Independent 3-Day Trip to Krabi

Imagine a place where the emerald sea meets dramatic limestone cliffs, where pristine white beaches lie side by side with lush jungles. Welcome to Krabi – a province in southern Thailand that will make your heart beat faster. At least, that’s exactly what happened to us. We’ve been to Krabi several times, and each visit felt like the very first one. It’s a magical destination you can rediscover again and again!

We have put together a 3-day self-guided itinerary in Krabi Province with two overnight stays, so you can see all the highlights without wasting precious time searching for the right locations. Also, take a look at our Independent trip to Krabi with an overnight stay.

A quick note: the route is not a short one, so we recommend renting a reliable car. You can use the form below to book it.

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Day 1

We start our journey from Karon Beach (travel time may vary if you’re coming from other parts of Phuket). You’ll need to wake up quite early – we leave Karon at 7 a.m. If you’re departing from Patong or Bang Tao, you can head out a bit later, while from Rawai or Nai Harn you’ll need to leave earlier. But trust us – this trip is 100% worth it!

1. Sai Kaew Beach

Travel time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Stop time: 10 minutes

Our first stop is a secluded, picturesque beach. How many deserted beaches have you seen in Phuket? Exactly – that’s why you should take the chance! Sai Kaew Beach is a perfect spot to stretch your legs and snap a few shots with the endless sea in the background.

2. Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

Travel time: 30 minutes
Stop time: 40 minutes

The famous viewpoint with a breathtaking panorama of Phang Nga Bay and the whimsical cliffs rising from the waters of the Andaman Sea. A true must-visit featured in every Phuket travel guide — and of course, we couldn’t leave it out of ours.

By the way, there’s also a glass bridge near the viewpoint, but visiting it will take more time, and in our opinion, the viewpoint itself is more than enough. Besides, the views there aren’t much different.

3. Lunch stop. Two cafes to choose from.

hun·gry (gео)

Travel time: 55 minutes
Stop time: 40 minutes

A very cozy cafe for a quick bite on the way. Great food and friendly staff. The menu offers both Thai and European dishes. We especially recommend the shrimp fried rice and teriyaki chicken. Important: service is fast, so the stop won’t take too much time. The only downside is that the cafe is closed on Mondays.

KUBKHAOMAE PHANGNGA (gео)

This cafe is open on Mondays as well. It’s set in a palm grove with a pond, offering a beautiful, green, and authentic atmosphere. The menu features delicious Thai cuisine with a very stylish presentation. All in all, it’s a spot 100% worthy of your Instagram feed.

4. Tham Thonglang Quarry (gео)

Travel time: 20 minutes
Stop time: 20 minutes

An unusual turquoise lake — though in fact, it’s an old mine. It’s a great spot to stop for 10–20 minutes and take some beautiful shots against the backdrop of the blue water and the cliffs reflected in it. If you’re lucky, you might even have the place all to yourself, without other tourists around.

5. Wat Maha That Wachiramongkol (Gold Temple Honeymoon) (gео)

Travel time: 20 minutes
Stop time: 40 minutes

A majestic temple that, until recently, wasn’t well known even among the locals — let alone tourists. But the secret is out, and now it’s no longer possible to hide from curious eyes here.

The temple’s main attraction is its central stupa — over 70 meters tall and entirely covered in gold leaf! There’s also a large golden chedi standing on the very spot where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. In short, no expense was spared when it came to gold — everything around you is made of this precious metal. Truly grand and opulent.

Although the temple is a modern construction, it still impresses with its scale and grandeur. Be sure to step inside as well — the interior is just as magnificent and ornate.

6. Klang Cave (gео)

Travel time: 30 minutes
Stop time: 1 hour

An optional stop on your travel route, as in this case you’ll arrive at the hotel a bit later. Still, we recommend making the stop.

Klang Cave is a cavern with underground lakes and stalactites — beautiful, with a slightly eerie atmosphere. Entrance costs 150 THB per person, which includes a flashlight and a helmet (just in case a stalactite falls on you or a bat decides to land!). We also suggest hiring a guide for an even better experience.

By the way, if you decide to come here, make sure to bring proper footwear — water shoes or at least rubber sandals, since in some places you’ll need to walk through water. And yes, a religious joke fits perfectly here… but I’m sure everyone has already made it in their head.

