While everyone flocks to Phuket and Koh Samui, you don’t hear that many people opting for Krabi.

Perhaps it’s because it is not known for its raves, nightlife and it feels far more muted.

But let me tell you that Krabi was amazing in every aspect: it is cheaper; less sleazy and it’s easy to go to all the amazing islands and still have tons of adventurous activities (think hiking, rock climbing and amazing cool rivers and falls!)

In other spots in Thailand, it almost feels like everything is catered to tourists but in Krabi I found it quite nice, mellow and not in your face.

Getting around is super easy and accessing beaches like Railay beach without a tour is also pretty convenient.

The Andaman sea is also amazing and that contrast against the karst formation easily feels like you’ve walking in the Beach movie set.

Here’s my complete Krabi travel itinerary if you have 3 to 5 days to spare.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. I only provide unbiased and completely honest recommendations.

Some tips before you travel to Krabi:

up above is a view of anana ecological resort which i stayed in. Here’s my krabi travel itinerary

🛬 Get the AIS simcard from the airport — you’ll see lots of people turning right to get a simcard from those announcers or more like touts. Don’t do that — go to the 7/11 or kiosk on your left in the airport and get it there (literally nobody was there and the service was top-notch!)
🏝️ Best Hotels to Stay:
- Budget: Whalecome Resort Ao Nang
- Mid-range: Anana Ecological Resort
- Mid-range: Hotel Adam Krabi
- Luxury: Dusit Thani Krabi Resort
⛵ Best Tours Worth Visiting: Phi Phi & 4 Islands Sunset Boat Tour & 7-Island Tour by Luxury Longtail Boat with Snorkeling
☕ Best Cafes: The Brightside Bistro, The Verandah Cafe & Little Palm Homemade
🍽️ Best Restaurants: Zama Krabi, Kodam Kitchen and Enjoy Thai Restaurant

Also read: 10 Days in Thailand Itinerary: Why You Should Go

Krabi Travel Itinerary: 3-5 Days

Day 1: Explore Aonang Beach and catch the sunset fire dance

the fire dance at ao nang beach in krabi

The moment we arrived we chilled out at this amazing hotel called Whalecome Aonang Resort that was affordable and clean with a nice dipping pool.

It was a nice hot day to go to the pool and enjoy what Krabi town has to offer. The best way is to walk down Aonang street and head to Krabi beach to catch the fire dance which happens everyday at 6.45pm.

Sure, you could go to the beach club and pay an exorbitant fee just to catch it but in our opinion the one at Aonang beach was still spectacular!

The sky was a spectacular yellow and orange and the fire dance was an amazing start to our trip in Krabi.

We took a 15 minute walk after that to the end of the street and had dinner at Kodam Kitchen. Set in a jungle vibe with open-air airy views, it was tropical and all things Thai that we hope for.

Order the Tom Yam martini, phad thai and mango sticky rice! It was sooo good and we loved everything about the place.

Day 2: Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool Krabi & Hot Springs

Climbing Tiger Cave Temple

If your breakfast is covered in the hotel, you might want to skip it and get a cheese toastie at 7-eleven instead as today’s day starts super early.

I started as early as 6.00am because I wanted to beat the heat and escape the crowds and that’s what exactly you should do because it was way more enjoyable.

You can easily arrange for a private transport at the hotel for about 68usd (2,500 baht) for two people (excluding the entrance fees) but if you prefer taking a tour that’s also an option. Here’s the recommended tour: Ao Nang: Hot Spring, Emerald Pool & Tiger Cave Temple Tour.

The Tiger Cave Temple also known as (Wat Tham Suea) is not exactly easy — I spent about 45 minutes to climb an elevation of 300 mteres that comprised of 1,260 steps.

The temple serves as a religious site for the monks who live and worship there, and features a maze of natural caves overlooking the stunning karst mountains of Thailand.

Going early had its perks — there were just a handful of people and barely any monkeys.

You’re not allowed to wear shorts or anything above the knees but bring a sarong with you to cover up. Going up during peak heat season was quite tough, I stopped occassionally to take in the views reaching up was worth it!

Emerald Pools

This stunning emerald pools was all over Instagram. It is so popular in the afternoons that the best time to come here is early in the morning.

We got there at around 9.30am to enjoy the waters. The Emerald Pool, is also called Sa Morakot, is a natural freshwater pool located in the Thung Teao Forest Natural Park in Krabi.

It is renowned for its stunning emerald-green water, which comes from the high mineral content in the surrounding limestone.

Entrance fee is around 400 baht for foreigners.

As you enter there are two paths to take here, I took the forested path instead of the gravel path eventhough it was longer. It was much more scenic, beautiful and you get to see more.

The first stream you will see is called Sra Kaew (Glass Pool). As you go deeper, you’ll see the gorgeous emerald pool. The water gets murkier as more people get in so best to go early.

You can continue for another 15 minutes to the blue pool after — you can’t swim as it is a natural hot spring with temperatures up to 50 degrees. We continued back to the emerald pools to take a dip.

