If you are traveling to Koh Phi Phi and wondering what to do on the island, you’re in the right place. In this article, I will cover the 24 best attractions and activities on Phi Phi islands. These include the top beaches, viewpoints, nightlife, hiking routes, and day trip to Maya Bay.
The Phi Phi islands are a group of beautiful islands located in the Andaman Sea, 30km south of Krabi and 50 km south east of Phuket. The main islands of these groups are: inhabited Koh Phi Phi Don and the uninhabited Koh Phi Phi Leh island.
These islands are known for their dramatic cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant nightlife. They have become incredibly popular over the years, especially after the 2000 movie The Beach, which was filmed on Maya Bay (on Phi Phi Leh).
While you can take a day trip to Phi Phi islands, I recommend spending at least a couple of nights here to explore the beaches, nightlife, and viewpoints on the main island.
Koh Phi Phi Don has many beautiful beaches, including the lively and the secluded one. You’ll find Ton Sai and Loh Dalum Beach on the main village, Laem Tong and Loh Ba Kao Bay on the north coast, and Long Beach on the south east coast of the island.
In addition to the beaches, the island is home to numerous viewpoints, offering stunning views of the beaches and ocean. They are also great places for hiking. You can check out Phi Phi Viewpoint 1,2, and 3.
In the afternoon, you can enjoy the sunset at one of the beach bars located on Loh Dalum Beach. At night, you can enjoy the vibrant nightlife scene at many bars and restaurants in the main town.
From Phi Phi Don, you can take joint boat trips or hire private longtail boats to Phi Phi Leh island. On this trip, you will visit famous places such as Maya Bay, Pileh Bay, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, or Bamboo island. These trips usually last for 3-4 hours.
If you want to check the detail of my itinerary and how I get around Phi Phi islands, you can check these article:
- Where to stay in Koh Phi Phi
- My 2-3 Days In Koh Phi Phi Itinerary
- How to Walk Around Koh Phi Phi Don
- How to get to Koh Phi Phi & Get Around
I traveled around Phi Phi Don mostly on foot. I walked almost everywhere on the island, from the main town to the north’s beaches, to the viewpoints, and some of the lesser-known beaches on the east coast of the island. I hired a private boat driver to take me to Phi Phi Leh for a few hours.
If you don’t like walking, you can explore all beaches on Phi Phi islands by long tail boats. There are some motor vehicles on the island, such as motorbikes and songthaews, but they are few in number and mostly belong to local residents and resorts.
You can see some motorbike taxis on the north side of the island in places such as Laem Thong and Loh Ba Kao Bay.
Here are the top activities and attractions on Koh Phi Phi:
24 Best Things to Do in Koh Phi Phi
Beaches
Koh Phi Phi has a diverse range of beautiful beaches. The beaches on these islands offer something for everyone, from lively party beaches to quiet, serene retreats.
The beaches near the main town have a more vibrant atmosphere with lots of beach bars and clubs on its shores, while the beaches on the north and east coast offer more quieter atmosphere.
#1. Loh Dalum Beach
Loh Dalum Beach is a lively beach located in the main town of Koh Phi Phi. The beach is a great place for swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, watching the sunset, and parties. There are many bars on the beach, which are popular gathering places from the late afternoon to late night.
The beach bars have sunbeds and umbrellas. You can order drinks or meals from them and use it for free. You can also bring your own mats and find plenty of shades on the shore.
You can find many boat taxi counters, where you can book tours and take taxi boats to other beaches on the island. The beach has less long tails dock compared to Tonsai Bay, creating a more peaceful atmosphere.
The beach is easily beautiful at sunset. The golden colors of the sky, the reflection on the water, and the dramatic limestone cliffs make for unforgettable photos.
If you stay in the main village, you can walk to Loh Dalum Beach. If you stay in other parts of the island, you can get to the beach by long tail boats.
#2. TonSai Bay Beach
TonSai Beach is one of the two beaches located right next to the main town of Koh Phi Phi. It is a long bay and home to the island’s main pier, where speed boats arrive from the other islands. You will find long tail boats docks at many sections of the beach.
There are swimmable beaches to the west and east of Tonsai pier. The beach is lined with resorts, restaurants, and bars with sunbeds, umbrellas, and bean bags on the sand.
