Short answer
Yes, a Phi Phi tour from Phuket runs in August and September, but Maya Bay is closed to visitors from 1 August to 30 September every year, so on our tour you see it from the boat only. These are monsoon months: Thai Meteorological Department normals for Phuket show 19 rainy days in August and 22 in September. If the sea is unsafe, the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it. Our day is from $75 per person.
Yes, the tour runs in August and September, but Maya Bay is seen from the boat
A Phi Phi tour from Phuket does run in August and September. On our tour the day goes ahead on those dates with one change: the national park closes Maya Bay every year from 1 August to 30 September, so you see it from the boat only and do not walk onto the beach. The Department of National Parks described its 2026 closure as running from 1 August to 30 September 2026 in a report on its September survey of the bay.
We do not repeat the rules here. Our Maya Bay rules and closure guide explains why the bay closes, how a visit works the rest of the year and why nobody swims there. This article is about what is different for you if your dates fall in these two months.
Which places close, and which stay on the route
Pattaya Mail reported in August 2024 that the park announced the closure of Maya Bay, Loh Sama Bay and Lor Kor Bay from 1 August to 30 September, for the safety of tourists in the rainy season and to let nature recover. Bangkok Airways' February 2026 guide names Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Loko Bay among the areas closed to travellers every year. Loh Samah is where boats normally land for the walk to Maya Bay.
Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island are not named in either report, and on our tour they are the swimming stops, with a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don. The closure ends after 30 September, so a trip from 1 October is a normal Phi Phi day. Before 1 August and from 1 October, you can walk onto the beach at Maya Bay under the park's usual rules.
What the Thai weather service's figures say: the wettest months of the year
The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981 to 2010 normals for the Phuket station give 286.8 mm of rain over 19.0 rainy days in August and 361.2 mm over 22.1 rainy days in September. For comparison, January has 30.3 mm over 4.6 rainy days and February 23.9 mm over 3.1. August and September together bring 648 mm, just under 30 percent of the year's 2,219.5 mm. These are 30-year averages, so any single day can differ.
The heat is not the problem. The same table gives a mean daily maximum of 32.0 degrees Celsius in August and 31.5 in September, against 33.6 in February. What changes in the monsoon is the rain and the sea. Bangkok Airways' guide gives November to April as the peak season on Phi Phi, when travellers can expect calm seas and great visibility, so August and September sit outside the season it calls best.
The sea in the monsoon, and who decides whether the boat goes
The monsoon shows in the marine forecasts. Asia News Network reported on 26 August 2026 that the Thai Meteorological Department's forecast issued on 25 August expected waves of 2 to 3 metres in the upper Andaman Sea, rising above 3 metres in thunderstorms, under a rather strong southwest monsoon, and advised small boats in the upper Andaman Sea to remain ashore. That is a forecast for the whole upper Andaman Sea, not a reading for the route between Phuket and Phi Phi.
A forecast for open water is not a decision about our tour. On our tour the operator decides: if the sea is unsafe, the trip is moved to another date or refunded. Phuket 101 notes that some ferry departures can be cancelled for rough seas from May to October, and the Department of National Parks' director-general said on 15 October 2026 that the opening of some attractions may change with the weather, for the safety of visitors and staff.
What the day is like in the monsoon
Expect a different day from the postcard version. Phuket 101 says a speedboat can be rough in choppy weather, and the Thai National Parks website says snorkelling is best from around November or December until May, when the water is clearer and the waves are smaller. So in August and September the water can be less clear and the waves bigger than in the dry months. Our operator's advice for the open sea is the same as ever: take seasickness tablets if you need them.
The details we hold change one thing on these dates: Maya Bay is seen from the boat only. The order of the other stops moves with the tide, the crowds and the sea, and our tour schedule article shows how the day normally runs. Mask, snorkel and life jacket are provided; towels are not, and a dry bag matters more when it rains.
Is it still worth booking in August or September?
It depends on why you are going. If walking onto Maya Bay is the reason, the answer is no: nobody lands there while the bay is closed, and a date before 1 August or from 1 October is the better plan. If you want a day among the islands, with swimming at Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island, lunch on Phi Phi Don and the limestone cliffs of Phi Phi Leh from the water, the tour still gives you that, with more risk from the weather than in the dry months.
Alternatives are limited in these months. The Similan Islands are closed from mid-May to mid-October, so the other classic boat day from Phuket is Phang Nga Bay. Our Phi Phi or James Bond Island guide compares the two, and the Similan season guide gives the dates. Pregnant women, infants under 1 year and guests over 70 cannot join our Phi Phi speedboat at any time of year.
How to book for these months
Book as for any other date: send us the date, your hotel in Phuket and the number of guests on WhatsApp, and we confirm availability, the pickup time and the total before you pay. Keep one spare day in your plans if you can, because a trip that the operator moves for the sea needs another date. Ask us about the park fee for your date, because the details we hold do not say whether it changes while Maya Bay is closed.
For prices and extras, see our Phi Phi price guide; for the stops one by one, the travel guide. If you travel with children, read our guide to Phi Phi with kids, and if the sea worries you, compare boat types in the speedboat or big boat guide. The tour page lists the inclusions.
Practical checklist
- Check your dates against the Maya Bay closure from 1 August to 30 September.
- Decide whether seeing Maya Bay from the boat is enough for you; if not, choose another month.
- Keep one spare day in your plans in case the trip is moved for the sea.
- Take a seasickness remedy if you need one, and pack swimwear, a towel and a dry bag.
- Ask us about the park fee for your date and keep cash in baht.
Questions and answers
Is Maya Bay open in September?
No. The national park closes Maya Bay every year from 1 August to 30 September, and the 2026 closure ran on those dates. Our Phi Phi tour still runs, and Maya Bay is seen from the boat only.
Does the Phi Phi tour run in August?
Yes. On our tour the day goes ahead in August and September, with Maya Bay seen from the boat. If the sea is unsafe on your date, the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it.
How rainy are August and September in Phuket?
The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981 to 2010 normals for Phuket give 286.8 mm of rain over 19.0 days in August and 361.2 mm over 22.1 days in September, against 23.9 mm over 3.1 days in February.
Which parts of Phi Phi are closed in August and September?
Pattaya Mail and Bangkok Airways name three areas: Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Loko Bay. Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island are not among those named, and they are the swimming stops on our tour.
Is the sea rough in the monsoon?
Often rougher. A Thai Meteorological Department forecast of 25 August 2026 expected waves of 2 to 3 metres in the upper Andaman Sea and advised small boats there to stay ashore. On our tour the operator decides whether the trip goes.
When is the best time for a Phi Phi tour?
Bangkok Airways' 2026 guide gives November to April as the peak season, with calm seas and great visibility. The Thai National Parks website also names around November or December to May as the best time for snorkelling.