4 Island Tour Krabi Speedboat: Explore the Islands Faster

The 4 island tour Krabi speedboat option costs ฿749–฿1,200 per adult on a shared boat in 2026. Hotel transfer, lunch on Poda Island, snorkel gear and an English-speaking guide are included. From Nopparat Thara Pier a speedboat reaches each island in 10–15 minutes, which means more time on the sand and a smoother ride than any longtail. The park fee (usually ฿200) is extra.

Overview of the Krabi 4 Island Tour

Introduction to the Krabi 4 Island Tour

In one day the Krabi 4 island Tour covers Phra Nang Cave Beach, Chicken Island, Tup Island and Poda Island. You start in Krabi because the islands sit right off Ao Nang, and speedboats go from Nopparat Thara Pier, a few kilometres west of the main beach. Morning pickup, mid-afternoon return, with snorkeling, the sandbar and a beach lunch in between. Same highlights as the longtail. You just waste less of the day getting to them.

Islands Included in the Tour

• Chicken Island — unique for its chicken-head pinnacle; the main snorkel stop.
• Tup Island — the Talay Waek sandbar to Koh Mor at low tide.
• Poda Island — the lunch stop, with a long beach and a sea stack offshore.
• Railay Beach area — the tour lands at Phra Nang Cave Beach on the Railay peninsula, under the cliffs.

Poda Island gives you space and shade. Railay gives you cliffs, and the Princess Cave. All of them are described on the island names page.

Transportation and Logistics

Speedboat Experience

The speed boat itself: a fibreglass hull, 10–14 metres, two to four outboard engines, bench seats for up to about 25 people and a canopy for shade. Most have a boarding ladder at the stern. After snorkeling that ladder is a gift, way easier than hauling yourself into a longtail.

Why go by speedboat:

• Faster crossings — 10–15 minutes between stops versus 15–25 by longtail.
• A smoother ride in a moderate swell; less spray.
• Seats with backrests and shade.
• More likely to run on marginal-weather days in the rainy season.

Comfort tip. Sit near the back. The bow slams into every wave while the stern just rides it. Bad back? A speedboat is kinder than a longtail, though on windy days even speedboats bounce.

Transfer Services

Within Ao Nang the transfer's included. A minivan picks you up between 08:00 and 08:30, drops you at Nopparat Thara Pier, and the same van brings you home. Outside Ao Nang (Krabi Town, Klong Muang, Tub Kaek) it's usually about ฿100 per person extra and starts earlier, around 07:30. Railay? They come by boat. Directions on the starting point page.

Activities and Tour Features

Snorkeling and Other Activities

You snorkel off Chicken Island and sometimes Poda. The crew hands out mask, snorkel and life jacket. Fins are rare, so bring your own if you're attached to them. The reef's 3–5 metres deep: parrotfish, butterflyfish, sergeant majors. Besides that:

• Walking the Tup–Mor sandbar at low tide.
• Swimming and sunbathing on Poda after lunch.
• Seeing the Princess Cave at Phra Nang Cave Beach.

That “Krabi 4 island tour with lunch by speed boat” listing you keep seeing? It's just the standard tour. Lunch is always in: a Thai buffet on Poda or a lunch box, plus fruit and drinking water. Ask for vegetarian or halal when you book.

Guided Tour Experience

Every shared speedboat carries an English-speaking tour guide. Half logistics, half storyteller. Head counts, snorkel briefings, collecting the fee, then the local legends: why fishermen leave offerings at the Princess Cave, how Chicken Island got its name. For nervous swimmers a guided tour is great, because the good guides get in the water with you. Was yours great? Tip ฿50–฿100 per person.

Tour Pricing and Scheduling

Tour Pricing Details

Shared, the 4 island speedboat tour costs ฿749–฿1,200 per adult. Private, it's ฿8,900–฿10,995 for the whole boat. What moves the price: season, group size, where you book, and extras like a sunset dinner.

Every boat type, compared, on the price page.

Tour Duration and Schedule

A typical speedboat tour takes 6–7 hours, door to door:

• 08:00–08:30 — hotel pickup.
• 09:00 — depart Nopparat Thara Pier.
• 09:15–12:00 — Phra Nang Cave Beach, Chicken Island snorkel, Tup sandbar.
• 12:00–14:30 — lunch and free time on Poda Island.
• 15:00 — back at the pier.

On a shared boat you don't get much say. The tide sets the order. Early bird speedboats go around 07:00 and beat the crowds; private ones let you build the whole day yourself. More on timings.

Safety and Regulations

Safety Measures for the Speedboat Tour

On a licensed speedboat you should see a life jacket for everyone, a first-aid kit, a radio and a registered captain. The boats are registered with Thailand’s Marine Department; the agencies are licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. When the Thai Meteorological Department tells small boats to stay ashore, operators cancel and refund you. No arguing with that one.

You should also look after yourself a bit:

• Wear your life jacket when the boat is moving fast in a swell, and always when snorkeling.
• Hold on at the stern — do not stand while the boat is under way.
• Take motion-sickness tablets 30 minutes before departure if you need them.
• Pregnant travellers, and anyone with recent back or neck injuries, should not join.

Emergency numbers in Thailand: Tourist Police 1155, medical emergency 1669. Worth saving. The UK government’s Thailand travel advice has a decent section on boat safety too.