Krabi Travel Guide: 5 Days For Exploring Islands, Beaches & Best Views

When we were planning our February trip to Thailand, we were determined to see not just the most popular destinations like Phuket, but also quieter, more relaxing spots like Krabi. While Phuket attracts attention with its bustling resorts, Krabi won us over with something different—authenticity, breathtaking scenery, and that unique combination of adventure and relaxation that’s hard to find elsewhere.

The five days we spent there became one of the most memorable experiences of our Thai adventure. From the majestic limestone cliffs rising directly from emerald waters, to hidden beaches accessible only by boat, to island hopping tours around the famous Krabi islands, to the lively night markets in Ao Nang—Krabi offers something for every type of traveler.

This complete Krabi guide covers everything you need to plan your trip: how to get to Krabi, the best beaches in Krabi, top islands to visit, things to do in Krabi, where to stay, recommended activities and day trips, and practical tips for exploring this stunning province in southern Thailand.

The fact that we organized everything ourselves gave us the freedom to explore Krabi at our own pace and budget. In this Krabi travel guide, we’ll share our experiences, practical advice, and recommendations for planning the perfect trip to one of Thailand’s most beautiful destinations.

Best Time to Visit Thailand

The best time to travel to Thailand is from November to March, when it’s the dry season. The rest of the year is the rainy season, and the weather is more unpredictable. Some people prefer visiting Thailand during the rainy season because there are fewer crowds and prices are significantly lower, but the risk of rain and storms is considerably higher. We traveled in February and the weather was perfect.​

Reservations and Tickets

We’ve always been advocates of early bookings. We flew to Thailand with Qatar Airways to Phuket with a layover in Doha, Qatar. We purchased the tickets about 6 months in advance at a relatively good price (around 1,500 euros round-trip for two people). Another airline with flexible options is Turkish Airlines. Since there are no direct flights to Thailand from major European carriers, you’ll definitely have a transfer. We strongly recommend booking all flights with one airline, as this guarantees that if there’s a delay or cancellation of the first flight, they’ll find you an alternative as easily as possible.​

Most major European airlines don’t offer flights to Krabi, but the easiest option is a flight to Phuket followed by a bus or boat to Krabi – the journey takes no more than 2 hours. We’ve described the options in more detail below.​

As for hotel reservations, we used Booking and several months before our trip, we had a rich selection of accommodations at good prices.​

Local Transportation and Internet

For mobile internet and services, there are 2 options – purchasing a SIM card from one of the local operators(like dtac) or eSIM.
If you decide to use eSIM, we recommend Saily – we’ve used in Asia a lot, and we highly recommend them in terms of price/quality. Through this link, you get a 5% discount when purchasing an eSIM.

For local transportation, the easiest option for shorter distances on land is taxis (using the Grab and Bolt apps), so we recommend installing them beforehand.​

Accommodation in Krabi – hotel recommendations

As part of the trip preparation, we made a deep research in Booking.com and here is the list of most of the best rated hotels in Ao Nang, Krabi:

About Krabi

Krabi is a province on the southern coast of Thailand, located on the shores of the Andaman Sea. It’s one of the most picturesque regions in the country, known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and hundreds of tropical islands. The province encompasses both a mainland area and over 150 islands, among which the most famous are Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta. The capital of the province is Krabi Town, but the tourist center is located in the coastal resort of Ao Nang, from where most excursions to the islands and beaches depart.​

Unlike neighboring Phuket, Krabi has a calmer and more authentic character, although tourism has been developing actively here in recent years. The province offers an excellent price-quality ratio and is accessible both for budget travelers and those seeking a luxury vacation. For us, Krabi’s greatest advantage is the tremendous variety and concentration of attractions, beaches, and islands in the area.​

How to Get to Krabi

From Phuket

Many Krabi visitors combine their stay there with Phuket, as we did. From Phuket, there are 3 main options:​

