Things to do · inland
A temple at the top of a long staircase, a forest pool, hot springs and mangrove caves: what each asks of you, on a tour or by yourself.
Most days in Krabi are spent on the water. The inland day is the other one: the Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), northeast of Krabi Town, and, further east in Khlong Thom district, the Emerald Pool and a hot spring waterfall. The tour we list takes in the temple, the Emerald Pool and a hot spring, without saying which. North of Krabi Town are the Huay To waterfall and the mangrove caves of Ao Luek.
None of these is a beach, and each has its own rule: a climb on which people have died, a pool where you swim in one basin only, a hot spring you soak in for a few minutes, a cave you reach only at low tide. Here is what to know before you choose.
For a first inland day, the Tiger Cave Temple and the Emerald Pool, either on the combined tour or by road on your own. Climb the temple staircase early in the morning or late in the afternoon, never in the midday heat, and swim at the Emerald Pool, not the Blue Pool.
A climb and a view, at a working temple
Well over a thousand steps to a summit shrine: early or late in the day only, and, as a precaution, not with heart trouble.
A swim in the forest
Swimming in the main pool only; the Blue Pool is for looking at.
A warm soak
Warm water over rock in Khlong Thom; not the saline hot spring, which is a different site.
Caves by boat or kayak
Tham Lot at low tide; Tham Phi Hua To was closed in November 2023, with no reopening announced that we could find.
Opening hours and fees inland are quoted differently from one source to another, and some change with the season. Where we could not confirm something, we say so: check at the gate.
A working forest monastery with cave shrines at the foot of a limestone tower, and a staircase of well over a thousand steps to a golden Buddha and a view over the plain. Entry is free; donations are welcome. Most visitors take between half an hour and an hour to climb, and the heat is the real difficulty. Not for you if the only time you can climb is the middle of the day, nor, as a plain precaution, if you have heart trouble.
Two pools in the forest of the Khao Pra-Bang Khram wildlife sanctuary. The Emerald Pool is a walk of about 800 m on the direct path, or 1.4 km on the boardwalk through the forest. You may swim in the main pool; the edges are slippery and there is no ladder. The Blue Pool lies a few hundred metres further on, and swimming there is not allowed. Not for you if you want the pool to yourself in the middle of the day: go as early as it opens.
A waterfall of warm spring water in Khlong Thom Nuea, in the same district as the Emerald Pool. The one source we found that says who runs it names the local subdistrict administration, not the national parks department. The water at the source is quoted at roughly 35 to 42 °C, and the usual advice is to soak for no more than 15 minutes at a time. The rocks are slippery and the changing rooms basic. Not for you if you are looking for a spa.
A waterfall in tiers in the forest of Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, roughly 20 to 27 km from Krabi Town by one guide's estimate. It is at its best in the rainy season, from about August to October; from December to April the flow is much lower. The upper tiers are steep. Not for you in the dry season if the falling water is the point.
Caves in the limestone of Ao Luek, reached through the mangrove by longtail or by kayak from the Bor Tor pier. Tham Lot is a pair of caves you pass through by boat, at low tide only, so the tide sets the time. Tham Phi Hua To, the cave of prehistoric red and black paintings, was closed by the park on 7 November 2023 after cracks and rockfalls, and we found no announcement that it has reopened, although some operators still sell it. Not for you if Tham Phi Hua To is the reason you are going: ask before you book.
Not inland, but the other hard climb in the area: a forest trail of about 3.7 km each way and close to 500 m of ascent to a summit viewpoint above Tubkaek. You sign in at the post at the entrance, and there is a last entry time, around 2 pm by most accounts. Not for children under about ten, nor if you have heart trouble or weak knees.
The number of steps. Sources disagree. Most recent ones give 1,260 steps, after a section was renovated and lengthened; older sources, and the figure quoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, give 1,237; a few say 1,272. Two 2026 accounts even disagree on what the sign at the bottom says. Take it as about 1,260 steps.
It is not a stroll. Two people died on the climb in March 2026: a 68-year-old Thai man at the summit on 26 March, and a Canadian tourist who collapsed near step 1,100 a few days later. A 70-year-old Australian died after the climb in March 2023. Climb at your own pace, stop when you need to, and turn back if you feel unwell.
Go early, or late. The temple opens early, from around 5 or 6 am by visitors' accounts. Start then, for the cooler air and the sunrise, or in the late afternoon. Avoid roughly 10 am to 3 pm, when the heat is at its worst, above all from March to May. Carry your own water: accounts differ on what you will find at the top.
What to wear. Shoulders and knees covered, no beachwear, and shoes you can climb in. You take your shoes off before entering the buildings and the area of the golden Buddha at the top. Sarongs are lent at the foot of the stairs if you need one.
