How to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi
Why visit Langkawi?
Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands off the northwest coast of Malaysia. Its biggest island — also called Langkawi — is dotted with white-sand beaches and jungle-clad hills. Far from a quiet retreat (it is bustling with duty-free outlets), Langkawi does still offer some natural wonders and vibrant diving spots.
The so-called “Jewel of Kedah” is an ideal place to go island-hopping, submerge yourself in waterfalls and get lost in rice fields. All of which can be seen from the Langkawi Sky Bridge. A little tip, though: go early in the morning or you’ll be sharing this view with lots of other tourists exploring Langkawi!
Customs & Immigration
Much like taking the plane, travelling by ferry from Koh Lipe to Langkawi requires you to check-in for customs and immigration in both ports.
Customs in Koh Lipe
The customs and immigration office in Koh Lipe is located at either Pattaya Beach (high season) or Sunset Beach (low season). Make sure you arrive around 90 minutes before your ferry departure as you would when taking a flight.
Prepare your luggage for checking and give your passport to the immigration officers. Passport processing can sometimes take a while. To pass the time, you can wait in a nearby cafe until your name is called.
When your ferry is ready, you will be picked up by a water taxi from the beach. This will take you to the floating dock, where you can board your ferry. A water taxi ride costs around 50 THB ($1.50).
Then off you go to Langkawi in Malaysia!
Customs in Langkawi
Customs and immigration offices are at both Langkawi entry points, Kuah Jetty and Telaga Harbour. Processing is normally quick and easy. You won’t need to fill anything out and a visa is not required for most nationalities. To avoid delays, check beforehand to see if you do need a visa to enter Malaysia.
Once done with immigration, you can proceed to your destination in Langkawi.
What are the 3 ways to travel from Koh Lipe to Langkawi?
There are 3 ways to travel the 57 kilometre (35 miles) distance from Koh Lipe to Langkawi. You can choose between the ferry to Telaga Harbour, ferry to Kuah Jetty and ferry via Satun. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by ferry to telaga harbour. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by ferry via Satun with tickets starting at 61 MYR ($15.50).
Koh Lipe to Langkawi by Ferry to Kuah Jetty
Kuah Jetty is Langkawi’s main ferry terminal. It is the docking port not just for ferries from Koh Lipe, but also from Penang and Kuala Perlis.
You can choose from three ferry companies when travelling from Koh Lipe to Kuah Jetty. These are Jolly Travel, Koh Ngai Camping and Bundhaya Speedboat. A ticket costs 140 MYR ($36) when you book via BookAway.
Travel time is 1 hour 30 minutes.
Ferry schedules from Koh Lipe to Langkawi
Kuah Jetty is located 20 km east of the main tourist hub of Pantai Cenang. From here, you can get a private taxi for around 40 MYR ($10.20). If you don’t mind sharing a ride for cheaper fares, shared taxis are also common at the port.
More ferry options during high season
Around the high season (October to June), Klook offers 1 or 2 trips daily from Koh Lipe to Langkawi’s Kuah Jetty. You’ll have to check their website for the latest schedules. They use speedboats for these trips so travel time is only 1.5 hours. A ticket costs 750 THB ($23).
Langkawi Ferry Service also offers direct trips from November to early June. A one-way ticket costs 140 MYR ($36). You’ll have to contact them directly for ticket reservations. You can find their latest schedules and contact details on their website.
Koh Lipe to Langkawi by Ferry to Telaga Harbour
Compared to Kuah Jetty, Telaga Harbour is nearer to both Koh Lipe and Langkawi’s tourist hub of Pantai Cenang.
Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club and Baan Pun Travel are the two companies operating this route. Travel time is 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on whether you take a standard ferry or a speedboat. Fares start from 165 MYR ($42) when you book with BookAway.
Ferry schedules from Koh Lipe to Langkawi’s Telaga Harbour
The ferries dock at Telaga Harbour, located 15 km north of Pantai Cenang. The taxi is your only option to reach your hotel. Travel time is around 20 minutes and fares for a private ride start from 30 MYR ($7.70).
If you’re alone and travelling on a budget, you can also try looking around for shared taxis. They are normally available around Langkawi’s ports.
Koh Lipe to Langkawi by Ferry via Satun
Thanks to the growing number of tourists travelling from Koh Lipe to Langkawi, we can now enjoy direct ferry trips all-year-round. Up until a few years ago, these were not available during the low season from June to October.
There’s still fewer direct ferry trips if you’re visiting during this time, so if ever you find yourself without a ticket for the few available direct ferries, don’t worry! There is an alternate option, albeit longer, via Satun.
Below is a step-by-step guide for the indirect route from Koh Lipe to Langkawi:
Step 1: Koh Lipe to Satun by Ferry
First, you’ll have to take a ferry to Pak Bara, a southern coastal village in mainland Thailand. Travel time is around 1h 30m - 2h and fares start from 55 MYR ($14) when you book on BookAway.
There are several ferry companies operating this route from morning ’til afternoon every day. You can’t just take any ferry though! If you want a guaranteed connecting transfer to Langkawi on the same day, you’ll have to take a ferry that departs before noon.
From Pak Bara Pier, you’ll need to take a minivan bound south for Tammalang Pier in Satun. The minivan ride takes another 1.5 hours. Keep this in mind when scheduling your ferry trips!
Step 2: Satun to Langkawi by Ferry
There are only 2 ferry trips operating from Satun to Langkawi daily. This is why it is very important to time your departure from Koh Lipe correctly.
Travel time is around 2h 30m. Tickets cost 50 THB ($1.50) and you can buy them at the port. Below are their schedules:
The ferries dock at Kuah Jetty, located 20 km east of the tourist hub of Pantai Cenang. Your only option from here is a 40-minute taxi ride that costs around 40 MYR ($10.20). If you’re on a budget, shared taxis are also available at the port.
Rounding it up
We hope this guide was helpful in planning how to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi. If there's anything else you're wondering about, drop us a comment and we'll do our best to answer you within a few days.
PS: If you've recently travelled this route, share your experience with fellow travellers and help us improve this post. Thanks for helping out our travel community!
Frequently Asked Questions about Koh Lipe to Langkawi
What is the distance from Koh Lipe to Langkawi?
The distance from Koh Lipe to Langkawi is 57 kilometre (35 miles).
What is the fastest way to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi?
The fastest way to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi is by ferry to telaga harbour and takes 1 hour 30 minutes.
What is the cheapest way to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi?
The cheapest way to get from Koh Lipe to Langkawi is by ferry via Satun with ticket costs starting from 61 MYR ($15.50).
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Kate is a travel content creator, writer and founder of Stay Wild Travel, a tour company running group trips for women beyond your typical destinations. Her full-time travels have taken her to almost 60 countries, and she doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon.