Lunch break at a cute cafe “Little Palm Homemade”

the most adorable cafe in krabi called little palm homemade

On my way to the Khong Thom Nuea hot stream waterfall we stopped at this cute cafe run by a Thai couple in the most lovely setting. They run a farm and a cafe that they built from scratch.

This place has some of the best coffee and crossiants that I had including amazing burgers. If you want some downtime away from the crowds, I would recommend stopping here to just take in the views.

Khong Thom Nuea hot stream waterfall

I loved this hot stream waterfall as it was more of a dipping pool rather than one you can swim in. The key thing is to dip here for 15 minutes and come out, and go again.

I came during lunchtime and it was quiet. All the crowds sorta dissipated and went for lunch.

If you want to enjoy and have your alone time, you could even stay overnight at some of the nearby hotels and enjoy coming up here in the evenings when there’s nobody or early mornings.

Dinner at Zama Krabi

some of the best food in krabi, zama krabi

One of the best food that I had in Krabi was at this authentic Southern Thai restaurant called Zama Krabi. Some of the dishes are recipes passed down by his grandmother, so you can see they put a lot of heart and soul in their dishes.

It is also reasonable and we loved the unique flavours especially the fish, pad thai and stir fry vegetable like the liang leaves.

Their specialty drinks are amazing - don’t forget to try their lemongrass drinks especially in the heat.

Day 3: Island Hopping - 4 Island Tour

the 4 island hopping tour in krabi — look how blue the sea is!

We ended up taking the classic 4-island tour which was a great introduction to the nearby Thai islands.

The 4-island tour comprises of Koh Kai, Koh Tup, Koh Poda, Phra Nang Cave and Railay beach. But here’s a pro-tip, take the Phi Phi & 4 Islands Sunset Boat Tour instead. It’s less busy and way better.

You get to dive into the crystal clear waters of Pileh Lagoon for snorkeling and swimming, visit Maya Bay and take in the spectacular colors of the sunset at Tup Island or Poda Island.

Another cool option is checking out 7-Island Tour by Luxury Longtail Boat with Snorkeling. Sometimes nobody is on the boat and you get the whole thing to yourself - just imagine!

Have an awesome outdoor massage

the most awesome outdoor massage in krabi

Nothing like having an authentic massage that’s breezy, quiet and outdoor.

This rustic spot called Nature Garden Massage by PURE Krabi in a back-to-nature vibe serving delicious tea and banana chips was everything that I needed.

The outdoor setting was so lovely — you could listen to the birds, butterflies in your own little hut with an awesome 90 minute coconut oil massage.

Day 4: Visit Railay Beach (Properly!) & Go Kayaking

It is nice to not have too many plans sometimes and if there’s one beach that you want to chill while having easy access to cafes and food, I highly recommend staying a little longer here than Ao Nang

For 100 baht per person, the 10-15 minute ride in a long-tail boat is a nice way to go to another island and enjoy the ocean facing those karst mountains.

You can take that walk up to Princess Cave and Phra Nang beach. Just walk on the trail past all the caves as the view is stunning just to get there.

You’ll come up to this opening with overhanging caves and people rock climbing. The best part is that you get to be in the shade under the cave until 2pm.

Hike to East Railay View Point

a view of railay beach from the east point

The East Railay View Point is an adventurous rocky route that takes you to amazing panoramic views of the Railay beach. It is a 20 minute hike up but so worth it — you can continue to the lagoon if you’re adventurous but I found being here and hanging by the viewpoint the perfect respite from the heat.

The rocks are covered in clay so be prepared to be dirty all over — good shoes are also recommended (no flip-flops because it is quite steep).

When you reach the top, head LEFT not right (right takes you to the lagoon and it is much more dense and difficult!).

Go Kayaking in the cool waters of Klong Root (Clear water canal)

I would replace kayaking on the beach with Klong Root canal because it is so much more fun and the water is way cooler in the crazy heatwaves of Thailand.

The total cost is about 150 Baht per person. You can get a guide for 150 baht if you’re with someone older who doesn’t want to Kayak.

There’s no time limit and it was serene to be able to kayak in the cool clear waters. You’ll need to go over some tree stumps before you get to an opening where you can swim.

Day 5: Hike up Dragon Crest Mountain Khao Ngon

amazing views at the dragon crest mountain hike

I am saving the long hikes for the last when you have a bit of spare time — but this hike was such a lovely start in Krabi.

The Dragon Crest Mountain is a 3.5km trail that reaches up to 500metres. It takes atleast around 2.5 hours to hike to the summit and another 1.5 hour or 2 hours to come down. In total, it is about 7km.

Alo read: How I Hiked Dragon Crest Mountain: Most Epic Trail in Krabi (Khao Ngan Nak)

It is not a totally hard hike — maybe a tad bit relentless at the beginning. However, the views on the top are totally worth it. You’ve the Andaman sea, various karst mountains and islands that you can see from afar.

You need to leave as early as possible and preferably be at the trailhead by 8am. The trail closes by 2pm so it is best to go early.

I love the clear water streams at the end of the trail which is perfect for dipping and cooling off because the water is amazing and there’s literally nobody!

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