What you see on the 4 Islands tour
The 4 Islands tour is a day on the water south of Ao Nang. The islands lie inside Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, 6-11 km from Nopparat Thara pier. The set of stops differs a little by operator, but four places come up in every programme.
Phra Nang beach and cave. A white beach under a limestone cliff on the Railay peninsula. Tisland and Aonang Travel & Tour put it first, Krabitrek and Krabi Tourism name Phra Nang Cave in the list. Railay itself is covered on the Railay page.
Ko Tup and the sandbar. A sandbar links Ko Tup with Chicken Island and shows at low tide, so the stop depends on the tide (Tisland, Aonang Travel & Tour). Tisland calls it the Talay Waek sandbar and gives 10:30-11:20 for it, and Krabitrek adds Ko Mor to the list of islands.
Chicken Island (Ko Kai). A limestone pillar shaped like a chicken’s head. Tisland gives half an hour for a photo and snorkelling, and Aonang Travel & Tour has lunch here at 12:30. DNP closed diving off the west side of Ko Kai on 16.05.2026, and on 13.11.2026 the closure was still on its status page.
Ko Poda. The longest stop: Tisland gives 12:10-13:35 for a lunch box, swimming and snorkelling, and Krabitrek says you get roughly equal time at each place.
How long it takes and when to go
The whole day takes 6-7 hours with the hotel transfer. Aonang Travel & Tour picks guests up at 8:15-8:30, the boat leaves Nopparat Thara beach at 9:00 and Ao Nang beach is reached again about 15:00. Krabitrek has a speedboat at 9:00 and a longtail at 9:30, both back at 15:00, and Tisland gives 7 hours in all.
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December-March | driest, 35.9 mm in February and 90-108 mm in the other months per TMD |
| April | hotter, 142.2 mm of rain |
| November | 198.6 mm of rain, wetter than December-March |
| May-October | 210-293 mm of rain a month, and Thai Holiday Guide notes that boats may be suspended in rough seas |
The sea and the Krabi weather month by month are covered in Krabi in December and in the Krabi overview.
Where boats leave from and how far it is
Boats leave from Nopparat Thara pier on the Ao Nang coast. Tisland collects guests from Railay at the Railay East pier, and charges 200 baht per person for the transfer from Railay hotels. Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap coordinates:
| From Nopparat Thara pier | Straight line |
|---|---|
| To Phra Nang beach | 6.3 km |
| To Ko Poda | 8.5 km |
| To Ko Tup | 9.7 km |
| To Ko Kai (Chicken Island) | 10.5 km |
The pickups we read cover Ao Nang, Krabi town, Klong Muang and Tubkaek (Tisland, Krabitrek). Tisland also lists Ao Nammao, and Krabi Tourism says its transfer does not cover Railay.
Prices at local operators on 13.11.2026
| Operator | Boat | Adult | Child | Park fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aonang Travel & Tour | speedboat | 1,300 baht | 1,100 baht (3-11) | not included, amount not given |
| Krabitrek | speedboat | 1,000 baht | 800 baht | not included, the operator says 400 and 200 baht |
| Krabitrek | longtail | 800 baht | 500 baht | not included, plus 100 baht per person from Klong Muang, Tubkaek, Krabi town |
| Tisland | speedboat, 7 hours | from 1,800 baht | not shown (ticket for 4-11, free up to 3) | included |
Prices are what the operators’ own pages show on 13.11.2026. The Krabitrek page carries no price date and the year 2022 in its footer, so confirm the sum before you pay. Krabi Tourism’s page for the tour has a park fee line of 400 baht for an adult and 200 for a child aged 4-12, but its text shows no tour price, so it is not in the table.
Park fee and what is included
| What | Foreign adult | Foreign child | Thai citizen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi (Phra Nang, Poda, Tup, Kai) | 200 baht | 100 baht | 40 and 20 baht |
Source: DNP table (edition of 02.06.2023, the file was checked on 13.11.2026). The 400 and 200 baht rate in the same table is for the zone of Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island, which is not part of this tour. Tisland includes the fee in the price, and with Aonang Travel & Tour and Krabitrek you pay it in cash on the day. Krabitrek says rangers issue receipts and children aged 3 and under are free. The operators’ 400 baht figure for the 4 Islands differs from the DNP table, so ask what sum you will be charged.
