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11 Best Hikes on Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand – Detailed Guide

By Beata – Adventure Travel Writer

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If you are visiting Thailand and want to experience some memorable jungle hikes, Koh Phi Phi is (surprisingly) a perfect place to find them.

After staying a week on Koh Phi Phi, I explored many hiking trails and was pleasantly surprised by how accessible yet diverse the trekking options are.

You don’t need to hike very far to be rewarded with breathtaking views and quiet beaches.

If you’re looking for more authentic, close-to-nature experiences hiking offers the chance to see some of the island’s hidden gems.

Read on my detailed guide for exploring 11 Epic Hikes on Koh Phi Phi, to make your adventure smooth and enjoyable!

Koh Phi Phi viewpoint, trees and mountains in the distance

Guide to 11 Best Hikes on Koh Phi Phi Don

While most travellers visit Koh Phi Phi for its beaches, the island also offers several scenic jungle trails and viewpoints. For a full overview of what to see and do on the island, check my Koh Phi Phi travel guide.

Koh Phi Phi Don is a relatively small island, and if you stay near Tonsai Pier, it is very walkable.

However, if you want to explore the island beyond the central area, you’ll find yourself in quite secluded spots.

  • Some of them are only accessible by a long jungle hike, boat, or kayak.
  • Huge cliffs and dense jungle cover much of Koh Phi Phi’s landscape.
  • While the hills and mountains on the island are not particularly tall, they can be quite steep.
  • Combined with the hot weather, hiking on Koh Phi Phi can become very exhausting.
  • If you enjoy nature activities, discovering jungle trails on Koh Phi Phi is a truly rewarding experience. 

Hiking Trailns on Koh Phi Phi In a Nutshell

Route Experience Duration
Hikes Near the “Center” (Tonsai Village)
Coastal Hike to Long Beach This easy trail follows the shoreline and offers picturesque views of the turquoise sea and hidden spots like Viking Beach. 1h 40m
Jungle Hike to Long Beach This inland alternative path takes you through a local village and forest, providing a different perspective of the island’s interior. 1h 40m
Long Beach to Loh Moo Dee A quick and easy jungle trail extension that connects the south coast to a remote, spacious beach on the east side. 1h 40m
The Viewpoints & Remote East Coast
Hike to the Viewpoints This steep climb up 320 steps is the best way to see the famous panoramic view of Koh Phi Phi’s twin bays. 1h
Jungle Hikes to Pak Nam, Ran Tee & Toh Koh These challenging paths lead from the viewpoint deep into the jungle to reach secluded beaches rarely visited by tourists. 2h
Viewpoint to Loh Ba Kao Bay This moderate trek follows a long forest path through a mangrove forest and local village to reach the quiet Ba Kao Bay. 2h 40m
Farther Northern Trails
Coastal & Jungle Hike to Loh Ba Kao This adventurous route involves rock scrambling along the west coast and a steep climb assisted by ropes. 2h 20m
Loh Ba Kao to Loh Lana Bay An easy walk across a mangrove bridge to reach a large, quiet bay on the west coast. 30m
Loh Ba Kao to Nui Beach This moderate trek requires climbing over rocks to reach a hidden destination that is often inaccessible during high tide. 50m
Hike North to Laem Tong Beach One of the island’s longest hikes, this follows a concrete road along the cliffs to the northern resort area. 3h
Northernmost Point Hike A quiet walk through the dense rainforest to reach the literal tip of the island marked by a flag. 2h

1. Coastal Hike from Tonsai Pier to Long Beach (Haad Yao)

Start anywhere in Tonsai Village and head first to the Hippie Bar at Laem Hin Beach beach.

  • Then head south along the beach and later along the coastal path.
  • You will pass three secluded beaches—Love Beach, Viking Beach, and Hin Khnom Beach.
  • Those small beaches usually don’t get crowded and are perfect for a break or even a short swim.
  • As you continue on the trail, you’ll eventually reach Long Beach.

It’s a popular destinations with resorts, a diving center, and a great snorkeling spot—Black Tip Shark Point – to add to your itinerary.

The hike is relatively easy and suitable for most fitness levels, making it accessible for anyone who wants to experience Koh Phi Phi’s quieter side.

Cost: Free

Distance: 3 km (1.8 miles)

Time: 50 minutes one way

Difficulty: Easy

Highlights: View of the turquoise sea and the bay, secluded beaches, Black Tip Shark Point at Long Beach

2. Hike via Jungle from Tonsai Pier to Long Beach (Haad Yao)

An alternative way to reach Long Beach from Tonsai Village is to hike through the rainforest and a small local village along the way.

