Is the Secrets of Krabi Day Trip from Phuket Worth It?

The day, hour by hour

Pickup runs from 05:00 to 06:00, and the drive to mainland Krabi takes the rest of the early morning. At 09:00 you walk through the old rainforest of Bang Khram forest park, and at 09:30 you're in the Emerald lake, a pool of warm mineral water you can swim in. The Blue lake at 10:10 is the turquoise one, and it's for photographs only. At 10:50 comes the hot waterfall with the thermal springs, then a Thai lunch at a local café at 11:40.

After lunch the group reaches the Tiger Cave temple at 13:20. The 1,260 steps to the summit are optional; the cave monastery with its Buddha images at the bottom is the alternative. At 16:00 there's a stop to feed an elephant and take photos, at 17:00 the Klong singing cave, where the stalactites hold a note, and the itinerary closes at 17:40 with the return to your hotel.

Why it's worth it

Three kinds of warm water in one morning. The Emerald lake, the hot waterfall and the thermal springs come one after another before lunch, and towels for swimming are included, so you don't need to haul a beach bag around the forest. Nothing on this day depends on a boat, so it runs on days when the island trips are cancelled.

The price also covers more than it first looks like. Hotel transfer both ways, the guide, insurance, national park fees, the Bang Khram park tickets, access to the thermal springs, cave tickets, lunch and drinking water are all included. And the Tiger Cave climb, if you take it, ends in a view over the whole plain, with monkeys along the way.

Why it might not be

The start. A pickup between 05:00 and 06:00 is very early, and the card says plainly that the day is long. If you need a slow morning, this isn't the trip. The steps are the second thing: they're steep, it's hot, and most people take around an hour to get up, so if you plan to climb, carry water and go slowly. Nobody makes you climb.

And there's no sea. If white sand and snorkelling are what you came for, a Krabi island day by boat fits better; Krabi four islands: is it worth it covers that one. The route can also change with the weather, and the times on the card are approximate. Why it's the safer Krabi plan in October is on Phuket tours in October.

What's included, and what you pay on the spot

Included: hotel transfer both ways, the guide, insurance, national park entrance fees, Bang Khram park tickets, access to the thermal springs, cave entrance tickets, a traditional Thai lunch, drinking water and towels for swimming.

Paid on the spot: feeding the elephant, 100 ฿, and the temple offering, 50 ฿. Temple clothing hire and personal spending are extra too, and the temples ask for shoulders and knees covered, so wearing the right clothes from the morning saves the hire. Pack swimwear, sunscreen, comfortable trainers, water shoes for the cave and a little cash for the small extras. The tour price itself is in the table on this page, in baht.

Who it suits

It works for people who have already done two or three boat days, for anyone who gets seasick, and for couples who prefer a swim in warm water to a beach. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and from ten the adult price applies; with younger children the early start is the thing to think about, more than the walking.

• →You want to swim in the Emerald lake and hot springs — Secrets of Krabi
• →You want Krabi's islands and a sunset sandbar by boat — Krabi tropical paradise
• →You'd rather skip the climb but still see the temple — Secrets of Krabi, with the monastery at the bottom
• →You want hot springs at sunset after elephants and rafting — the Avatar world day

Secrets of Krabi or another day off the boats?

The nearest relatives are our other land days. Hot springs and spa days from Phuket compares the Krabi hot waterfall with Mantra Spa and the Natai springs, and land tours from Phuket gathers the days without a sea crossing. If it's the lakes you're curious about, the Emerald lake and Blue lake guide explains which one you can swim in, and the Tiger Cave temple guide goes through the climb step by step. It's one of the days we suggest on day trips after Phi Phi, alongside James Bond island and the Similans.

Guide, children and booking

Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send the tour, the date and your hotel, and we confirm the pickup time. For the islands rather than the forest, how to book the Krabi four islands tour lists what to send for the boat day. For the island side of Krabi, see Krabi four islands or Hong island.

Questions people ask