How To Get From Ao Nang to Railay Beach By Boat! & Railay Beach Guide!

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Railay Beach is one of the dreamiest places in Thailand but you can’t get to it by road, it has to be by boat and the closest place to do this from is Ao Nang so lets look at how to get from Ao Nang to Railay Beach!

Ao Nang is a holiday town in Krabi, Thailand. It’s a popular place to visit in Thailand because it’s fully set up for tourism with plenty of hotels, hostels, resorts, restaurants, bars and shops. Plus there’s a lot of things to do near Ao Nang and lots of activities on offer!

Ao Nang to Railay Beach

Ao Nang Beach is in a good location so it makes it the perfect place to stay in Krabi in Southern Thailand and use as a base to other beaches and to do day trips from like visiting Railay Beach which is just around the corner, or you can stay in Railay Beach for a few nights as it’s a beautiful area!

Although Railay Beach is part of the mainland of Thailand it can only be accessed via boat so you might find yourself asking ‘is Railay Beach an island?! because it feels like the many islands in Thailand to visit, but it’s not!

Boat from Ao Nang to Railay Beach

There’s a ticket stand for longtail boats along Ao Nang Beach at the corner where the road leads from the beach into the town, it’s just over the road from The Coffee Club. Here’s the location on Google Maps!

After you have purchased your ticket listen out for the boatmen calling ‘Railay, Railay!’, head that way, hand your ticket to the collection guys and they’ll tell you when to head to the boat.. easy! This how you get from Ao Nang to Railay.

The boats that take you from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach are the traditional Thai longtail boats.

Be warned that you will need to get into the ocean to climb up the little ladder onto the boat and when they drop you off you’ll have to jump into the ocean again too. So be sure to keep your bag as high as you can so a wave doesn’t crash into it and wear appropriate footwear and clothing.

The boat ride from Ao Nang to Railay is just 10 minutes, you may also get a bit wet from the splash of the ocean depending on where you sit in the boat.

You’ll get dropped off at Railay West Beach which is a really nice beach. It does get busy as this is the main Railay drop off point and those staying overnight in Hotels on Railay Beach get dropped with their bags here too.

Note – if you are staying in a hotel in Railay Beach, they will be able to arrange boats for you from Ao Nang and other parts of Krabi. The boats will often be speedboats too which are much nicer and comfier than the traditional Thai longtail boats. Or search on 12GO Asia below for a speedboat to Railay Beach!

How To Get To Ao Nang

Lets look at how to get to Ao Nang to then be able to get to Railay!

Krabi to Ao Nang

Let’s quickly touch on how to get to Ao Nang. Ao Nang is pretty easy to get to, the easiest place to reach Ao Nang from is Krabi Town which has its own airport. Krabi Town to Ao Nang is a 30-minute drive.

There are plenty of minibuses on offer in Krabi Town to take you there, or you can book a bus on 12Go Asia from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang in advance. 

Phuket to Ao Nang

Phuket is a 3-hour drive from Ao Nang, but the best way to get from Phuket to Ao Nang is by boat which takes just 2 hours. This can be booked in advance or in Phuket.

Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan to Ao Nang

It will take a full travel day but you can get from one of the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao or Koh Phangan to Ao Nang via a boat and a few buses which you can book in advance online with 12GO Asia..

Bangkok to Ao Nang

Finally, if you’re flying into Bangkok and you want to go straight to Ao Nang or to Railay you can get on a 16 hour bus direct. (Although be warned this is Thailand and it might take a bit longer!)

Things To Do in Railay

Once in Railay, there are many things you can do during your day or multiple days there:

Visit the different beaches in Railay

The best thing about Railay is that there are actually quite a few things to do in Railay, including visiting 3 more beautiful beaches – Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai.

Both Railay East and Phra Nang are the easiest to get to as there is a paved path from Railay West and it’s flat. Once there, the beaches can be very busy as they are often part of the island-hopping day trips like this so a lot of people come and go, but they are both gorgeous with amazing water!

Phra Nang is fairly remote or at least quite far to walk to a shop from but that’s ok because there are snack boats which line part of the beach selling all sorts of food and drink! Such a good idea!

Tonsai Beach is much quieter and has more of a chilled out, backpacker vibe compared to the high-end resort hotels in Railay. It’s possible to get from Railay Beach to Tonsai by foot but you’ll need to climb the side of the cliff that splits the two (you’ll see what I mean when you get there) or go the back way and do the jungle hike which is quite hard work!

Tonsai Beach is worth it because you’ll see a totally different side of this area but if you only have an hour or so to spend, I’d say the walk isn’t worth it as it is hard work in the heat.

Alternatively, you can get one of the longtail boats from Railay to Tonsai in 5 minutes if you’re happy to pay for the journey.

Related Post: Tonsai Beach Guide – Yoga, Rock Climbing and What It’s Like Now!

Railay Viewpoint

Whilst you’re in Railay you can also head up to some viewpoints (although be warned you have to climb!) and find some caves to explore!

There are lots of maps on the walkways around Railay to help show you where you can find them!

Railay Rock Climbing

Like the nearby beach of Tonsai, Rock Climbing in Railay is great too! You can book Rock Climbing Lessons in Krabi like this in advance, but if you get to Railay Beach early you may be able to get a lesson the day!

Railay Water Activities

Snorkelling gear can be hired as can Kayaks and Stand Up Paddleboards. Going out on the water at sunset is amazing and I saw a sunset kayak tour leaving Railay West Beach which would be good to join and you can book once you’re there.

Sunset in Railay

If you don’t fancy being out on the water at sunset, be sure to stay on Railay West for it because the sun sets right in front of you!

There are lots of places to eat near Railay Beach for all budgets. There’s quick takeout food which is the cheapest option, cafes and restaurants. There’s also the snack boats I mentioned, and there are a few supermarkets to get drinks and snacks from.

For a day time drink or a sunset drink, you’ll find good bars in Railay too and I think the nightlife in Railay beach is pretty good too, chilled but plenty going on.

There are also lots of shops selling the usual Thailand items, massage parlours and tattoo shops to help pass your day or help you get out of the sun if it gets too hot!

If you want to stay on Railay Beach, you can. Railay is a place with a fair bit of accommodation, although most resorts and fancier hotels making it more expensive to stay than Ao Nang.

Visiting Railay Beach whilst in Krabi and Ao Nang is a must because the beaches are so beautiful, and it works out as a really nice day trip from Ao Nang!

Accommodation in Railay

If you’re thinking about staying in Railay overnight too, all of the accommodation is online and you can check availability and rates on Booking.com here.

Day Trips from Ao Nang

Like I said, Ao Nang is a great base for day trips and there are also so many other day trips from Ao Nang including island hopping tours including a tour to Phi Phi Island, Zip Lining, Quad Biking, Hiking and much more. Here are some tours you can look into and book online:
Klook.com

 

• For more of my Thailand posts see:
• 60 Tips To Know BEFORE Going to Thailand To Have The BEST Time!
• 2 Weeks in Thailand Itinerary Visiting The North & South Islands!
• 1 Month Thailand Itinerary & it’s Party Islands!
• How to Visit Koh Samui on a Budget!