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View all Krabi toursEmerald Pool, Hot Spring Waterfall and Jungle ATV Ride in Krabi
Trade the beach for Krabi's interior: a swim in the famous Emerald Pool, warm mineral cascades at the hot spring, and an ATV run through rainforest tracks.
Highlights
- Spring-fed Emerald Pool, cool even in April
- Hot spring waterfall in polished limestone bowls
- ATV on plantation tracks, no licence needed
- Runs in weather that cancels the island boats
- Waterfalls at their strongest in the wet season
Emerald Pool, Hot Spring Waterfall and Jungle ATV Ride: Key Facts
| Price | From $210 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
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Krabi: Emerald Pool and Hot Spring Waterfall with ATV Riding
Full description
Krabi's inland day: two very different kinds of water, and an ATV ride between them.
The Emerald Pool sits inside Khao Nor Chuchi forest and is spring-fed, which is why the water is that particular clear green and why it stays cool through April when the coast is at its worst. It is a walk in through forest rather than a roadside stop, and the colour changes with the light through the canopy.
The hot spring waterfall is the opposite proposition. Geothermally warmed water runs down a series of smooth limestone bowls at around body temperature, and you sit in them. The rock has been polished by the flow into shapes that hold a person, which is not an accident of a few years.
The ATV section runs on plantation and rainforest tracks with instruction and a helmet provided, so no experience or licence is needed. A short forest boardwalk fills out the day.
The practical case for booking this: it works in the rain. From May to October, wind and swell cancel the island boats at short notice, and this is the trip that still runs. Waterfalls are at their strongest in exactly the season that closes the sea. If your island day gets called off, this is the substitute that is arguably better in that weather rather than a consolation.
Your place is held with the operator before your booking is final. The price covers hotel pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide, the ATV ride with instruction and helmet, Thai lunch, drinking water and insurance.
Seven hours. Bring a towel and shoes you can walk in. Minimum one day's notice.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Hotel pickup
Air-conditioned transfer inland towards the Khlong Thom district.
ATV jungle ride
Safety briefing, then a guided ride along forest and rubber-plantation tracks.
Emerald Pool
Short boardwalk through the forest to the spring-fed pool, with time to swim.
Lunch
Thai lunch at a local restaurant near the reserve.
Hot Spring Waterfall
Soak in the warm mineral pools carved into the rock ledges.
Return to hotel
Drive back to the coast with hotel drop-off.
Detailed Itinerary
The van collects you around 08:00 for the drive inland, which takes a little over an hour as the road climbs away from the coast. The ATV session comes first, starting with a briefing and a few practice laps before the group heads out onto the trails behind the plantations.
By late morning you reach the Emerald Pool. A boardwalk leads through the forest to the water, and there is enough time for a proper swim rather than a quick dip. Lunch follows at a local restaurant nearby.
The afternoon is spent at the hot spring waterfall, where warm water runs down a series of rock terraces that you can sit in. Most people combine a soak here with a cool rinse in the stream below. The drive back to the coast leaves around 15:15.
Includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned transport
- English-speaking guide
- ATV ride with instruction and helmet
- Thai lunch
- Drinking water
- Insurance
Excludes
- Emerald Pool and hot spring entrance fees
- Towels
- ATV upgrade to a longer route
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Ao Nang, Krabi Town or Klong Muang
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
The Emerald Pool really is that translucent jade colour, fed by a mineral spring so the water is a comfortable warm rather than cold. The hot spring waterfall afterwards is a series of smooth rock basins around 35 to 40 degrees and you sit in them like natural bathtubs. Doing the pool first and the hot spring second is the right order.
The ATV section was an hour through rubber plantation and rainforest tracks and we came back covered in mud, which was exactly the point. Full briefing and a helmet before you set off, and the guide rode at the front setting the pace. Bring clothes you do not care about.
A good break from boats. Emerald Pool has a short forest boardwalk in from the car park with the Blue Pool nearby, though you cannot swim in that one. The hot spring is small so go early or you queue for a basin.
Three good stops, but the drive between them is long and the total road time is close to two and a half hours. The ATV was great fun and the emerald pool was beautiful. Just know you spend a fair chunk of the day in the minivan.
I expected the hot spring to be lukewarm and it is properly warm, almost too warm after a few minutes. The contrast with the cool Emerald Pool earlier was the best part of the day. Changing rooms at both sites but bring your own towel.
Our guide was excellent on the plants along the boardwalk and pointed out a hornbill in the canopy. ATV was single rider with an option to go double for kids. Lunch was included and served at a local place near the hot spring.
The Emerald Pool has a rope you hold at the edge and the bottom is white sand, which is why it glows like that. Everything ran to schedule and the driver was careful. Seven hours felt full but not rushed.
Great combination and good value for three activities. The Emerald Pool was busy by the time we arrived at around eleven, so an earlier slot would help. The ATV and hot spring were both quiet.