TL;DR: The direct Koh Lanta to Phi Phi ferry runs in high season only, roughly 1 November to 30 April, crossing from Saladan Pier to Tonsai Pier in 30-45 minutes on a speedboat or up to about an hour on a slower ferry, for ฿350-800 (about US$11-24) per person depending on operator and boat type. There are usually a few sailings a day in the busy months, from operators including Bundhaya, Chaokoh, Andaman Wave Master, Tigerline and the Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club. A plain one-way transfer is different from a bundled day-trip tour: a full-day snorkelling tour to Maya Bay, Bamboo Island and the Phi Phi highlights costs about ฿1,500 booked in advance (฿3,000 walk-up), plus a ฿400 (US$12) national park fee. In the May-October low season the direct boat stops, and you reach Phi Phi by routing back through Krabi, whose ferry to Phi Phi runs year-round. All prices ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi are close neighbours in the Andaman, so the hop between them is short, but there is a catch first-timers miss: the direct boat is a high-season service only. This guide covers the operators, one-way prices and crossing times, explains why a plain transfer is a different thing from a day-trip tour, and lays out what to do in the low season when the direct ferry stops running. Every figure below is checked against 2026 operator schedules and tour listings, cited at the end.
Prices are in Thai baht (THB) with US dollars in parentheses, converted at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026). If you are still settling into Koh Lanta first, see outthailand.com’s things to do in Koh Lanta and where to stay in Koh Lanta guides.
Koh Lanta to Phi Phi at a glance
| Option | Boat | Duration | Price (per person) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct speedboat | Speedboat | 30-45 min | ฿700-800 (~$21-24) | High season (Nov-Apr) |
| Direct passenger ferry | Ferry | up to ~1 hour | ฿350-450 (~$11-14) | High season (Nov-Apr) |
| Full-day snorkelling tour | Speedboat | ~7 hours (return) | ฿1,500 advance / ฿3,000 walk-up + ฿400 park fee | High season (Nov-Apr) |
| Low-season route | Overland to Krabi + ferry | Half a day+ | Varies by leg | Year-round via Krabi |
Figures compiled from Saladan Pier, multi-operator comparison sites and Koh Lanta tour operators; see Sources. Prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
Is the Koh Lanta to Phi Phi ferry seasonal?
Yes, and this is the single most important thing to know: the direct boat runs in high season only, roughly 1 November to 30 April. During those months, speedboats and ferries cross straight from Saladan Pier on Koh Lanta to Tonsai Pier on Koh Phi Phi Don. From about May to October, the southwest monsoon brings swell that shuts the direct route down, and operators stop the service rather than run it in rough seas. If you are travelling in the low season, skip ahead to the overland-via-Krabi section, because the direct ferry simply will not be an option.
How long does the crossing take, and what does it cost?
A speedboat covers it in 30-45 minutes and a slower passenger ferry in up to about an hour, for ฿350-800 (about US$11-24) one-way. The cheaper ferry-class boats sit at the lower end of that range, around ฿350-450, while the faster speedboats run ฿700-800. Saladan Pier’s own schedule, for example, lists speedboat departures at a flat ฿800 for adults and ฿500 for children. Prices move with the operator, the season and how far ahead you book, so use the range as a guide and confirm the fare when you book rather than treating any single number as fixed.
Who runs the boats, and when do they leave?
Several operators cover the route in high season, including Bundhaya Speed Boat, Chaokoh Ferry, Andaman Wave Master, Tigerline Ferry and the Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club. Timetables vary by source: Saladan Pier’s own schedule lists speedboat departures at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:30, while other listings show a slightly different set, so plan on there being a few sailings a day in the busy months rather than a fixed hourly service. Because the exact number of daily departures changes with the season, it is worth confirming the current timetable with your accommodation or the pier the day before, especially in the shoulder months at either end of the season.
Transfer or day trip: which do you actually want?
