Phi Phi by Yacht, Catamaran or Speedboat: Time, Price per Person and What You See

Phi Phi is the best known day at sea from Phuket, and the Phuket B2C catalog offers three ways to do it. You can join a group tour and pay for a seat, with the route, the departure time and lunch already planned. You can take a premium group tour on a catamaran, where every passenger has a reserved seat and the boat leaves from a premium pier. Or you can charter a whole boat with crew, a speedboat, a catamaran or a yacht, and decide yourself where to stop and how long to stay on each beach.

The price gap is wide. Group tours to Phi Phi in the catalog cost 2,100 to 6,500 THB per person. A private boat on this route costs from 49,900 THB for a speedboat up to 230,000 THB for a 40-guest cruise yacht, and that is the price for the whole vessel, not per head. For a couple or a group of three or four, a group tour is usually the better deal. From six or eight people upward, a private boat often comes out at a similar cost per person, with far more freedom.

Below are all three options with real prices from the yacht rental and tours and excursions sections: what each costs, how many guests the price covers, how fast the boat is and what you normally pay on top.

The standard tour is called Phi Phi 5 Beaches and costs 2,100 THB per person. It covers Maya Bay, the bay from the film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, Pileh Lagoon, snorkeling with masks, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don and Khai Nok island. This is the classic one-day loop that most visitors do.

For more comfort there is the premium Phi Phi catamaran tour at 3,000 THB. It leaves from a premium pier on new catamarans with front boarding, and each passenger has a seat of their own. The key stops are the same: Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, Pileh Lagoon, snorkeling and Viking Cave, lunch on Phi Phi Don, and a relaxed finish on Bamboo or Khai island.

If you dislike crowds, look at Sunrise on Phi Phi for 2,500 THB. It starts early in the morning so you see the islands in the first light while the beaches are still empty. The most expensive group option is the premium cruise on the Noah catamaran for 6,500 THB, with chef-prepared meals, a jacuzzi on the upper deck, sets from a resident DJ and the sunset at sea. And if you want to cover more ground in one go, there is a two-day tour of Phi Phi, James Bond Island and Krabi for 5,500 THB.

Every tour in the catalog is booked with a 1,000 THB deposit. Our separate guide on how to book tours in Phuket explains what to look for in a tour programme before you pay.

A speedboat gives you the most time on the islands simply because it is fast. Ocean Pearl 42 is a 2024 sport cruiser that cruises at 30 knots. Its 8-hour Phi Phi and Khai route costs 49,900 THB, or 52,900 THB from 20 December to 20 January. There is also a Phi Phi and Bamboo Island route at 52,900 THB (55,900 THB over the New Year period). The price covers up to 10 guests, each extra guest adds 800 THB, and the boat takes up to 20. A crew of three, soft drinks, fruit and snacks, SUP boards, snorkeling gear, insurance and fuel are included. A restaurant lunch, a minivan transfer and national park fees are not.

Per person it works out like this. Ten guests on Ocean Pearl 42 pay 49,900 THB, which is 4,990 THB each. Twenty guests pay 49,900 THB plus ten times 800 THB, so 57,900 THB in total, or 2,895 THB each. That is close to the premium group tour, but nobody else is on board.

The second option, Speedboat 39 built in 2017, reaches 35 knots and gets to Phi Phi within a 7-hour charter. The Phi Phi route costs 50,000 THB all year and 55,000 THB from 20 December to 20 January. The price covers up to 8 guests, each extra guest adds 1,200 THB, and up to 20 people fit. A Thai lunch and an English-speaking guide are included this time. There are no cabins, but there is a toilet on board. The taxi to the marina and park fees are extra. For eight guests that is 6,250 THB each.

People pick a catamaran for stability and deck space. It suits families with children and larger groups, and at anchor it turns into a floating playground with a slide and paddle boards. The trade-off is speed. The 2025 power catamaran Prada does up to 15 knots and the Leopard 40 up to 14 knots. That is roughly half the speed of a 30-35 knot speedboat, so more of the day goes to the crossing and less to the beaches.

