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A stop-by-stop walk through the classic 4 Islands day from Krabi: what you see at Phra Nang, Chicken, Tup and Poda, when the sandbar shows up and how to plan your shoes, sun and timing.
It is 08:30, the minivan is idling outside your Ao Nang hotel, and you are trying to remember if you packed the water shoes. Ten minutes later you are at the beach with a crowd of other people in sunhats, watching boats line up in the shallows. This is how most days on the 4 Islands tour begin.
This guide is a practical 4 islands tour Krabi itinerary: what each stop actually looks like, how long you tend to spend there, where the snorkelling is worth getting wet for and what catches first-timers out. If you are still deciding between the two boat types, there is a separate piece on choosing a longtail or a speedboat for the 4 Islands. Here we stay on the islands themselves.
The standard route covers four places: Phra Nang Cave Beach on the Railay peninsula, Chicken Island, Tup Island with its sandbar, and Poda Island. The whole day runs about 7 hours, roughly 08:30 to 15:30 including hotel pickup and drop-off.
The order is not fixed. The boat crew and the guide shuffle the stops depending on the tide, the wind and where the other boats are heading. On a good day they try to reach Tup when the sandbar is out, and to put lunch on Poda when the beach is at its most comfortable.
The distances are short. These islands sit just off Ao Nang and Railay, so you spend far more time on sand and in the water than on the boat. That is the main reason this tour is the default first trip for most people staying in Krabi.
| Stop | What it is | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phra Nang Cave Beach | Beach under huge limestone cliffs, Princess Cave at one end | Photos, a first swim, cliff views | Busy from mid-morning, soft sand is hot by noon |
| Chicken Island | Rock with a chicken-head shape, reef along its edge | Snorkelling, the classic photo | Boat traffic near the rock, some current |
| Tup Island | Small island joined to its neighbour by a sandbar at low tide | Walking on the sea, shallow paddling | Sharp shells and coral bits underfoot |
| Poda Island | Long white beach with a tall rock offshore | Lunch, lazing, an easy swim | Little shade in the middle of the day |
Treat the table as a rough guide, not a timetable. On the day you will usually get a short briefing on the boat about the order and how long each stop lasts. Listen to it: the boat leaves on time, with or without the person still taking selfies.
Phra Nang is a curved beach of pale sand on the Railay peninsula, framed by some of the tallest limestone cliffs in the area. Railay can only be reached by boat, so this stop gives you a taste of it without a separate trip.
At the western end sits the Princess Cave, a small shrine in the rock. Local fishermen have left offerings there for generations, and you will see the carved wooden objects people bring for luck. It is a sacred spot for locals, so look, take your photo, and keep voices down.
It is often called one of the best beaches in Thailand, and it shows: by late morning it can be crowded. My advice is simple. Skip the first hundred metres of sand where everyone lands and walk towards the cliffs. The water is clearer, and the climbers on the rock face above give you something to watch.
The swimming here is easy, with a gentle sandy slope on most days. Snorkelling is average, so save your energy for Chicken Island. If you love Railay after this short visit, the rock climbing tour at Railay Beach is a good reason to come back for a full day.
The sandbar between Tup Island and Chicken Island shows above the water only around low tide. If the tide is high when your boat arrives, there is no walk, just a strip of pale shallow water where the sand is hiding.
Tides on the Andaman coast shift by roughly an hour each day, so the sandbar is not there at a fixed time. Around full moon and new moon the tides are bigger, and the low ones can uncover a wide, dry path. Between those phases the difference is smaller and the bar may stay half underwater all day.
Nobody can promise you the walk, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What the crew can do is plan the order around the tide on your date. If the sandbar matters a lot to you, check a tide table for Krabi before you book and ask in the booking chat which days look best.
Tup itself is small: a short beach, some rocks and shallow water that is perfect for kids. Even without the sandbar it is a pleasant stop for a swim and a break from the sun. Wear water shoes here, because the sand around the bar is full of broken shell.
The best snorkelling on most days is along the rocks of Chicken Island, with Poda a decent second. Visibility depends on the weather and the season, so the same reef can look like an aquarium one week and a cloudy soup the next.
Chicken Island, Koh Gai in Thai, gets its name from a rock at its tip shaped like a chicken's head and neck. The boat usually stops off its rocky side rather than on a beach, and you jump in from the boat. Expect schools of small striped fish, parrotfish, the odd clownfish in an anemone and patches of hard coral.