7. Ao Nang – hotel check-in (gео)

Travel time: 50 minutes
We arrive here around 4 p.m. (or around 3 p.m. if you skipped Klang Cave).

Ao Nang is a seaside resort located about 20 km from Krabi Town. We’ve stayed here in two hotels — Venice Krabi Villa Resort (gео) and Lux Family Villas (gео). Both are places we can confidently recommend.

Venice Krabi Villa Resort is a complex of wooden bungalows built right on the water — a kind of “Thai Venice.” The hotel grounds are beautiful and perfect for taking lots of photos. And yes — it has the largest swimming pool we’ve ever seen in Thailand. Plus, the breakfasts are great. In our opinion, it ticks all the most important boxes.

Lux Family Villas is a quiet place with spacious villas that are perfect for families. Overall, it’s just solid accommodation without any particular extras. But for some travelers, that’s exactly what they need — a comfortable place to sleep and eat. The owner is always available and ready to help with any request, including arranging transfers.

8. Evening stroll around the resort

After checking into your hotel, we recommend taking a walk along the lively pedestrian street (technically Highway 4203; use it as your landmark).

Then head to the beachfront promenade (look for the sailfish statue as a reference point). Along the beach, you’ll also find other interesting sculptures.

We also suggest visiting the Ao Nang Landmark Night Market (gео). Pay special attention to the souvenirs: there’s a wide variety here, and in our opinion, they’re much more interesting than the ones sold in Phuket.

You can have dinner right at the market or settle into one of the many restaurants – there are plenty to choose from. After that, we head back to the hotel to rest before tomorrow. Since we’ve had quite a long journey and a busy day, the next one can be spent at a more relaxed pace. And we have two options for you to choose from.

Day Two

Option 1 – More Active. Visit to Railay Beach (gео).

We have breakfast at the hotel and set off at 9 a.m. Drive to Ao Nang Beach. At the end of the beach, you’ll find the Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service (gео). It opens at 8 a.m., and for a small fee (about 100–200 baht), you can take a longtail boat to Railay Beach. The only way to get there is by water.

This beach is set in a bay between two cliffs. Nature has done a wonderful job here, creating a beautiful blue lagoon and majestic rocks. You can also spot spectacled langurs (dusky leaf monkeys). These adorable creatures mostly live in the upper layers of the forest and feed on leaves, fruits, and flowers. So you don’t need to worry about them stealing your food — though they might still take a banana.

At Railay Beach we make a short stop to swim and relax. Then we head to the opposite side of the cape, using Tex Rock Climbing (geo) as a landmark. We recommend bringing a light snack, since you’re unlikely to come across any markets or cafes further along the way.

The walk takes only about 15 minutes. From this point begins a scenic trail with overhanging stalactites – Railay Stalactite (gео).

We follow the trail, enjoying the unique scenery. By the way, macaques are quite common here. How to interact with them safely (so no one ends up needing rabies shots) we’ve written about here. The walk will take around 15–30 minutes, depending on how many times you stop for photos (spoiler: a lot — it’s stunning!).

After that, you have a choice, almost like in a fairy tale:

1. Turn off the trail and climb up to the viewpoint (gео), and then continue to the Princess Lagoon (gео). For this, you’ll need proper footwear and some agility, as in places you’ll have to scramble up (there’s a rope to help, but the path is still not the easiest).
2. Or take the easier route to the Princess Cave (gео). According to an old legend, an Indian princess named Phra Nang once perished in these waters, and since then her spirit has lived in the grotto, said to grant wishes. You can read more about Phuket’s mysterious legends here. Along this route, you can also reach Phra Nang Beach (gео), where you can swim and relax.

At the southern end of the beach, you can walk along the rocks and through a narrow gorge that leads to a beautiful lagoon with whimsical triangular cliffs — Toblerone Bay (gео). A perfect spot for photos!

Then we return to the boat landing point and head back to Ao Nang. Time to relax, and in the evening you can once again stroll around the resort, visit the night market, or have dinner at a cafe or restaurant.

Option 2 – More Relaxed. Island Tour.