The road running parallel with the beach and Tonsai Village has plenty of tourist amenities. You’ll find 7-11, restaurants, souvenir shops, ATMS, travel agencies, and boat taxi stands easily.
You can get to TonSai Bay Beach by walking or longtail boats. If you stay in the main town or Long Beach, you can easily get to the beach on foot. It is possible to hike from other parts of the island to Tonsai bay, but it is easier to just take the boat ride.
#3. Long Beach
Long Beach is a 1km long beautiful beach located south east of Tonsai Bay and its village. The beach has white fine sand with crystal clear turquoise water, making it a great place for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling.
The beach is lined with resorts, as well as bars, restaurants with sun loungers for its guests. You can find the Blacktip Scuba Diving center at the southern end of the beach where you can book a trip to the nearby Blacktip Reef Shark Point.
Blacktip Reef Shark Point is a great place for snorkeling and diving. You can see the colorful marine life and coral reefs. If you are lucky, you can spot sharks.
You can get to Long Beach by walking and by boat taxi. It is within 10-15 walking distance from TonSai village on the coastal trail. If you don’t like walking, there are plenty of boat taxis from all around the island that will take you to Long Beach.
#4. Laem Tong Beach
Laem Tong Beach is a long beach located in the far north of Koh Phi Phi Don. This beach has white sandy and crystal clear water, which is ideal for swimming and relaxing. The beach has a quieter atmosphere than the busier beaches in the main town.
The shore of the beach is lined with beachfront resorts with its onsite bars, restaurants, bed chairs and umbrellas. The beach has beautiful views of Bamboo island in front of it.
You can get to Laem Tong Beach by walking if you stay in Laem Tong and the nearby Loh Ba Kao. It is possible to get to this beach from other parts of the island by a long hike. The fastest way to get here is by boat taxi, which can be found in all beaches around the island.
#5. Loh Ba Kao Bay
Loh Ba Kao Bay is a quiet bay located on the northeast coast of the island, 3 km south of Laem Tong Beach. The beach and its village is home to just a few resorts making a relaxing holiday.
The Phi Phi Sai Resort stretches most of the length of the beachfront area. At the southern section of the beach lies Villa 360 resort.
The main village of Koh Ba Kao has lots of tourist facilities such as restaurants, bars, massage shops, and mini marts. You can check out the mangrove forest and the Suspension Bridge while in the area.
You can get to Loh Ba Kao Bay on long tail boats or by walking. There is a trail connecting this area with viewpoints 1,2,3 and TonSai Village.
#6. Loh Lana Bay
Loh Lana is a small quiet bay located on the northern coast of Koh Phi Phi. There are no sunbeds and restaurants on the beach. You can find one resort on the beach but it is abandoned. To access more restaurants, you need to head to Loh Ba Kao village nearby.
Loh Lana is a great place to chill, swimming, sunbathe, and kayak. Many visitors to this beach as a part of the boat tours around the island. At low tide, you can walk along the shore at the southern end of the beach to get to Nui Beach.
Getting to Loh Lana Bay is easy by walking from nearby beaches such as Laem Tong and Loh Ba Kao Bay. From other locations on the island, it is best to take a boat taxi. If you are an adventurous traveler, it is possible to reach the beach from the main village on foot.
#7. Nui Beach
Nui Beach is a small but beautiful beach on the north coast of Koh Phi Phi Don. It has crystal clear water and powdery white sand. The beach is a perfect place for swimming and kayaking. It is in a remote location but was quite crowded at the time I visited. Not many people come here on the long tail boat.
Nui Beach is easily accessible by a boat taxi. At low tide, you can walk to the beach from Loh Lana Bay. It will involve a short climb up and down the mountain.
#8. Phak Nam Bay
Phak Nam Bay is a tranquil beach on the east coast of the island. The beach is home to Phi Phi Relax Resort. There is a beach bar on the shore with sunbeds and umbrellas for its customers. You can find many shade areas to lie down on.
The beach has golden coarse sand and clean water, perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing. You can have some views of the bay from Phi Phi Viewpoint 4.
You can get to Phak Nam Bay by long tail boat and by walking. There is a trail connecting Ton sai- Phi Phi viewpoints – Phak Nam Bay as well as trail Phak Nam Bay – Long Beach.
