Koh Phi Phi has no roads for cars, no cars, no scooters, no songthaews and no Grab or taxis at all — but Tonsai village is a compact maze of lanes where everything is within a walk. Porters move your luggage by push-cart for a small fee, and the only way to Long Beach, Laem Tong, Loh Bagao and the islands beyond is a longtail or speedboat from Tonsai pier. Here's the honest rundown of what to use when, what it costs, and where to take care.
Let's be clear from the first line: Koh Phi Phi has no roads for cars, no cars, no scooters to rent for crossing the island, no songthaews, and no Grab or taxis anywhere on the island. This is what genuinely sets Phi Phi apart from other Thai islands. You reach the island by ferry only — from Phuket, Krabi/Ao Nang, or Koh Lanta (full routes in our getting to Koh Phi Phi guide). Almost every boat docks at Tonsai pier, which is both the island's harbour and its main village — step off the boat and you simply walk straight in.
That leaves just two ways to get around Phi Phi. One is on foot. Tonsai village is a narrow flat strip between Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay, full of small walking lanes; restaurants, dive shops, bars, convenience stores and most accommodation are a few minutes' walk apart. The other is by longtail boat and speedboat, the only way to reach the beaches and corners you can't walk to — Long Beach to the south, Laem Tong and Loh Bagao at the far north, plus Phi Phi Leh (Maya Bay) and the surrounding islands you visit by boat trip. The only other vehicles on the island are porters' push-carts and a small emergency vehicle — not a transport system for visitors.
One thing worth knowing before you book a room: where you stay on Phi Phi decides whether the trip is an easy walk or a string of boat rides. Stay around Tonsai–Loh Dalum and almost the whole trip is on foot; Long Beach is just beyond, a short shoreline walk or boat hop away; but if you stay at a northern resort like Laem Tong or Loh Bagao, you'll rely on the resort's boat transfer to come and go every time. This guide walks through every way to move around, with rough prices and when each one makes sense — then helps you place your base correctly from day one.
Within Tonsai village almost everything is walkable; heavy bags get moved by porters' push-carts — agree the price first, every time.
With no vehicles on the island, life on Phi Phi revolves around these two. Walking is the main way — and the only way — around Tonsai village, where nearly everything clusters. Porters with push-carts (hand-pulled trolleys) are the workhorse when you arrive or leave with heavy bags, because the lanes are narrow, the ground is uneven, and dragging wheeled luggage a long way on a busy day is harder than it sounds.
Because Phi Phi has no vehicles, walking is your main way around the village. Tonsai is a narrow flat strip between Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay, threaded with small walking lanes. Restaurants, dive shops, bars, convenience stores, the pier and most accommodation are a 5–15 minute walk of each other. Stay around Tonsai–Loh Dalum and you barely think about getting around all day — wander, eat, head out for the Loh Dalum sunset, all on foot.
The limits are clear: the lanes are narrow, crowded and uneven, there are steps in places, and many lanes are poorly lit at night. Carry a torch or phone light for getting back after dark. The Phi Phi Viewpoint is a walk up steps and steep paths, and Long Beach is walkable along the shore at low tide — but beaches and islands farther out need a boat.
With no vehicles, heavy bags on Phi Phi are moved by porters with push-carts. When you step off the boat at Tonsai pier, porters with hand-pulled trolleys wait to carry your luggage to your accommodation. They charge per bag or per trip — usually a few hundred baht a trip depending on distance and how many bags. It's the easiest option if your room is deep in the lanes or you're travelling with several bags.
The rule is the same as everything on the island: agree the price before they load up, and confirm whether it's per bag or per trip. If you're staying at Long Beach or a northern resort, many places run their own boat transfers that handle your bags too — ask when you book; it's the easiest and most predictable. Tip: pack so you can pull your own bag on light days, and you won't need a porter every time.
Because boats are the island's transport, cash rules the fares. Longtails are negotiated — no fixed price boards, no meters. The local ritual that matters most is agreeing the fare before you board — make it a habit and the whole trip stays drama-free. One more thing to know: ATMs on Koh Phi Phi are few and cluster around Tonsai, charge steep fees, and sometimes run dry or won't work, so bring cash over from Phuket or Krabi before you board the ferry.
Bring cash and small notes. ATMs on Phi Phi are scarce, mainly around Tonsai, charge high fees and sometimes run dry — withdraw extra in Phuket or Krabi before you cross.
The single most important rule on the island: settle the price before you board, per person or whole boat, and if you want a return pickup, fix the time and the pickup point.
Long Beach and northern resorts (Laem Tong / Loh Bagao) nearly all run their own boats, from Tonsai pier or direct from Phuket/Krabi — ask when you book.
Round-island and Phi Phi Leh tours are steadier priced booked ahead than on the beach — check trips and prices on Klook before you arrive.
One trick serves you the whole trip: ask your accommodation for the fair going rate before you negotiate with a boatman, since they know the right price for each run better than anyone. If a quote comes in far above it, you'll know instantly to find another boat or wait for one with others to share. For data to load maps and message your accommodation, see our Thailand eSIM guide.
Beyond the village, Phi Phi has two trails visitors use often. The Phi Phi Viewpoint trail (three tiers) starts in Tonsai and climbs steps and steep paths for about 20–30 minutes to the first tier, where you get the postcard shot of the two bays with the Tonsai isthmus in the middle; there's a small viewpoint fee. And the path to Long Beach (Hat Yao) runs along the shoreline from Tonsai, roughly a 20–30 minute walk.
