Short answer
Phuket to Phi Phi by public ferry takes about 2 hours from Rassada Pier and starts at 700 baht one way in standard class on one ferry company's current timetable; a speedboat transfer takes about 1 hour and costs 850 baht. The ferry only lands you at Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi Don, and the last return is in mid-afternoon. A day tour such as ours, from $75 per person, adds Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island, lunch and hotel pickup. Take the ferry to stay overnight, the tour to see the islands in one day.
Ferry or tour: one gets you there, the other shows you the islands
A public ferry or speedboat transfer is transport. It takes you from Phuket to Tonsai Pier, the main landing on Phi Phi Don, and the service ends there. A day tour is the islands themselves: a boat that loops through Phi Phi Leh, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island and brings you back to Phuket the same day. The two answer different questions, so the sensible choice depends mostly on whether you are sleeping on Phi Phi.
Distance is not the issue. One ferry company's route table gives about 40 km between Phuket and Phi Phi, and the crossing takes 1 to 3 hours depending on the boat and the landing. The real differences are what happens after you arrive, how long you can stay if you return the same day, and what the sea does to your day. The sections below take them in that order.
The ferry from Rassada Pier takes about 2 hours and costs from 700 baht
Ferries to Phi Phi leave from Rassada Pier, which the ferry company Andaman Wave Master describes as Phuket's main ferry terminal, minutes from Phuket Town. Its timetable page, read on 29 October 2026, lists two daily departures to Tonsai Pier: 08:30, arriving 10:30, and 13:45, arriving 15:45, each taking 2 hours. A standard-class ticket is 700 baht for an adult and 600 for a child one way, and a round trip is 1,200 baht for an adult.
The same company sells first class at 1,000 baht one way and premium at 1,300 baht. Its FAQ says standard seats are car-style seats that do not recline, on the lower deck, while first class and premium are sofa seats on higher decks with free coffee, tea and a snack. Phuket 101 gave the ferry as around 600 baht one way in April 2026, so prices differ between sellers and seasons.
The speedboat transfer takes about 1 hour and costs 850 baht
If the crossing is what you want to shorten, the same company also runs a speedboat from Rassada Pier to Tonsai Pier, which its route table gives as about 1 hour at 850 baht one way. Phuket 101 describes the same trade-off: speedboats about 1 hour and 850 to 950 baht, big ferries about 2 hours, and speedboats rougher in choppy water.
Two rules matter for families. The company's terms say the child rate applies from 4 to 11 years and the adult rate from 12, and that since 1 November 2025 an infant under 4 on a speedboat pays 300 baht each way, because the port authority counts an infant as one adult passenger. Luggage on the speedboat is one suitcase up to 18 inches and one handbag. Read the terms when you book, as they can change.
A same-day return by ferry leaves about four hours on the island
A day trip by ferry is possible but tight. Take the 08:30 from Rassada and you arrive at 10:30. The company's timetable shows Tonsai departures to Phuket at 11:00 and 14:30, the later one arriving at 16:30. Catching the 14:30 gives you about four hours on Phi Phi Don. Phuket 101 says the last ferry back leaves around 3:30 pm, so the sources differ by an hour; check the day's timetable before you plan.
Four hours is time for Tonsai and a walk, not for the islands around it. Phuket 101 says a longtail boat hired at Tonsai Pier for a half-day or full-day trip around the islands costs 1,500 to 3,000 baht, depending on the itinerary and the length of the trip. We could not confirm an official 2026 national park fee for Phi Phi, so ask any boatman what is included. Maya Bay itself is closed every year from 1 August to 30 September.
What our speedboat day adds: the islands, lunch and a fixed route
Our Phi Phi and Maya Bay speedboat tour is from $75 per person. A minibus collects you from your hotel between about 7:00 and 8:30 am, the speedboat leaves Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30 with up to 35 guests, and you are back at about 5:30 to 6 pm. The route covers Bamboo Island, Monkey Beach, lunch on Phi Phi Don, Viking Cave from the boat, a swim in Pileh Lagoon and the walk to Maya Bay.
On our tour the price includes the hotel transfer, an English-speaking guide, refreshments, a buffet lunch, a mask, snorkel and life jacket, and accident insurance. The park fee, 400 baht per adult and 200 per child, is paid in cash on the tour. We give that as what the operator collects, not as an official rate, because we could not confirm a current official schedule in October 2026. The travel guide has the route stop by stop.
The sea and your group decide more than the price does
Phuket 101 puts the monsoon season at May to October and says some ferry departures may be cancelled in those months, and the ferry company's terms say it may cancel or change a service without notice, with refunds only at its discretion, at 70 percent with 48 hours' notice. On our tour, if the sea is unsafe, the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it.
Comfort and eligibility differ too. Phuket 101 calls ferries the more comfortable choice if you get seasick easily, while our speedboat ride can be bumpy in the open sea; see our guide to seasickness on speedboat tours. Our tour does not take pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70, and guests with back problems should consider a bigger boat. The ferry company also advises caution for pregnant travellers and for people with heart or back problems.
How to choose in one minute
Take the ferry if you are staying on Phi Phi, want to arrive slowly, or are travelling with someone our speedboat cannot take. Take the tour if you have one day, want Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island without arranging boats, and want a pickup and a lunch built in. If you are weighing it against Phang Nga Bay, read our comparison of Phi Phi and James Bond Island.
A third path is to do both: ferry out, a night or two on Phi Phi, and a longtail boat from the island. That needs a bed on Phi Phi and a separate boat on the day, so it suits a longer stay. For dates in August and September, our guide to those months explains what the tour still sees while Maya Bay is closed.
Practical checklist
- Decide first whether you are sleeping on Phi Phi: if yes, take the ferry; if not, compare a day tour.
- Check the day's ferry timetable, especially the last departure from Tonsai Pier, before planning a same-day return.
- Arrive at the pier at least 30 minutes before departure, as the ferry company's terms ask.
- Keep cash for the park fee on a tour, and ask any boatman what a hired longtail includes.
- Buy a seasickness remedy in advance if you get sick on boats, and see the seasickness guide.
- Check your dates against the Maya Bay closure from 1 August to 30 September.
Questions and answers
How long is the ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi?
About 2 hours by ferry from Rassada Pier to Tonsai Pier, and about 1 hour by speedboat transfer, according to one ferry company's route table. The sea and the landing pier can change the time.
How much is the Phuket to Phi Phi ferry?
One ferry company lists 700 baht for an adult one way in standard class, 1,200 baht round trip, and 850 baht for the speedboat. Phuket 101 gave around 600 baht for the ferry in April 2026, so check the current fare.
Can you do Phi Phi as a day trip by public ferry?
Yes, but it is tight. The 08:30 ferry arrives at 10:30, and the company's later Tonsai departure is 14:30, so you get about four hours. Check the last departure on the day, as Phuket 101 gives 3:30 pm.
Does the public ferry go to Maya Bay?
No. The timetables list Tonsai Pier and Laem Tong as landings on Phi Phi Don. Reaching Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon or Bamboo Island means a hired boat or a day tour.
Which pier does your Phi Phi tour leave from?
The speedboat leaves from Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30. You do not go there yourself: a minibus collects you from your hotel in Phuket between about 7:00 and 8:30 am.
At what age do children pay the ferry adult fare?
The ferry company's terms apply the child rate from 4 to 11 years and the adult rate from 12. On a speedboat, an infant under 4 pays 300 baht each way.