What is Krabi known for?
Krabi is a province in the south of Thailand filled with amazing things to do and see. It is known for its breathtaking beaches, beautiful landscape, relaxing atmosphere, and night markets. It is a perfect place to escape the chaos of bigger areas like Bangkok and Phuket or the colder temperatures in the north.
Is Krabi worth visiting?
Krabi is definitely worth visiting for those who want to experience the beautiful and beachy side of Thailand. Even though the main attraction is the white sand and turquoise waters, it is also great for more adventurous activities like rock climbing and diving. Aside from this, the towns within have a great atmosphere full of awesome markets, cafes and bars.
When is the best time to visit?
The best time to visit Krabi is from early November to late Mach. In this time you’ll find the least amount of rain and the most sunshine. However, this is also high season for Krabi so places will probably be more crowded and expensive because of higher numbers of tourists. We were in Krabi in February 2023 and didn’t experience massive crowds ourselves.
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How many days to spend in Krabi
Most blogpost and people will tell you that 3-4 days will be enough to get a glimpse of Krabi and see the highlights. We do agree with this, so if you’re on a tight schedule 3-4 days will be perfect to see and do Krabi’s main things. However, Krabi has many things to offer and you can easily spends weeks here exploring and relaxing. We were here for a month and still want to come back for more.
How to get there
Getting to Krabi is easy. The best way is by plane. Krabi has an international airport is close to the main area of Ao Nang . From here you can easily take a grab or mini van into Ao Nang for cheap. If you happen to be coming from Phuket, there are a few different ferries you can take or even a bus. To check the schedules jump on 12Go’s website to find out a time that best suites you!
How to get around in Krabi
The best ways to get around Krabi are by Grab (taxi app), tuktuk, or by scooter. We did most of our traveling around by scooter. There are many scooter rentals in the area for which you can rent a scooter for as low as 100 THB a day. This is a great way to explore as you are very flexible. However, in most of the touristy areas you’ll also find many tuktuks. This may be a better option if you’re with a group or only visiting a few places a day.
Apart from that you should definitely download the apps Grab and Bolt before arriving in Krabi. These can be used to order online taxis or even motorbike taxis.
Day 1
Morning
Start your time in Krabi by taking it easy and enjoying one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. In this 4 day itinerary you will see all the highlights so take some time while you can. Wake up in Ao Nang and have a tasty breakfast and morning coffee in one of the many cute cafes. Take a morning stroll through the town and get a glance at the souvenirs shops and markets that are around the place.
Noon
Head to Ao Nang beach to take a long tail boat to the beautiful Railay beach, where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing, and taking in the stunning views. The only way to get to Railay is by boat. Although it is on the mainland, there is no access on land due to the cliff faces encapsulating the area. There is a ticket booth near Ao Nang beach where you can purchase a one way or return ticket on a long tail boat.
The tickets have no set times so you can purchase them and use them whenever you feel like. These tickets are 100THB one-way, but you’ll need to purchase a night return which is 150TBH (if you’re following this itinerary and staying there until after sunset). The boat takes about 15 minutes and gives you a nice view of the arid Thai coastline.
Once you’re there, grab some lunch in one of the many restaurants in the little village. We went to Coco 2004 restaurant and it was great food and atmosphere upstairs. After this, enjoy Railay! Here is what we recommend to do there;
- Rock climbing. There is a heap of shops that offer rock climbing for people of all different skill levels. Quite affordable and great fun.
- Relax on the beautiful beaches. There are a few different beaches here you can check out; Ton Sai, Railay west, Phra Nang (our favourite), and Railay east.
- Climb to the top of the peak. It is quite a steep walk on the way up but awesome views of the surrounding area.
Evening
After a chill day on the beach you might be hungry. Grab a take away pizza at Railay Storey restaurant and get a fresh coconut or cold Bintang from one of the convenience stores. Head down to Railay west beach, where the boat dropped you off, and enjoy the sunset with your pizza and drink of choice.
Note: You’ll need the night return ticket to get back after this. If you forgot to get it in Ao Nang you can just get it at the ticket booth on the beach.
Day 2
Morning
Wake up in Ao Nang and be ready for a day of exploring and moving around. Rent a scooter from one of the many scooter rentals in town and hit the road! This is still possible by tuk tuk or grab, but a scooter is much easier and quicker. Enabling you too see as much of Krabi as you can in your 4 day itinerary.
Make your way to Laem Chamuk Khwai. We found this little secret beach while doing some intensive research. It is very secluded and a beautiful place off the beaten track. You’ll likely have the whole place to yourself! Park your scooter and follow the path on the app Maps.me. The walk is easy but can be quite confusing. Try to stay on the path and in about 20 minutes you should reach a cliff. From here you can walk out onto a bit of a platform which has an awesome view. From there you have to climb down a steep path for only a few minutes before you arrive at the beach.
Tip: If you’re in Krabi for longer than 4 days we’d definitely recommend camping here a night. The sunrises and sunsets are quite spectacular.
Noon
Get back to the scooter and drive to Kuan Nom Aaow. Again getting here might be a little confusing. The road there is only accessible by scooter and goes through a garden full of palm trees. The last bit is quite steep and rocky but worth it. You’ll arrive at a small restaurant with great view over the palm trees and limestone rock formations. When we were here, they sold only 3 dishes and very few drinks. It is a very local but great place with delicious and affordable food. Walk up the hill a bit more and you’ll find a camp spot.
Afternoon
Get back on the scooter and make your way to Wat Than Suea, also known as the Tiger Cave Temple. This temple is built at the very top of the mountain offering great views. Legend goes that a big tiger used to live here.