For this option, you’ll need to book a tour in advance. You can do so at one of the tour agencies in Ao Nang, for example Krabi Memory Travel and Tour (gео) or Lily Tour And Travel (Lovely Tour) (gео). We recommend booking on the day of your arrival, during your evening walk around the resort, since such tours usually include hotel transfer. If you didn’t, it’s best to go early in the morning to secure your spot.

Tour programs may vary — from trips to Phi Phi to visits to nearby islands. We suggest choosing the second option, as you can easily visit Phi Phi from Phuket without first traveling to Krabi (the distance is almost the same, but Phuket offers more transport options).

Additional tips:

-Check if the tour includes snorkeling stops — we highly recommend it.

-Choose an itinerary that starts later in the day, not early morning. This way, you can enjoy the sunset at Ko Poda Beach and witness the glowing plankton at night on the way back. To see it, you’ll snorkel in the dark — as you move your hands, the plankton lights up in the water, like a starry sky beneath the surface.

-Look for tours that include visits to the following locations (these are usually part of the routes):

Thale Waek (gео)

A sandbar between the islands. The place looks different at high and low tide (at high tide, the sandbar magically disappears).

Chicken Rock (gео)

A whimsical rock formation that resembles a chicken’s head. Be sure to snap a photo from your longtail boat with it in the background!

Ko Poda Beach (gео)

A beautiful beach with powdery white sand. Here you can even have dinner set up right on the shore at sunset. It’s a perfect spot to plan a special occasion or a romantic evening.

Afterwards, we return to the Ao Nang resort. Spend the evening at the hotel or take a walk along Ao Nang Beach, similar to Day One.

Day Three

Wake up, enjoy a hearty breakfast, check out of the hotel, and by 10 a.m. set off to greet the new day before eventually returning to Phuket.

1. Visit Krabi Town and an unusual cave.

First, make your way to the Mud Crabs Sculpture (gео)

Travel time: 30 minutes
Stop time: 2 hours (including a river trip)

There, you can arrange with local boatmen to take you along the river to the next spot (this will cost 500–1000 THB) — Khao Khanab Nam (gео)

This cave is not the most touristy place, but it’s fascinating: inside you’ll find a giant’s skeleton wrapped by a huge snake, ancient wall paintings, and figures of Japanese soldiers. Intrigued?

In this cave, archaeologists really did find traces of prehistoric people, and during World War II Japanese soldiers used it as a hideout. So the cave has a rich history and has witnessed quite a lot over the centuries. But the most fascinating part is the skeleton of a giant human wrapped in an equally giant snake resting inside. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that giants once lived in Krabi — but everything is explained by a local legend about giants. We won’t spoil the story here — some mystery should remain!

From here, we start heading back home, but along the way there are still a few short stops waiting for us.

2. Ao Nang Goat Farm

Travel time: 30 minutes
Stop time: 25 minutes

This is a small farm where goats live. Entry is free, but you can leave a tip in a special box. Here, you can feed the baby goats milk straight from a bottle. It’s incredibly cute and will be especially fun for children if you’re traveling with them.

3. Kuan Nom Saow Restaurant and Viewpoint

Travel time: 25 minutes
Stop time: 45 minutes

An authentic café serving Thai cuisine with a breathtaking view of Krabi Province. In fact, it’s more of a viewpoint than a café. A perfect pit stop for a snack and a short rest.

4. Thapom Klong Song Nam (gео)

Travel time: 15 minutes
Stop time: 1.5 hours

Another stop to “stretch your legs.” We suggest taking a walk through the mangrove forest and enjoying the fresh air.

A river runs here with “chameleon water” that changes color depending on the tides. You can also take a refreshing swim in this clean, fresh water. Entrance to the forest park is paid, but the fee is purely symbolic.

5. Heading home: the drive back to Karon Beach takes about 2.5 hours without stops.

Bonus stop: if you still have energy left, you can also drop by the stalactite cave Tham Phung Chang (gео) or the beautiful Buddhist temple Wat Maneesri Mahathat (gео).

And that’s it — three action-packed days and another amazing Krabi trip to add to your collection! Convenient, isn’t it, when the itinerary is already laid out for you and all you need to do is follow it? All that’s required from you: free up some memory on your smartphone for photos, stock up on drinking water, and bring along a good mood!