Options: speedboat, longtail, shorter day, sunset
| Option | Time | Who it suits | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat | boat 9:00, back about 15:00 | anyone who wants four stops in one day | rougher in waves |
| Longtail | boat 9:30, back about 15:00 | anyone on a budget | slower, a surcharge from Klong Muang, Tubkaek and Krabi town |
| 3 islands, later start (Aonang Travel & Tour) | pickup 9:30, boat 10:30, back about 15:00 | anyone who does not want an early start | three islands, no Phra Nang |
| Sunset by longtail (Krabitrek) | pickup 12:00-12:30, back about 20:00 | couples | late return, park fee extra |
The sunset version of the same waters is described on the page about 7 Islands at sunset from Ao Nang, and a day with cliffs and a lagoon instead is the Hong Islands from Ao Nang.
How this differs from Krabi 4 Islands from Phuket
| What | From Ao Nang | From Phuket |
|---|---|---|
| Day | 6-7 hours | 9-10 hours |
| Way to the islands | speedboat or longtail from Nopparat Thara | ferry from Rassada to Ao Nang about 2 hours, then a speedboat |
| Adult price | 800-1,800 baht on 13.11.2026 | 1,900 baht (Phuket Tour, 3 Nov 2026) |
| Park fee | 200 baht by DNP, included at Tisland only | 200 baht, paid separately at Phuket Tour |
| Start | boat at 9:00-9:30 | ferry at 8:30 from Rassada |
The islands are the same, but if you are staying in Ao Nang you save about four hours of ferry. The tour from Phuket is described on the page Krabi 4 Islands from Phuket. For a ferry or a speedboat to Phi Phi from here, see Krabi and Ao Nang to Phi Phi.
What to do in rain or heavy swell
- Programme changes. Tisland and Aonang Travel & Tour say the programme may change with the weather, and Krabitrek says the departure point and the order of islands depend on the sea
- Cancellation. Krabitrek gives free cancellation until 16:00 the day before, while Aonang Travel & Tour asks you to book at least a day ahead and writes that a no-show or same-day cancellation is charged “100%”, in unclear wording
- Low tide. The Ko Tup sandbar shows only at low tide, so on some days you see it from the boat
- A plan B on land. Ao Nang and Railay: Railay and Ao Nang
Safety
- Life jackets. All three operators list a life jacket in the price
- Pregnancy. Tisland and Krabitrek on a speedboat do not take pregnant travellers, and Aonang Travel & Tour does not recommend the boat
- Small children. Tisland does not take children under 1 and Aonang Travel & Tour does not recommend the boat for children under 2
- Back and neck. Tisland does not take people with back or neck problems
- Getting on and off. Krabitrek asks guests to take care when stepping on and off the boat
- Masks. Damaged or lost masks and snorkels are charged at Krabitrek
- Litter. The operators ask you to take your rubbish away because the islands are in a national park
Who it suits and who it does not
- Suits couples and friends. A sandbar, snorkelling and a beach lunch within 10 km of Ao Nang
- Suits families with children from 4. The child fare is for ages 4-11 at Tisland and 3-11 at Aonang Travel & Tour
- Not for pregnant travellers. Operators do not take them or do not recommend the boat
- Not for anyone who gets seasick easily. A speedboat rocks in waves
- Not for anyone who wants an empty beach. Ko Poda is busy at lunchtime
FAQ
How long is the 4 Islands tour from Ao Nang and when does it leave?
Hotel pickup is at 8:00-9:00 and the boat leaves Nopparat Thara pier at 9:00 by speedboat or 9:30 by longtail (Krabitrek, Aonang Travel & Tour, Tisland). You are back at Ao Nang beach about 15:00 and at your hotel a little later. Tisland gives 7 hours for the whole day, which is the long end of the 6-7 hours.
How much is the 4 Islands tour from Ao Nang on 13.11.2026?
Aonang Travel & Tour lists 1,300 baht for an adult and 1,100 baht for a child aged 3-11 on a speedboat. Krabitrek lists 1,000 and 800 baht by speedboat and 800 and 500 baht by longtail, and its page carries no price date. Tisland sells it from 1,800 baht with the park fee included. The sums differ by what is included, so compare the park fee line first.
Is the national park fee included, and how much is it?
