Bamboo Island from Krabi: Speedboat or Longtail?
7 min read
For most people, choose the Phi Phi Early Bird and Four Islands speedboat: €70.71, 9 hours, 4.9 stars from 3,591 reviews. Its itinerary explicitly includes Bamboo Island, with lunch and free time there. The shorter option is Phi Phi speedboat with buffet lunch at €42.08. If sunset matters more than an early start, Phi Phi sunset trip with barbecue and plankton costs €66.58.
The short answer to the title is speedboat. All three are speedboat days built around Phi Phi, and all three explicitly include Bamboo Island. No longtail appears in any of the three. Do not book a generic private longtail and assume Bamboo is included: confirm the exact route with the operator first.
The three useful choices
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi Early Bird and Four Islands by speedboat | 9 hours | €70.71 | 4.9 (3,591 reviews) | Phi Phi plus Four Islands |
| Phi Phi sunset with barbecue and plankton | 9.5 hours | €66.58 | 4.7 (3,068 reviews) | Travellers who prefer a late finish |
| Phi Phi speedboat with buffet lunch | 7.5 hours | €42.08 | 4.6 (1,065 reviews) | A shorter daytime circuit |
Early bird: the complete first visit
The early-bird trip links the emerald water of Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon with swimming, snorkelling and a Thai buffet lunch. Its 9-hour schedule adds the Four Islands stops to Phi Phi. That makes it a good fit for a first visit with only one boat day available. Bamboo Island is a named lunch and beach stop; the itinerary allows 105 minutes there, subject to weather and tides.
It is a poor fit if Bamboo Island is your only priority: you pay for a nine-hour speedboat circuit with several other stops. The shorter buffet tour also visits Bamboo, so you do not need a sunset programme just to reach it.
Check dates and prices for the Phi Phi Early Bird trip
Sunset: Bamboo within a late island circuit
The sunset option visits Monkey Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Maya Bay and Bamboo Island before continuing to Koh Poda for a barbecue dinner and an after-dark plankton swim. At 9.5 hours, it is not a shortcut. You choose it because the final hours are the point, not because it gives Bamboo Island more beach time.
Skip this option if you dislike returning after dark or mainly want a conventional Phi Phi sightseeing day. The itinerary is attractive for couples and travellers who would otherwise book a separate sunset outing.
See availability for the Phi Phi sunset and plankton trip
Buffet speedboat: a shorter day
The 7.5-hour buffet trip covers Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, snorkelling around Phi Phi and free time on Bamboo Island. Lunch is on Phi Phi Don. Routes can change with conditions; this is the shorter option for a daytime Phi Phi and Bamboo circuit.
Choose this when you want Phi Phi scenery and snorkelling without an early departure or sunset programme.
View prices for the Phi Phi speedboat with buffet lunch
Our recommendation
Book the early-bird speedboat if you want Phi Phi and Four Islands in one day. Bamboo Island is included in all three routes. Choose the sunset trip for its BBQ dinner, Koh Poda sunset and plankton swim, or the buffet speedboat for a shorter day. Apply the participation limits below before choosing.
Book the Phi Phi Early Bird and Four Islands speedboat
All three prices are per person and exclude the national park fee: 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, payable in cash. The buffet trip collects it at check-in. All three offer English-speaking guides; the sunset page also lists Thai. The Early Bird collects in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Tubkaek, with a Railay pickup; the buffet tour uses Railay East’s floating pier for Railay guests. The sunset tour collects in Ao Nang, Krabi Town, Ao Nam Mao, Klong Muang and Tubkaek, but excludes Railay and Tonsai pickup. Confirm the exact hotel or pier for your chosen option.
The Early Bird excludes children under 3, pregnant travellers, wheelchair users, people with back or heart problems, low fitness, weight over 130 kg or age over 70. The buffet tour excludes children under 2, anyone under 120 cm or over 60, pregnant travellers and people with heart or respiratory problems. Its notes also mention accompanied under-twos, contradicting the exclusion; do not book a child in that category without resolving it. The sunset tour excludes children under 2, pregnant travellers, wheelchair users and people with back, heart, mobility or pre-existing medical problems or high blood pressure.
The operators state that Maya Bay closes in August and September; the buffet page specifies 1 August–30 September 2027. There is no beach landing during closure and no swimming in Maya Bay when open. TAT confirms the 2026 reopening on 1 October. Sea conditions can change any of these routes, so confirm the programme for your date.
