7-Island Longtail Snorkelling and Sunset Tour Phi Phi

Koh Phi Phi Don, the starting point

Koh Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited island of the Phi Phi group, a narrow strip of sand linking two forested hills, with Tonsai village and its pier in the middle. Small lanes of guesthouses, cafés and dive shops run between Tonsai Bay on one side and Loh Dalum Bay on the other, and there are no cars on the island, so everyone moves on foot or by boat. The longtail boats used on this tour line the beach, painted in bright colours and decorated with ribbons for good luck.

If you are wondering how to get to Phi Phi Don, ferries run several times a day from Rassada Pier in Phuket and from Krabi and Ao Nang, taking about two hours. This tour is designed for guests already staying on the island: you meet the boat at the meeting point on Phi Phi Don by 10:30, and the exact spot is sent after booking.

Phi Phi Leh and Pileh Lagoon

Phi Phi Leh, the smaller sister island, has no villages at all. It is a ring of vertical limestone cliffs rising straight out of the sea, protected inside the Hat Noppharat Thara and Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The longtail boat follows its coastline closely so you can look up at the cliffs, the hanging vegetation and the swallows nesting in the cracks of the rock.

The highlight here is Pileh Lagoon, an almost enclosed basin of emerald water surrounded by walls of stone. The boat glides in through a narrow entrance and stops so you can swim or float in the calm, warm water. It is one of the most photographed spots of any Phi Phi Leh boat trip, and in the morning light the colours are at their most intense. Your guide also points out the Viking Cave on the north-east side, where ancient drawings of boats cover the walls.

Viking Cave and the snorkelling reefs

Viking Cave takes its name from the old paintings of sailing ships found inside. Today the cave is used by local families who collect the nests of swiftlets on bamboo scaffolding, so visitors cannot enter, but the longtail slows down in front of it for photos and explanations. The surrounding coast, with its overhangs and sea arches, gives a good idea of how wind and water have shaped this landscape over thousands of years.

Several snorkelling stops are spread through the day, usually in sheltered spots around Phi Phi Leh and the smaller islands. With the mask and snorkel provided, you can see hard and soft corals, parrotfish, angelfish, sergeant majors and sometimes small reef sharks resting on the sand. Life jackets are supplied, so confident swimmers and beginners can both enjoy the water. This is why the trip is often listed among the best Phi Phi snorkelling tours.

Monkey Beach

Monkey Beach is a small cove of soft sand on the north-east coast of Phi Phi Don, backed by jungle-covered cliffs. It owes its name to the long-tailed macaques that come down from the trees to the shoreline, especially in the morning and late afternoon. The boat stops close to the beach so you can watch them and take photos from a respectful distance.

The macaques are wild animals, and your guide will remind you not to feed or touch them and to keep bags, sunglasses and bottles closed and out of reach, as they are quick to grab anything that looks like food. The water in front of the beach is clear and shallow, which makes it pleasant for a short swim. For many guests, Monkey Beach is one of the most memorable moments of any Koh Phi Phi island hopping day.

Bamboo Island and sunset at sea

Bamboo Island, known in Thai as Koh Mai Phai, lies about five kilometres north-east of Phi Phi Don. It is a low, flat island fringed by a wide beach of fine white sand, with shallow turquoise water and pine trees giving shade. There are no hotels here, only the beach, the reef just offshore and the open horizon, which makes it the ideal place for a long break to swim, snorkel or simply rest in the shade.

As the afternoon ends, the longtail heads back slowly so you can watch the sunset over the Andaman Sea, with the silhouettes of the islands turning dark against the orange sky. The best time to visit Phi Phi is the dry season from November to April, when the sea is calm and visibility is at its best; between May and October some stops may change with the swell.