Short answer
The ferry from Krabi to Koh Phi Phi leaves Klong Jilad Pier, just outside Krabi Town, and takes about 2 hours to Tonsai Pier. The operator Andaman Wave Master lists two sailings a day, at 09:00 and 13:00, at 450 baht for an adult and 350 for a child, ticket only. From Ao Nang's Nopparat Thara Pier a speedboat from Bundhaya takes about 50 minutes and starts at 1,000 baht. Schedules change without notice, so confirm your date before you plan around it.
Three piers, three ways to leave Krabi for Phi Phi
Krabi has three departure points for Phi Phi, and the right one depends on where you sleep. Klong Jilad Pier is the main ferry port, just outside Krabi Town; Andaman Wave Master describes it as the pier for travellers coming straight from Krabi International Airport. Nopparat Thara Pier is in Ao Nang, for guests staying at Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tubkaek. Railay, which has no road, sends boats from its east side.
Wikivoyage warns about one trap at Klong Jilad. The passenger ferry no longer starts from the old piers in the centre of Krabi Town, and it says some taxi drivers take arriving passengers to a travel agent near the old Chao Fah Pier to sell extra services. Tell the driver the pier name, Klong Jilad, and check the name on your ticket before you pay for a taxi.
The ferry timetable and fare from Klong Jilad Pier
On the operator's own timetable, read on 29 October 2026, Andaman Wave Master lists two daily sailings from Klong Jilad Pier to Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don: one from 09:00 to 11:00 and one from 13:00 to 15:30. The fare is 450 baht for an adult and 350 baht for a child, and no price is listed for infants. The company gives the distance as 38 km, or 20 miles, and the crossing as about 2 hours.
Read the small print before you budget. The operator says the prices are for the ferry ticket only and do not include land transfers in Krabi, Lanta or Phi Phi, and that the schedule and the period of operation may change without notice. It also advises booking online two to three days ahead in high season, because tickets sell out quickly. We checked one operator; others may run different times.
Speedboats from Ao Nang and Railay: faster, but about double the price
If you stay in Ao Nang, the speedboat saves more than an hour. On its route list, read on 29 October 2026, Bundhaya Speed Boat shows Ao Nang (Nopparat Thara Pier) to Phi Phi (Ton Sai Pier) as a speedboat of 50 minutes, running all year, from 1,000 baht per person. The return from Phi Phi to Ao Nang is listed at 40 minutes, also from 1,000 baht. Andaman Wave Master lists an Ao Nang to Phi Phi ferry as well, but we did not find a timetable for it.
From Railay East the same company lists a speedboat of about 30 minutes to Phi Phi, also from 1,000 baht. Andaman Wave Master notes that Railay East has no pier structure, and passengers board by longtail transfer or a floating pontoon, depending on the tide. Expect wet feet and keep your bag light.
Ferry or speedboat: how the two compare
Put the listed numbers side by side. The ferry from Klong Jilad is about 2 hours at 450 baht one way; a speedboat from Ao Nang is about 50 minutes at 1,000 baht, so you pay a little over twice as much to save about an hour and ten minutes. Add the cost of getting to Klong Jilad if you start in Ao Nang, because the ferry fare does not include it. Return, that is 900 baht for the ferry against from 2,000 baht for the speedboat, per adult.
The speedboat suits a short stay, a tight connection or a traveller who dislikes long crossings. The ferry suits a bigger boat, a lower fare and a flexible plan. Neither is a guaranteed smooth ride: Andaman Wave Master says that from July to October the sea can be choppy and ferry schedules may adjust for safety, while November to February is usually the calmest. Our seasickness guide has practical advice for the rough months.
Can you do Phi Phi as a day trip from Krabi by ferry?