  • This path starts the same as the coastal trail—you need to reach the Hippies Bar first.
  • After this point, walk along the beach until you pass local primary school.
  • Keep walking by the shore until you find a path on the left, next to the Bayview Resort, leading away from the beach.

Although this path isn’t shown on Google Maps, you can easily follow it using the Maps.me app.

It’s a wide concrete road, leading uphill and out of Tonsai Village.

  • Soon, you will enter the jungle, but this part isn’t very eventful.
  • You will walk through a small local village and near a water reservoir.
  • After that, the jungle road will lead downhill to Long Beach.
  • You will reach a large resort and a PADI diving center on the north side of Long Beach.

The coastal trek is definitely more picturesque, but for me, discovering a different side of Koh Phi Phi was an interesting and adventurous experience.

I walked back this way from Long Beach after doing the coastal trail, so I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything.

Cost: Free

Distance: 3 km (1.8 miles)

Time: 50 minutes one way

Difficulty: Easy

Highlights: Path through the jungle, local village

3. Walk from Long Beach to Loh Moo Dee Beach

When you follow the jungle trail from Tonsai Pier to Long Beach, you can also easily reach Loh Moo Dee Beach.

  • This beach is located on the east coast, on the opposite side of Long Beach.
  • After going downhill, at the last part of your walk, you will reach the crossroads just 5 minutes before reaching Long Beach.
  • You will need to turn left onto a smaller, unpaved path instead of following the wide road.
  • There should be a small signpost to guide you.
  • It’s a short trail through the jungle, and after 10 minutes, you should reach Loh Moo Dee Beach.

Cost: Free

Distance: 3 km (1.8 miles)

Time:  50 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Highlights: Path through the jungle, remote beach

4. Hike to the Viewpoints for the Panoramic Horizon

Once on Koh Phi Phi Don, you must at least once hike to the famous viewpoints with the panoramic vista of the bay.

  • First, you need to reach the stairway to the viewpoint, it’s a 10-minute walk from Tonsai Pier through town.
  • The entrance is well marked and hard to miss, as it’s visited by many people.
  • The hardest part is climbing up the stairs, as it’s a long and steep climb with around 320 steps to conquer.
  • Some parts are concrete, and some are wooden, with really high steps.
  • You will also pass many people going in both directions.
  • After the long climb to the first viewpoint, you will walk along a bit easier path through a stunning garden to viewpoints 2 and 3. 

Apart from the lush plants, you can see some interesting sculptures and a few cats roaming around the garden.

  • At the peak, you will find a deck right on the edge of the hill, built on top of huge rocks.
  • This spot is usually occupied by people taking pictures with the panoramic view of Koh Phi Phi Don Bay, Tonsai Village and Loh Dalum Bay.
  • There are toilets, a restaurant, and a small bar to buy a cold drink (alcohol is not allowed at the top view). 

While the view of the bay is indeed stunning, the place is usually crowded with tourists, especially during sunset.

Head out early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Price: 50 baht (1.60 USD) entrance fee

Distance: 1 km (0.6 miles) to reach the last Viewpoint

Time: 30 minutes from Tonsai Pier

Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights: Panoramic view of the Koh Phi Phi Bay

Koh Phi Phi viewpoint, Tonsai bay, buildings and mountains in the distance

5. Jungle Hikes to Pak Nam, Ran Tee and Toh Koh Beach (from the Viewpoint)

After reaching the viewpoints, you are actually halfway to discovering a much lesser-known part of Koh Phi Phi.

  • From the top of the hill, instead of going the same way back down, you can head east, deeper into the jungle.
  • There are a few paths going in different directions, which will take you to small and secluded beaches.
  • To the east, you can discover Pak Nam, Ran Tee, and Toh Koh Beach.

These beaches are quite remote, and not many tourists venture there via jungle trails.

It’s more popular to take a boat to get there, but if you like adventure, you should definitely try hiking.

The paths through the jungle are steep and rather challenging, leading through dense forest.

On the trail to Pak Nam Beach, it’s quite common to see monkeys, so don’t pack too much food, as they might want to steal it from you.

If you come to see the sunset at the viewpoints, you shouldn’t go deeper into the jungle, as it won’t be safe hiking there after dark,

Price: 50 baht entrance fee to the Viewpoints

Distance:  2.6 km (1.6 miles) from Tonsai Pier; 1.6 km (1 mile) from Viewpoint 3. (That’s the distance for each beach, they can only be reached separately.)

