Krabi Town is the administrative capital of Krabi province in Southern Thailand. The town itself is not the top destination, but it‘s still a charming local town located along the banks of a river. Planning a trip to Krabi Town, Thailand? This detailed Krabi Town travel guide with travel tips will help you discover the city and its best things to do.
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Krabi Town is an important port for local fishermen and for tourists taking boats to the islands of the province or other nearby attractions. Only a few tourists spend time in this riverside town, as most of them hurry to the big-name destinations - Railay, Ao Nang, Koh Phi Phi, and Koh Lanta. That makes Krabi Town a perfect place to stay if you want to escape the crowds and not be too far from all the natural attractions the province has to offer.
Things to do in Krabi Town
There might not be many touristy things to do in Krabi Town itself but you can conveniently visit the Andaman Sea Islands and other surrounding natural attractions from there.
Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea)
Tiger Cave Temple, or Wat Tham Suea, is located close to Krabi town, not far from the road running to Krabi airport. The temple is built in stunning natural surroundings consisting of tropical rain forest, caves, and mountains. Wat Tham Suea is a Thai Buddhist meditation centre and home to monks who worship and live in this scenic environment.
In the main cave of the temple, you can find interesting icons and relics, including the most sacred thing in Wat Tham Suea – the footprint of Buddha.
Another important attraction in Wat Tham Suea is the stairs leading up to the top of the mountain. To get to the top you need to hike 1,237 steps up and it can be a challenging climb if you are not in a fairly good shape. Thai climate makes the climb much tougher so it‘s better to choose cooler time of the day for this challenge.
If you can make it to the top, you will be rewarded with panoramic views of scenic limestone cliff formations, jungles, and the Andaman Sea with its tropical islands. The scenery is especially stunning at sunrise and sunset.
Wat Tham Suea is definitely worth a visit if you are staying in Krabi.
The most popular way for visiting the temple is joining a combined Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool, and Hot Springs Tour, which also takes you to marvel at the crystalline waters of Krabi's Emerald Pool and to take a refreshing dip in the hot springs.
In case you are only interested in the temple, for the most special experience, join the Tiger Cave Temple Sunset Tour so you could enjoy the sunset on top of this beautiful Buddhist temple and admire the view.
Khao Khanab Nam
Khao Khanab Nam mountains are one of Krabi’s most famous landmarks. The main river is running between these two stunning 100-meter-high cliffs making them look like the gateway to Krabi Town. If you will come to visit Khao Khanab Nam, inside the mountains you will find caves with stalagmites and stalactites and will be able to climb one of the mountains.
Krabi Riverside
Krabi Riverside Walk is a large promenade starting at Chao Fah Park and ending at Thara Park. The promenade is a perfect place for walking or jogging along the river. Krabi Riverside Walk is also good for just sitting and relaxing while watching the Krabi River flow to the Andaman Sea.
Wat Kaew Korawaram
Wat Kaew Korawaram is a temple located on a hill in the middle of Krabi Town. It‘s a large temple situated on a large terrace with a majestic staircase lined by golden Nagas leading to it. Wat Kaew Korawaram is an unusual Thai temple with white walls and a blue roof. The inside walls of the temple are beautifully decorated with various Buddhist paintings. The temple also houses a large golden Buddha statue.
Wat Kaew is visited together with Tiger Cave Temple and few other attractions in the area on this Krabi Private Full-Day Sightseeing Tour.
Island Hopping from Krabi Town
Island-hopping is one of the most popular things to do in Krabi, as there are many picturesque small islands in the sea that are usually visited as part of a 4-island day tour, a 7-island day tour, or in combination with a visit to Koh Phi Phi. Most of the island tours offer departure from Krabi Town.
The islands that are usually visited on an island-hopping day trip from Krabi Town are the chicken-like island of Koh Gai, two small islands, Koh Tup and Koh Mor, that get connected by a white sandbar at low tide, and the small island Koh Poda with beautiful white sand beaches and clear water. This group of islands is normally visited on most of the 4 islands day trips from Krabi.
