015)
Many people come to Phuket for the sole purpose of taking a boat to Ko Phi Phi. This was our case as Phuket never called us too much attention and we had other priorities. Ahead we had Phi Phi, Railay, Koh Phangan and Bangkok, different places but all special.
The first thing we need to know is where the boat leaves to the Phi Phi Islands. To reach these islands you will have to go to Rasada Pier port, for which you have to cross the whole island from the airport.
How to get from Phuket Airport to Rasada Pier
Think that you are in Phuket and everything is much more expensive than in the rest of Thailand, including transportation. To get to the port, you have several options:
1st OPTION – Official airport bus (not so recommended by time)
For this option you will have to take a first bus that goes from the airport to Phuket Town. It takes about 1 hour and costs THB 100 (€ 2.5). You can see schedules on the official website (airportbusphuket.com). They leave every hour and a half.
Once in Phuket Town you will have to take a tuk-tuk, a taxi or another bus that takes about 20 minutes to Rasada Pier. In total the trip should be about 150THB (3’7 €)
2nd OPTION – Shared taxi from the airport to Rassada Pier (recommended option)
This is the best option as it takes 45 minutes and takes you straight away. We chose the 3rd OPTION…Pay the taxi and get Scam…but this is another history.
Where to buy ferry tickets to Phi Phi
To buy the tickets we recommend 100% do it online and in advance, once you arrive at the port, you have 2 or 3 companies that have the monopoly and charge a much higher price. Yes, it happened to us and we do not want it to happen to you.
If you buy it online you can find tickets for about 350 THB (9 €). If you expect to buy it in the port will pay much more. To buy them online you have several options, but we recommend PhuketFerry.com. We met people who used it and had no problems. The schedules can be consulted on the same page, there are usually about 3 or 4 ferries a day.
The ferry that takes you there takes about 2 hours to get to Tonsai Pier and it’s fine. It is not the most comfortable in the world but it takes you wherever you want. You can sit on the chairs in the interior or enjoy the exterior of the views offered by the route. It has toilets and a small cafe where to buy something for the road, that if, at a higher price than usual.
One final tip: once you enter, you will have to leave your pack on the border, where they are all stacked and not let them put them in the boat. What we did in these cases was to prepare a backpack with all the valuables we had or fragile objects (passport, wallet, mobiles, camera, etc.) and we took it with us.
How To Get To Phi Phi Island – From Krabi
The ferries from Krabi to Koh Phi Phi depart from a jetty located 4 km from the center of Krabi. In high season there are at least four ferries a day and several speedboats, while in low season they are reduced to two connections per day. The price will be around 300 baht and the journey will take an hour and a half. The agencies that sell you the ticket will also facilitate the transportation to the pier for free.
How To Get To Phi Phi Island – From Ao Nang (and Riley)
From November to May there is a boat that covers the Ao Nang – Riley – Koh Phi Phi route departing early in the morning and returning at noon. The boat leaves Ao Nang, picks up passengers at Riley and continues to Phi Phi. The trip costs 400 baht and the journey takes approximately two hours.
How To Get To Phi Phi Island – From Ko Lanta
From Ko Lanta to Koh Phi Phi there are two daily connections early in the day and noon in high season. The trip costs 450 baht and the journey takes two hours.
Note on how To Get To Phi Phi Island: Prices are indicative and may change significantly depending on the season, schedule, and type of boat you are taking. On the other hand, do not rely on the schedules and prices that you can see in the travel guides as they change often.
Usually if you take the first flights of the day to Phuket or Krabi and do not want to spend a night in these places you can organize without problems the connection to Phi Phi on your own for the same day.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post and will find it useful for your next trip to the Thai Islands! 🙂
Walter for www.bellezarebel.com