You can, but the timetable makes it a short day. The ferry listed from Klong Jilad at 09:00 arrives at 11:00, and the Phi Phi to Krabi sailings are listed at 10:30 and 15:30, arriving 12:30 and 17:30. The latest return leaves Tonsai Pier at 15:30, so you get about 4.5 hours on the island, before the transfer back to Ao Nang or your hotel, which is not included in the fare.
That time is enough for lunch and a walk to the viewpoint, but not for the snorkelling, the lagoon and the other beaches that a full Phi Phi tour includes. The ferry stops at Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don, so it does not take you to Maya Bay or Pileh Lagoon on Phi Phi Leh. Those need a speedboat or longtail tour. See Maya Bay rules and closure dates before you plan around the bay.
What our Krabi days offer instead
We should be plain about this: we do not sell a Phi Phi day from Krabi. Our Phi Phi speedboat day leaves from Phuket, from $75 per person, and our Krabi tours stay around Ao Nang. The Krabi 4 Islands speedboat tour is from $35 per person, with hotel pickup at about 7:30 to 8:40 am and a return at about 2:00 pm. It visits Phra Nang Cave Beach, the Tup and Chicken Island sandbar, a snorkelling reef and Poda Island for lunch.
That is a different day, not a cheaper Phi Phi. If Phi Phi is the reason you are in Krabi, take the ferry or speedboat and give it a night or two. If you want clear water, limestone islands and beaches within an hour of Ao Nang, the 4 Islands day does it without a long crossing. The national park fee, 200 baht per adult and 100 per child on the 4 Islands route, is paid in cash at check-in. Our 4 Islands or Hong Islands guide compares the two Krabi days.
How to book and what to check first
Book on the operator's website for your date, or at a travel agent in Ao Nang or Krabi Town. Wikivoyage says tickets can also be bought at the dock. Whichever route you pick, check four things: the pier name, whether a transfer from your hotel is included, the return sailing and the luggage rules. The ferry price on the operator's page covers the boat only.
Wikivoyage's page on Ko Phi Phi also mentions a small per-person fee collected at the pier on the island, but gives an old figure, and we could not confirm a current amount. Ask when you buy your ticket. If you are travelling in the rainy months, keep your dates flexible and read our Krabi in the rainy season guide, because a cancelled or delayed boat is easier to absorb with a spare day.
Practical checklist
- Choose your pier first: Klong Jilad for the ferry, Nopparat Thara in Ao Nang or Railay East for a speedboat.
- Check the sailing for your date on the operator's site, because schedules change without notice.
- Budget 450 baht per adult each way for the ferry and from 1,000 baht for a speedboat, plus any transfer to the pier.
- Book two to three days ahead in high season, as the operator advises.
- Keep a spare day in your plan in July to October, when the sea can be choppy.
- Pack your bag so it can be carried through shallow water if you leave from Railay.
Questions and answers
How long is the ferry from Krabi to Phi Phi?
About 2 hours from Klong Jilad Pier to Tonsai Pier, according to Andaman Wave Master's timetable, which lists a distance of 38 km. A speedboat from Ao Nang's Nopparat Thara Pier is listed at about 50 minutes.
How much is the Krabi to Phi Phi ferry?
Andaman Wave Master lists 450 baht for an adult and 350 for a child on the Klong Jilad to Tonsai Pier sailings, ticket only, with no land transfer. Bundhaya's speedboats from Ao Nang start at 1,000 baht per person.
Which Krabi pier does the Phi Phi ferry leave from?
The main ferry leaves from Klong Jilad Pier, just outside Krabi Town and the usual choice from the airport. Speedboats leave from Nopparat Thara Pier in Ao Nang and from Railay East.
Does the ferry run every day?
The operator's timetable says it operates daily, but it adds that schedules and the period of operation may change without notice. In July to October it says the sea can be choppy and times may adjust.
Can you visit Maya Bay by the public ferry?
No. The ferry stops at Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don. Maya Bay is on Phi Phi Leh, reached by speedboat or longtail tour, and it is closed every year from 1 August to 30 September.