Nov – Feb
The best window
The dry season at its most settled: calm sea, clear water and the most reliable boat days of the year. Also the busiest and the priciest, so book the private boats a few days ahead.
Timing
Best time for Krabi island hopping: month by month
Krabi has a proper monsoon, and it changes what you can book rather than whether you can go at all. The near islands run most of the year; the far crossings are the ones that get cancelled.
Quick answer
November to April is the dry season and the reliable window for island hopping in Krabi. The southwest monsoon runs roughly May to October, with September and October the wettest. In monsoon months the near islands usually still run — rain comes in bursts rather than all day — but Phi Phi and the Similans are cancelled far more often.
When to come
The year on the Andaman coast
The question is not rain. It is sea state, and which trips it stops.
Mar – Apr
Hot and still calm
Still dry and still calm, and getting very hot. The water is at its warmest and the crowds thin a little after the February peak.
May – Jul
Monsoon, but workable
The southwest monsoon arrives. Rain comes in bursts rather than all day and the near islands usually still run, but the far trips are cancelled more often. Prices drop.
Aug – Oct
The wettest months
September and October are the wettest of the year and the sea is at its roughest. Boats go on good days, prices are lowest, and you need a flexible plan.
What the monsoon actually stops
Not the day, usually — the distance
The near islands keep running; it is the long crossings the monsoon cancels.
The near islands are sheltered. The four islands sit close to the coast off Ao Nang and are protected by the mainland and by each other. They keep running through most of the monsoon on days when the sea is workable.
The far crossings are not. Phi Phi is about an hour of open water; the Similans are further again. These are the trips that get cancelled, and in September and October they are cancelled often.
Rain is not the problem; swell is. A tropical downpour lasts twenty minutes and passes. A two-metre swell stops boats for a day.
What to do about it: if you are travelling in monsoon months, book the far trips early in your stay so there is room to try again, and keep the four islands as the fallback that almost always goes.
Planning by month
Four practical rules
These hold whatever the forecast says on the day you book.
- Book far trips early in your stay
Phi Phi and the Similans need a second chance if the first day is cancelled.
- Take a morning departure
The sea is usually calmest early, and afternoon squalls are more common than morning ones.
- In the dry season, book private boats a few days ahead
November to February is the peak and the good boats fill.
- Check the moon if you want plankton
A dark night near a new moon is dramatically better for the sunset trips.
Common questions
Timing, answered
What is the best time of year for island hopping in Krabi?
November to April, the dry season. It has the calmest sea and the most reliable boat days.
When is the monsoon in Krabi?
The southwest monsoon runs roughly May to October, with September and October the wettest months.
Can you still go island hopping in the monsoon?
Usually yes for the near islands, which are sheltered and keep running on workable days. The far crossings to Phi Phi and the Similans are cancelled far more often.
Is it cheaper in the monsoon?
Yes, prices are at their lowest. The trade is a flexible plan.
What time of day should I book?
Morning, for the calmest sea. Afternoon squalls are more common than morning ones.
When should I book for the plankton swim?
A night near a new moon, when there is least light in the sky.
Go deeper
More on island hopping in Krabi
Cost
What it costs
From $53 to $611, plus the park fees nobody mentions.
The verdictWhich trip is best
All fourteen ranked, by islands rather than by number.
The classicThe four islands
Poda, Chicken, Tup and Mor, and the sandbar between them.
The lagoonThe Hong Islands
A separate group, and an almost enclosed lagoon.
SunsetThe sunset run
Seven islands, a barbecue, and a swim after dark.
Further outPhi Phi
An hour out by speedboat, and what the day costs.
