Which 4 Islands Snorkelling Tour from Krabi Is Worth Booking?
5 min read
For most people, book the 4 Islands longtail trip with lunch and snorkelling: €28.98, six hours, 4.3 stars from 52 reviews, mask and snorkel included. If you want the bigger review base and a choice of group format, take the 4 Islands Hopping & Snorkeling Tour at €31.96. If Maya Bay matters more than the Four Islands, the Phi Phi and 4 Islands speedboat trip at €66.58 is the one that fits.
What “with snorkelling” means here
These trips combine island hopping and snorkelling. The beginner speedboat also includes a safety briefing and guide support for first-timers. The questions worth asking are how many of the stops you can get in the water at, what you have to bring, and which fee you pay in cash. All starting prices below are per person; select the private option and party size separately. The official park-status list gives Maya Bay an annual closure from 1 August to 30 September. Sea conditions and park decisions can also change stops; a sandbar visit depends on the tide. The official park-status list also marks diving on the west side of Ko Kai (Ao Khang Khao) as temporarily closed. Use only sites open on your travel date.
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Islands by longtail with lunch and snorkelling | 6 hours | €28.98 | 4.3 (52 reviews) | Most first-timers |
| 4 Islands Hopping & Snorkeling Tour | 7 - 8 hours | €31.96 | 4.1 (194 reviews) | Shared or private format |
| Phi Phi and 4 Islands by speedboat with snorkelling | 7 hours | €66.58 | 4.6 (37 reviews) | Maya Bay and snorkelling in one day |
| 4 Islands beginner snorkelling by speedboat | 7 hours | €42.61 | new (0 reviews) | Beginner support |
The longtail: snorkelling at Chicken Island and Ko Poda
The route is Phra Nang Beach, Chicken Island, the Ko Tup sandbar and Ko Poda. The listing puts the snorkelling at Chicken Island and again at Ko Poda, where lunch is eaten on the beach. Snorkel gear, life jacket, lunch, fruit and water are in the price, and the page tells you to bring the park fee, 200 baht per person, in cash to the check-in point. The guides speak English and Thai. Pickup covers Ao Nang, Krabi Town and nearby areas confirmed by the operator. The tour excludes pregnant travellers, people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users. Its rating is 4.3 from 52 reviews.
See availability for the longtail trip with snorkelling
The hopping tour: the same islands, more options
This one lists snorkelling at Phra Nang, Ko Poda and Chicken Island, with about an hour and a half pencilled in per stop, and it sells shared, small-group and private versions. Equipment, life jackets, lunch and fruit are included; the park fee is extra at 200 baht per adult and 100 baht per child. Hotel transfers are for Ao Nang only, with Railay and Koh Lanta excluded. The rating is 4.1 from 194 reviews. Pregnant travellers and people with back problems are excluded. One guest wrote that Ko Poda was too busy to visit, so expect the itinerary to bend.
Check the 4 Islands hopping and snorkelling tour
The speedboat: Phi Phi and a higher park fee
This is a Phi Phi day with Ko Poda and Chicken Island at the end. The itinerary gives one hour of snorkelling at a viewpoint stop near Monkey Beach, 50 minutes at Maya Bay and 30 at Pileh Lagoon, but only a photo stop at Chicken Island and an hour of free time at Ko Poda. Mask, snorkel, life jacket and a buffet lunch are included; fins are not. The park fee is listed at 400 baht per person, double what the longtail trips ask. A Dutch guest called the entry to Maya Bay hectic and the bay packed, and still thought it worth it. The page lists pregnancy, back, heart, respiratory and mobility problems among the exclusions and advises against speedboat travel within a year of back, leg or arm surgery. The operator also excludes wheelchair users, advises against booking on a flight day and charges 1,500 THB for a lost mask-and-snorkel set. It states that Maya Bay has no beach landing from 1 August to 30 September 2027; only sightseeing around the bay is offered then. Guiding is in English, and the operator requires passengers to stay on the boat at Monkey Beach.
See availability for the Phi Phi and 4 Islands speedboat trip
The beginner speedboat with guide support
The speedboat beginner trip lists 45 minutes of snorkelling at Chicken Island, 45 minutes of free time at Thale Waek and lunch at Ko Poda. It includes a snorkelling briefing, mask, life jacket, lunch, insurance and hotel transfers in selected areas; remote pickup may cost extra. Fins are excluded. The park fee is 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child, payable in cash on-site. The guides speak English and Thai. It excludes pregnant travellers, people with back, heart or mobility problems, wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness. Compare €42.61 with €66.58 for the Phi Phi trip; choose this one for beginner support, not for Phi Phi stops.
Which to pick
Take the €28.98 longtail if the aim is a cheap, simple day with a mask in the boat. The hopping tour starts at €31.96 per person and offers shared, small-group and private formats; select the format and party size to see its actual price. Pay €66.58 when Phi Phi is the real goal and the Four Islands are the add-on. For where snorkelling is actually good, read our guide to snorkelling in Krabi; for the boat decision alone, see longtail or speedboat.
