Kayaking from Ao Nang, Railay or Ko Lanta: Where You Stay Decides
Kayak tours by where you are staying in Krabi: free pickup in Ao Nang, the pier for Railay guests, the short Ao Nam Mao paddle, and Ko Lanta's sea caves and mangroves. Checked November 2026.
Where you sleep decides which kayak trip is easy. From Ao Nang, book V Welcome Travel’s Krabi: Ao Thalane Mangrove Kayaking Tour with Pickup, from US$24 on promotion, usually US$40 a person (checked November 2026): the driver collects you at your hotel for free and the mangroves are about 31 km up the road. From Railay there is no road, so the tours that take Railay guests meet them at a pier on the mainland. On Ko Lanta, book a Lanta tour: the island has its own sea caves and mangroves, and Ao Thalane is a long drive away.
The morning, afternoon and sunset sessions cost US$39.80, US$39.80 and US$59.85 a person on the dates we read. Ao Nang pickup for the morning session is 08:30 to 09:00.
From Ao Nang
Most of the tours on this site collect from Ao Nang hotels at no extra charge. Two choices sit close to the beach:
- The full mangrove half day at Ao Thalane. About 31 km by road, 30 minutes to an hour in the van, two hours on the water. V Welcome Travel picks up free in Ao Nang; from Krabi Town or Klong Muang it costs 200 baht a person.
- A short paddle at Ao Nam Mao. Sea Gypsy Tour And Travel's Ao Nang Mangrove Kayak with Meal spends 1.5 to 2 hours in the mangroves and limestone near Ao Nam Mao, with a lunch set, in a group of at most 9, from US$30 (checked November 2026). Absolute Kayaking Mangrove Krabi's tour is 2.5 hours with water shoes and dry bags provided and children free, from US$34, with 6 reviews.
If you have a morning to spare, Ao Thalane gives you more paddling for the drive. If you want to be back by lunch with the afternoon on the beach, the Ao Nam Mao paddle fits better.
From Railay
Railay is reached by boat, so the kayak tours do not collect from its hotels. They meet Railay guests at a pier instead:
| Tour | Where Railay guests are collected |
|---|---|
| Half-Day Kayak Adventure at Ao Thalane (For Friends travel &tour) | Ao Nammao Pier or Ao Nang Pier |
| Deep Mangrove and Canyon Kayak Tour in Krabi (First Level Kayaking Trip) | Ao Nam Mao Pier, at 8:30 AM |
| Hong Island Longtail Boat & Kayak Tour (Krabi Sunset Tours) | No pickup from Railay or Tonsai |
| Klong Root (Crystal Lake) Kayaking tour (Travel CoCo) | No pickup from Railay |
From the GetYourGuide and Viator listings, November 2026.
Ao Nam Mao Pier is a short longtail ride from Railay East; confirm the meeting time with the operator after booking. None of the kayak tours on this site launches from Railay itself.
From Ko Lanta
Ko Lanta Old Town is about 116 km by road from Ao Nang (routed, November 2026), so the Ao Thalane tours are not a day trip from the island. Ko Lanta has its own:
| Tour | From | Length | What you paddle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko Phee & Ko Talabeng Kayaking, 2 Caves (Diamond Cave Tour) | US$30 | 4 hours | A sea cave at Ko Talabeng, after an easy guided climb in the cave on Ko Phee; lunch or dinner at a mangrove seafood restaurant |
| Kayak and Long-Tail Boat Nature and Wildlife Tour (Paradise Seatravel and Tour CO.,LTD.) | US$45 | 5 hours | Hidden caves round Ko Talabeng for 1.5 hours, then the Thung Yee Peng mangroves by kayak or longtail |
GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026); options not read on dates.
Both collect from hotels on Ko Lanta and go out from Thung Yee Peng. Paradise Seatravel and Tour CO.,LTD.'s trip leaves out a mangrove forest entrance fee of 20 baht a person; Diamond Cave Tour's includes lunch, soft drinks and fruit.
Book whichever fits where you are staying:
Krabi: Ao Thalane Mangrove Kayaking Tour with Pickup
Free hotel pickup, three sessions a day, two hours in the Ao Thalane mangroves with a guide, park entrance fees included.
Check dates →Krabi: Half-Day Kayak Adventure at Ao Thalane
For Friends travel &tour collects Railay guests at Ao Nammao Pier or Ao Nang Pier; groups of at most 10, 5 to 7 km in about two hours.
See the tour →Ko Lanta: Half-Day Ko Phee & Ko Talabeng Kayaking (2 Caves)
Diamond Cave Tour: a sea cave at Ko Talabeng, a cave climb on Ko Phee, and a meal at a mangrove restaurant, with hotel transfers on Lanta.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Before you book
- Krabi Town and Klong Muang. Several Ao Thalane tours charge 100 to 200 baht a person to collect from these areas; Tubkaek is 250 on For Friends travel &tour's trip.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide tour on this page cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Also around Krabi
Other Krabi Trips with Open Dates
Day trips from Ao Nang and Krabi Town with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
From Ao Nang, the Pickup Is Free
V Welcome Travel's Ao Thalane paddle collects you from your Ao Nang hotel at no charge: about two hours in the mangroves with a guide, in the morning, the afternoon or at sunset.
Check kayak dates