Fourteen boats leave Krabi and Ao Nang, and the first thing to understand is that «4 islands», «7 islands», «9 islands» and «Hong Islands» are four different routes, not bigger and smaller versions of one. This page puts all fourteen side by side — longtail and speedboat, shared and private, from $53 to $611.
From, per person
14 trips compared$53
And a private speedboat charter to Phi Phi for the day is $500
Average rating
Across all 14 trips4.7 ★
Across 3,633 verified reviews
Time on the water
The number that sets the price4–12 h
Four hours around the near islands, twelve out to the Similans
Everything you can book here
Fourteen departures in price order. Use the switch to show only the route you actually want — the four classic islands, the Hong lagoon, Phi Phi, or a sunset run. They visit different islands, and the names in the listings do not make that obvious.
★ 4.4 · 287 reviews
★ 4.7 · 1,446 reviews
★ 5.0 · 338 reviews
★ 4.7 · 104 reviews
★ 4.5 · 2 reviews
★ 4.0 · 18 reviews
★ 4.6 · 769 reviews
★ 4.8 · 500 reviews
★ 5.0 · 4 reviews
★ 4.4 · 4 reviews
★ 4.8 · 99 reviews
★ 4.9 · 21 reviews
★ 4.8 · 41 reviews
Two questions
Fourteen departures on four different routes. The four islands off Ao Nang, the seven-island sunset run, the Hong lagoon, or a full day out at Phi Phi. Pick what matters and the page picks the boat.
See it before you pay for it
Three quite different days: the four limestone islands off Ao Nang with a sandbar you can walk across at low tide, the enclosed lagoon at Koh Hong, or the long run out to Phi Phi.
Side by side
This is the decision almost everyone gets wrong, because the names sound like a scale. They are not. The four islands are a short hop off Ao Nang; the seven-island sunset run goes out in the afternoon and swims with plankton after dark; Hong is a separate group with a lagoon; and Phi Phi is an hour away by speedboat.
Swipe the table sideways →
| MOST BOOKEDKrabi/Ao Nang: Private Longtail Boat Island Hopping Tour | Krabi: Private Long Tail Boat to the 4 Islands | Krabi: Hong Islands Full-Day Private Speedboat Charter Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | $105 | $341 | $393 |
| Time on the water | 4–6 hours | 6 hours | 7.5 hours |
| Cost per hour | $21.00 | $56.83 | $52.40 |
| Boat | Private longtail | Semi-private long tail | Private speedboat |
| Route | The four islands | The four islands | The Hong Islands |
| What you see | Poda, Chicken Island and the sandbar at Tup | The same four islands, with a small group | An almost enclosed limestone lagoon |
| Beach stops | Four, order set by the tide | Four, fixed order | The lagoon and two beaches |
| Rating | 4.7 · 1,446 | 4.8 · 99 | 4.9 · 21 |
| Best for | A first island day, done properly | Two or three people sharing | The lagoon without the crowd |
| Book this one→ | Check dates | Check dates |
Free cancellation up to 24 h · Reserve now, pay later
Verdict
Four to six hours around the four islands in a boat that is yours for the day, so you reach the sandbar at Tup when the tide is actually low rather than when a timetable says so — and 1,446 ratings at 4.7 behind it, more than anything else on this page. The one reason to book something else is the islands: if you want the Hong lagoon or Phi Phi, those are separate trips.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
Three trips on this page carry hundreds of ratings each, and several private charters carry fewer than five between them. That does not make the newer listings bad — but a score from four people tells you very little, and 4.7 from 1,446 tells you a great deal. Read both numbers before you decide.
Two-minute check
Fourteen trips on four different routes, and the listings all describe turquoise water and limestone. Three answers narrow it to one: which islands you actually want, whether you want your own boat, and how long you are willing to be out.
Which islands do you want?They are different routes, not different sizes of one
What are you willing to spend?Per person; private boats are priced for the boat
Your own boat, or share?This is the answer that changes the day most
You'll get the boat that fits your answers, the thing about it that catches people out, and an honest word about how much evidence its rating rests on.
