How to Get to Railay Beach: Airport, Ao Nang and Boat Fares
How to get to Railay, reachable only by boat, from Krabi Airport, Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Phuket, with fares, times and what to watch for.
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Railay has no road. Limestone cliffs cut the peninsula off from the mainland, so the last leg of every journey is a boat. The good news is that it is short: about 10 minutes from Ao Nang and about 30 minutes from Krabi Town on Wikivoyage's figures.
The rest is a choice between doing it yourself for a few hundred baht or booking a transfer that includes the boat. Both are covered below. If you are still getting to Krabi from Bangkok, Thailand Voyager's Bangkok to Krabi guide covers that first leg.
Routes at a glance
| From | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi Airport | Airport bus or limo to Ao Nang, then a longtail to Railay West | About 30 minutes by limo or 1 hour by bus, then about 10 minutes by boat | Limo from 600 baht for up to four people, bus 150 baht per person, boat 80 baht by day (Wikivoyage) |
| Krabi Airport (all-in) | Private transfer to the pier and the boat to Railay, with meet and greet | Not stated on the listing | From US$25 per person (GetYourGuide, 4.6 stars, 48 reviews) |
| Krabi Town | A longtail direct to Railay East, or a songthaew to Ao Nang and then a longtail | About 30 minutes by longtail; songthaews run every 15 to 20 minutes | Songthaew 60 baht; boat fares vary (Wikivoyage) |
| Ao Nang | A longtail from the east end of the beach | About 10 minutes | 80 baht by day, 100 baht after 18:00 (Wikivoyage, Ao Nang) |
| Ko Phi Phi | A fast speedboat | About 40 minutes | From US$30 one way (GetYourGuide, 4.8 stars, 44 reviews) |
| Ko Lanta and Phuket | Ferries or longtails to Ao Nang or Railay | Depends on the route; more frequent November to May | Longtails from Ao Nang to Phi Phi and Ko Lanta are around 200 baht per person (Wikivoyage) |
The last leg is always a boat
Wikivoyage says access to Railay is only by boat, because it sits on the tip of a peninsula blocked by Khao Nang mountain. In practice you take a longtail. From Ao Nang they leave from the east end of the beach, and Wikivoyage's Railay page lists a minimum of 8 people for the shared boat, so expect to wait for it to fill or pay for a charter.
Fares differ between Wikivoyage's pages and other sources, and sea conditions and time of day change them: the Ao Nang page lists 80 baht per person by day and 100 baht after 18:00, while the Railay page quotes 100 baht. Treat the numbers as a guide and confirm at the pier.
Railay West or Railay East?
Most longtails from Ao Nang arrive at Railay West, on the beach. Boats to and from Krabi Town use Railay East, which has a pier. A Trip.com guest at Bhu Nga Thani describes taking the airport bus, being dropped at Ao Nam Mao Pier, taking a longtail to Railay East and stepping off onto the pier with the hotel about 30 seconds away.
A beach landing can mean stepping into the water with your luggage, so ask your hotel which landing is nearest and pack accordingly. This is the single most useful question to ask before you book.
Getting around once you are there
There are no roads, so you walk. Trip.com guests describe everything as within about a 10 to 20 minute walk from one side of the peninsula to the other, and one guest gives about ten minutes from Railay West to Phra Nang beach. Boats to Ao Nang and to the islands leave from Railay West.
Should you pre-book?
You do not need to. The standard boat runs from Ao Nang whenever it fills. But if you are landing late, travelling with heavy luggage or just want no pier confusion, the airport-to-Railay transfer on GetYourGuide includes the pier and the boat with meet and greet from US$25 per person. It has a 4.6 rating from 48 reviews, a small base, so weigh it accordingly.
Last verified: 29 September 2026
Sources
Frequently asked questions
No. Railay is on a peninsula cut off from the mainland by limestone cliffs and is reachable only by boat.
Read the Railay travel guideWikivoyage's Ao Nang page lists 80 baht per person by day and 100 baht after 18:00, for about 10 minutes. Its Railay page quotes 100 baht and a minimum of 8 people for the shared boat, so confirm at the pier.
Railay or Ao Nang, side by sideNot all the way: the last leg is a boat. Wikivoyage lists an airport limo to Ao Nang from 600 baht for up to four people, about 30 minutes. A GetYourGuide transfer that includes the boat is listed from US$25 per person.
Compare areas and pricesA fast speedboat takes about 40 minutes and is listed on GetYourGuide from US$30 one way (4.8 stars, 44 reviews).
Browse Phi Phi and island toursSources: Wikivoyage (Railay, Ao Nang), Wikipedia (Railay Beach, Krabi), and the Trip.com and GetYourGuide pages read on 20 September 2026. Fares and prices change, so check them before you travel.
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