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View all Krabi toursFour Islands by Boat: Snorkel Stops and Beach Time in Krabi
Sail out to Poda, Tup, Chicken and Phra Nang on a shared Krabi boat day, with snorkel stops, an island lunch and plenty of unhurried beach time.
Highlights
- Eight hours, so stops are long enough to actually swim
- Shallow snorkelling off Chicken Island for weak swimmers
- Walk the tidal sandbar between Tup and Mor
- Phra Nang beach and its working fishermen's shrine
- Air-conditioned transfers and beachside lunch
Four Islands by Boat: Snorkel Stops and Beach Time: Key Facts
| Price | From $36 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
A full eight hours across the four islands, which is the unhurried version of a route most boats rush.
The standard Krabi island trip runs five or six hours and keeps everyone moving. At eight, the stops become long enough to actually swim, dry off and sit down. If your reason for coming to Krabi was the water rather than a checklist, the extra two hours are the difference.
Snorkelling is over the shallows off Chicken Island, where the coral sits close enough to the beach that weak swimmers can see it without going out of their depth. The tidal sandbar between Tup and Mor surfaces as the water drops and links the two islands into a walkable strip, then disappears again, so the timing follows the tide table.
Phra Nang is the stop people remember. The beach sits under an overhanging limestone cliff on the Railay peninsula, with the cave shrine at one end where fishermen leave carved wooden offerings to a spirit they believe keeps them safe at sea. The shrine is still in active use rather than a display, which is worth knowing before you point a camera at it.
Lunch is served beachside rather than on the boat.
Transfers are air-conditioned, which sounds minor until you have done the Krabi coast road in an open songthaew in April.
Your place is held with the operator before your booking is final. The price covers air-conditioned hotel transfers, the boat with an English-speaking guide, snorkelling mask and fins, lunch, drinking water, fresh fruit and life jackets.
National park fees are collected at the pier unless confirmed otherwise. 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 minibus collects you from your Krabi or Ao Nang hotel and heads to the pier.
Chicken Island snorkelling
First swim stop over shallow reef beside the island's distinctive rock spire.
Tup Island sandbar
Wade or walk the sand causeway that appears between the islands at low tide.
Lunch on Poda Island
Thai lunch served on the beach with time to swim and rest in the shade.
Phra Nang Cave Beach
Final stop beneath the limestone headland, with free time on one of Thailand's most photographed beaches.
Return to hotel
Boat returns to the pier and the minibus drops you back at your accommodation.
Detailed Itinerary
The minibus reaches your hotel around 08:00 and the drive to the pier takes half an hour or so, depending on where you are staying. By 09:30 the boat is anchored off Chicken Island for the first snorkel of the day, and the crew hand out masks and point out where the reef is liveliest.
Mid-morning you move on to Tup, where a pale ribbon of sand links two islands whenever the tide drops far enough to expose it. Around noon the boat pulls up at Poda for lunch, laid out on the beach with fruit and cold water, followed by a long stretch of free time.
The last stop is Phra Nang at about 14:00, tucked under towering cliffs. By 16:00 the boat heads back to the mainland and transfers run to hotels across Ao Nang and Krabi Town.
Includes
- Air-conditioned hotel transfers
- Boat trip with English-speaking guide
- Snorkelling mask and fins
- Lunch and drinking water
- Fresh fruit
- Life jackets
- Insurance
Excludes
- National park entrance fee
- Towels
- Alcoholic drinks
- Gratuities
- Spa upgrade
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel lobby pickup across Ao Nang, Krabi Town and Nopparat Thara
Weather
This runs outdoors, so the operator can call it off for rain, wind or sea conditions, and that decision is usually made on the day. If they cancel, you choose: another date, or your money back in full. We do not keep a booking fee on a tour that did not run.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
Poda, Tup, Chicken and Phra Nang in one day and each one is genuinely different. At low tide you can walk the sandbar between Tup and Chicken Island which was the moment everyone got their cameras out. Phra Nang's cave shrine with the carved offerings is odd and fascinating.
Snorkelling off Poda had the clearest water and plenty of butterflyfish right by the rocks. Lunch was served on the beach and there was enough for seconds. Eight hours but the pace never felt rushed.
Beautiful islands, but this is a shared boat and ours had around thirty people so the beaches felt crowded when several boats landed together. Going in the morning means you meet the whole fleet. Phra Nang beach itself was still stunning.
The limestone cliffs at Phra Nang are more dramatic in person than in any photo and there were rock climbers on the wall above the beach. The crew rinsed and stored the snorkel gear between stops. Good value for a full day on the water.
Chicken Island actually does look like a chicken from the right angle, which the guide made sure we saw. Water and fruit were topped up all day. Bring reef shoes because a couple of the entries are over sharp rock.
We had about an hour at each island which was enough to swim, snorkel and dry off. National park fees are collected separately on the day. The boat had a canopy which mattered a lot by midday.
Great itinerary and a friendly crew, but the lunch buffet was fairly basic rice and fried chicken. If you are fussy about food bring a snack. The islands and the snorkelling are the reason to book and they delivered.
First time snorkelling and one of the crew stayed near me the whole time at the Tup Island stop. Saw a small blacktip reef shark from the boat which was the highlight of the trip for my son. Well organised from hotel pickup onwards.