Six kinds of day
Ratings are the operators’ own numbers on GetYourGuide, shown exactly as published. We do not write reviews and we do not average other people’s into a score of our own. Three trips here carry hundreds of ratings each; several private charters carry a handful, and we say which is which.
★★★★★
Based on 3,633
verified reviews
All fourteen trips on this page, rated by the people who took them on GetYourGuide.
Read all 3,633→Krabi/Ao Nang: Private Longtail Boat Island Hopping Tour
From $105 · 1,446 reviews
★★★★★
Four to six hours in a longtail that is yours for the day, around Poda, Chicken Island and the sandbar at Tup. 1,446 reviews at 4.7 — more than any other trip here.
Krabi: 7 Islands Sunset Hopping Cruise with BBQ & Plankton
From $53 · cheapest here
★★★★★
Seven islands in the afternoon, a barbecue on a beach, and a swim with bioluminescent plankton after dark. The cheapest way onto the water in Krabi, with 287 reviews at 4.4.
Krabi: 4-Island Sunset Snorkeling Tour & Bioluminescent Swim
From $126 · rated 5.0
★★★★★
The four islands in the late afternoon, then snorkelling in water that lights up when you move through it. Rated 5.0 across 338 reviews.
Krabi: Hong Islands Full-Day Private Speedboat Charter Tour
From $393 · 7.5 hours
★★★★★
A private speedboat for the day to the Hong Islands, which are a separate group from the four and have a lagoon almost closed off by limestone walls. Rated 4.9.
Krabi: Private Long Tail Boat to the 4 Islands
From $341 · rated 4.8
★★★★★
A semi-private long tail to the four islands: your own boat in practice, shared with a handful of people rather than fifteen. 99 reviews at 4.8.
Krabi: Phi Phi Islands Full-Day Private Speedboat Charter
From $500 · 8 hours
★★★★★
A private speedboat charter for a full day at the Phi Phi islands, about an hour out from Krabi. Rated 4.8 across 41 reviews.
What it really costs
From $53 a person for the seven-island sunset run with a barbecue, to $500 for a private speedboat to Phi Phi for the day. National park fees are usually separate: about 300 baht for Hong and about 400 for Phi Phi.
Swipe sideways →
| What you are paying for | Price | What you get | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A shared day or sunset trip | $53–$153 | Seven islands at sunset, the four islands, or nine by speedboat | Free cancellation 24 h |
| A private longtail | $105–$213 | Your own boat and driver, and you set the order of the stops | Free cancellation 24 h |
| A private speedboat charter | $298–$500 | Hong or Phi Phi for a full day, priced for the boat | Free cancellation 24 h |
The honest answer
Yes — with one condition that decides everything: book a private longtail if you can. The islands themselves are extraordinary, and a shared boat with fifteen strangers on a fixed schedule is the single most common complaint in this niche. The private longtail on this page costs $105 and carries 1,446 reviews.
The trip, hour by hour
Most trips start off the sand at Ao Nang rather than at a pier. Longtails come in bow-first and you wade the last couple of metres, so wear something you can get wet.
The limestone stacks start almost immediately. Ao Nang is a working beach, and within ten minutes you are between islands.
Koh Kai, named for the rock at its end that looks like a chicken’s head and neck. Usually a snorkelling stop rather than a landing.
The part people remember. At low tide a sandbar comes out of the water and joins the two islands, and you walk from one to the other across the sea floor.
The postcard beach: white sand, a single limestone stack offshore, and the usual lunch stop on shared trips.
Many boats add the cave beach on Railay. Whether it happens, and in what order, depends entirely on the tide that day.
Four to six hours in total on a longtail trip. Sunset versions stay out later and finish in the dark.
The one decision that matters
Everything else on this page is a preference. This one decides the day. A shared island trip puts fifteen to twenty people on a boat with a fixed schedule: forty minutes at each stop whether the light is right or not, whether the sandbar is out or not, whether you have finished your swim or not. A private longtail on this page costs $105 and carries 1,446 reviews, more than anything else here, and what you are buying is not luxury — it is the ability to say «stay another twenty minutes» and to go to Tup when the tide is actually low. If two of you are splitting it, the difference per person against a shared seat is small. If four of you are, it is almost nothing.
