All the highlights in a single day
The stops most day tours make — with an honest note on which you can land at, which you only see from the boat, and where you can't swim.
1
This is the one everyone comes for — a small cove on Ko Phi Phi Leh almost entirely enclosed by limestone cliffs, with fine white sand and emerald water, made world-famous by the 2000 film The Beach.
After several years closed to let the wrecked coral recover from sheer over-visitation, Maya Bay has reopened — but the rules have changed. Boats no longer pull up on the beach; they dock at a floating pier on the Loh Samah side behind the island, and you walk in along a boardwalk. Crucially, you cannot swim in Maya Bay, to protect the recovering coral and the blacktip reef sharks that have returned. You can walk and take photos on the beach along the marked path. Be honest about timing: by mid-morning it's packed, so the earliest tours get the beach while it's still clear.
2
A short hop from Maya Bay, Pileh is a pool of sea almost completely enclosed by limestone walls — like a natural swimming pool. The water is still, clear and a deep emerald green, and plenty of people rate it more beautiful than Maya Bay itself.
Here you can get in the water (unlike Maya). Tours usually stop to let you jump in and swim or paddle a kayak; it's fairly deep in the middle, so a life jacket is the safer bet. Honestly, by the middle of the day the boats pack in and the lagoon gets crowded, so if your tour comes through early or late in the afternoon the photos are better and the swim is calmer.
As you round Ko Phi Phi Leh, the tour slows the boat by Viking Cave — a big limestone cave in the cliff face with old painted images of boats on the walls that resemble Viking ships, which gave it its name. Inside is a licensed site for harvesting swiftlet nests, with tall bamboo scaffolding that collectors climb to reach them.
To be honest, you can't land here — it's a protected concession area — so you view it from the boat only. It's a short photo stop on the way to Maya Bay rather than a main highlight, but the story of the nest harvest is an interesting one.
On the south side of Ko Phi Phi Don, Monkey Beach is a little strip of sand where a troop of wild macaques comes down to the shore at close range. Tours often stop here for a paddle in the shallows and to watch the monkeys; the water is clear and full of fish, and it's a hit with kids.
A warning, though — the monkeys here are accomplished thieves. Don't hold plastic bags, food, water bottles or anything shiny in your hands, don't feed them (it's against the rules and makes them aggressive), and watch for monkeys jumping onto your shoulder or grabbing your phone. Keep valuables zipped in a waterproof bag. If one comes close, stay calm, don't stare it down or bare your teeth.
The heart of a Phi Phi trip is snorkelling over the coral. The islands have several clear, fish-rich spots — Loh Samah Bay behind Ko Phi Phi Leh, the reef around Hin Klang, and the fringing coral off Ko Phi Phi Don. You'll see clownfish, parrotfish and sergeant-majors, and on a lucky day a small, harmless blacktip reef shark.
The tour hands out a mask and snorkel and a life jacket. Honestly, even weak swimmers can snorkel here because the life jacket keeps you afloat. Listen to your guide about where it's safe, and don't stand on the coral — it's fragile and recovers painfully slowly. Use reef-safe sunscreen, because ordinary sunscreen contains chemicals that harm the coral.
Ko Phi Phi Don is the large, inhabited island — unlike Phi Phi Leh, which is a protected island with no residents. Day tours usually stop here at midday for lunch (mostly a buffet included in the tour) and a stroll along Ton Sai beach or the Loh Dalum bay.
If you stay overnight, Phi Phi Don adds a real highlight: the Phi Phi Viewpoint, a climb up the hill to look down on the narrow isthmus with a bay on either side — a stunning view, especially at sunset. Be honest, though: a day trip rarely leaves time for the viewpoint climb, so for that you need to stay a night. After dark, Phi Phi Don comes alive with beach bars and fire shows.