Phi Phi Islands Day Trip from Krabi: Maya Bay & Snorkeling Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.93 (161 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration7h–8h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · IT

PickupAt your hotel

What happens when you book the one tour that actually gets you into Maya Bay?

You board a small boat at 7:30am from Ao Nang (or 8am from Railay) with eleven other travelers and visit Maya Bay, Bamboo Island, and Monkey Beach over eight hours. You snorkel twice with provided equipment, eat a Thai lunch on the boat, and return by 4pm. The limited group size means you actually experience each stop instead of moving through it.

7h–8h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Phi Phi island tour

Take pictures at Maya Bay
Relax and swim at first beach
Relax and swim at second beach
Enjoy time at Ko Phi Phi Le

The Experience

The boat leaves Ao Nang at 7:30am, and you're on the water before the larger groups even board. Twelve people max — that's the whole group — which means you're not shuffling through a crowd of fifty when you reach Maya Bay. The Thai government limits daily visitors now, so slots fill fast, and this tour reserves yours in advance. You get there early enough that the water is still quiet, the light is sharp, and you can actually stand in the bay without elbowing someone's camera.

The day moves between four main stops: Maya Bay first, where you swim and take photos in the cove that the limestone cliffs frame on three sides. Then Bamboo Island, where the sand is pale and the snorkeling is real — you're looking at actual coral and fish, not just floating over a reef. Monkey Beach comes next, and after that, a final snorkel spot before lunch. The boat crew hands out snorkeling gear and life jackets, and the guide (who speaks English and usually another language) points out what you're looking at underwater without making it feel like a lesson. Between stops there's time to sit, drink water or soft drinks, eat fresh fruit, and just be on the Andaman Sea.

Lunch happens on the boat — traditional Thai food, not the reheated sandwich situation you get on bigger tours. You eat while anchored in a bay, and then there's another hour or two of swimming or snorkeling depending on the tide and the day's rhythm. The return trip to Ao Nang takes about an hour, and you're back by 4pm. If you're staying in Railay instead, the crew picks you up from the beach at 8am and drops you back around 4:20pm, so the timing shifts slightly but the day is the same.

What makes this different from the standard Phi Phi tour isn't just the group size — it's that the small number actually changes what you experience. You're not competing for space at each stop, the boat feels less like a ferry, and the guide has time to notice if someone's nervous about snorkeling or wants to know the name of a fish. The insurance is included (up to 1 million Baht), the gear is there, and the hotel transfer is built in, so you're not arranging anything the morning of.

What’s included

Hotel transfer from Ao Nang at 7:30am or Railay at 8:00–8:20am, snorkeling equipment and life jacket, professional guide, lunch with traditional Thai food, water and soft drinks, fresh fruit and snacks throughout the day, accident insurance up to 1,000,000 Baht, and return transfer by 4pm.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Krabi Vip Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Maya Bay and the Phi Phi Islands without the chaos of a 40-person tour — the small group size is what makes it possible to actually enjoy each stop instead of just passing through it.