Three wooden longtail boats moored in clear shallow water, with a wooded island behind

Plan your days

3 days in Krabi

Railay, one day on the islands and one inland, from a base in Ao Nang, without trying to fit in every boat on the beach.

Best for

A first trip to Krabi

Base

Ao Nang, all three nights

Pace

Moderate, with one early start

Tours

One, on day 2

Scooter

Not needed

Day 1

Railay, on foot

Railay has no road, so the day starts with a boat from Ao Nang Beach. Once you land, everything is a walk, and there is nothing to book.

Morning

Buy a ticket at the boat counters on the Ao Nang beachfront and take a shared longtail to Railay West. A boat goes when it has about eight passengers, and there is no fixed timetable, so go early rather than at a set hour.

There is no pier at Railay West: the boat runs up to the beach and you step down into shallow water. Wear shorts, and keep your phone and passport in a dry bag. At low tide you may also wade out to the boat at Ao Nang.

Nothing to book. The longtail is paid in cash at the counter; there is no official price list online, so check the fare there.

Late morning

Walk across the peninsula to Railay East, a few minutes away, then follow the walkway under the cliffs to Phra Nang Beach at the southern tip. This is the beach where the cliffs come down onto the sand.

At one end, in a hollow at the foot of the cliff, is the shrine to Phra Nang, full of carved wooden offerings left by fishermen and couples. It is a place of worship, not a curiosity: look, but do not climb on it or move anything.

Afternoon

Back to Railay West to swim. It is the swimming beach of the peninsula; Railay East is mangrove and mudflat, not a beach to swim from.

The viewpoint trail starts on the walkway between Railay East and Phra Nang. It is a climb on red mud and ropes, not a path. Take it only if you are steady on steep ground and it has not rained, and never in flip-flops.

Island tours stop at Phra Nang too, so it fills up during the day. If you want it quieter, go there first and swim at Railay West later.

Evening

Think about the boat back before you think about the sunset. The shared longtails run from about 8 am to 6 pm, and sources disagree on what is left after that: a shared boat at a higher fare, or only a whole boat to hire.

Back in Ao Nang, the Landmark night market on the seafront road is on every day and gets busy after 6 pm. It is the easy evening after a day on your feet.

In the monsoon, from May to October, the sea on the Ao Nang side can stop these boats. The crossing from Ao Nam Mao to Railay East, on the sheltered side, is described as the more reliable one then.

Railay: the boats, the landing and what to see

Getting to Railay, with or without luggage

Before you try the viewpoint trail

Day 2

One island day, not two

Most of what is sold as Krabi island hopping comes down to four routes. On three days, take just one, and leave the long crossings to Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay for a longer trip, so the hours go to the islands rather than to the crossing.

The four islands, by longtail

Our take: The right first island day from Ao Nang. Short crossings, the right boat for them, and the sandbar at Koh Tup if the tide allows.

Best for: A first day on the water, beaches and snorkelling
Time: About 6 hours
Skip if: You want an island to yourself: these are rarely empty

The sandbar between Koh Tup, Chicken Island and Koh Mor appears only at low tide, and no operator can promise it. If it matters, look at a tide table for your date before you book.

The four island days, compared

Four islands by longtail, with lunch From ฿1,116

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The Hong Islands, with a kayak

Our take: The day for the lagoon. Slower than the speedboat, but the kayak is a sure part of the tour, where the speedboat day may not include it.

Best for: The enclosed lagoon at Koh Hong, and paddling
Time: About 7 hours
Skip if: You want the shortest day at sea on a three-day trip

If the day takes you up to Koh Hong's viewpoint, it is a staircase of about 400 steps with no shade. The lagoon is shallow at low tide, so what you see depends on the day.

Longtail or speedboat: what the boat changes

Hong Islands by longtail, with kayaking From ฿1,280

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Your own longtail

Our take: Costs more, and buys the two things a shared boat cannot: your pace, and an earlier start.

Best for: A family or a group who want to choose the timing
Time: 4 or 6 hours, chosen at booking
Skip if: You are travelling alone or on a tight budget

With your own boat you can ask to leave earlier, though nobody can promise fewer boats at the popular stops. Read the four routes on the booking page before you choose one.

Private or shared, and what the difference buys

Private longtail around the islands From ฿3,696

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The tide and the sandbar, before you book

Park fees: usually not included, paid in cash on the day

Every island day we list

Day 3

The temple at dawn, the town at night

The one day here that does not depend on the sea. It starts early on a staircase and ends in Krabi Town, and it is the day to land on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday if you can.

Early morning

The Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), northeast of Krabi Town: a working forest monastery at the foot of a limestone tower, and a staircase of about 1,260 steps to a golden Buddha and a view over the plain. Sources disagree on the exact count.

The temple opens early, from around 5 or 6 am by visitors' accounts. Start then, for the cooler air. Most people take between half an hour and an hour to climb, and the heat is the real difficulty.

This is not a stroll: two people died on the climb in March 2026. Climb at your own pace, carry water, and turn back if you feel unwell. If you have heart trouble, stay at the foot.

Morning

Cover shoulders and knees, and wear shoes you can climb in: you take them off before the buildings and the area of the golden Buddha. Sarongs are lent at the foot of the stairs.

Long-tailed macaques live along the first few hundred steps. Keep food and open bottles out of sight, and do not feed them.

Nothing to book. Entry is free, donations are welcome. The temple is reached by road: a driver or a taxi from Ao Nang, or the tour below. Agree the way back before your driver leaves.

Afternoon

Into Krabi Town, and indoors for the hottest hours. Then Wat Kaew Korawaram, the town's main temple, at the top of a flight of steps lined with nagas, its ordination hall white under a large blue roof.

If you still have the energy, a longtail from Chao Fah pier takes you to Khao Khanap Nam, the two limestone pinnacles in the river, with a cave up a staircase from the pontoon. The boat is priced per boat: agree the price, and whether the boatman waits for you, before you set off.

Evening

On a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the Walking Street takes over Soi Maharat 8, next to the Vogue shopping centre, from about 5 pm. It is the biggest market of the week, and it is in Krabi Town, not in Ao Nang. One guide lists only Friday and Saturday, so if Sunday is your evening, ask at your hotel.

On any other evening, the Chao Fah night market by the river is reported every evening, though by a single source.

The white songthaews between Krabi Town and Ao Nang finish early, especially in low season. Before you go into town, ask your hotel how you will get back, and until when.

Tiger Cave Temple: the climb, the dress code and the risks

Krabi Town is worth a night

Which market runs on which evening

Rather go with a guide? The temple, the Emerald Pool and a hot spring in one tour

Before you go

What can change these three days, and the pages that answer it.

If a boat is cancelledFrom May to October any departure can be cancelled when the sea is rough. Swap day 2 with day 3: the inland day does not need the sea.
The sea seasonWhy the swim, the boats to Railay and the island days all depend on the month.
Ao Nang or Railay?Why these days start from Ao Nang, and when sleeping on Railay is worth the luggage.
Where to stay, comparedAo Nang, Railay, Krabi Town and the quieter coast, side by side.
Two more days?The five-day version adds Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay, and a day left loose.
The days on a mapAo Nang, Railay, the islands, the temple and Krabi Town, in one place.
Every tour we listThirty-four tours, grouped by kind of day out. The shortlist, not the catalogue.

Last checked: October 2026