#9. Loh Moo Dee Beach
Loh Moo Dee is a secluded beach with white coarse sand and crystal clear water. It is a wonderful place to chill and swim without any crowds. There is one small beach bar with sun loungers, deckchairs and hammocks for their customers. No other tourist facilities on the beach.
I recommend visiting this beach if you are in the Long Beach area. It is within walking distance to Long Beach. You can take a long tail boat from Tonsai Pier which is a 30 minute ride to Loh Moo Dee Beach.
#10. Viking Beach
Viking Beach is two small beaches in the vicinity of Viking Beach Resort. They are small tranquil beaches located just within a short walking distance from the northern end of Long Beach.
One of the beaches has a massage parlor and beach bar with bean bags on the sand. Another beach has more quieter atmosphere with beach swings and hammocks on the shaded areas.
#11. Love Beach
Love Beach is a small beautiful beach located between Viking Beach and Phi Phi Bayview Resort. The beach has white sand, crystal clean water, and lots of shades. There is one beach bar on the beach with chairs and tables for their customers.
The beach is a great place for sunbathing and swimming. There are no long tail boat docking here, creating a quieter atmosphere than other beaches. You can walk to Love Beach from Tonsai Village and Long Beach. While in the area, you can explore Viking Beach nearby.
#12. Monkey Bay Beach
Monkey Bay is located in the southern area of Koh Phi Phi Don. It has a large population of monkeys living on the beach. Tourists come here mainly to observe the monkeys and take photos with them.
The beach has crystal turquoise water. You can see straight through the water. It is a wonderful place for snorkeling and kayaking.
You can access Monkey Beach by long tail boat only. It is just 2km from the Tonsai Pier. The beach is a popular stop when taking a boat trip to Phi Phi Leh island. If you take a boat trip to Maya Bay, the boatman will likely stop here so you can have a look.
Viewpoints
Koh Phi Phi has several famous viewpoints offering stunning panoramic views of the islands. There are clusters of Phi Phi Viewpoint 1,2, and 3 located near Tonsai Village. These viewpoints have stunning views of Tonsai Bay, Loh Dalum Beach, and the main town.
They can be visited at any time of the day but the best time is at sunrise and sunset. The tickets for viewpoints 1 & 2 are 50 baht, viewpoint 3 belongs to a different owner and it costs 20 baht to go in.
#13. Phi Phi Viewpoint 1
Phi Phi Viewpoint 1, or I Love Phi Phi Viewpoint, is the first viewpoint to reach when hiking from the island’s main town. Located at the lowest elevation among the group of Phi Phi viewpoints, this spot offers a closer view of the island’s beaches and village.
The ticket is 50 baht at Phi Phi Viewpoint 1 and 2. As it is located in the Muslim area, you are not allowed to bring alcohol into the viewpoints.
To reach the viewpoint from Tonsai village, you need to climb steep stairs for 15-20 minutes. You can also reach this viewpoint by hiking from beaches on the north of the island such as Loh Ba Kao Bay. It’ll take around 1 hour to hike on this route, but no stairs are involved, just jungle trails.
#14. Phi Phi Viewpoint 2
Phi Phi Viewpoint 2 is located 5 minutes walk from viewpoint 1. At this viewpoint, you can climb the big rocks to find the best views or just take photos at the wooden viewing platform area. The wooden viewing areas are packed with people at sunset.
Phi Phi Viewpoint 2 has toilets (20 baht) as well as cafes and convenience stores for snacks and drinks. You can have some drinks at the cafe while enjoying stunning sunset views.
#15. Phi Phi Viewpoint 3
Phi Phi Viewpoint 3 is located around 10 minutes walk up from viewpoint 2. It is the lesser-known viewpoint and is a great spot if you want to escape the crowds at sunset. The ticket is 20 bah and is separated with viewpoints 1 & 2. The viewing area is quite large, with tables and chairs to sit.
#16. Phi Phi Viewpoint 4
This is a hidden viewpoint within a short walk from Phi Phi Viewpoint 3. You will find the trail on the way from viewpoint 3 to Phi Phi Saii resort & Loh Ba Kao Bay. It is just simply the big rocks where you can stand on and have some nice views of Phak Nam Bay.
While there are clear signs to viewpoints 1,2,3, there are no signs to viewpoint 4. You can look at its location on this map.
