Krabi to Koh Lanta Ferry 2026: Schedule, Prices, Booking

The right way to reach Koh Lanta flips with the season, and that catches most travelers out. In high season, November through April, the boats from Klong Jilad Pier win easily, three or four sailings a day across four operators to the calm southern end of the Krabi island chain. From June the southwest monsoon thins that to one morning boat with a real chance of cancellation, and the road via two short car ferries quietly becomes the safer bet. This guide covers both, starting with the Krabi to Koh Lanta ferry that does the heavy lifting most of the year.

Ao Nang Princess is the high season default. Phuket Ferry (Andaman Wave) runs faster for a small premium, Lanta Naga runs the cheapest crossing on the slower wooden ferry, and a private speedboat charter is the fast option for groups. We rate each below on schedule reliability, monsoon impact, and total cost door to door from the Krabi side.

Check current schedules and fares before booking, and read the season note below before you assume a boat will run.

Plan your trip

Ao Nang beach in Krabi with longtail boats and karst headlands — The Lanta boats leave from the Krabi coast, with Ao Nang and Klong Jilad the main departure points. Photographer: Satdeep Gill. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.

Krabi to Koh Lanta at a glance

Operator	Departures	Duration	Type	From (one-way)	Book
Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Fastest	Daily morning	1 hr	Speedboat	$15-25	Check availability
Tigerline Ferry	Daily	2 hrs	Scheduled ferry	$13-18	Check availability
Minivan + car ferry	Multiple daily	2-4 hrs	Land combo	$10-13	Check availability

Default ferry: Ao Nang Princess, 90 minutes, $12 to $14 online
Fast ferry: Phuket Ferry / Andaman Wave, 75 minutes, about 15 percent premium
Cheapest crossing: Lanta Naga wooden ferry, 120 minutes, roughly 25 percent below the standard fast ferries
Speedboat charter: 50 minutes, several hundred dollars for the whole boat
Origin pier: Klong Jilad Pier, 5 km south of Krabi Town
Destination pier: Saladan Pier at the north tip of Koh Lanta Yai
High season departures: 3 to 4 daily across operators, November through April
Monsoon impact: May through October drops to 1 morning sailing some days, cancellation rate about 1 day in 5 June through September

Four operators on the Krabi to Koh Lanta route

Each operator has a different total cost and a different reliability profile in monsoon months. Pick on what you trust to run on your dates.

Ao Nang Princess (default)

Ao Nang Princess runs the dominant direct service. 200-seat twin-hull with AC interior and an open upper deck. Crossing measured at 90 minutes in calm water. The 10:30am sailing runs every day of the year, plus 13:30 and 15:30 in high season.

Online fare runs $12 to $14 one way. Pier counter walk-up runs 25 to 35 percent above the online rate. Reliability rate of 4 days in 5 from June through September makes Ao Nang Princess the safest pick in monsoon.

Phuket Ferry (Andaman Wave Master)

Phuket Ferry runs the fast catamaran at 75 minutes in calm water and 90 minutes in chop. 80-seat AC throughout. The 11:30am sailing is the main departure, with a second high season run added.

Fares run $14 to $18 one way. Faster than Ao Nang Princess by 15 minutes for a 15 to 25 percent premium. One bottle of water bundled in the fare. Worth the premium only if you’re connecting to a specific afternoon activity on Lanta.

Lanta Naga (wooden ferry)

Lanta Naga runs the cheapest crossing on the slower 120-minute wooden ferry. Foot-passenger fares run $9 to $12 one way, about 25 percent below the standard fast ferries.

The Lanta Naga is the budget pick for travelers who don’t care about the extra 30 minutes. Cancellation rate higher in monsoon months because the wooden hull handles chop worse than the AC catamarans.

Private speedboat charter

Private speedboat charters cover the 45 km in 50 minutes from Krabi-side piers. The full boat books at several hundred dollars regardless of passenger count. Split across 6 to 8 passengers the per-head cost lands at roughly twice a high season Ao Nang Princess ticket.

The charter math only works for groups of 5 plus, families with kids who can’t wait for a 10:30 departure, or travelers landing late in Krabi who need to be on Lanta the same evening.

