Snorkeling in Krabi: Hong Islands with sunset and night options
Steer your own wooden boat through limestone islands and bioluminescent plankton.
A private snorkeling tour from Krabi to the Hong Islands on a traditional long-tail boat, where you decide the route and timing. The base tour visits unspoiled beaches, a natural lagoon and tropical reefs with lunch on a quiet island. Upgrading adds a sunset sail around four islands and night snorkeling in bioluminescent water. Hotel pickup from Ao Nang is free. Other locations in Krabi have a separate transfer fee. A professional guide speaks English, Spanish or Thai, and the tour runs 7 to 9 hours depending on your chosen stops.
Options for this experience
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Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Hong Islands and Sunset Snorkel
- Board private Long Tail Boat
- Visit Hong Islands and swim in lagoon
- Snorkel in tropical waters
- Admire limestone cliffs
- Have lunch on non-touristy island
- Visit Tup Island and nearby islands
- See Chicken Head Island from boat
- Watch sunset at Phra Nang Beach
- Night snorkel with bioluminescent plankton
- Hong Islands 4h
- Tup Island 30m
- Phra Nang Beach 1h
What’s included
- Private long-tail wooden boat with a professional certified guide.
- snorkeling and fish ID briefing with life jackets.
- buffet lunch on a quiet island.
- fresh fruit and drinks throughout the day.
- national park fees.
- free hotel pickup and drop-off from Ao Nang.
- club sandwich during sunset (on upgraded options).
- night snorkeling in bioluminescent plankton (on upgraded options).
- all taxes and insurance.
Times
- Every day 11:00
Before you book
Operated by Thalassa Tour
Prices and times updated today
Traveler reviews
The experience
The boat is yours to captain. You're not following a set route or a group schedule. You tell the guide where you want to go and when you want to stop, and the long-tail wooden boat takes you there. That freedom is what makes the Hong Islands work: instead of hitting the crowded mainland beaches, you're anchoring at Rai, Pakbiar and Lading Islands, swimming in the natural lagoon where the water sits still and clear, and snorkeling reefs that see far fewer visitors than the standard tour stops. Lunch lands on a non-touristy island, not a restaurant pier.
If you upgrade, the afternoon opens up. You sail into the four-island loop: past Tup Island's turquoise shallows, the famous Chicken Island, and into Railay Bay for sunset at Phra Nang Beach. Then comes the night snorkel, which is the thing most people come back talking about: you're in the water after dark, and the plankton lights up when you move, turning the reef into something that looks like it shouldn't exist. The bioluminescence is real and it happens, though the intensity depends on the season and the night.
The boat includes a professional certified guide, snorkeling and fish ID briefing, life jackets, and fresh fruit and drinks throughout the day. National park fees are built in. Hotel pickup from Ao Nang is free. If you're staying in Railay or Krabi Town, there's a separate transfer cost you arrange when you book. Children as young as four can come, and vegetarian or halal meals are available if you request them ahead of time.
Is this one for you?Book the Hong Islands only option if you want the reef and lagoon without the longer afternoon commitment. Choose the four-island upgrade with sunset and night snorkel if you have the full day and want to see Railay Bay and the bioluminescent water. Pickup from Ao Nang is free. If you're staying elsewhere in Krabi, arrange your location when you book so the transfer cost is clear before checkout.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and Thai.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What's the difference between the Hong Islands only option and the one with four islands and sunset?
The Hong Islands only tour stays in the lagoon and reef area all day with lunch on a quiet island. The upgraded option adds a late-afternoon sail to four islands, sunset at Railay Bay, and night snorkeling in bioluminescent plankton. It fills the full 7 to 9 hours and costs more.
Do I need snorkeling experience to go on this tour?
No. The guide gives a snorkeling and fish ID briefing before you enter the water, and life jackets are provided. The minimum age is four years old, and you need a moderate level of physical fitness to climb in and out of the boat and swim in open water.
What's included in the price?
The private long-tail boat, professional guide, snorkeling gear briefing, life jackets, buffet lunch, fresh fruit, drinks (water, coke, iced tea, coffee), national park fees, all taxes and insurance are included. If you're staying in Ao Nang, hotel pickup and drop-off are free. Other locations have a separate transfer fee.
Can I choose my own departure time and pickup location?
Yes. You contact the operator to arrange your departure time and pickup location. Ao Nang hotels get free round-trip transport at 10:45 am. Krabi Town, Klong Muang and Tup Kaek have morning departures with a separate minivan fee. Railay guests can arrange boat pickup at the beach for an extra cost.
What is the night snorkel like?
Night snorkeling happens in shallow reef water after sunset, where bioluminescent plankton glow when disturbed by movement. It's included only in the upgrade options that add the four-island loop and sunset sail. The plankton visibility varies by season and conditions.
How long does the tour take?
The tour runs 7 to 9 hours depending on which stops you choose and how long you spend at each one. The Hong Islands only option is shorter. Adding the four islands, sunset and night snorkel fills the longer end of that window.
Snorkeling in Krabi: Hong Islands with sunset and night options
7h–9h · EN · ES +1 · at your hotel
from US$ 445 per group
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.