4 Day Railay Beach Itinerary – Things to do in Krabi
Krabi Thailand is one of the most unique spots to visit in all of Thailand. This Railay Beach Itinerary will include some of the best things to do in Krabi which include island hoping, beach days, hiking and rock climbing. As a traveler you could easily spend up to a week in Krabi with plenty to do depending on your budget. If you have time I highly recommend going to other places locally such as Koh Lanta, Ko Yao Yai or Koh Phi Phi.
If you looking for a luxurious stay considering checking out Phuket’s beach resorts as they are some of the nicest in Thailand.
Is Railay Beach Expensive? – Railay Beach Itinerary
YES, compare to other places in Thailand and Southeast Asia in general it is very expensive. Indonesia and the Philippines are generally a lot cheaper than Thailand. We were very surprised at how expensive Railay was even though we went during low season. If you are wondering what to do in Railay Beach, and if its worth it the answer is yes. You won’t find much food under 80 Baht. Compare that to Bangkok where Pad Thai and Iced Coffee can be under 40 baht, Railay usually is 100 baht each. Hotels are also generally at least $20 per night if you are looking for something with AC. You can find places cheaper without AC but from our experiences AC makes the stay much more enjoyable.
Best places to stay in Railay Beach – Under 1,000 Baht per night
Railay Phutawan Resort – Located near Railay and secluded in quiet section of town
Avatar Railay Resort – Located on the east side of Railay with an awesome restaurant out front
Anyavee Railay Resort – Located next to Avatar Resort with swimming pool
There are Hostels in Railay to stay at for cheaper but we aren’t huge fans of Hostels. With all of our expensive camera gear and items in general we prefer to stay in hotels when possible.
What to do in Railay Beach? Railay Beach Itinerary
Day 1 – Beach Day
Depending on what time you arrive in Krabi you will most likely not have a full day to take advantage of some of the other activities so we recommend going to your hotel and then heading to the beach. Railay has multiple beaches but only 2 are beaches worthy visiting and swimming at. The most popular being Railay Beach (West) and the other one being Ao Phra Nang Beach. Railay is generally better for swimming as there is no rocks and generally calm waters.
Ao Phra Nang Beach is just as great though but the one part does have a-lot of rocks. This is because the beach partially connects to another Island 50m across that you can swim/walk to and explore! After 5:30pm a-lot of tour companies will also be arriving at Ao Phra Nang Beach due to the 7 island sunset tour. This means it gets really crowded almost instantly as 10+ boats will be arriving.
Our recommendation – Go to Ao Phra Nang Beach first and then head to Railay West for sunset. Railay will have a better view of the sun going down which is another reason we recommend that over Ao Phra Nang at night. There are also plenty of restaurants and small food vendors to get food at while at Railay which is great incase you want to grab dinner while switching beaches.
Day 2 – 4 Islands Day Trip or Phi Phi Islands
A trip to Railay or Krabi is not complete without an island hoping tour. There are so many tour options available that go to the famous Koh Phi Phi or Hong Island but, we recommend going to a destination special to Krabi and the local areas. Tours leaving from Phuket do not go to these destinations which make them less crowded and feel more special. We originally did the 7 Islands Sunset Tour and realized the whole “sunset” portion of the tour was spent on Ao Phra Nang Beach as I mentioned earlier.
We hoped to spend sunset on the boat sailing through the islands but instead were taken back to a beach we could walk to from our resort. This is the reason we recommend doing the day tour 4 Islands day trip. If you aren’t going to be going to Phuket or any other areas in Southern Thailand then Phi Phi should be the tour you take. One of the best and most famous things to do in Thailand is to visit Phi Phi Islands. The area is renowned for snorkeling and scuba diving, with amazing backdrops for when you are crushing around on the boat.
7 Islands Sunset Tour cost – 700 baht + 400 baht national park fee
4 Islands Tour cost – 400 baht + 400 baht national park fee
Phi Phi Islands Tour cost – 1000 baht + 400 baht national park fee
Day 3 – Rock Climbing at Railay Beach – Krabi Itinerary
Rock climbing is done all over Railay Beach and once you spend your first two days there you will see. There are classes that range from beginner to expert with different climbs and routes all over the island. We booked our tour through Klook and had an awesome experience climbing from 9am to noon. It’s important to note that groups sizes go up to 4 per guide. The tour we booked ended up being just us which was great, as we got to climb more and talk to the guide.
We have gone ice climbing in Alaska and this was close to being on par with that experience. We are not expert rock climbers by any means, but this was the best rock climbing we have ever done in our life. I highly recommend you rock climb at Railay Beach.
After Rock Climbing – What to do in Railay Beach?
You will get done rock climbing somewhere around noon which means you should be hungry for lunch. There are two main strips on the Islands that offer food so you can easily find food within five minutes of walking. We loved going to Mama’s Kitchen located in East Railay for both lunch and dinner. There is a pizza restaurant next to them has the best pizza in Railay for 180 baht ($6 usd). After rock climbing your arms are probably going to be tired so you can either head to the beach for the rest of the day or go to Diamond cave for 100 baht per person. It is not the most spectacular cave in the world but it is fairly cheap and offers a good 30 minutes of activity and exploring.
Important information – Railay Beach travel guide
- Guide does not bring water
- Guide will bring you climbing shoes
- Get to your meet-up location early to get climbing first
- Bring snacks
- Bring dry bag – it rains a-lot in low season
Rock Climbing at Railay Beach cost – $30 usd
Day 4 – Hiking and Beach day at Railay – What to do in Krabi Thailand?
Get to bed early the third day because Railay has some awesome hikes to offer with amazing viewpoints. If you enjoy hiking and love hard and unique hikes then Railay viewpoint is perfect. Hiking this for sunrise is super rewarding and challenging at the same time because of how muddy, slippery and steep the slope is. Railay viewpoint hike is located on the way to Ao Phra Nang Beach and can’t be missed. It is only about 1km long but more than half of that is essentially rock climbing up (there are ropes).
Another awesome part of the hike is that there is an even harder location to get which is a hidden lagoon in the mountains. We never made it to the lagoon due to it being monsoon season the trail was closed because of all the rain. Look up pictures of lagoon at Railay Beach and you will understand what I am talking about. It is about 1.5km hike going up and then all the way back down to almost sea level. It is completely hidden and one of the spots we wish we were able to visit.
If you are able to go to the lagoon and the viewpoint you are likely to spend a few hours in the mountain. After that go grab some lunch and relax for the rest of the day at either Railay Beach or Ao Phra Nang. Not everyday needs to be spent doing tours and following guides so have this day be you own adventure in Krabi.
In the picture below at the viewpoint Railay West is on the left side, while Railay East is the beach directly behind us.
Spending a week in Railay Beach?
There is a-lot to do in Railay and the surrounding area, so if you have time be sure to indulge in everything.
- Hong Island Tour
- Koh Sok National Park
- Day trip to Koh Lanta
- Day trip to Krabi Town
- Island tour to Koh Yao Yai
Head over to Bangkok for shopping and partying!
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