Krabi to Koh Phi Phi is the most trafficked Andaman crossing into the islands, and almost every island hopper who lands at Krabi Airport ends up making it. Boats leave from Klong Jilad Pier, not the longtail jetty in Ao Nang, and they all land at one place. The Krabi to Koh Phi Phi ferry covers 42 km to Tonsai Bay in 90 minutes on Ao Nang Princess. Three operators run the same route at slightly different times and fares. Speedboat day tours cover the crossing in 45 to 60 minutes and bundle Maya Bay stops for the return.
This guide tests each on schedule, total cost, and the trap of buying a day tour ticket for an overnight stay. Check current schedules and fares before booking.
Photographer: Goooner9. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 4.0.Krabi to Koh Phi Phi at a glance
- Crossing time: 90 minutes in calm seas, 110 in chop
- One-way fare: from about $14 per adult online, premium operators about 50 percent above
- High season departures: 3 per day at 9am, 10:30am, 1:30pm
- Low season departures: 1 per day at 9am
- Origin pier: Klong Jilad Pier, 5 km south of Ao Nang
- Destination pier: Tonsai Pier, Phi Phi Don
- National park entry fee: a small per-foreigner fee collected separately at Tonsai on arrival
Three operators on the Krabi to Phi Phi route
Each operator runs the same Klong Jilad to Tonsai crossing with slightly different timetables and fares. Pick the morning sailing if you’re traveling in monsoon months.
Ao Nang Princess (default)
Ao Nang Princess runs the default direct service. The 9am sailing operates every day of the year. The 200-seat twin hull catamaran has an AC interior and an open upper deck, and it measures at 90 minutes in calm water.
Online $14 to $16 one way. The pier counter runs 25 to 35 percent above the online rate. A reliability rate of 4 days in 5 across June through September makes this the safest pick in monsoon.
Phi Phi Cruiser
Phi Phi Cruiser runs a parallel service with a similar crossing of 90 to 95 minutes. The 10:30am sailing pairs with travelers arriving from a morning Krabi flight. The faster catamaran by Andaman Wave covers the same route in 75 minutes for roughly a 25 percent premium.
Most travelers choosing Phi Phi Cruiser over Ao Nang Princess do so because the 10:30am departure pairs better with a morning hotel checkout. The 9am Ao Nang Princess requires a 7:30am Ao Nang departure to make the pier on time.
Maya Bay day tour speedboat
Day tour speedboats bundle the Krabi to Phi Phi crossing with Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach, and Bamboo Island stops. Total day cost runs $48 to $68 per person before the Maya Bay national park fee (often bundled, check the listing). Return to Krabi between 4pm and 5pm.
The day tour is the wrong choice for travelers planning an overnight on Phi Phi Don. Book the scheduled ferry instead, and save the day tour fare for a Phi Phi based excursion the next day.
Krabi access points for Klong Jilad Pier
Klong Jilad Pier sits 5 km south of Krabi Town and 18 km from Ao Nang. The pier is built for passenger ferries, not the small longtail jetty in Ao Nang itself. Confirm the pier name on the ticket before leaving the hotel.
From Krabi Town center, the run is 5 km. Allow 15 minutes by Grab or songthaew. A shared songthaew runs $1 per person, and a Grab car costs about three to five times that for door-to-door pickup.
From Ao Nang, the run is 18 km. Allow 30 minutes by Grab. Grab from the town center runs $7 to $10 one way. A shared minivan from the Ao Nang strip stops at Klong Jilad on request for about a third of that, with stops at the operator office on request.
From Krabi Airport, the run is 15 km. Allow 25 minutes by private taxi. Some travelers go direct from the airport to the pier on a same-day connection, which works if your flight lands by 7:30am for the 9am sailing.
From Railay Beach, take a longtail boat to Ao Nang first, since there is no road access from Railay, then a Grab or minivan to Klong Jilad. Allow 45 to 60 minutes total. The longtail to Ao Nang runs about $4 per person.
Photographer: Diego Delso. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.Choosing the right departure time
The three high season sailings out of Klong Jilad pair with different travel patterns. Picking the wrong one costs you the morning at the pier or the afternoon on the island.
The 9am Ao Nang Princess is the safe pick for travelers who arrived in Krabi the night before. Allow a 7:30am hotel checkout from Ao Nang to clear the 30-minute Grab transfer and the pier queue. Reliability is the highest of the three, including in monsoon months when afternoon runs cancel.
The 10:30am Phi Phi Cruiser pairs with a morning Krabi flight arrival. Travelers landing at Krabi Airport at 9am can clear baggage by 9:30 and reach Klong Jilad by 10:15 on a private taxi. Reliability is similar to Ao Nang Princess, but the schedule is tighter on the inbound side.
The 1:30pm afternoon Ao Nang Princess (high season only) suits travelers who want a slow morning in Ao Nang before heading out. The trade is a late afternoon arrival at Tonsai, which limits the same-day exploration window to around two hours of daylight before sunset.
What to watch for on the Krabi to Koh Phi Phi route
The four common Krabi to Koh Phi Phi failure modes are the Nopparat Thara pier ticket sold to overnight passengers (Nopparat Thara is for Phi Phi day trip speedboats only, not scheduled ferries), the day tour speedboat ticket sold as a one-way ferry to overnight visitors, the Tonsai walk up counter markup of 30 to 50 percent on return tickets, and the national park entry fee collected separately on arrival. Confirm Klong Jilad as the origin pier and the ticket type (one-way vs day tour) before paying.
Onward from Koh Phi Phi
Tonsai Pier is the only commercial pier on Phi Phi Don. Onward connections run to Phuket via Rassada Pier, back to Krabi via the same Klong Jilad route, and to Koh Lanta in high season via Saladan. Most overnight visitors stay 2 to 3 nights before continuing.
For Phuket, the ferry from Tonsai to Rassada Pier runs 1 hour 45 minutes (check Phi Phi to Phuket schedules). For Koh Lanta, high season ferries from Tonsai to Saladan run 90 minutes (compare Phi Phi to Lanta options). For the return to Krabi, the same operators reverse the morning sailing in the afternoon. See our guides to the ferry between Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi and the ferry between Phuket and Koh Phi Phi for the other approaches.
Photographer: Fabio Achilli. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0.Practicalities for the Krabi to Koh Phi Phi trip
- The ferry itself. Check schedules and book your seat. Live schedules across all three operators, confirmed seats, email tickets.
- Return Phi Phi to Krabi leg. Lock the return seat before reaching the island. Tonsai walk up counters carry a 30 to 50 percent markup.
For onward island and mainland connections:
- Phi Phi onward to Phuket. Compare onward ferry options to Phuket. The Rassada Pier route runs more frequently in high season than the Krabi return.
- Phi Phi onward to Koh Lanta. Lock the Phi Phi to Koh Lanta leg. Two daily departures in high season, one in low season.
- Speedboat day tours from Phi Phi. Pre book a Phi Phi speedboat day tour. Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach, Bamboo Island package.
- Travel insurance. Compare Thailand travel insurance plans. Low daily rates. Covers monsoon ferry cancellations and tour scrubs.
For SHA-certified hotel options on the Krabi side, see our Krabi SHA hotel guide. The best beaches in Krabi guide covers Railay, Ao Nang, and the Phi Phi day trip stops in detail. Our 3 days in Krabi itinerary maps the coast before the islands.
Frequently asked questions
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For all 27 Thailand ferry routes plus operator reliability, seasonal cancellation patterns, and booking strategy, see our complete Thailand ferry guide.
