Short answer
Our Hong Island tour from Ao Nang is from $40 per person and takes about 7 to 8 hours. After hotel pickup between about 7:30 and 8:40 am, a speedboat leaves at about 9:00 am for the sea caves at Pakbia and Lading, the lagoon inside Hong Island, lunch on a beach and snorkelling or the viewpoint climb, and you are back at about 3:30 pm. The national park fee, 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, is paid in cash. Hong Island is in Than Bok Khorani National Park.
What the Hong Islands day involves
The day starts with a minibus from your hotel in Ao Nang or the Krabi area between about 7:30 and 8:40 am. At a private pier you have coffee and a light breakfast, and the speedboat leaves at about 9:00 am. The route goes to the sea caves at Pakbia and Lading, then to the lagoon inside Hong Island, then to a beach for lunch, where you can snorkel or climb to the 360° viewpoint. The boat is back at about 3:30 pm and the minibus takes you to your hotel.
The price is from $40 per person. It includes the hotel transfer in Ao Nang and the Krabi area, the speedboat and an English-speaking guide, a light breakfast, drinking water and seasonal fruit, a Thai picnic lunch, a mask, a snorkel and a life jacket, and accident insurance. Fins are not provided, so bring your own if you want them. Railay and Tonsai guests are collected from the beach.
Which national park Hong Island is in
Hong Island is in Than Bok Khorani National Park, a marine and forest park in Krabi Province. Wikipedia lists Ko Hong among the park's islands, and the Department of National Parks' news pages report its rangers working at a ranger unit on Ko Hong. Wikipedia says the park was established in 1998, and Thai Wikipedia names Ko Hong, also called Ko Lao Pi Le, as the largest of the island group.
This is not the Koh Hong of Phang Nga Bay. Thai Holiday Guide warns that a different island with the same name lies off Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, with its own lagoon, and that tour pages often describe the two in almost the same words. Ours departs from Ao Nang. It is also a different park from the one that holds Poda and Chicken Island on our 4 Islands route, which is why the fees differ.
The lagoon inside Koh Hong
The lagoon is the reason most people book this day. Thai Holiday Guide calls it Thale Nai and describes a nearly enclosed pool of flat, jade-green water ringed by sheer limestone walls. Wikivoyage describes Ko Hong as a group of islands between Krabi and Ko Yao whose main island is popular for its picturesque lagoon. On our route the lagoon comes after the sea caves at Pakbia and Lading.
How visitors enter it is where sources differ. Thai Holiday Guide says the entrance is a narrow gap in the cliffs that you paddle through by kayak, with no walking route in. Our listing says only that the route visits the lagoon, and kayaks are not in the list of inclusions, so ask us how your day is run before you count on a paddle. Thai Holiday Guide also says there is no separate charge for the lagoon itself.
The 360° viewpoint: about 419 steps
The viewpoint is a climb, and on our day it is a choice. After the beach lunch you can snorkel or climb to the 360° viewpoint. Thai Holiday Guide describes a walkway of 419 metal steps, built in 2020, that takes about 20 minutes each way, mostly in shade, and says it is not part of every tour itinerary, so it is worth asking whether yours includes it.
From the top the guide describes an all-round view over the lagoon, the surrounding limestone islands and the Ao Nang coastline. The climb is a workout in the heat. If you have trouble with stairs, travel with small children or just prefer the water, snorkelling is the alternative on our itinerary. The Department of National Parks reported in May 2022 that rangers surveying the reef at the Ko Hong ranger unit found abundant fish and coral.
How far it is from Ao Nang and how long you are out
The crossing is short; the day is long. Thai Holiday Guide gives 25 to 50 minutes from Ao Nang to Koh Hong depending on the type of boat, and Thai Wikipedia says about an hour on a chartered boat. We do not publish a crossing time for our speedboat, so treat these as the range. What we can say is the day: about 7 to 8 hours from pickup, with the boat leaving the pier at about 9:00 am.
The return is at about 3:30 pm, followed by the transfer to your hotel. That is about an hour and a half later than our 4 Islands route, which is back at about 2:00 pm. If you need to be somewhere in the late afternoon, such as a flight or an evening booking, tell us when you write and plan the Hong day around it, or choose the shorter route.
Price, park fee and what is extra
The tour is from $40 per person, and the one extra is the national park fee: 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, paid in cash at check-in. A family of two adults and two children therefore brings 900 baht. Lunch, water, fruit, snorkelling gear, the life jacket and insurance are in the price. Fins and drinks beyond the water provided are not.
The Department of National Parks' fee schedule that took effect on 7 June 2022 puts Than Bok Khorani in the group where foreign adults pay 300 baht and foreign children 150, the same figures we collect on the tour. We found no later schedule in the Department's news archive as of October 2026, but fees get revised, so check the amount when you book. Thai Holiday Guide gives the same 300 and 150.
The best season for the Hong Islands
Thai Holiday Guide says December to April brings the calmest seas around Koh Hong, and that outside those months swell can make the lagoon entrance harder to pass. Wikipedia's article on the geography of Thailand says rain on the west coast peaks in September. No closed season is listed: the Royal Gazette's 2026 closure schedule shows no closed period for Than Bok Khorani.
On our tour, if the sea is unsafe the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it. Our listing also says jellyfish appear in some seasons, so long swimwear and water shoes help. If your dates fall between May and October, book with a flexible day in mind and read our comparison of the two Krabi routes before you choose.
Who should book, and the rules on the islands
The Hong Islands day suits people who want scenery and a lagoon more than long beach time, and who are comfortable with a day of 7 to 8 hours. Our listing does not recommend it for infants under 4, pregnant women or people with back or neck problems; children from about 4 can join. It is a shared speedboat tour, so expect other guests in the lagoon.
Two rules apply on the islands. Since 6 April 2022 the Department of National Parks has banned foam containers and single-use plastic packaging in national parks, a rule its Than Bok Khorani rangers explained to visitors on Ko Hong. And marine parks have banned sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC and butylparaben since August 2021, with fines of up to 100,000 baht, according to reports at the time.
Practical checklist
- Bring 300 baht per adult and 150 per child in cash for the park fee.
- Decide before you go whether you want the viewpoint climb of about 419 steps or snorkelling instead.
- Pack water shoes, swimwear, a towel, a dry bag and a mineral sunscreen; fins are not provided.
- Leave foam containers and single-use plastic at the hotel.
- Send us the date, your hotel and the number of guests, and say if you need to be back early.
Questions and answers
How long does the boat take from Ao Nang to Koh Hong?
Thai Holiday Guide gives 25 to 50 minutes depending on the type of boat, and Thai Wikipedia about an hour on a chartered boat. Our whole Hong Islands day is about 7 to 8 hours from hotel pickup.
Do I have to climb to the viewpoint?
No. On our itinerary you can snorkel at the beach instead. Thai Holiday Guide describes the viewpoint as 419 metal steps, about 20 minutes each way, and says it is not part of every tour.
How much is the Hong Islands park fee?
On our tour it is 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, paid in cash at check-in and not included in the price. It matches the Department of National Parks schedule in force since 7 June 2022.
Is Koh Hong in Krabi the same as Koh Hong in Phang Nga Bay?
No. This Ko Hong is in Than Bok Khorani National Park near Ao Nang. Another island of the same name lies off Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, so check the departure point of any tour.
Can children go on the Hong Islands tour?
Yes, from about 4 years old. Our listing does not recommend it for infants under 4, pregnant women or people with back or neck problems. A life jacket is included, and fins are not provided.