The Krabi 4 Islands tour is a classic loop out of Ao Nang: four small islands, a sandbar you can walk on when the tide drops, and a beach under a limestone cliff that most people only know from postcards. Check the tour card for live timings.
Our team lives on Koh Phi Phi, not in Krabi, but we plan these trips regularly with the local long-tail and speedboat captains we book directly. Here is what the tour is really like, who it suits, and how to stop being part of the midday crowd.
What the Krabi 4 Islands tour actually covers
The 4 Islands tour leaves from the Ao Nang area and visits, in some order: Phra Nang Cave Beach (on the Railay peninsula), Koh Tup, Chicken Island (Koh Kai) and Koh Poda. All four sit close together in the bay south of Ao Nang.
The star of the show is the sandbar linking Koh Tup to Chicken Island. It only appears at low tide, when the sea pulls back and leaves a thin bright ribbon of sand you can walk across between two islands.
The standard boats are either long-tails (slower, open, charming) or speedboats (faster, bigger groups, less time wasted on transfers). You can see what each version includes on our Krabi 4 Islands tour page.
Phra Nang Cave Beach: the cliff, the shrine, the longtails
Phra Nang sits at the tip of the Railay peninsula, under a huge overhanging limestone cliff. It is one of the most photographed beaches in Thailand, and for good reason: turquoise water, white sand, and karst walls going straight up.
At one end you will see the Princess Cave shrine, a small cave filled with wooden offerings left by local fishermen. It is a real place of worship: look, do not climb inside.
Phra Nang can only be reached by boat. If you want to understand the whole peninsula before you go, read our Railay travel guide. On a group tour you only get a short stop here, so pick your swim fast.
Koh Tup and Chicken Island: the sandbar hour
Koh Tup is tiny: a patch of sand, some shade, clear shallow water. On its own it is pretty but nothing special.
The magic is the tide. At low tide, the sea retreats and a sandbar links Koh Tup to Koh Kai (Chicken Island, named for the rock that looks like a chicken's head). You can walk from one island to the other with water up to your calves, sometimes dry sand under your feet.
At high tide, it is just two separate islands with a channel between them. So the whole point of this stop is tide timing. A good captain knows when to arrive, and that is half of what you are paying for on a private long-tail.
Koh Poda: the lunch stop with the postcard view
Koh Poda is the biggest of the four, and this is where most tours stop for lunch. Long curve of pale sand, water that goes from clear to turquoise to deep blue, karst islets on the horizon.
The snorkeling off Poda is decent, not world class. You will see reef fish close to the rocks at the ends of the beach, but if snorkeling is your main goal, the Phi Phi trips or the Hong Islands are better.
Poda is also where most group boats park at the same time. A quiet Poda exists, but you have to arrive early or stay late.
How to actually beat the crowds
Honest truth: at midday in high season, the sandbar can look like a car park with people. Here is how we avoid it.
- Go at sunset instead of midday. Our sunset version of the 4 Islands tour hits the same islands after the day boats are gone, and you usually get the sandbar almost to yourself. See our 4 Islands sunset trip.
- Private long-tail, tide-driven route. With a privatised long-tail your captain reorders the stops to hit the sandbar at the right tide, not at the time the group fleet does.
- Go in shoulder season. Right around the start and end of high season, the sea is already calm but the buses from Phuket have not kicked in yet.
- Skip the first stop. Most tours pile up at Phra Nang first. Ask your boat to flip the order.
Long-tail or speedboat: which one for the 4 Islands
Both work. They are different trips.
Long-tail: slow, open, no shade, lots of character. The sound of the diesel engine is part of Krabi. You feel closer to the water. Good for couples, photographers, slower travellers.
Speedboat: faster transfers between islands, usually bigger groups, more shade, often a canopy. Good if you have limited time or are prone to seasickness on long rides.
For this specific loop, the islands are close together, so the speed advantage of a speedboat is smaller than on a Phi Phi day trip. On a sunset version we almost always suggest the long-tail.
Who the 4 Islands tour is NOT for
We tell people the truth, even when it costs us a booking.
- Serious snorkelers. The reefs here are okay, not great. If snorkeling is your priority, look at the Hong Islands or a Phi Phi day trip instead.
- People chasing an empty beach at midday in January. It will not happen. Shift to sunset or go very early.
- Families with very young children on a rough day. The group long-tails have no rails and no shade. On a wavy day, pick a speedboat or privatise.
- Anyone with one day only in Krabi who wanted the lagoon shots. Those are at the Hong Islands, not here. Different tour.
What to pack for the day
- Reef-safe sunscreen (the sun on these beaches is brutal, even in cloudy weather).
- A rash vest or light long-sleeve top for the boat ride.
- Water shoes if your feet are sensitive: the sandbar has shells and some sharp bits.
- Dry bag for your phone and passport copy.
- Cash in small notes for drinks and the Phra Nang shrine stop.
- A hat with a chin strap. The wind on a long-tail eats baseball caps.
Combining the 4 Islands with the rest of Krabi
The 4 Islands tour leaves time for one more activity (see the tour page for live duration), and the honest pairing depends on your energy.
- Morning 4 Islands + afternoon Railay walk: walk the peninsula and watch climbers on the cliff.
- Sunset 4 Islands only: the sunset version runs late, keep the rest of the day free.
- 4 Islands today + Phi Phi tomorrow: the bay south of Ao Nang one day, the big karst scenery the next.
Booking the 4 Islands tour: what to check
A few things we watch before we recommend any version:
- Tide chart for your date. If the sandbar is only exposed at an awkward hour for group tours, go private.
- Boat size. The bigger the group, the longer each stop takes to get everyone on and off.
- Return time. Some operators rush the last island to beat the afternoon wind. A sunset trip solves this by design.
- Weather policy. On the Andaman, squalls happen. Our cancellation and weather policy is clear: if we cancel for weather, you get a full refund or a free date change.
For everything else in Krabi, start from our Krabi destination page.