Four parts of the day
At low tide it comes out of the water and joins two islands.
White sand and a single limestone stack standing offshore.
Almost closed off by limestone walls, and a separate trip from the four islands.
The sunset trips finish with a swim in water that lights up as you move.
Start here
Start with the thing that catches out nearly everybody booking their first boat in Krabi, because it is the first decision and the listings actively hide it: «4 islands», «7 islands», «9 islands» and «Hong Islands» are four different routes, not four sizes of the same one. More islands is not more of the same thing. The four islands are a short hop off Ao Nang; the seven-island run goes out in the afternoon and finishes after dark; Hong is a separate group with a lagoon; and Phi Phi is an hour out to sea.
The four islands are Koh Poda, Koh Kai, Koh Tup and Koh Mor. Chicken Island is Koh Kai, named for a rock at one end that genuinely does look like a chicken’s head. Poda is the postcard beach with the single stack offshore. And Tup and Mor are the reason the trip is worth timing properly.
The sandbar is the thing people remember. At low tide a bank of sand comes out of the water between Tup and Mor and you walk from one island to the other across what was sea an hour earlier. It is not there at every hour of every day, which is why the order of the stops on your boat changes with the tide — something no listing explains and every driver knows.
Then there is the boat itself. A longtail is a wooden boat with a car engine mounted on a pivot and a propeller on the end of a long shaft, which is what gives it the name and the noise. It is slow, it is shallow-draught, and it can come straight onto a beach. A speedboat covers three times the distance and cannot get as close.
The single biggest complaint in this niche is the shared boat. Fifteen to twenty people, a fixed schedule, and forty minutes at each stop whether it suits you or not. A private longtail on this page is $105 and carries 1,446 reviews, which is the most of anything here. If your budget stretches to it, this is where the money makes the most difference.
National park fees are extra, and nobody mentions them. Around 300 baht a person for the Hong Islands and about 400 for Phi Phi, usually collected on the day and usually not included in the price you paid online. Bring cash.
And the last thing: Krabi has a monsoon season, roughly May to October. The near islands usually still run — rain here comes in bursts rather than all day — but the far trips to Phi Phi and the Similans are cancelled far more often. November to April is the dry season and the reliable window.
If the four islands are not enough
The four-island trips stay close to Ao Nang. These three go further: a private charter to the Hong lagoon, a full day out at Phi Phi, and the twelve-hour run to the Similan islands, which is a different sea altogether.
Practical
Five things decide how it goes: which route you booked, whether the boat is yours, the tide, the national park fee nobody mentions, and the fact that Krabi has a monsoon season from roughly May to October.
Poda, Chicken, Tup and Mor, off Ao Nang. From $105 in a private longtail.
Out in the afternoon, a barbecue, and a plankton swim after dark. From $53.
Far more ground than a longtail can cover in a day.
A separate group with a lagoon almost closed off by limestone.
About an hour out by speedboat, and the most famous name here.
The furthest trip on this page, and a different sea entirely.
The postcard beach: white sand and a single limestone stack standing offshore.
Named for the rock at one end. Usually a snorkelling stop.
Joined by a sandbar that appears at low tide and can be walked across.
A separate group, with an almost enclosed lagoon reached through a gap in the rock.
A peninsula reachable only by boat, ten to fifteen minutes from Ao Nang.
About an hour out, with the cliffs and bays the region is known for.
Not from a pier. You wade the last couple of metres at Ao Nang.
About 300 baht for Hong and 400 for Phi Phi, usually paid on the day in cash.
The sandbar is only walkable at low tide, so stops are reshuffled daily.
There is very little shade on a longtail.
Spray on a longtail and a wet landing on the beach are both normal.
Many stops are beaches with a couple of stalls and no card machine.
Standard on all fourteen trips on this page.
A private longtail is $105; a shared boat carries fifteen to twenty.
The number in the title is not a measure of quality.
The most reliable boat days of the year.
Three trips here carry hundreds of ratings; several carry fewer than five.
If Phi Phi or the Similans are cancelled, you want a second chance at them.
Best time
November to April is the dry season and the reliable window. The southwest monsoon runs roughly May to October, and what it changes is not whether boats go out but how often the sea is calm enough for the far islands.
