Value
The cheapest Krabi island hopping tour: $53, and it is a full evening
The lowest price on this page is not a shortened trip or a lesser one. It is six hours, seven stops, a barbecue on a beach and a swim among bioluminescent plankton after dark — for less than a third of a private boat.
Quick answer
$53 is the cheapest island hopping trip in Krabi, and it runs about six hours. Seven islands through the afternoon, food included, and a plankton swim to finish. What you give up is the boat: it is shared, with fifteen to twenty people on a fixed schedule. Everything else about it is a real trip.
Every trip, current fare
The bottom of the list
Everything under a hundred and sixty dollars
| Trip | Duration | Price | Route | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi: 7 Islands Sunset Hopping Cruise with BBQ & PlanktonThe cheapest way onto the water | 6 h | $53 | 7 islands | $0.15 | 4.4 · 287 |
| Krabi/Ao Nang: Private Longtail Boat Island Hopping TourYour own longtail, and the most reviews here | 4–6 h | $105 | 4 islands | $0.35 | 4.7 · 1,446 |
| Krabi: 4-Island Sunset Snorkeling Tour & Bioluminescent SwimSunset, then a swim with plankton | 7 h | $126 | 4 islands | $0.30 | 5.0 · 338 |
| From Railay: Private Longtail Boat Island Hopping TourA private longtail from the Railay side | 4–6 h | $127 | 4 islands | $0.42 | 4.7 · 104 |
| Krabi: 9 Islands Speedboat Full Day TourNine islands in one speedboat day | 9 h | $128 | 9 islands | $0.24 | 4.5 · 2 |
| From Krabi: Similan Islands Snorkeling Trip by SpeedboatThe furthest trip on this page | 12 h | $153 | Similan | $0.21 | 4.0 · 18 |
What $53 actually buys
Six hours, and none of it is cut short
Seven stops, a barbecue, the best light of the day and a plankton swim — on someone else’s timetable.
Seven stops through the afternoon. A different route from the daylight four-island trip, and more of them.
Food included. A barbecue served on a beach partway through, which is a meal rather than a snack.
The best light of the day. The hour before sunset on this coast, with limestone stacks in silhouette, is worth the ticket on its own.
And the plankton swim. The trip finishes in the dark with a snorkel in water that lights up where you move. No daytime trip at any price includes that.
The trade: a shared boat and a fixed schedule, and 287 reviews at 4.4 rather than the 4.7 or 4.8 the private boats carry. That gap is the schedule, not the scenery.
Four ways to spend less
What actually moves the price
There are no discount codes here. These are the levers that exist.
- Take a shared trip rather than a private boat
From $53 against $105 for a private longtail. This is by far the biggest lever.
- Stay near the islands rather than going far
The four islands off Ao Nang cost a fraction of Phi Phi or the Similans, and the scenery is the same limestone.
- Travel outside November to February
The peak months firm prices. May to October is the cheapest, with the trade being a more flexible plan.
- If you are a group, do the opposite
Private boats are priced for the boat. At four or more people a private longtail at $105 usually costs less per head than four shared tickets.
Common questions
The cheapest boat, answered
What is the cheapest island hopping tour in Krabi?
$53 for the seven-island sunset trip: about six hours, a barbecue, and a swim with bioluminescent plankton after dark.
Is the cheapest tour worth doing?
Yes. It is a full six-hour evening with food and a plankton swim. What you give up is a shared boat and a fixed schedule rather than any part of the trip.
Is there anything cheaper?
Not on this page. That is the floor for a proper island hopping trip out of Krabi.
Are there hidden costs?
National park fees where they apply, collected on the day in cash, plus drinks. The barbecue is included.
Is a private boat much more?
A private longtail is $105 for the boat. For one or two people that is a real step up; for four it is often cheaper than four shared tickets.
Can I cancel if the weather turns?
Yes, free up to 24 hours before. Operators also cancel themselves when the sea is up, and refund or move you.
Go deeper
More on island hopping in Krabi
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.
