Short answer
A speedboat day from Phuket reaches Phi Phi in about an hour, so it fits Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don, Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon and the walk to Maya Bay into about 8.5 hours. A big boat or the public ferry takes about two hours each way and rolls less. Our speedboat day is from $75 per person. The ferry from Rassada Pier costs about 500 to 700 baht each way in October 2026, but it is a transport ticket, not a tour.
The short answer: a speedboat buys time, a big boat buys comfort
The choice comes down to the crossing. Our speedboat leaves Royal Phuket Marina and reaches Phi Phi in about an hour, depending on the sea, so the day has room for Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon and Loh Samah Bay with the walk to Maya Bay, all inside about 8.5 hours. A big boat or the public ferry takes about two hours, according to Visit Thailand Today's October 2026 guide, and rolls far less in a swell.
We sell the speedboat day only, from $75 per person, with up to 35 guests on the boat. That means this guide has to be honest about where a speedboat is the wrong choice. For the price breakdown, read our Phi Phi tour price guide; for the stops one by one, see the travel guide.
Crossing time: about one hour or about two
On our tour the speedboat crossing from Royal Phuket Marina takes about an hour. Phuket 101, updated in April 2026, gives 45 minutes to an hour for speedboats and about two hours for big boats, a group that includes ferries and large tour boats. Visit Thailand Today agrees: the big ferries take about two hours to Tonsai pier on Phi Phi Don, and speedboats about an hour.
Ferryscanner, whose page was last updated on 25 October 2026, lists the route from Rassada Pier to Phi Phi Don as 40.95 km, with the fastest crossing at one hour and an average of 1 hour 41 minutes across all boats. On a day trip the gap is real: two hours each way on a big boat is about four hours of the day spent crossing, against about two on a speedboat, before anyone has stepped onto an island.
Comfort and seasickness: speedboats bounce, big boats roll less
Phuket 101 says a speedboat can be rough in choppy weather, especially on the return leg when the afternoon wind picks up, while big boats are far more stable, with air-conditioned seating inside and an open deck. Visit Thailand Today describes speedboats slamming on the waves with spray coming over the side, and advises anyone who gets seasick to take the ferry. Our operator says the same about the open sea: the ride can be bumpy, so take seasickness tablets if you need them.
The NHS motion-sickness advice, last reviewed in June 2023, is to sit in the middle of a boat, look at a fixed point such as the horizon, avoid reading or screens, and avoid heavy meals or alcohol shortly before travel. Our speedboat also has hard limits: pregnant women, infants under 1 year and guests over 70 are not allowed on it, and guests with back problems should consider a bigger boat.
How many stops fit into one day
A speedboat day is built around stops. On our tour the route runs between Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, Phi Phi Don for lunch, Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon and Loh Samah Bay, with the walk to Maya Bay, and the boat is back at the marina at about 5:30 to 6 pm. The order changes with the tide and the crowds. Our tour schedule article shows how the hours fall.
A big-boat day tour usually has a different shape. Phuket 101 says big-boat tours typically go to Tonsai Bay on Phi Phi Don, where you move to a smaller boat for the island hopping, so part of the day goes on that transfer. The public ferry gives you the village and nothing more: in Visit Thailand Today's table the 08:30 big ferry reaches Tonsai at about 10:30, and boats back leave Tonsai from 09:00, with the last ferry at 15:30 and speedboats until about 17:00.
Group size and how you reach Maya Bay
Our speedboat takes up to 35 guests with an English-speaking guide. Phuket 101 says speedboat groups range from 14 to 40 passengers depending on the operator. Wikivoyage's Ko Phi Phi guide, which does not date these lines, says lower-priced speedboat tours usually carry 30 to 35 passengers on a two-engine boat and 50 to 60 on a three-engine boat, while higher-end tours take up to 18. Ask any company how many people will be on the boat you actually board.
On our tour the boat moors at the back of Phi Phi Leh and you walk to Maya Bay on a boardwalk. The Department of National Parks' December 2021 announcement lists the floating pier at Loh Samah Bay and the raised walkway that make this possible, with visits in rounds of up to 375 people an hour. Ask a big-boat company whether its guests land at Loh Samah or only see the bay from the water.
What each one costs
Our speedboat day is from $75 per person, with hotel pickup, lunch, snorkelling gear and insurance included. The park fee, 400 baht per adult and 200 per child on our tour, is paid in cash on the day. The ferry is cheaper per ticket: Visit Thailand Today's October 2026 guide gives about 500 to 700 baht each way for a standard big-ferry seat and 750 to 850 baht for a speedboat seat, plus 20 baht in cash at Tonsai. Phuket 101 gave about 600 baht and 850 to 950 baht in April 2026.
Those fares buy a seat, nothing more. Phuket 101 says that to see Maya Bay and the lagoons after landing you hire a longtail at Tonsai Pier, roughly 1,500 to 3,000 baht for a private trip, and the park fee is still due. We found no dated source that prices big-boat Phi Phi day tours on their own, so we quote no figure for them. Our price guide lists the ranges we could source.
Which one suits you
Choose the speedboat if you have one day, want swimming, snorkelling and Maya Bay in it, and nobody in your group is pregnant, under 1 year old, over 70 or prone to bad seasickness. Choose a big boat if you or a child struggle on rough water, or if you have back problems, and check that operator's own age and health limits, because ours apply to the speedboat only. Take the ferry if you plan to stay on Phi Phi Don: Phuket 101 says an overnight stay lets you see the bay early or late, when the day-trippers have gone.
Sea and season matter in every case. Phuket 101 says some ferry departures can be cancelled for rough seas in the monsoon months from May to October, and on our tour the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it if the sea is unsafe. If your dates fall in August or September, read our August and September guide. If you travel with children, read our guide to Phi Phi with kids.
Practical checklist
- Decide how much of the day you want to spend crossing: about 1 hour each way by speedboat, about 2 by big boat or ferry.
- Ask any big-boat company which islands you land on, not just sail past.
- If you get seasick, sit in the middle of the boat, watch the horizon and avoid heavy meals before sailing.
- If you take the ferry, check the last return departure from Tonsai before you plan the day.
- Check the limits of our speedboat: no pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70.
Questions and answers
How long is the speedboat ride from Phuket to Phi Phi?
About an hour from Royal Phuket Marina on our tour, depending on the sea. Phuket 101 gives 45 minutes to an hour for speedboats in general, and about two hours for big boats and ferries.
Is a big boat better if you get seasick?
It is steadier: Phuket 101 and Visit Thailand Today both say big boats roll far less than speedboats. The NHS also advises sitting in the middle of a boat, looking at the horizon and avoiding heavy meals before travel.
Can you take the public ferry instead of a tour?
Yes, from Rassada Pier. Visit Thailand Today lists the first big ferries at 08:30 and 08:45 and the last big ferry at 15:00 in October 2026. A ferry reaches only the village at Tonsai; Maya Bay and the lagoons need another boat.
How many people are on your speedboat?
Up to 35 guests per speedboat on our tour, with an English-speaking guide. Phuket 101 says speedboat groups range from 14 to 40 passengers depending on the operator.
Do you offer a big-boat tour to Phi Phi?
No. Our Phi Phi tour is the shared speedboat day. If you need a steadier boat, a big-boat tour from another company or the ferry route may suit you better, and the questions in this guide help you compare.
Can you swim at Maya Bay from any boat?
No. Swimming in Maya Bay is not allowed whichever boat you take. On our tour you swim at Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island instead.