Time: 1 hour one way from Tonsai Pier (to each beach separately)

Difficulty: Hard

Highlights: Challenging jungle hikes, discovering secluded beaches on the east coast of Koh Phi Phi Don

6. Jungle hike to Ba Kao Bay from the Viewpoints

The fourth path you can take from the top view is to go southeast to Loh Ba Kao Bay. 

  • It’s the longest path, leading through the jungle, passing a mangrove forest, a local village, and finishing at Loh Ba Kao Bay Beach.
  • At some points, the forest path is not well marked, but if you follow the map, you won’t get lost. 

You will find a few signposts and see people trying to reach the viewpoints from the other side of the island.

Loh Ba Kao Bay, although not very busy, has a large resort, restaurants, a grocery shop, and even a diving center.

You can easily catch a boat back to Tonsai Pier if you feel tired after the hike.

Price: 50 baht entrance fee to the Viewpoints

Distance:  4 km (2.5 miles) from Tonsai Pier; 3 km (1.8 miles) from Viewpoint 3. 

Time:  1 hour 20 minutes one way from Tonsai Pier; 50 min from Viewpoint 3

Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights: Jungle hike, mangrove forest, local village and Loh Ba Kao Bay

7. Coastal and Jungle Hike to Loh Ba Kao Bay

An alternative and also picturesque way to reach Loh Ba Kao Bay from Tonsai Pier is to go on a jungle hike that leads via the rocky coasltine.

This is one of my favorite hikes on Koh Phi Phi Don as it’s secluded, with diverse views, and few challenging sections.

  • The path goes along the west coastline, leading you out of Tonsai Village and past large black rocks to a jungle path. 

The hardest part is when you need to tread water while walking by the sea to finding the entrance to the jungle.

This part of the trail is not well marked, so It’s worth following an offline hiking map, as Google Maps won’t be helpful.

  • Eventually, you will see the entrance to the steep trail assisted with ropes.
  • After climbing steep hill in the jungle and reaching small peak, you will have to follow an equally steep path down to Loh Ba Kao Bay.
  • Dense rainforest eventually fades and gives way to a wide village road.
  • At this point you will find yourself at the crossroads, where your trail meets the path from the viewpoints. 

After that, both trails follow the same road past the mangrove forest and via the village down to Loh Ba Kao Bay.

Price: Free

Distance:  3.7 km (2.3 miles) from Tonsai Pier

Time:  1 hour 10 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Highlights: Koh Phi Phi west coast, rocky coastline, jungle, mangrove forest, local village and Loh Ba Kao Bay

Signpost showing the way to Nui Bay, Loh Lana, Loh Bakao and Sunset Bay Resprt on Koh Phi Phi Don

8. Hike to Loh Lana Bay from Loh Ba Kao Bay 

If you reach Loh Ba Kao Bay, you will be able to explore more trails in this area.

The two shortest paths lead to secluded beaches located on the west coast—Loh Lana Bay and Nui Beach.

  • Loh Lana Bay is the closest one – it only takes 15 minutes from Loh Ba Kao Bay to get there.
  • You will need to cross the Mangrove Suspension Bridge and follow the road.
  • The path is clear and easy to follow.

Price: Free

Distance:  1 km ( miles) from Loh Ba Kao Bay;  3.7 km (2.3 miles) from from Tonsai Pier

Time: 15 minutes from Loh Ba Kao Bay; 1 h 10 min from Tonsai Pier

Difficulty: Easy

Views: Local river, mangrove suspension Bridge, Loh Lana Bay beach

9. Hike to Nui Beach from Loh Ba Kao Bay

After reaching Loh Lana Bay, you can also discover the path to even more remote Nui Beach.

This destination is quite hidden and definitely harder to reach by walking than Loh Lana Bay.

  • You can find a signpost showing the way to follow from Loh Lana Bay and Nui Beach.
  • Trail map will also be useful with the navigation.

Although the walk isn’t long, it will require some climbing between the rocks and treading water.

During monsoon season and high tide, this path might not be accessible.

Although not very long, this trail is definitely very adventurous.

Price: Free

Distance:  1.6 km (1 mile) from Loh Ba Kao Bay; 4.1 km (miles) from Tonsai Pier

Time: 25 min from Loh Ba Kao Bay; 1 h 20 min from Tonsai Pier

Difficulty: Moderate

Views: Koh Phi Phi west coast, jungle, mangrove forest, local village and Loh Ba Kao Bay

10. Hike North to Laem Tong Beach

One of the longest hikes on Koh Phi Phi will lead you to Laem Tong Beach.

While this beach is a popular destination, it is usually visited by boat rather than hiking from Tonsai Pier.

