Longtail or Speedboat to Maya Bay from Phi Phi?

A longtail is the cheaper and slower way to Maya Bay; a speedboat is quicker, and most of the shared boats that go to Maya Bay first thing are speedboats. For the lowest price, take Sawasdee Phi Phi’s From Phi Phi: Half-Day Longtail Tour to Maya Bay & Snorkeling, from US$17.90 a person (on 27 November 2026, 20 January and 10 March 2027 every option cost US$22.38 a person; checked November 2026). It leaves the park fee out, and it visits Maya Bay last.

Pick a date to see the three departures, at 6:30 AM, 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.

What each boat cost

GetYourGuide option prices for one or two adults: the longtail on 27 November 2026, 20 January and 10 March 2027; the first-group boat on 20 January and 10 March 2027; the others on 20 January 2027. Checked November 2026. The park fee, where it is not included, is 400 baht for a foreign adult and 200 baht for a child.

The longtail is the cheapest even with the park fee added in cash. A speedboat with the fee already in its price, Discover Thailand’s or Oh-Hoo’s, saves you finding 400 baht at the pier, which matters more than it sounds: the longtail’s low reviews keep coming back to that cash (the Maya Bay park fee has the details).

Time on the water

Oh-Hoo's speedboat reaches Maya Bay 30 minutes after leaving Ton Sai Pier. The longtail gives no crossing time; its half day takes 4 hours with four stops, Maya Bay the last of them. The speedboat half days run 4 to 4.5 hours with Maya Bay first, so the difference is less the length of the day than the order of it.

How full the boats get

Of the 350 most recent reviews of Sawasdee Phi Phi’s longtail (4 May to 8 November 2026), the low ones describe boats following each other to the same spots, a busy beach at Maya Bay and, in October 2026, a noisy boat. None of the shared tours here states a passenger limit. If you want the boat to yourselves, the private longtails are the only tours here that promise it.

A private longtail

Blue Flow's private longtail goes to Maya Bay first and then at your own pace to Loh Samah Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Monkey Bay, with a captain who may speak little English. On 20 January 2027 its 4-hour morning boat (6:20 AM) and sunset boat (2:20 PM) cost US$67.13 a person for two, US$134.26 for the boat, and its 3-hour options were unavailable that day (checked November 2026). Discover Thailand's private longtail is priced for a group; check the total for yours on its calendar before you book.

Which boat for whom

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.