The monkeys. Long-tailed macaques live along the staircase, mostly on the first few hundred steps. They snatch food, hats and open bottles. Do not feed them, and keep food and drinks out of sight.
A working temple. Wat Tham Suea is a meditation monastery, and monks live in huts in the forest behind the main buildings. Dress and behave as you would in any temple: it is a place of worship before it is a viewpoint.
Swimming is allowed in the main Emerald Pool only. Its edges are slippery and there is no ladder, so mind how you get in and out. The Emerald Pool is a spring-fed pool, not a hot spring: do not expect warm water.
At the Blue Pool, a few hundred metres further on, swimming is not allowed: the bottom is soft sand that does not hold your weight. Several guides say the Blue Pool closes from May to October; one says May and November. We could not confirm whether it is open as of October 2026, so ask at the gate before you walk on.
The site belongs to a wildlife sanctuary, not a national park, so the national park fee grid does not apply there and the ticket is paid at the sanctuary's own gate. Carry cash.
Krabi Hot Springs can mean two different places in Khlong Thom district. The Hot Spring Waterfall (Nam Tok Ron) is in Khlong Thom Nuea. The saline hot spring is a separate site, in Huai Nam Khao, with its own ticket office run by its own local administration.
If a tour or a driver offers you the hot springs, ask which one. Sources disagree on whether one ticket covers both the Emerald Pool and the Hot Spring Waterfall; they appear to be run by different bodies, so expect to pay at each.
On a tour. The day tour we list combines the Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool and the hot springs, in a small group with a guide in English, over 9 to 9.5 hours, with pickup available. It also names a Blue Lagoon: ask whether that means the Blue Pool, and whether it is open. Check which hot spring the tour visits, whether the entry fees are included, and at what time of day it reaches the temple: if that is around midday, the full climb is a bad idea.
By yourself. All of these places are reached by road, by scooter, car or driver, and none needs a guide. Going on your own lets you be at the temple at dawn and at the Emerald Pool when it opens, before the tour groups; it also means paying every entry fee yourself. For the Ao Luek caves you still need a boat or a kayak from the Bor Tor pier, and the tide sets the time for Tham Lot.
Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool and hot springs tour
The other day: Krabi's islands
Each site charges its own fee at the gate, usually in cash. Only two of the amounts below are confirmed; for the others, sources disagree.
| Tiger Cave Temple | Free; donations welcome |
|---|---|
| Emerald Pool and Blue Pool | 400 baht per foreign adult, 200 baht per child, as of October 2026 |
| Hot Spring Waterfall | Sources disagree on the amount: check at the gate |
| Huay To Waterfall | Sources disagree on the amount: check at the gate |
| Ao Luek (Than Bok Khorani) | Sources disagree on the amount and on what it covers: check at the pier |
| Dragon Crest | Sources disagree, some saying there is none: carry cash |
| Place | Best for | Swimming | Effort | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Cave Temple | A climb and a view | No | Hard | Heat; dress code |
| Emerald Pool and Blue Pool | A swim in the forest | Main pool only | Easy walk | Crowds; Blue Pool status |
| Hot Spring Waterfall | A warm soak | Short soaks | Easy | Which hot spring |
| Huay To Waterfall | A forest waterfall | Check on site | Moderate | Little water Dec–Apr |
| Ao Luek caves | Caves by kayak | No | Boat or kayak | Tide; Phi Hua To status |
| Dragon Crest | A full-day hike | No | Hard | Last entry; rain |
Krabi
6 tours
The Tiger Cave Temple and Emerald Pool, Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok, and James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay.
Things to do · the islands
Four islands for a first day close to Ao Nang, Hong for the lagoon, Phi Phi for Maya Bay, Phang Nga Bay for James Bond Island: four different days at sea, and the boat matters as much as the island.
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 · 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.
About 1,260 according to most recent sources. Older sources and the Tourism Authority of Thailand give 1,237, and a few say 1,272.
It is hard work in the heat. Two people died on the climb in March 2026, and a visitor died after the climb in 2023. Climb early in the morning, carry water, and turn back if you feel unwell.
Shoulders and knees covered, no beachwear, and shoes you can climb in. You take them off before entering the buildings. Sarongs are lent at the foot of the stairs.
Yes, in the main pool only. Swimming is not allowed in the Blue Pool, where the sandy bottom does not hold your weight.
400 baht per foreign adult and 200 baht per child, as of October 2026, paid at the gate. Carry cash.
The park closed it on 7 November 2023 after cracks and rockfalls, and we found no announcement that it has reopened. Ask the operator before you book a tour that lists it.