Things to do · the islands
Four islands, Hong, Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay: four different days at sea, and the boat matters as much as the island.
Almost every Krabi trip includes a day on the water, and most of what is sold as Krabi island hopping comes down to four routes. The four islands sit just off Ao Nang and Railay. The Hong Islands lie further northwest, in a different national park. Phi Phi is a long crossing out into the Andaman Sea. Phang Nga Bay, with James Bond Island, is a full day further up the coast.
Two questions decide it: how much of the day you are willing to spend crossing, and whether you want a slow longtail or a fast speedboat. The tide and the season then decide what you actually see.
For a first island day, the four islands by longtail. The crossings are short, so the hours go to the beaches and the water, and the longtail is the right boat for a route this close to the coast.
A first island day, close to Ao Nang
Short crossings, a beach landing and the sandbar if the tide allows.
A lagoon, a viewpoint or a kayak
Further northwest, in a different park, with an enclosed lagoon.
Maya Bay and the Phi Phi lagoons
A long day by speedboat; no swimming at Maya Bay, and no landing there in August and September.
James Bond Island and a bay full of karst towers
A full day further up the coast, by speedboat, sometimes with canoeing.
The stops below are the ones the operators name for each route. Itineraries change with the tide, the weather and the operator, so read the stop list on the tour you book.
The classic Krabi island day, between Ao Nang and Railay. Koh Poda is the usual beach landing; Chicken Island (Koh Kai), named for the rock at its tip, is mostly seen from the boat, with a snorkelling stop; at Koh Tup a sandbar joins the islands at low tide; and the route includes Railay or Phra Nang Cave Beach. Expect company: the islands are rarely empty. Not for you if you want Phi Phi, a long day offshore or an island to yourself.
A group of limestone islands northwest of Ao Nang, in a different national park from the four islands. The day revolves around Koh Hong: an enclosed lagoon you enter by boat or kayak, shallow at low tide, and a viewpoint at the top of a steel staircase of about 400 steps, with a 360-degree view and no shade. Some tours offer the viewpoint or kayaking, not both: check the listing. Nearby islands such as Koh Lao Lading and Koh Pakbia are often on the route. Not for you if you cannot manage a long, exposed climb in the heat and want the viewpoint all the same; the lagoon alone needs no effort.
Two islands: Koh Phi Phi Don, the inhabited one, and Koh Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and the Viking Cave. Tours often add Bamboo Island, Monkey Bay or a snorkelling stop. At Maya Bay, boats no longer enter the bay: you land at a pontoon at Loh Samah, at the back of the island, and walk across on a boardwalk. Swimming is not allowed, and visits are capped at about 375 people per hour-long slot. The bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September. Not for you if you want a short day: the Phi Phi tours we list run from 7.5 to 10 hours.
The bay of karst towers with James Bond Island, reached from Krabi by speedboat on a full-day tour. The two tours we have checked go different ways: one adds canoeing among sea caves and lunch at the floating village of Koh Panyee; the other sees James Bond Island from the boat and goes on to what the listing calls the Hong Islands, and Koh Yao Noi. Phang Nga Bay has its own Koh Hong, which is not the Koh Hong of the Hong Islands day: check which one a tour means before you book. Not for you if you want a beach day: these tours are about the bay and its karst, seen from the boat or a canoe.
Longtail. The wooden boat with the engine on a long shaft at the stern. Slower and noisier than a speedboat, but low on the water and unhurried. It is the right boat for the four islands and for Railay, where the crossings are short.
Speedboat. Faster, and what makes Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay possible in a day. You trade the slow ride for more time on the islands at the far end. On a day with a swell, a speedboat crossing is rough; if you get seasick, that matters more than the itinerary.
Catamaran. Some Phi Phi tours run on a speed catamaran instead, combining Phi Phi and the four islands with a sunset finish.
On the four islands, the speed of a speedboat buys little, and some tours let you choose either boat at booking. For the Hong Islands both exist: a longtail with kayaking, or a speedboat.
Four islands, longtail or speedboat
Hong Islands by longtail, with kayaking
Phi Phi and four islands at sunset, by catamaran
Shared. The cheaper way, on a fixed route and a fixed timetable, with the other passengers on the boat. Fine for a first day, as long as you accept that the popular stops will be busy.
Private longtail. Costs more, and lets you choose the pace and leave earlier, which is the best way to see the islands with fewer people. Private tours from Ao Nang and from Railay offer several set itineraries of four or six hours.
An early start. For Phi Phi, some travellers try an earlier start instead: one tour we list is sold as an early-bird departure, though no one can promise fewer boats.
Phi Phi with an early start, and four islands
The national parks around Krabi do not close as a whole for the monsoon. A few places close on fixed dates, and the rest depends on the sea.