Nov – Feb
The dry season at its most settled: calm sea, clear water, and the most reliable boat days of the year. It is also the busiest and the priciest, so book the private boats ahead.
Mar – Apr
Still dry, still calm, and getting very hot. The water is at its warmest and the crowds thin a little after the February peak.
May – Jul
The southwest monsoon arrives. Rain comes in bursts rather than all day, and the near islands usually still run — but the far trips to Phi Phi and Similan are cancelled more often.
Aug – Oct
September and October are the wettest of the year and the sea is at its roughest. Boats still go on good days, prices are at their lowest, and you need a flexible plan.
Worth knowing
The number in the name is not a scale. Four islands, seven islands and Hong are different routes visiting different places. Pick the islands you want, not the biggest number.
A private longtail changes the day more than anything else you can buy. $105 against a shared boat with fifteen to twenty people on a fixed schedule. This is the most common regret in this niche and the easiest one to avoid.
The tide decides the order of the stops. The sandbar between Tup and Mor is only walkable at low tide, so your driver reshuffles the day around it. If someone tells you the itinerary is fixed, they are describing a brochure rather than the sea.
National park fees are separate and usually paid in cash. About 300 baht for the Hong Islands, about 400 for Phi Phi. Take notes rather than a card.
There is almost no shade on a longtail. A hat, a long-sleeved rash top and reef-safe sun cream will do more for the day than anything in the listing.
Read the review count as well as the score. The private longtail here carries 1,446 ratings. Several private charters carry fewer than five, and a 5.0 from four people is not the same evidence as 4.7 from a thousand.
Round out the trip
Go deeper
Common questions
From $53 a person for the seven-island sunset trip, up to $500 for a private speedboat charter to Phi Phi for the day. A private longtail around the four islands is $105. National park fees are usually separate.
They are different routes rather than different sizes. The four-island trip visits Koh Poda, Chicken Island, Tup and Mor in the morning or early afternoon. The seven-island trip goes out later, includes a barbecue, and finishes after dark with a swim among bioluminescent plankton.
Koh Poda, Koh Kai (Chicken Island), Koh Tup and Koh Mor. Tup and Mor are joined by a sandbar that appears at low tide.
No. The Hong Islands are a separate group with an almost enclosed lagoon, reached on their own trip. A private speedboat charter for the day is $393.
For most people, yes. It is $105 against a shared boat carrying fifteen to twenty people on a fixed schedule, and it carries 1,446 reviews at 4.7 — more than anything else on this page.
Ten to fifteen minutes by longtail. Railay is a peninsula cut off by cliffs, so a boat is the only way in.
Usually not. Expect about 300 baht a person for the Hong Islands and about 400 for Phi Phi, collected on the day and usually in cash.
November to April, the dry season. The southwest monsoon runs roughly May to October; the near islands usually still run, but the far trips are cancelled more often.
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One PDF: all fourteen trips by route, hours and price, which islands each one actually visits, and the year month by month.
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Why trust this page
Durations, prices and ratings are read off the live listings rather than copied from other affiliate pages. The heights, distances and place names come from the published record.
Every trip here is sold on turquoise water and limestone. We put which islands it actually visits on every card, because that is the number that separates them and the one the listings bury.
A 5.0 from two reviews is not the same evidence as 4.8 from two thousand, and we label it that way rather than sorting everything by score.
Fourteen trips, ordered by price, ranked on which islands they reach and how much evidence stands behind the rating. We earn a commission when you book, and it does not change what we recommend.
The answer
If you are doing one boat day in Krabi, take the private longtail at $105. It carries 1,446 reviews at 4.7 — more than anything else on this page — and the boat is yours, which means you go to Tup when the tide is actually low and stay at Poda as long as you want. If the budget is tighter, the seven-island sunset run at $53 is the cheapest way onto the water and it finishes with a swim among bioluminescent plankton.
Check dates and availability→ Free cancellation up to 24 hours · Reserve now, pay laterBefore you go
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Krabi/Ao Nang: Private Longtail Boat Island Hopping Tour
★ 4.7 · 1,446 reviews · Free cancellation 24 h