A one-way ferry transfer and a full-day tour are two different products, and mixing them up is a common mistake. The transfer (฿350-800) simply moves you from Koh Lanta to Phi Phi, which is what you want if you are checking out of Koh Lanta and staying on Phi Phi or moving on from there. A day trip, on the other hand, is a guided loop that starts and ends on Koh Lanta the same day and is built around sightseeing, not relocation. If your bags are coming with you and you are not returning, book the transfer; if you want to see the Phi Phi highlights and sleep on Koh Lanta again that night, book the tour.
What does a Phi Phi day trip from Koh Lanta cost?
About ฿1,500 (US$45) booked at least 24 hours ahead, or ฿3,000 (US$91) walk-up, plus a ฿400 (US$12) national park fee. A typical full-day speedboat tour runs around 7 hours, leaving Koh Lanta about 09:00 and returning by roughly 16:00, and includes hotel pickup and drop-off, snorkelling gear, a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don and an English-speaking guide. The itinerary usually takes in Maya Bay (of “The Beach” fame), Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and Bamboo Island, with the exact order and stops depending on weather and tides. The national park fee is collected separately on the day, so bring cash. It is one of the most popular day trips off Koh Lanta, so it is worth booking ahead in peak season.
Reaching Phi Phi from Koh Lanta in the low season
When the direct boat is not running (roughly May to October), you get to Phi Phi by routing back through Krabi first. The overland leg uses the year-round car ferry and a minivan to reach Krabi Town or Ao Nang, and from there the Krabi to Phi Phi ferry runs all year, unlike the seasonal Koh Lanta service. It is slower and involves a change, so budget the better part of a day rather than a quick hop. For the overland leg off Koh Lanta and the transport options across the Krabi mainland, see outthailand.com’s Krabi to Koh Lanta guide, which covers the same car ferry and minivan network in reverse.
Honest downsides
- It is genuinely seasonal. The direct boat only runs about November to April, and there is no direct low-season alternative, only the slower route via Krabi.
- Timetables are not standardised. Different sources list different departure times and sailing counts, so do not rely on a single online schedule; confirm locally.
- Prices are a moving target. Fares shift with operator, boat class and season, so the ฿350-800 range is a guide, not a quote.
- Day trips get crowded. Phi Phi’s headline spots, especially Maya Bay, draw a lot of boats, so a day tour is a busy, popular experience rather than a quiet one.
Bottom line
If you are travelling Koh Lanta to Phi Phi in high season, the direct boat is quick and cheap: pick a speedboat if you want the fastest crossing, a ferry-class boat if you want to save a little, and book ahead in the peak months. Decide up front whether you want a plain transfer or a full day of sightseeing, since they are priced and run very differently. And if you are travelling May to October, plan on the longer route via Krabi rather than expecting the direct ferry to be there. Sort the rest of your island time with outthailand.com’s things to do in Koh Lanta and where to stay in Koh Lanta guides, and check what’s on while you are on Koh Lanta.
Sources
- Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lanta Ferry 2026 - Amazing Lanta: one-way price (฿700), operator, departure times, crossing duration
- Phi Phi Ferry Schedule - Phi-Phi.com: explicit confirmation the Lanta-Phi Phi direct boat runs only 1 November to 30 April
- Saladan Pier Schedule - Saladan-Pier.com: speedboat departures (10:00, 13:00, 15:30), ฿800 adult / ฿500 child, 30-minute crossing
- Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi - Kohlife: multi-operator THB price table (ferry ฿350-450, speedboat ฿700-750), high and low season notes
- Phi Phi Islands to Koh Lanta ferry - Ferryhopper: operator list, duration range, high-season booking advice
- Phi Phi Islands and Bamboo Island Day Tour from Koh Lanta - Phi Phi Tours: day-trip price (฿1,500 advance / ฿3,000 walk-up), inclusions, itinerary, ฿400 park fee
- Krabi to Phi Phi Islands ferry - Ferryhopper: confirms the Krabi to Phi Phi ferry runs year-round, the low-season fallback
- Krabi to Koh Phi Phi - Phuket Ferry: Krabi to Phi Phi operators, prices and durations for the overland alternative