Krabi Chicken Island tour – Snorkelling sights and how to get there

Krabi’s coastline is nothing short of iconic. With its clear waters, limestone karsts, and postcard-perfect beaches (have you seen the photos of Railay?), it’s easy to see why both first-time visitors and seasoned Thailand travellers are drawn back to our coastal paradise time and time again.

The Krabi and Ao Nang area in particular serves as the gateway to a constellation of stunning offshore islands, each with its own unique personality. You can learn more about them in our blog: What is the 4-island tour in Krabi? Things to see and expect.

Among these, Chicken Island stands out not just for its quirky name, but for its incredible snorkelling, unusual shape, and the authentic Thai island experience it offers. Our local guides have explored every inch of these waters, and Chicken Island remains one of our most talked-about and beloved stops on our afternoon and sunset tours.

Here’s everything you need to know about it …

Why is it called Chicken Island?

Chicken Island (or Koh Gai in Thai) owes its name to the distinctive rock formation that juts out from one end of the island, resembling the head and neck of a chicken. Our guests always get a kick out of snapping photos with the “chicken head” in the background, and our guides love pointing it out. The unique geological shape is a conversation starter and a natural icon in the region.

Is Chicken Island good for snorkelling?

In short, absolutely! This is one of the main reasons we include it in our Krabi tour itinerary. The shallow reefs around Chicken Island offer clear visibility and an abundance of marine life, including clownfish, parrotfish, and occasionally even sea turtles.

Our guides know the safest and most vibrant snorkelling spots, away from the larger crowds, so you can enjoy the underwater world in peace. For first-time snorkelers or families with kids, Chicken Island is ideal due to its (often) calm waters and accessibility.

One of the main draws to Chicken Island (other than its comical head) is its sandbar, that provides a walking route across to Koh Tup at low tide. While many of the longtail tour operators will focus on this as part of the visit, we prefer to lean into the paddleboarding and kayaking opportunities in the area.

Due to a limited window with the tide times, we find the sandbar is often overcrowded and much prefer the quitter beach area.

How do I get from Krabi to Chicken Island?

Getting to Chicken Island from Krabi or Ao Nang is simple, especially when you join one of our Morning or Sunset Cruises.

We depart from Ao Nang (and Railay) in the early afternoon, cruising past other scenic spots like Poda Island and Tup Island. The boat ride to Chicken Island takes roughly 20–30 minutes depending on sea conditions. Unlike the typical longtail boat taxis, our tour offers a relaxed pace, shaded comfort, and a knowledgeable crew who add insight and humour along the way.

It’s worth noting that Chicken Island is often the second or third stop on our trip – but we will often work our order around the day’s sea conditions and surrounding tour boats. To make sure you get the most out of the area, we try to coordinate our stop times at quitter periods for you.

As an alternative to our 4-island cruise, you could opt to hire a private longtail boat. While there’s nothing to stop you hiring a longtail boat and chartering it specifically to Chicken Island, we don’t recommend it. Although the formation is beautiful, it’s not big enough to spend an entire day/half-day swimming around! We would encourage you to visit it as part of a wider island tour.

Is Chicken Island part of Phi Phi?

A common question we get from guests is whether Chicken Island is part of the Phi Phi Islands (we blame Google’s recent AI summary updates – it often gets it incredibly wrong, even regularly referring to Krabi as an island!). The short answer is no.

Chicken Island is part of the Mu Koh Poda archipelago, located much closer to Ao Nang and the Krabi mainland. While the Phi Phi Islands are stunning in their own right, Chicken Island (and its surrounding counterparts) offer a more laid-back, less commercialised vibe that many travellers find refreshing.

Why visit Chicken Island with Krabi Sunset Cruises?

With countless operators offering day trips to the islands around Krabi, what makes Krabi Sunset Cruises different is our local knowledge, personal service, and passion for storytelling.

Our Chicken Island tour isn’t just a drop-and-go stop – it’s a considered experience, where our guides will talk you through the tides and best pots that day, top you up with chilled drinks, and make sure you have freshly prepared snacks.

As we mentioned above, the rise in Google AI summaries means that information about what’s available around Krabi’s islands is often incorrect (remember, it’s essentially just a bit plagiarism tool – so if it’s lifting information from an incorrect site, it knows no better!) One of the most common things we see in its summaries is that Chicken Island has a small snack shack where visitors can purchase refreshments, including cold drinks and beer. This is incorrect. The islands here are National Park islands, and most of them had their food shacks removed (in order to reduce plastic pollution etc.) over a decade ago!

You can learn more about the history and comfort of our boat here, or browse the full list of boat amenities via our tour page.