  • After reaching Loh Ba Kao Bay (similar to the routes to Nui and Loh Lana beaches), you will have to cross the Mangrove Suspension Bridge.
  • But instead of heading west, you will have to turn right and head east.

This is more of a road than a trail, as you will follow a concrete path often used by people driving on scooters.

The path is located on cliffs along the east coast, it’s straight and easy to follow.

Price: Free

Distance: 3 km (1.9 miles) from Loh Ba Kao Bay; 6 km (3.7 miles) from Tonsai Pier

Time: 45 minutes one way from Loh Ba Kao Bay; 1 hour 30 minutes from Tonsai Pier

Difficulty: Easy

Views: Koh Phi Phi east coast, jungle, mangrove forest, local village, and Laem Tong Beach

Koh Phi Phi river and mangrove forest near the Loh Ba Kao Bay

11. Hike to the Northernmost Point of Koh Phi Phi

If you reach Laem Tong Beach, you should definitely explore the northernmost point on Koh Phi Phi Don too.

  • Head north from Laem Tong Beach, where you will find a small path through the jungle to follow.
  • When you see the flag marking the northernmost tip of the island, you will know that you’ve reached your destination.

This trail is not very hard and takes around 30 minutes one way, without much elevation.

The main difficulty is walking through the dense rainforest.

Price: Free

Distance: 2 km (1.2 miles) from Laem Tong; 4.4 km (2.7 miles) from Ba Kao Bay; 7.6 km (4.7 miles) from Tonsai Pier

Time: 30 minutes from Laem Tong Beach; 1 hour 10 minutes from Ba Kao Bay; 2 hours from Tonsai Pier

Difficulty: Easy

Views: East coast, jungle, mangrove forest, the northernmost tip of Koh Phi Phi Don

Safety When Hiking on Koh Phi Phi

You don’t need a guide for hiking on Koh Phi Phi Don.

The island has a significant amount of jungle, but most of the trails are not technically difficult.

However, the dense forest might be overwhelming to some people, as you might not always be sure if the path you are following is correct.

To stay safe while hiking:

Focus Area Safety Guidelines & Essentials
Navigation & Tech Always have a charged phone with a trail map downloaded for offline use.
Hydration & Fuel Carry plenty of water regardless of hike length; tap water in Thailand is not safe for drinking, and shops may be unavailable on remote trails.
Money & Transport Bring cash for food, water, or a boat. Scheduled taxi boats to major beaches (Laem Tong, Loh Ba Kao, Long Beach) typically stop around 5 pm. Private boats are an option but cost significantly more.
Timing & Heat Avoid hiking in the midday sun. Gaining elevation in high humidity is physically demanding and significantly harder than a standard walk.
Clothing & Gear Wear light, breathable, quick-dry clothes. Opt for a hat and closed shoes to protect against rocks and steep rope sections.
Skin Protection Avoid hiking in beachwear/bikinis to prevent sunburn and protect yourself from mosquito bites.
paved path via forest by the east coast on Koh Phi Phi, sea in the distance

Other Adventurous Experiences on Koh Phi Phi

Apart from hiking, Koh Phi Phi offers plenty of other activities to fill your vacation itinerary with adventure.

  • Exploring the Mangrove Forest -> If you visit Loh Ba Kao Bay, you can easily rent a kayak and explore nearby mangrove forest. Even just by walking there you might spot interesting wildlife like monitor lizards.
  • Kayaking in the Andaman Sea -> Kayak rentals are available on almost every major beach on Koh Phi Phi. It’s also a great alternative to hiking if you want to reach secluded beaches.
  • Snorkeling Off Beach -> Many beaches on Koh Phi Phi Don are suitable for snorkeling right off the beach. The most popular destination is Long Beach with Black Tip Shark Point.
  • Diving ->You’ll find many diving centers on Koh Phi Phi, offering various experiences like: getting your PADI license, going on a discovery dive, or even adventurous experiences for non-swimmers.
  • Island Hopping -> Koh Phi Phi sits along one of the main ferry routes connecting islands across Thailand’s Andaman Coast.

Final Thoughts

Hiking and exploring secluded destinations was one of my favourite activities on Koh Phi Phi.

This island offers so much more than loud nightlife and most close to nature activities are very budget friendly.

Its hidden trails, secluded beaches, and stunning viewpoints make it a great destination for nature lovers.

Remember to stay safe, respect the environment, and embrace the spirit of adventure.

Happy hiking!

Read My Other Posts about Koh Phi Phi:

About the Author

Beata is the founder of Banana Leaf Travel and an adventure travel writer specializing in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and Malaysia.

She shares detailed travel guides to tropical islands, hiking trails, and hidden destinations across Thailand and Malaysia.