Phi Phi Early Bird and 4 Islands Tour From Krabi

Maya Bay reopened to visitors in 2022 under strict limits: no swimming, no anchoring, and a cap on boat numbers. The trick with Phi Phi is timing. By 10am, the bay is ringed with speedboats and the tour operators are jostling for the best angles. This early-bird tour from Krabi is built around beating them there.

Pickup from Krabi hotels runs before dawn, and the speedboat leaves Nopparat Thara or Ao Nang Pier ahead of the main fleet. Maya Bay is the first stop, while the morning light is still low and the water is glass. From there you move through the 4 Islands circuit: Koh Poda, Chicken Island, Tup Island (where a sandbar appears at low tide connecting two islands), and the snorkelling stops around Phi Phi Don. Snorkelling gear, life jackets, and a Halal Thai buffet lunch are included, along with drinking water, soft drinks, and seasonal fruit. The guide stays with the group throughout, handing out fins and pointing out the better coral.

Nine hours, moderate difficulty. The early start is the whole point: expect a 6am pickup and plan to sleep on the boat ride out. Marine park entrance fees (Hat Noppharat Thara / Mu Ko Phi Phi) aren’t included in the base price and are collected in cash on the day. Tipping is optional. Pregnant travellers and anyone with back or heart issues should skip this. The speedboat can pound hard in choppy seas.

Dry season (November to April) gives the clearest water. In the shoulder months some of the 4 Islands stops get swapped out when swells make them unsafe to land. Bring reef-safe sunscreen; the national park bans oxybenzone-based products.