• By bus – This is the most economical option, costing around 10 euros. Departure is usually from Phuket Town and the journey to Ao Nang takes about 3.5 hours.​
• By boat from Phuket’s pier (Rassada Pier) – If you choose this option, keep in mind there are 2 types of boats—speedboats and standard boats. With speedboats, the journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs around 30 euros. With standard boats, it takes about 3 hours and costs around 20 euros. Important: Speedboats can be very bumpy, so avoid them if you have seasickness or are traveling with small children.​
• Taxi or private transfer – This is the most expensive option, with prices varying considerably, but expect to pay between 80-100 euros.​

For prices and reservations, you can check 12asia.go – the largest site for buying tickets in Asia.​

From Bangkok

From Bangkok, the most convenient, fast, and easy way to reach Krabi is by plane. Krabi has an airport about 15km from Ao Nang, and the flight takes about 1.5 hours. We flew with Royal Thai and the flight cost around 100 euros for two people.​

Where to Stay in Krabi

As mentioned above, the most popular place to stay in Krabi province is the Ao Nang resort. We stayed there and can say that Ao Nang was the most pleasant resort town among those we visited in Thailand. It’s located on the seafront and has a huge beach strip, as well as a very long and wide shopping street that runs along the beach. Ao Nang has everything one might need during their vacation – a huge number of hotels, restaurants, shops, massage studios and all kinds of tourist services, as well as a large night market that attracts thousands of people in the evening.​

We were very pleasantly impressed by how affordable the hotels in Ao Nang are – as long as you’re not insisting on five-stars luxury, you can find great accommodations in the 50-80 euro range. The hotel where we stayed is called Baan Ban Dalay.​

If you’re looking for a hotel in Ao Nang on the seafront, keep in mind that mornings can be very noisy because of all the boats. The buzzing starts around 6-7 AM, so we recommend not choosing a hotel right on the beach.​

Ao Nang Beach

Ao Nang’s city beach is definitely not among the most impressive in Thailand, but it’s fine for relaxing and offers great views. The big problem with Ao Nang beach is that there are many boats stopped there for day excursions and the swimming areas are relatively small. The water also seemed murky to us. If you’re looking for a quieter beach within walking distance from Ao Nang, we recommend Pai Plong Beach, which is reached through a small grove with many monkeys.​

If you’re a fan of snorkeling and diving, Krabi might not be the most suitable place for you, because the water in the Krabi area and nearby islands (except for Phi Phi) is murkier and visibility is poor. This was the biggest drawback for us; everything else in Krabi was excellent.​

Most Interesting Day Trips and Attractions Around Krabi

As mentioned above, the Krabi region abounds with interesting sights and attractions. Here we’ll describe the most popular ones, starting with excursions to nearby islands.​

How to Book Private Boats for Island Excursions

Before visiting Thailand, we were very confused about how exactly to book these boats, given that many boat operators don’t speak English. Fortunately, in Ao Nang, right by the beach, there’s a booth with a complete price list for all day boat excursions where you can book on the spot. We preferred to take a private boat instead of being crammed with other people – it’s a bit more expensive, but worth it for the flexibility and experience.​ If you prefer to book your day trips from GetYourGuide, here are some of the best rated tours:

Railay Beach

Railay was the first place we visited from Ao Nang – we caught a boat from the beach and reached Railay Beach in a few minutes. Although the beach is indeed very beautiful, it’s not particularly pleasant for beach-going because there are a huge number of docked boats, constant noise, and many people. On the other hand, what we liked about Railay is that meters from the beach there are quite a few places for food and drinks, which allows you to spend a whole day there.​

From Railay we walked (about 10 minutes walking in the shade) to Phra Nang Beach, which is more secluded and more pleasant for swimming, so we spent most of the day there. Around Phra Nang beach there are also interesting caves considered sacred by locals, who leave offerings of quite an interesting shape.​

Hong Islands

The excursion to Hong Island was one of the most exciting experiences of our stay in Krabi. The journey there is a bit longer, perhaps around 30-40 minutes each way, but it’s worth it. First you visit Koh Lading, a small island known for its secluded bay over which coconut palms tower. The next stop is Hong Island itself, which besides a great beach, also offers a panoramic viewpoint with a breathtaking view – we couldn’t get enough of the countless limestone cliffs rising from the water and spent quite some time just staring at this natural spectacle. This was among the most beautiful views we’ve ever seen.​

