Viking Cave is a cave at the foot of the cliffs on the east side of Koh Phi Phi Leh, home to thousands of swiftlets whose edible nests are harvested on bamboo scaffolding. You cannot go inside: the cave is guarded day and night and landing is not allowed. Boats stop in front of it for about 10 minutes, then most continue to Table Coral, right next to it, for snorkeling.
Our boats from Tonsai pass in front of Viking Cave every morning of the season. Here is what you actually see, why it has that name, and which tours stop there.
Island
Phi Phi Leh, east side
Go inside?
No, landing banned
Stop
About 10 min, from the boat
Snorkel next door
Table Coral
From Tonsai
20-30 min by boat
Park fee
400 THB adult
Where is Viking Cave?
Viking Cave is on the east coast of Koh Phi Phi Leh, the uninhabited island south of Phi Phi Don, inside the national park (GPS 7.69144, 98.76698). It is about 1 km north of Pileh Lagoon, with the Table Coral snorkeling spot right beside it. From Tonsai it takes 20 to 30 minutes by boat to reach Phi Phi Leh. Our map of Koh Phi Phi shows it with every other stop of our boats.
Can you go inside Viking Cave?
No. The cave is guarded day and night and landing is not allowed: you see it from the boat. The reason is the nests. Thousands of swiftlets nest inside, and their nests are a valuable harvest, so the site is closed to visitors. When your boat stops in front of it, keep the noise down, and leave the drone in your bag: drones are not allowed.
Why is it called Viking Cave?
The name has nothing to do with real Vikings. The cave owes its name to old drawings of boats on its walls, which early visitors took for Viking longships. They were in fact left by sailors who sheltered in the cave from storms.
The swiftlet nests, Phi Phi's white gold
The cave's real treasure is its swiftlets. Their nests are a delicacy of Chinese cuisine, nicknamed white gold, and they are harvested by collectors who climb long bamboo scaffolding up the cave walls, after a prayer at the small shrine. From the boat you can see the collectors' scaffolding.
What do you actually see from the boat?
The cave mouth at the foot of a sheer limestone cliff and the bamboo scaffolding of the nest collectors. The boat stops in front of the cave for about 10 minutes, time for photos and the story of the nests, then moves a few metres further to snorkel at Table Coral.
Snorkeling next to Viking Cave: Table Coral
Right after Viking Cave, on the same side of Phi Phi Leh, comes Table Coral, also called Coral City: flat table corals spread out in shallow water, with parrotfish, butterflyfish and sergeant majors all around. It is one of the best snorkeling stops of the island. Do not touch or stand on the coral, use reef-safe sunscreen, and keep your life jacket on if you are not a strong swimmer. More spots in our snorkeling guide.
Which tours go to Viking Cave?
Viking Cave is on the classic Phi Phi Leh loop with Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, so almost every island tour passes it. Our own departures:
| Tour | When you pass Viking Cave | Price | National park fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Maya, small group, 20 seats max | around 9:00 am, then Table Coral at 9:15 am | 900 THB, children 700 THB | Not included, 400 THB in cash |
| Private long-tail, 3 h: Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave | when you choose, from 6:00 am | 3,700 THB per boat, 3 people included, +500 THB per extra person | Not included |
| Private long-tail, 4 h: the same plus Table Coral and Monkey Beach | when you choose | 4,500 THB per boat, 3 people included | Not included |
| Magic Day speedboat, 25 seats max | around 1:00 pm, with Loh Samah | 1,800 THB | Included |
| Pirate Boat party | around 1:30 pm, with Pileh Lagoon | 2,200 THB per adult from 1 November 2026, children 1,800 THB | Included |
| Phi Phi day trip from Krabi / Ao Nang | around 10:45 am, with Pileh Lagoon | 1,900 THB, children 1,600 THB | Not included |
Is there an entrance fee for Viking Cave?
There is no separate ticket, since you do not land. Viking Cave is inside the national park, and the park fee covers Phi Phi Leh as a whole: 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child aged 4 to 11, free under 4, paid in cash on the day unless your tour includes it (our Magic Day and Pirate Boat do).
When is the best time to see Viking Cave?
In the morning. Iconic spots on Phi Phi Leh are far calmer before the day-trip boats from Phuket and Krabi arrive mid-morning, and at dawn the sea is often glassy. Our Morning Maya passes the cave around 9:00 am, after Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon.
Season. November to April brings calm seas and the best visibility at Table Coral. Viking Cave stays on the route all year, weather permitting, including during the annual closure of Maya Bay from 1 August to 30 September, when tours visit Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and Bamboo Island instead.
Respect the site
- No landing and no drones: the cave is guarded.
- Keep the noise down in front of the nesting swiftlets.
- Take everything back with you: nothing goes in the water.
- Reef-safe sunscreen before the Table Coral stop, it is required in Thai marine parks.
Viking Cave is a short stop, but it tells a story no other place on Phi Phi does. Pair it with Maya Bay at dawn and a swim in Pileh Lagoon, and you have the best morning the island has to offer. See all our excursions from Koh Phi Phi, or read our island hopping guide to plan the whole loop.
