Krabi 9 Islands tour: Hong Island and the 4 Islands in one day – planned privately

“9 Islands” is a tour name, not an official designation. Usually every island, rock and beach the boat stops at or passes is counted, from two groups: the Hong group northwest of Ao Nang and the 4 Islands to the south towards Railay. Exactly which nine they are differs from operator to operator. Some count Chicken Island and Tup separately, others add a rock along the way.

For your day the number therefore says little. The more important question is at how many places you actually get off, swim or snorkel, and how much time you have there. On a group tour with many stops there is often little time per island, because the schedule is the same for everyone.

That is why we count stops instead of islands. In the tour builder you choose which islands to visit, and the duration determines how many stops are possible. From the Hong group and the Poda group there are seven destinations in total to choose from, which we introduce in the next section.

The two groups lie in different directions from Ao Nang. In our tour builder the 4 Islands belong to the near zone (up to about 20 minutes’ ride), the Hong group to the mid zone (about 30 to 45 minutes). The minutes below are the guide values from the builder for one way from Ao Nang by speedboat; sea state and route can change them.

A note on the name: there are two islands called Koh Hong. This is the island in Than Bok Khorani National Park off Krabi, not the one in Phang Nga Bay.

You put the combination together in the tour builder when booking. For a day with both island groups, two durations are possible, both with a morning start:

Full day (8 hours, up to 5 stops): you choose five of the seven destinations. A typical example would be Koh Hong and Koh Pakbia from the Hong group, plus Koh Poda, the Tup sandbar and Phra Nang. You see Chicken Island up close on the way to the sandbar anyway. The guide price is 19,000 THB per boat plus a 1,500 THB mid-zone surcharge, so from 20,500 THB per boat for up to 5 guests.

Expedition (10 hours, up to 7 stops): here all seven destinations of both groups fit into the day on paper. The guide price is 24,000 THB per boat plus the 1,500 THB mid-zone surcharge, so from 25,500 THB per boat. To be honest: seven stops in one day mean shorter stays. Many guests prefer six destinations and more time at the lagoon or on the sandbar instead. The choice is yours.

The price is per boat, not per person. For two you split it by two, for five by five. Extras such as food or the drone package are added if you choose them; snorkel gear is free and is ticked when booking. We confirm which further services are included in your custom tour with the quote. You receive the final quote individually, and the enquiry is non-binding.

This is the real challenge of a 9 Islands tour that rarely anyone talks about: the two best-known destinations like different water levels. The Tup sandbar only appears around low water and is submerged at high tide. The Hong lagoon, on the other hand, is at its best at higher water; at low tide it becomes shallow, parts dry out and larger boats cannot get in.

The Andaman Sea usually has two high and two low waters a day, and the times shift later by almost an hour from one day to the next. Roughly six hours lie between low and high water. For a long day that is good news: in eight or ten hours both destinations can usually be placed so that each gets its suitable water level. This cannot be guaranteed for every date, and at neap tides around half moon the sandbar may only partly emerge.

That is why we plan the order of stops around the water level on your day, not around a fixed pattern. If low water falls in the morning, the sandbar comes earlier and the lagoon later. If it falls in the afternoon, it is the other way round. Our tides guide explains how to read a tide table yourself.

Both versions combine Hong Island and the 4 Islands in one day. The difference lies in the time per stop and the number of destinations. As a rule of thumb from planning:

A whole day on the water needs a lunch break. You add food as an extra, for example the Thai lunch box (450 THB per person) or the catering package with two freshly prepared meals and drinks (500 THB per person). A quiet beach such as Koh Pakbia or Koh Lao Lading works well as a spot for the break.

Some islands or national parks charge an entrance fee; it is not included in the tour price and is paid on site to the rangers. Our article on national park fees in Krabi explains the background.