Prada on the 8-hour Phi Phi and Khai route costs 65,000 THB from May to October, 70,000 THB from November to April and 75,000 THB from 20 December to 20 January. The price covers up to 10 guests, each extra guest adds 1,000 THB, with a maximum of 20. On board you get a water slide, two SUP boards, inflatables, snorkeling and fishing gear, 24 cans of beer and snacks. Lunch is not included, but you can order it at a restaurant on the island. For 20 guests in the low season that is 75,000 THB in total, or 3,750 THB each.

On some catamarans Phi Phi is not part of the standard day routes and comes with a fuel surcharge. The Yati catamaran, for example, costs 83,000 THB for a full 8-hour day from May to October, and going to Phi Phi adds 25,000 THB. Whether a single-day trip to Phi Phi is possible on that boat is confirmed at booking, and for some vessels it is only offered with an overnight stay. The Leopard 40 also adds a 25,000 THB fuel surcharge for Phi Phi. So if Phi Phi is the reason you want a catamaran, check first that it goes there as a day trip and what the final price is with the surcharge.

A motor yacht makes sense when the trip itself is the occasion: a birthday, a romantic day out, a family celebration or a night at sea. The most affordable one in the catalog is the Azimut 46. Its 8-hour Phi Phi and Khai route costs 105,000 THB from May to October, 115,000 THB from November to April and 130,000 THB from 20 December to 20 January, for one to eight guests. That includes a crew of three, lunch, a bottle of wine, beer, air conditioning throughout, three cabins and a minivan transfer to the marina.

The 20-metre Princess 65 Oceana takes up to 20 guests. An 8-hour Phi Phi day costs 145,000, 155,000 and 165,000 THB across the same three periods, for up to 10 guests, with 1,500 THB for each extra guest. If you want to stay near the islands overnight, a two-day, one-night charter on this yacht starts at 280,000 THB.

For a big group there is the SPLO 74 cruise yacht, which takes up to 40 guests. Phi Phi for 8 hours costs 230,000 THB from May to April and 250,000 THB over the New Year period for up to 12 guests, with 2,500 THB for each extra guest. A Thai lunch, a karaoke room and water toys are included. With 40 guests that is 230,000 THB plus 28 times 2,500 THB, so 300,000 THB in total, or 7,500 THB each. For a corporate party or a wedding there is the Power Catamaran 75 party boat for 120 guests, with a Phi Phi and Maiton route from 230,000 THB.

Nearly every route is built around the same highlights: Maya Bay, the turquoise Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, lunch on the main island of Phi Phi Don, and on the way back a stop at Khai or Bamboo island. What changes between formats is not the list of places but how long you spend at each one and how many people are around you.

A simple rule by group size. One to four people: a group tour at 2,100-3,000 THB per person is almost always cheaper. Six to ten people: a private speedboat to Phi Phi comes to roughly 5,000-6,250 THB each, and you choose the departure time and the stops. Fifteen to twenty people with children: a catamaran, at about 3,750 THB each with room for everyone. A celebration or a night on the water: a yacht.

If seeing the islands before the crowds matters most, look at the sunrise tour or a private speedboat with an early start. If you would rather relax on the water than tick off every stop, a catamaran or a yacht on the Phi Phi and Khai route gives you a calmer day.

How many guests the price covers. Private boats almost always price for a group of up to 8 or up to 10, and each extra guest costs 800 to 2,500 THB. Work out the total for your whole group in advance.

Which season applies. Most boats have three prices: May to October, November to April, and a peak period around New Year, from 15 or 20 December to 15 or 20 January depending on the boat. Some speedboats keep one price all year except for the New Year period.

What is not included. National park entry fees are extra on every boat in this guide. On Phi Phi the fee is 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, so add 4,000 THB to the budget for a group of ten adults. Also check whether lunch, the transfer to the marina and any Phi Phi fuel surcharge are included. The Azimut 46, for instance, includes a minivan transfer, while on Speedboat 39 the taxi to the marina is extra.

Deposit and documents. Private boats in the catalog are booked with a 5,000 THB deposit, tours with a 1,000 THB deposit. Some speedboats need each guest's full name and passport number in advance, because the marine department and the insurance require it. Send a request from the yacht rental section and we will check availability for your date and send the final price for your group.