To further expand your island-hopping experience, you can visit 3 more Andaman Sea islands on a 7-island day trip. Additional islands that are normally visited during such a tour are Koh Ma Tan Ming, Koh Ya Wa Sam, and Koh Rang Nok.
Another island group that is often visited from Krabi is Hong Islands, located east of Koh Yao Noi. As these islands are far away, they are normally visited separately on the special Hong Islands day trip.
Visiting Koh Phi Phi from Krabi Town is also easy, as there are many boat tour companies offering day trips on this route.
Other things to do in Krabi
For a wider selection of the best things to do in Krabi, check detailed guide to Ao Nang, which is the main tourist hub of Krabi province.
Where to stay in Krabi Town
If you don't want to be surrounded by crowds of tourists or just want to stay cheap in Krabi, you can stay in Krabi Town. In the town, you will enjoy life in a real Thai town and won't be too far from the beaches and islands, as they all are easily reached from the capital of Krabi province.
Discover the best-rated accommodations in the city in the list of the best hotels in Krabi Town.
To get the best deal on accommodation, make sure to compare hotel deals on Booking.com with often better special offers on Agoda.
How to get to Krabi Town
You can get to Krabi by plane or by bus.
Flights to Krabi
Krabi International Airport (KBV) is served by a number of domestic (from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui) and international (from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, Russia and few other countries seasonally) flights. The airport is located about 15 km from Krabi Town.
Domestic flights can be booked here:
Flights from Chiang Mai to Krabi
Flights from Koh Samui to Krabi
International flights can be booked here:
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Krabi
Flights from Singapore to Krabi
If you are taking an international flight and need a visa on arrival, you can get a Thailand visa on arrival at Krabi Airport.
The most comfortable and worry-free way for getting from the airport to your hotel in Krabi Town is by pre-booked private Krabi Airport transfer.
Bus to Krabi
Krabi Bus Terminal is the main bus station of the province, and most of the buses and minivans stop there. There are regular bus services from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal to the province with several daily departures.
Bus schedules can be found, and bus tickets can be booked here: Bus from Bangkok to Krabi.
There are buses running to Krabi from Surat Thani. Minivans also cover this route, and they are usually faster. This bus connection can be useful if you are willing to travel to Krabi from the islands of the Gulf of Thailand such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Bus schedules can be found, and bus tickets can be booked here: Bus from Surat Thani to Krabi.
From the bus terminal you can reach your hotel in Krabi Town by taking a songtaew or taxi.
Other transportation options
More transportation options for a trip to Krabi can be found, and transport tickets can be booked with the help of this search form.
Weather in Krabi Town
Krabi has only two seasons - the wet and the dry. Weather conditions are at their best in Krabi province from November to March, when a cooling wind keeps the heat at bay and humidity levels are low here. From March to May, the temperature rises as the cooling wind departs and the humidity rises.
In April, monsoonal weather usually arrives, which is expected to last until October. Peak rainfall levels are usually experienced in September and October. Outside of these months, the rain can often come in a short, heavy shower, usually in the afternoon.
Krabi has similar weather conditions with other West Coast destinations throughout the year, as they all experience the impact of the Andaman Sea. Temperatures and weather conditions in these locations might differ a bit in the short term, but in the long term it's not notable, so you can easily combine a visit to Krabi with other nearby destinations like Phuket or islands in Krabi province.
Destinations after Krabi Town
After staying in Krabi Town, you might also consider visiting longer the islands of Krabi province such as Koh Phi Phi islands considered to be amongst the most beautiful islands in the world and Koh Lanta with a laid-back atmosphere.
Phuket is the largest and most popular island in Thailand, which can be easily reached from Krabi by land or ferry.
Khao Lak in Phang Nga province is one of the most popular seaside resort areas for tourism, located just north of Phuket.
If you want to travel further, you can go to the beautiful Khao Sok National Park. There you will sleep in a bungalow above the water and discover the jungle.
By getting to Koh Samui you could experience the other coast of southern Thailand.
Of course, you can also fly to the northern part of Thailand, destinations such as Chiang Mai, or back to Bangkok.
