The beach at Maya Bay is one of the most famous and photogenic places in Thailand, and it’s the main thing responsible for bringing travelers to the Phi Phi islands. In fact, it’s now one of the most famous white sand beaches in the world.

Maya Bay is open again for 2024! It was temporarily closed for conservation from August 1 to September 30, but it reopened for tourists on October 1, so now is a great time to plan a visit!

The entire beach is surrounded by tall limestone cliffs, with clear turquoise water, baby sharks swimming around, and sand that’s white as snow. Everything about it looks perfect. Yep, this is paradise!

Of course, the beauty of Maya Bay has attracted the tourist hordes, just like any of the amazing places in the world, but if you plan your visit right you can still enjoy the beach without too many people.

This travel guide will explain how to visit Maya Bay in Thailand, what to see there, and how to know when it’s open or closed!

Day Tours For Maya Bay

First of all, if you’re on a tight schedule or want to skip the extra steps involved in arranging your own trip to Phi Phi island and Maya Bay, GetYourGuide has prearranged day trips to Phi Phi from Phuket or similar day trips from Krabi, complete with hotel transfers, boat tickets, island tour, lunch, and same day return.

These day tours visit all of the top sights in the Koh Phi Phi islands, including Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, and Monkey Bay. They also have private tours or semi-private tours if you prefer that instead of a shared tour, although the prices are a bit higher unless you bring friends.

We’ve used GetYourGuide for lots of day tours and activities around the world, and they’re great! Highly recommended.