The honest part: the viewpoint climb is steep and hot, so go early or late, and carry water and shoes you can walk in. And the Long Beach path crosses rocks in places and depends on the tide — at high tide some stretches aren't passable and you'll need a boat instead. Check the tide times before you set out, and carry a torch if you'll walk back in the evening.
The longtail is the workhorse for getting around Phi Phi beyond the village. Long Beach is a 10–15 minute ride from Tonsai pier. Laem Tong and Loh Bagao, at the far north, are reachable only by boat — there's no walking path from Tonsai, and the resorts up there nearly all run their own transfers. Longtails also reach quiet bays and snorkelling spots around Phi Phi Don, chartered whole or shared per person depending on numbers.
The honest part: in the Andaman monsoon (May–Oct) the sea gets rougher, with rain and bigger swells some days, and small boats may not run or may reschedule — check with the boatman before you plan, and agree the fare and a pickup time every time. To see several bays in one comfortable sweep, look at a round-island boat trip — pre-book on Klook. See every dive site in our Koh Phi Phi diving & snorkelling guide.
To see the headline sights around the islands in one fast day, a speedboat tour to Phi Phi Leh is the answer. Half- and full-day runs usually stop at Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and several snorkelling spots, with gear provided. Prices are per person and vary by trip and inclusions. Book through your accommodation, a tour shop in Tonsai, or online in advance.
What to know about Maya Bay first: Maya Bay was closed to let the reefs recover from 2018 to 2022, then reopened under strict rules — limited numbers and times, you usually cannot swim in the bay itself (you enter via a back-bay pontoon and boardwalk), boats can't anchor in the bay, and there are seasonal closures in some years. Always check the current rules and closures before booking. Read it all in our Maya Bay guide.
If you choose somewhere quiet, away from the bustle of Tonsai — Laem Tong, Loh Bagao or Long Beach — getting around is simpler than it sounds, because resorts up there nearly all run their own boats, picking up from Tonsai pier or direct from Phuket/Krabi. They're usually bundled into the stay or charged per scheduled run, so you don't negotiate a longtail yourself every time.
Worth knowing: resort transfers run to a fixed schedule, only a few times a day, and if you miss one you'll have to charter a longtail, which costs more. Plan your trips in and out of the village around the boat times, and ask for the schedule when you book. Tip: the north suits people who want to genuinely switch off — not if you plan to come and go from Tonsai often. See areas in our Koh Phi Phi beaches guide.
Everything starts at Tonsai pier; the village is walkable, but Long Beach and the north mean a boat — and there's nothing to hail.
If you remember one thing from this page, make it this: where you stay decides whether the trip is an easy walk or a string of boat rides. Because Phi Phi has no vehicles, Tonsai village is all walkable, but beaches and resorts farther out mean a boat every time. Stay around Tonsai–Loh Dalum and most of the trip is on foot. Here are the rough distances from Tonsai, with how to go and prices to budget (figures are approximate).
| Popular run (from Tonsai) | Distance · how to go | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tonsai pier → around Tonsai / Loh Dalum | 5–15 min walk | walk free · heavy bags: porter ~a few hundred baht/trip |
| Tonsai → Phi Phi Viewpoint | 20–30 min climb (steps / steep) | walk up · small viewpoint entry fee |
| Tonsai → Long Beach (Hat Yao) | 20–30 min shore walk / 10–15 min by boat | walk free (check the tide) · longtail ~a few hundred baht |
| Tonsai → Laem Tong / Loh Bagao (north) | boat only · ~30–45 min | resort transfer (bundled/scheduled) · longtail charter more |
| Phi Phi Don → Phi Phi Leh / Maya Bay | ~20–30 min by boat (tour) | per-person tour + park fee — check Maya Bay rules first |
| Round-island snorkelling (boat trip) | half / full day | per person, varies by trip and inclusions |
Navigation is the easy part: Google Maps works normally for walking around Tonsai village and shows the viewpoint and the beaches. The one thing no app can do is plot a longtail — their routes and times aren't in any app. The method is analogue: arrange one at Tonsai pier or ask your accommodation to call one, then agree the fare with the boatman directly. And because there are no vehicles at all, the decision comes down to one thing: is your destination walkable, or do you need a boat?
Stay around Tonsai–Loh Dalum → handle daily life entirely on foot by walking → on arrival and departure days hire a porter for heavy bags → reach the viewpoint and Long Beach on foot (check the tide). This keeps costs near zero apart from days you take a boat tour, and it suits almost everyone because the island's main draws are already in the walkable area.
Staying at Long Beach or a northern resort → use the resort's boat transfers to come and go on schedule → for bay-and-Maya-Bay days take a longtail or speedboat tour. Remember that anything that isn't a walk means a boat and a negotiation. Plan your trips in and out of the village around the resort boat times, and agree the fare and a pickup time with the boatman every time.
If this whole page had to shrink to two points: one — base yourself around Tonsai–Loh Dalum unless you specifically want the quietest spot. The island's main draws are in the walkable area, so stay here and almost the whole trip is on foot — your only costs become a porter for your bags and the days you take a boat tour. If you want to genuinely switch off, then choose Long Beach or the north and budget for the boats.
Two — every trip is on foot or by boat; there's nothing to hail: don't plan around renting a scooter or calling a Grab or taxi, because Phi Phi has none. For boats, agree the fare before you board, every time, confirm whether it's per person or the whole boat, and if you want a return pickup, fix the time and the spot. Bring cash because ATMs are scarce, carry a torch for the dark lanes at night, and check the tide if you plan to walk the shore to Long Beach.