6 Best Phi Phi Diving Sites, Courses and Costs

Featured image: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Phi Phi Diving at a Glance

Phi Phi National Marine Park sits about 15 minutes by boat from the main island, according to Princess Divers. That operator counts 20+ dive sites inside it. Non-certified visitors can start with a try dive on Phi Phi or a full course. Open Water divers join marine-park fun dives of 2 dives over roughly 5 hours. Advanced divers add the Kled Kaew wreck, night dives and remote sites such as Hin Daeng. If you only want to snorkel, day trips from Phuket often carry a lower non-diver fee, covered below.

6 Best Phi Phi Diving Sites

These six cover the main decisions: easy marine-park reefs, a wall, a wreck, an en-route stop and one site to question before booking. Operator prices below were checked November 2026. For the full catalog, see our complete Phi Phi dive site list.

1. Bida Nok

Bida Nok belongs to the Bida island group, which Princess Divers includes in its marine-park fun-dive trips. Our Bida Nok dive guide covers the site in full. It suits Open Water divers who want a marine-park dive without a long transfer from Phuket.

Boat time from Phi Phi Don is short, so a 2-dive morning trip leaves 7:15 am and returns around 12:00 pm on Princess Divers' schedule. Wreck and remote-site seekers should look elsewhere, because Bida Nok is a reef-style outing rather than an Advanced dive.

2. Hin Klang

Hin Klang is a Phi Phi dive site with its own page: Hin Klang dive guide. Certified divers reach sites like it on standard 2-dive trips of about 5 hours. Morning trips leave Phi Phi at 7:15 am, and afternoon trips leave at 1:15 pm on Princess Divers' schedule.

Your guide picks the two sites each day, so Hin Klang depends on conditions and the shop's plan. Divers who need a fixed itinerary should ask the operator which two sites are scheduled before paying.

3. Palong Wall

Palong Wall is a wall-style site, so buoyancy control matters more here than on a shallow reef. Read the Palong Wall dive guide before you choose it. Open Water is the minimum certification on marine-park trips, but you will enjoy a wall more with a few logged dives behind you.

Groups of 4 divers per guide, the cap both Princess Divers and Sea Bees state, make it easier to stay close to your guide. Anyone fresh out of a course may prefer a shallower reef first.

4. Kled Kaew Wreck

Kled Kaew is a former Royal Thai Navy vessel, about 50 m long, sunk on purpose in 2014 as an artificial reef. It rests at a maximum depth of 27 m, with several entry points for experienced divers. You need Advanced certification, or an advanced or wreck course in progress.

Princess Divers lists the 2-dive wreck trip at ฿3,200, plus the ฿600 national park fee. Open Water divers cannot join, so book a course first if you want this one.

5. Shark Point

Shark Point is the usual en-route stop on Phuket day trips to Phi Phi, according to Sea Bees. That trip makes 3 dives: 2 at Phi Phi and 1 on the way, with a maximum depth of 35 m. Sea Bees lists it from ฿4,700, with hotel transfer, breakfast, lunch, tanks and weights included.

It suits divers staying in Patong, Karon, Kata, Rawai or Nai Harn, where free pick-up applies. Divers based on Phi Phi Don gain nothing from it, because you would reach the marine park far faster by local boat.

6. King Cruiser Wreck: Check Before You Book

King Cruiser was a passenger car ferry that sank in 1997 after striking Anemone Reef, and it rests at about 30 m. Operators disagree on it today. Princess Divers says the structure has deteriorated, with collapsed and unstable sections, and no longer dives it.

Sea Bees still lists a Tuesday trip with King Cruiser on the schedule. Ask any shop whether it still dives the wreck and why, and treat a vague answer as a reason to pick another trip. Only Advanced divers should consider it at all.

Which Certification Do You Need?

Certification decides which Phi Phi trips you can book. Princess Divers and Sea Bees both run certified-only fun dives, so a beginner needs a course first. Our guide to PADI courses on Phi Phi lays out the training route. Agencies such as PADI define each level.

Phi Phi Base vs Phuket Day Trip

Staying on Phi Phi Don puts you about 15 minutes from the marine park. Phuket day trips add a hotel pick-up between 7:15 and 8:15 am on Sea Bees' schedule, plus a boat transfer. Sea Bees says Friday and Sunday pick-ups run an hour earlier. Allow for fatigue after a long day. Leave a gap before any flight, and read DAN guidance on flying after diving.

What Phi Phi Diving Costs and What Is Extra

Compare all-in totals, not headline prices. Princess Divers lists a 2-dive trip at ฿2,700, with gear, a light meal and insurance included. Its night dive costs ฿1,900 for 1 dive of about 2 hours, torch included. Sea Bees excludes the night torch, and its day trip starts at ฿4,700 with transfers and lunch. The park fee is ฿600 for divers and ฿400 for non-divers, set under Thailand's national parks authority. Non-diving adults pay ฿2,400 on Sea Bees' trip, and children 7 to 12 pay ฿1,500. Gear rental is listed inconsistently, so ask for the figure in writing. Our Phi Phi diving price breakdown goes deeper.

When to Dive Phi Phi

Weather can change the plan on any day. Sea Bees notes that dive sites may be switched due to conditions, so build in a spare day. Its Racha Yai trips run 3 times a week, all year round. Check forecasts with the Thai Meteorological Department. Our Phi Phi diving season guide covers monsoon timing and visibility. Look up temperatures in our water temperature guide before choosing a wetsuit.

How to Choose a Phi Phi Dive Shop

Use the same checklist with every operator. Our Phi Phi dive shop comparison applies it shop by shop. You can also search the SSI dive center locator for training centers.

• Group cap: both operators surveyed state a maximum of 4 divers per guide.
• Boat: ask about dive deck space, showers and shade between dives.
• Insurance: Princess Divers includes mandatory government dive insurance, so check what your quote covers.
• Wrecks: ask whether the shop still dives King Cruiser and why.
• Weather: ask what happens to your fee if a site changes or a trip is cancelled.
• Briefing: expect a site briefing from your guide before each dive.

Phi Phi Diving Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems come from booking the wrong level or comparing unlike prices.

• Booking a wreck or night dive without Advanced certification.
• Flying out too soon after your last dive.
• Assuming sightings are guaranteed. Blacktip reef sharks, turtles, lionfish and cuttlefish are commonly reported, never promised.
• Comparing prices that leave out the ฿600 park fee.
• Touching or feeding marine life.