At Tisland it is in the price. At Aonang Travel & Tour and Krabitrek it is not: you pay in cash on the day and get a receipt from the rangers. The DNP table (edition of 02.06.2023) gives 200 baht per foreign adult and 100 baht per child for Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi, where Poda, Tup and Kai lie. Krabitrek and Krabi Tourism name 400 and 200 baht for the same tour, and we found no DNP document with that rate for these islands, so ask your operator what it collects.
Which islands are in the 4 Islands tour?
The name is not tied to one list. Tisland goes to Phra Nang Cave beach, the Talay Waek sandbar, Chicken Island and Ko Poda. Krabitrek names Ko Kai, Ko Tup, Ko Mor, Ko Poda and Phra Nang Cave, and Aonang Travel & Tour names Phra Nang Cave, Ko Tup, Ko Poda and Chicken Island. Check the stops against your programme before you pay.
Longtail or speedboat for the 4 Islands tour?
A speedboat leaves half an hour earlier at Krabitrek (9:00 against 9:30) and costs more. A longtail is the cheaper option, 800 baht for an adult at Krabitrek, but it adds 100 baht per person for hotels in Klong Muang, Tubkaek and Krabi town. Krabitrek does not accept pregnant travellers on speedboat trips because of bumpy conditions.
Is the Ko Tup sandbar there every day?
No. Tisland and Aonang Travel & Tour describe it as a sandbar between Ko Tup and Chicken Island that shows at low tide, so your stop depends on the tide table of the day. Krabitrek adds that the order of the islands depends on the sea and weather.
Can you snorkel at Chicken Island?
Operators list snorkelling there, but DNP has closed diving off the west side of Ko Kai since 16.05.2026, and the DNP status page still showed it on 13.11.2026. Ask your guide on which side of the island you will swim.
How is the tour from Ao Nang different from Krabi 4 Islands from Phuket?
It is the same islands, but you skip the ferry. The [tour from Phuket](/en/travel/phuket/excursions/krabi-4-islands/) takes 9-10 hours with about 2 hours on a ferry each way and costs 1,900 baht for an adult (Phuket Tour, 3 Nov 2026) plus 200 baht park fee, and from Ao Nang it is 6-7 hours at 800-1,800 baht on 13.11.2026.
Is it suitable for children and pregnant travellers?
Tisland uses a child ticket for ages 4-11, takes children up to 3 free and does not take children under 1, pregnant travellers or people with back or neck problems. Aonang Travel & Tour does not recommend the boat for children under 2, pregnant travellers and the elderly, and Krabitrek advises children aged 6-7 and under to bring their own mask and snorkel.
What happens in rough seas?
Operators say the programme may change with the weather and the sea. Krabitrek gives free cancellation until 16:00 the day before, while Aonang Travel & Tour writes that a no-show or a cancellation on the tour date is charged in full, in wording that is unclear, so confirm the terms when you book.
Sources
- DNP. National park entrance fees for individuals, edition of 02.06.2023 (dataset, CSV)
- DNP. Opening and closing status of national parks (ข้อมูลท่องเที่ยวอุทยานแห่งชาติ)
- TMD. Climate normals 1991-2020, Krabi station (48 563)
- Thai Holiday Guide. Ao Nang (updated June 2026): boats may be suspended in rough seas from May to October
- Aonang Travel & Tour (TAT licence 34/00212). One day tour 4 islands by speedboat
- Aonang Travel & Tour. One day tour 3 islands by speed boat (later start)
- Krabitrek. Krabi 4 Island Tour by Speedboat (the page has no price date)
- Krabitrek. Krabi 4 Island Tour by Longtail Boat
- Krabitrek. Tours and activities price list
- Krabitrek. Sunset BBQ at Krabi 4 Island by longtail boat
- Tisland. Krabi 4 Islands by speedboat: Phra Nang, Talay Waek, Chicken and Poda
- Krabi Tourism (TAT licence 34/03189). Krabi 4 Islands tour (park fee statement)
- Phuket Tour. Krabi islands by ferry and speedboat from Phuket (price for the comparison) (in Russian)
- OpenStreetMap. Nopparat Thara pier (node 2495732193), Ko Poda (relation 6 736 886), Ko Tup (relation 5 843 326), Ko Kai (relation 20 416 606)
Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.
