Visiting Krabi, Thailand: Top Sights on Foot

Krabi is the capital of Krabi Province, on Thailand’s west coast where the Krabi River meets Phang Nga Bay. It is a gateway to beaches, islands and limestone cliffs, but the town and its surrounding province also offer museums, religious sites, striking natural landmarks and places with deep local history. Neywo has a free audio guide for Krabi with 15 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

Krabi sits only 14 metres above sea level, between flat plains to the east, mountains to the west and the sea to the south. That setting gives the area its distinctive character: dramatic rock formations and coastal scenery are never far from the town’s everyday streets.

What to see in Krabi

Khao Khanap Nam

Khao Khanap Nam is one of Krabi’s most recognisable natural landmarks. The twin hills rise about 100 metres above the surrounding landscape, with the two peaks standing side by side.

Caves inside the hills contain archaeological evidence, including ancient human skeletons, pottery fragments and traces of old fireplaces. The concentration of remains has led experts to believe that a sudden flood once overwhelmed a settlement here.

Krabi City Pillar Shrine

The Krabi city pillar shrine, also known as the City Pillar Shrine, is one of the town’s religious landmarks. Its Thai name is ศาลหลักเมืองกระบี่.

Wat Sai Thai

Wat Sai Thai is a Buddhist temple in Krabi Province, also known locally as วัดไสไทย. It offers another perspective on the religious and cultural landscape around the town.

Al-Aman Mosque

Al-Aman Mosque, also known as Matsayit Ban Khlong Haeng or มัสยิดบ้านคลองแห้ง, is a mosque in Krabi Province. Including sites such as this in a visit gives a broader view of the area’s religious life.

Emerald Pool

The Emerald Pool is a lake in Khlong Thom Nuea, Thailand. It is also known locally as Sra Kaew, the Shrine of Anascetic, or สระน้ำผุด.

Wat Khlong Thom Museum

The Wat Khlong Thom Museum is located in Khlong Thom Tai, in Krabi Province. It adds a historical dimension to a day spent exploring the area beyond Krabi town.

Islands and coastal landscapes near Krabi

Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands are an archipelago in Thailand’s Andaman Sea, known for towering limestone cliffs, sea caves, beaches and coral reefs. They form part of Hat Noppharat Thara Marine National Park, which covers roughly 390 square kilometres of protected sea and coastline in Krabi Province.

The islands were first settled by Thai Malay fishermen in the late 1940s and later became a coconut plantation. Today, the resident community is predominantly Muslim, while transient workers bring a Buddhist majority. The islands’ infrastructure was almost entirely destroyed by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

Maya Bay

Maya Bay is a crescent-shaped bay on Phi Phi Leh, surrounded by limestone cliffs. Its fine white sand formed from crushed coral, while the vivid green water allows the sandy bottom to remain visible.

The bay became internationally famous after serving as a filming location for The Beach in 2000, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The production later faced a lawsuit from Thailand’s Forestry Department over alterations to the natural landscape. In September 2022, Thailand’s Supreme Court ordered the department to restore the bay and awarded 10 million baht for conservation work.

Religious sites across the province

Krabi Province includes religious and cultural sites beyond the town and the Phi Phi Islands. On Ko Lanta, the Ba-Lai Mosque and Jannatul Hasanah Mosque reflect the island’s Muslim community, while the Maha Katyayana Shrine is a Chinese temple. The island is also home to the Sala Dan Bureau of Monks, a Buddhist site.

In Nuea Khlong, the Qing Shui Pagoda, also known as the Chinese Pagoda, serves as a venue for ceremonies during the annual vegetarian festival.

For travellers exploring more of the country, Krabi also makes a useful point of comparison with destinations such as Phuket, Koh Lipe and Ko Lanta Yai. All are part of Thailand’s wider southern travel landscape, but Krabi stands out for the combination of river, limestone hills, archaeological sites and Andaman islands found around it.

Explore Krabi with Neywo

Neywo’s free Krabi audio guide includes 15 narrated places. There are no scheduled tours or group walks: the app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Download Neywo and explore Krabi independently, from its religious landmarks and museums to the limestone landscapes and islands that define the province. When you continue travelling through Thailand, you can also discover Neywo guides for destinations including Koh Samui and Pattaya.