The southwest monsoon brings the rains from May; in 2026 the rainy season officially began on 15 May. Island tours keep running through it, but any departure can be cancelled when the sea is rough, so leave a spare day if one trip matters to you. The dates of 16 May to 15 October you may read elsewhere come from the Similan and Surin parks further north (which close from 16 May to 14 October), not from the Krabi parks.
| Maya Bay | Closed every year from 1 August to 30 September, with Loh Samah and Loh Ko; reopens on 1 October. Phi Phi tours keep running, without landing at Maya. |
|---|---|
| Koh Rok | Officially closed from 1 June to 30 September. In practice, trips run mostly from November to April or May. |
| Koh Haa | Officially closed from 1 August to 30 September. Check that it is open before you book. |
| Mosquito Island (Koh Yung) | Closed with no reopening date. If an itinerary still lists it, ask. |
| Four islands, Hong Islands | No annual closure. Tours run in the rainy season but can be cancelled for sea conditions. |
The island days here go into national parks, and the entry fee is usually not included in the tour price: it is paid in cash on the day, to the rangers or at departure. Check what the booking page says before you pay, and keep your ticket with you for the day.
| Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Bamboo Island | 400 baht per foreign adult, 200 baht per foreign child, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Ton Sai pier, Phi Phi Don | A separate 20 baht cleaning fee if you land at Ton Sai, as of October 2026 |
| Four islands (Poda, Chicken, Tup) | Sources disagree on the amount: check at the pier |
| Hong Islands (Than Bok Khorani) | Sources disagree on the amount: check at the pier |
| Phang Nga Bay, Koh Rok | Check on the booking page or at the pier |
At low tide, a sandbar appears between Koh Tup, Chicken Island and Koh Mor, and you can walk along it. At high tide it is under water. Tide times change every day, and no operator can promise it.
If the sandbar matters to you, look at a tide table for your date before you book. A private boat gives you more say over when you get there. The tide also changes the Hong Islands day, where the lagoon at Koh Hong is shallow at low tide.
| Day | Best for | Boat | Length | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four islands | A first day | Longtail or speedboat | About 6 hours | Crowds; the tide |
| Hong Islands | Lagoon, viewpoint | Longtail or speedboat | 6 to 7 hours | 400 steps, no shade |
| Phi Phi | Maya Bay | Speedboat or catamaran | 7.5 to 10 hours | Maya shut Aug–Sep |
| Phang Nga Bay | James Bond Island | Speedboat | 7.5 to 8 hours | Which Koh Hong |
Krabi
Krabi
9 tours
The four islands and the Hong Islands, by shared or private boat, from Ao Nang and Railay.
5 tours
Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and the Viking Cave by speedboat or catamaran, by day or at sunset, from Krabi.
Things to do · the beaches
Krabi has beaches you drive to and beaches you reach by boat, beaches for a swim and one, at Railay, that turns to mud at low tide: the tide and the season decide more than the sand.
Things to do · Ao Nang
Where most Krabi trips are based and most days out begin: the beach and its tide, what is within walking distance, which boat leaves from where, and what to do when the sea keeps the boats in.
Things to do · Railay
Railay is reached only by boat. Which boat, where it lands you, what to see once you are there, and whether to sleep on the peninsula or come for the day.
Things to do · inland
Away from the coast, Krabi is forest, limestone and fresh water: a temple at the top of a long staircase, a green pool you can swim in, hot springs, waterfalls and mangrove caves. What each one asks of you, and whether to go on a tour or by yourself.
Things to do · Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is two to three hours from Krabi Town by road and car ferry, all year. What separates it from Ao Nang, how to get there in each season, and what to see once you are there.
Things to do · Phi Phi
Phi Phi is two islands: Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay and its rules, seen on a day from Krabi, and Phi Phi Don, the island you can sleep on. What each one is, what disappoints, and how to fit them in.
Things to do · Night markets
Krabi's evening markets do not all open on the same nights. Which one runs when, where to find it, and which times we could confirm and which we could not.
Where to stay
Ao Nang for convenience, Railay for the cliffs, Krabi Town for a Thai town, Klong Muang for quiet: the base you pick decides how your days start.
Travel info · Krabi
The season and the sea decide more of a Krabi trip than anything else. When to come, which boats run, what the national parks close and charge, then the airport, the visa, money, health and the rules.
The four islands. The crossings are short, the day is spent on beaches and in the water, and it leaves from Ao Nang and Railay. Phi Phi is the bigger name, and a much longer day.
No. Swimming has not been allowed since the bay reopened in 2022. Boats land at a pontoon at the back of the island, and you walk to the beach on a boardwalk.
No. It closes every year from 1 August to 30 September and reopens on 1 October. Phi Phi tours keep running during the closure, without landing at Maya.
A longtail. The islands are close to the coast, so the speed of a speedboat buys little. Keep the speedboat for Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay.
Usually not: they are paid in cash on the day. Check the booking page. For Phi Phi and Bamboo Island the fee is 400 baht per foreign adult, as of October 2026.
Yes. The tours keep running from May to October, but any departure can be cancelled when the sea is rough, and Maya Bay is closed in August and September.