A few honest notes. The water here is open, so on a windy day there can be a small swell and some current. If you are not a confident swimmer, keep the life jacket on: it is part of the kit, and nobody will judge you. Many people snorkel happily in a life jacket for the whole trip.
Snorkel masks and life jackets are included in the price. They work, but they are standard rental gear. If you have your own mask that fits your face, bring it. It is the single biggest upgrade you can make to this day.
Poda is the lazy part of the day: a long white beach, warm shallow water and lunch. This is where you get the most free time, so plan your shade and sunscreen around this stop.
The view from the beach is of a tall limestone stack standing alone in the sea, and on a calm day the water in front of it turns that bright turquoise you have seen on postcards. The swimming is easy and the sand is fine, though the middle of the day here is hot.
Lunch is included in the tour, typically served at Poda or another beach stop, along with fresh fruit and soft drinks. Do not expect a restaurant meal: think simple Thai dishes, rice, a curry or stir fry, and fruit. It does the job after a morning of swimming. If you have a food allergy or eat vegetarian, say so when you book.
The reef off the rocks at either end of the beach is worth a look if you still have energy. Do not swim out towards the channel where the boats come and go. Stay between the boats and the shore, or along the rocks.
The stops are the same on both versions: Phra Nang, Chicken, Tup and Poda, about 7 hours, with the same inclusions. The real difference is the ride, the price and how many people share the boat with you.
The 4 Islands tour by longtail boat starts from ฿1290 for adults and ฿990 for children aged 3 to 11. It is slower, louder and more traditional, with the engine roaring at the back and spray coming over the side. Most people love it for exactly that.
The 4 Islands tour by speedboat starts from ฿1490 for adults and ฿1190 for children aged 3 to 11. It is faster between stops, which can mean a little more time on the beaches, and the hull handles a small swell better. It also bounces hard on choppy days, so people with back problems should sit near the back.
Both include hotel transfer, snorkel mask and life jacket, an English speaking guide, accident insurance, fresh fruit, soft drinks and lunch. Children under 3 go free on both. People with heart or other serious medical conditions and pregnant women cannot join either version.
For a slow, scenic first day with kids, take the longtail. For a choppier month, a sensitive stomach for long rides or a wish to squeeze more time on the sand, take the speedboat.
Bring a swimsuit, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, plus water shoes and a dry bag. The sun on the water is stronger than it feels with the sea breeze, and most bad days on this tour are caused by sunburn, not by the boat.
Here is the packing list I give friends:
The park fee catches people out. It is not in the tour price: ฿400 for adults and ฿200 for children aged 3 to 11, paid on the day. Have the cash ready so you are not hunting for an ATM when the minivan arrives.
For crowds, there is no secret island. Every boat goes to these four stops, and Phra Nang and Chicken are the busiest. What helps is walking a little further along each beach than everyone else, and treating the busy moments as part of the scene rather than a ruined photo.
The tour runs every day, and pickup is from your hotel. The exact pickup time is sent right after booking, so keep your phone on and reachable the evening before.
If the 4 Islands leaves you wanting more, the next step for most people is the lagoon and viewpoint of the Hong Islands. There is a full guide to the Hong Islands tour from Krabi, and an afternoon alternative with sunset and dinner on the 7 Islands trip.
Book a day or two ahead in high season, keep the tide in mind, pack those water shoes, and the 4 Islands is one of the easiest good days you can have in Krabi.
Yes, most of the day is on beaches and in shallow water. Life jackets are included, and you can snorkel at Chicken Island while wearing one. Tup and Poda have gentle, shallow water where you can stand.
There are basic toilets on some of the beaches, and a few may ask for a small fee. Bring some small notes just in case. There is no toilet on a longtail boat.
It is one of the most family-friendly trips in Krabi. Children under 3 join free, and the child price applies from 3 to 11 years. Bring a hat and a rash guard for them, as the sun is strong on the water.
The program can change with the weather, and the crew may reorder or skip stops for safety. In rough conditions a tour can be postponed. Message us on WhatsApp and we will help you move the date.
A camera is fine if you keep it in a dry bag between stops, as spray is common, especially on a longtail. Drone rules in Thai national parks are strict and can change, so check before you fly.
Bring a photo of your passport or the passport itself if your hotel safe is not reliable. The tour includes accident insurance, and the booking needs your name as it appears on your passport.
Lunch is simple Thai food with rice, a main dish and fresh fruit, plus soft drinks. It is filling rather than memorable. Tell us about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book.
Hotel pickup, insurance and a licensed local operator. Ask us anything on WhatsApp before you book.
Updated 25 October 2026.