There is no entrance fee, but the climb up is quite intense so take enough water (but there is a tap with water at the top). Its all concreted however it is very steep. Ladies, make sure to bring a sarong to cover your knees and shoulders when visiting. 1260 steps later you’ll reach the top and see the stunning views over Krabi. You can watch the sun start to dip over the horizon and start making your way down when its a bit cooler.
Evening
After a busy day, it is time to visit the famous Krabi old town, in particular the night markets. Feel the fun atmosphere, buy some cute items and try the delicious street food. Krabi old town is known for its markets. Especially the weekend night market that is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-11 pm.
The street is blocked off and filled will local handicrafts and tasty snacks. The square will be filled with tables and chairs to enjoy your food and see some local dance and singing performances. This can get busy and finding a spot to sit is quite a challenge. A must see in your 4 days in Krabi.
If you can’t visit Krabi old town on a Friday or during the weekend, then no worries. Luckily, Krabi has a second (smaller) black crab night market that happens every single night from 5-10 pm. Here too you will find mainly food stalls to try many delicious meals.
Day 3 - Island hopping
Krabi is surrounded by stunning islands and its definitely worth spending a day jumping around by long tail boat to explore some of them. Both online and in the town of Ao Nang you’ll see a heap of different day tours you can book, the most famous being the 4-island tour and the Koh Hong tour.
These tours can become quite packed during high season, but it is not hard to see why. Doing a island hopping tour is a great way to get a taste of the amazing islands in the are. Many tours also include lunch or snorkelling options.
Even though the 4-island tour is one of the most popular ones, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing this tour. And here is why. One of the four places this tour visits is the Phra Nang Cave at Railay. As we wrote to do this in day 1, you can already get a glance of this cave without doing the tour.
Besides that, this tour being the most popular one also makes it the most crowded. All the boats will arrive at the different islands around the same time. So this endless stream of boats dropping off tourist disrupts its beauty.
We’d recommend one of the smaller tours or even skipping the tours and getting a private boat to only 1-3 islands of choice. This might be slightly more expensive but less crowded. But if you’re only in Krabi for 4 days, it would be worth spending a bit more money for a more enjoyable day out.
We got a private boat for 2,000 Baht each for the day and they took us anywhere we wanted. This didn’t include lunch or island/national park fees though.
Morning & noon
Visit some stunning areas in the area by tour or private boat. These are the most beautiful island to see in Krabi:
- Koh Poda
- Koh Hong
- Koh Gai
- Koh Tup
Note: You’ll need to pay the national park fee for maintenance. This fee is 300 THB.
Afternoon & evening
Get dropped off back in Ao Nang and see the town at night. Have dinner and a cold drink at the Ao Nang Landmark night market. This market is open every day from 5:30pm-10pm and has many great street food stalls (and even beer on tap). After dark there are also dancing performances and even a muay thai fight along the street. Good way to get a glimpse into some Thai traditions.
Day 4 - visit Koh Phi Phi
Your trip to Krabi isn’t complete without adding the Phi Phi islands to your 4 day itinerary. The Phi Phi islands are a group of islands made popular due to its wild party scene. But besides this, the islands are paradise. This is a well known fact so in high season Koh Phi Phi can get pretty packed. However, we think it’s still worth seeing. Especially if you are a fan of beaches and parties. We recommend staying at least 1 night in Phi Phi, but the more the merrier.
Morning
Get an early ferry from the mainland to Koh Phi Phi for about 800THB per person. This takes 2-3 hours and can be easily booked from the ticket office you got your tickets to Railay from. The main and biggest island is shaped like a figure 8 and right in the middle, where the boat will drop you off, you’ll find the most restaurants, bars, and best nightlife.
Noon
Check in to your accommodation or drop your bags somewhere and have some lunch at one of the local food stalls. Afterwards, put your walking shoes on and walk up to the Phi Phi viewpoint. This walk up is a few stairs and offers a nice view over the island. You’ll have to pay a fee of 30THB each to get up, but the view is nice and gives you a good overview of where you are.
Afternoon
Relax at the beach with a cold Chang and watch the sunset. The sun sets over the mountain but its still really nice to see. For dinner we just walked through the maze of streets and grabbed bits and pieces we liked the look of. We walked around for quite a while and after the sun went down was when it came alive.
Evening
If party is not really your thing, then Phi Phi is still a great island to be at as there are many quiet places to relax on the east side of the island. Here you’ll also find many great snorkelling spots for the morning! There are a heap of fire shows spread all along the beach and you could honestly just sit there for hours and watch, pretty impressive.
If party is your thing, then here is a few places to check out;
- Stones bar. Beach bar on the eastern side, only gets busy later at night.
- Ibiza beach club. A good day club with a pool and beer pong tables.
- Reggae bar. A must see, they have a muay thai ring inside and they let you fight for a bucket of beer.
Where to stay? Krabi old town or Ao Nang?
When you visit Krabi for a short amount of time then we recommend to stay in Ao Nang. This is centrally located and is a bigger and more touristy place than Krabi old town. From here you can easily see the surroundings and the town has many cafes, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and a beach.
When we visited Krabi we stayed in Krabi old town as we wanted to take it easy for a month. Krabi old town is less touristy and more laid back compared to Ao Nang. This was perfect for us, but if you seek to be in a more happening area then Krabi old town isn’t the place.
Is Krabi better than Phuket?
Many people wonder how Krabi compares to Phuket, and which one is better. Even though both are known for their beaches and lively scene, there are some differences between the two. Phuket has a better and more happening party scene than Ao Nang. Phuket has more dive shops and better dive sites in the area. Besides that, it is also easier to get around Phuket by scooter.
Krabi though, has more beautiful beaches in our opinion. Krabi also has a better atmosphere in the towns and more night markets. Besides that, Krabi is a better spot to go on day trips to the beautiful surroundings. This is also possible from Phuket but will be more expensive because you have to drive further.
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