Hiking routes
It is possible to walk around Koh Phi Phi visiting all the beaches and attractions on foot. There are many trails all around the island. If you love hiking, you can explore Koh Phi Phi Don by walking.
#17. Tonsai to Koh Phi Phi Viewpoints
These are the most popular hiking routes on Koh Phi Phi. It involves a 15-20 minutes hike on steep stars to reach viewpoint 1, a 5 minute walk up to viewpoint 2, and another 10 minutes to get to viewpoint 3. These viewpoints have breaktaking views of the island’s main beaches and town.
#18. Loh Ba Kao Bay to Koh Phi Phi Viewpoints
This is a 1 hour hike through the jungle from Loh Ba Kao Bay village. The hike is easier than taking stairs from Tonsai Village. You might encounter some monkeys along the way. There are signs along the trail showing the directions to the viewpoints and the main village.
You’ll first arrive at Phi Phi Viewpoint 3 within 1 hour, then continue down to Viewpoint 2, and finally make your way to Viewpoint 1.
#19. Tonsai to beaches on North Koh Phi Phi
The easiest way to access the beaches in the northern region of Koh Phi Phi is by long tail boats. If you like hiking, it is possible to walk along the coast line from Tonsai village to reach these beaches.
This is a beautiful walk through the rocks on the shores of the beach at low tide and some sections inside the jungle. You can easily reach Loh Dalum, Nui Beach, Laem Tong, and Loh Ba Kao within 1 hour walk from the main village.
If the tide is high, you can still travel between the main town and the beaches on the north via the viewpoints. You will need to hike 15-20 minutes up steep stairs though.
#20. Tonsai to Long Beach
This is a short beautiful combination of coastal and jungle trail from Tonsai to Long Beach. It will take around 15-20 minutes to hike and along the way, you will see several beautiful secluded beaches to explore such as Love Beach and Viking Beach.
#21. Nightlife
Phi Phi has a vibrant nightlife scene, particularly at the main village and Loh Dalum Beach. There are lots of bars and nightclubs in TonSai village. Nightlife on Phi Phi starts late and goes strong until around 2–3am, especially in peak season.
If you like beach parties, head to Loh Dalum Beach. The beach is lively from sunset. There is lots of music as well as activities such as fireshow to enjoy and cheap buckets of alcohol right on the sand..
Koh Phi Phi Leh
This uninhabited island of Koh Phi Phi island, located 5 km south of TonSai Pier. The island is known for its stunning Maya Beach, tranquil Leh Bay, and the Viking Cave.
Most people who come to Koh Phi Phi will visit Maya Bay because it is the top attraction on the island. You can visit Phi Phi Leh by joining a group tour or hire a private driver. I hired a private driver for a few hours and it cost me 2000 baht. The ticket to Maya Beach is 400 baht, speated from the boat ticket.
#22. Maya Bay
Maya Bay is a breaking bay with powdery white sand, crystal turquoise water, and is surrounded by towering limestone cliffs. Swimming is not allowed in the bay to help preserve coral reefs and marine life, so you just walk around, take photos, and admire the stunning natural landscape.
It is recommended to get to Maya Beach early, around 7am to avoid crowds. The Beach is located 5 minutes walk from the pier on Loh Samah Bay. I spent 1 hour on the beach and still want more.
After putting your foot on the sand at Maya Beach, the boatman will take you to the snorkeling /swimming spot that is opposite the Maya Beach. It is 300m from Maya Beach and the boat has to stay out of the limit. You can take photos of the beach from a distance.
#23. PiLeh Bay
PiLeh Lagoon is a stunning natural lagoon on the eastern side of Phi Phi Leh, 5 minute boat ride from Maya Bay. It has crystal-clear emerald water surrounded by high limestone cliffs, creating a dramatic and peaceful atmosphere.
#24. Viking Cave
Viking Cave is a famous natural site on the northeastern side of Phi Phi Leh. The cave is named after ancient paintings found inside that resemble Viking ships. It is the site for harvesting edible bird’s nests.
The boatman stopped near the cave, so I can view and photograph it from the outside. The cave is around a 30 minute boat ride from Tonsai Pier.
These are my list of the 24 best things to do and see in Koh Phi Phi. From the lively and secluded beaches to stunning viewpoints and vibrant nightlife, Koh Phi Phi has something for everyone.