Phi Phi Islands

Phi Phi Islands—turquoise crystal-blue waters beneath towering massive limestone cliffs and dense jungles between them. These are exactly the views that await you on the Phi Phi Islands.​

Usually day excursions include a brief stop in the only town on Phi Phi, the famous Maya Bay beach, the neighboring Pi-Leh lagoon, as well as Bamboo Island. The program is quite intense and not to everyone’s taste; moreover, these places are quite crowded during the day. We decided instead of a day excursion to stay on Phi Phi for 3 nights, and we’ll always be grateful for that decision—those 3 days were some of the most interesting and exciting of our Thailand trip, so we recommend you consider staying overnight there—it’s more expensive than Krabi or Phuket, but the experience is worth it. While there, we visited Maya Bay and Pi-Leh lagoon very early in the morning with a private boat, which allowed us to enjoy them without crowds. As for our accommodation, we chose Vikings Resort.​

We booked the boat to to Phi Phi Islands online through 12asia.go.

Five Islands Tour

After Railay Beach, this is the quickest and easiest excursion from Ao Nang. It’s a tour of several small islands located about 15-20 minutes from Krabi. We weren’t particularly impressed by this excursion, especially after already seeing Phi Phi. Nevertheless, as you can see from the photos, the places were very beautiful and we don’t regret visiting them.​

Watching the sunrise from Din Dae Dong

We found out about this place quite by accident while searching on Google Maps. This is a high hill located about 20 minutes by taxi from Ao Nang. At the top there’s a cafe with a platform offering an incredible panoramic view of the sea, jungles, and mountains of Krabi. At sunrise, everything is covered in soft clouds, which under the light of the rays is indescribably beautiful. In short, getting up at 5 AM was worth it!​

Wat Tham Suea Buddhist Temple (Tiger Cave Temple)

Wat Tham Suea is undoubtedly the most impressive and famous temple in Krabi province. It’s located about 8-9 km from Ao Nang (15-20 minutes by car or tuk-tuk).​

The temple is known for climbing 1,237 steps to the top, where an 18-meter golden Buddha statue and absolutely breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of Krabi province await you—limestone cliffs, jungle, and the Andaman Sea.​

At the base of the temple there are several caves with Buddhist shrines and a footprint resembling a tiger’s paw (hence the name). Hundreds of monkeys live along the path up—curious and sometimes bold, so be careful with food and belongings.​

Night Market in Ao Nang

The town’s night market really impressed us with its variety and high standard and hygiene. It was obvious that the place was more touristy than a local market, but in this case that was even better. We stopped by the market absolutely every evening to try something new and different, and we dare say we didn’t even have enough time to try all the delicacies we had our eye on. There were traditional Thai specialties like pad thai, various barbecue, seafood skewers, coconut ice cream, and our favorite—mango sticky rice, as well as various dishes from across Asia—sushi, okonomiyaki, Japanese pancakes, and other desserts. Last but not least, we managed to try the famous durian there—an Asian fruit with a peculiar shape and large spikes, known for its sharp unpleasant smell. Some people, especially Asians, really like it, while others like us couldn’t stand the strong aroma resembling sewage.​

Kodam Kitchen – The Best Thai Restaurant in Ao Nang

We can’t skip one of our favorite places in Ao Nang—the Thai restaurant Kodam Kitchen. The restaurant offers an incredible variety of Thai specialties at more than reasonable prices. In the evenings there were huge lines for the restaurant, but our lunch was usually around 3-4 PM, typically after our boat trip, so we didn’t have to wait in line.​

Other Interesting Activities in the Krabi Area

Our five-day stay wasn’t enough to take advantage of everything the Krabi area has to offer, but here we’ll list other activities that might interest some of you:​

• Rock climbing – If you’re a climbing enthusiast and have at least some experience, the limestone cliffs around Ao Nang have something to offer you. You can relatively easily find agencies that organize climbing trips.​
• Watching Muay Thai matches – If you’re a combat sports fan, Ao Nang has a large arena where matches are held almost daily during the season. Tickets aren’t cheap, but we assume it’s worth it.​
• Kayaking – The Krabi area has dozens of places suitable for kayaking. We didn’t dare because of the intense heat, but next time we’d give it a try!​

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