Krabi access points for Klong Jilad Pier

Klong Jilad Pier sits 5 km south of Krabi Town and 18 km from Ao Nang. Most travelers arrive from Ao Nang since that’s where most hotels sit. Krabi Airport is 15 km from the pier on the highway from Phang Nga.

From Krabi Town center: 5 km, allow 15 minutes by Grab or songthaew. Shared songthaew runs $1 per person, Grab car about three to five times that for door-to-door pickup.

From Ao Nang: 18 km, allow 30 minutes by Grab. Grab car runs $7 to $10 one way, and the morning surge to the pier raises that. Shared minivan from the Ao Nang strip stops at Klong Jilad on request for about a third of the Grab fare. Most travelers prefer Grab because the minivan window is unpredictable.

From Krabi Airport: 15 km, allow 25 minutes. Private taxi runs $12 to $18. Some travelers go straight from the airport to the pier on a same-day connection, which works if your flight lands by 8am for the 10:30 sailing.

From Railay Beach: longtail boat to Ao Nang first (no road access from Railay), then Grab or minivan to Klong Jilad. Allow 45 to 60 minutes total. The longtail to Ao Nang runs about $4 per person.

Andaman longtail boats on the Krabi to Lanta crossing — The route runs south down the Andaman coast through the islands toward Lanta. Photographer: Brandon Minieri. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.

What to watch for on the Krabi to Koh Lanta route

The four common Krabi to Koh Lanta failure modes are the May to October cancellations that surprise travelers booking off-season, the Nopparat Thara pier ticket sold to confused passengers (Nopparat Thara is a different pier, used for Phi Phi only), the flat fare quote at the pier that doesn’t match the operator online rate, and the storm-day speedboat upsell that pushes travelers from a cancelled ferry to a $40-plus speedboat seat. Confirm the operator name and pier name on every ticket before paying.

Onward connections from Koh Lanta and the return leg

Saladan Pier sits at the north tip of Koh Lanta Yai. The west coast resort strip runs 12 km south through Klong Dao, Long Beach, Klong Khong, Klong Nin, and Kantiang Bay. Onward songthaew to your hotel runs $3 to $6 per person, private transfer about three times that.

For Phi Phi: high season ferries from Saladan to Tonsai run 90 minutes (check Lanta to Phi Phi schedules). For Phuket: connections via Phi Phi or via Krabi-mainland-Phuket Bridge, the second longer but operating all year (compare Lanta to Phuket options). For return to Krabi: the same operators reverse the morning sailing in the afternoon. For the island hop itself, see the ferry between Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi and the return ferry between Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta aerial view in the Andaman Sea — Koh Lanta, a long low island of quiet beaches, is the calmer end of the Krabi island chain. Photographer: Dronepicr. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0.

Practicalities for the Krabi to Koh Lanta trip

The ferry itself. Check schedules and book your seat. Live schedules across all four operators, confirmed seat numbers, and an email ticket you show at the pier on your phone.
Onward Koh Lanta private transfer. Book a Saladan to hotel transfer. Beats the shared songthaew when you’re carrying heavy luggage or arriving with kids.

For onward island connections and the return leg:

Return leg back to Krabi. Lock the return seat before you leave the airport. Low season schedules can change with 48 hours notice.
Onward to Phi Phi or Phuket. Compare onward ferry options. The middle-route ferries from Saladan stop at Phi Phi Don twice daily in high season.
Bangkok onward. See bus and ferry combos to Bangkok. Compare flights from Krabi International for the fast 90 minute speed option.
Travel insurance. Compare Thailand travel insurance plans. Low daily rates. Covers monsoon ferry cancellation refunds and the scooter risk on Koh Lanta itself.

For SHA-certified hotel options on the Krabi side, see our Krabi SHA hotel guide. The best beaches in Krabi guide covers Railay, Ao Nang, and the day trip stops in detail. Our 3 days in Krabi itinerary ties the coast and the islands together.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the ferry from Krabi to Koh Lanta take?

Crossing time runs 90 to 120 minutes from Klong Jilad Pier to Saladan Pier. Ao Nang Princess and Andaman Wave both measure at 90 minutes in calm seas. Lanta Naga measures at 120 minutes on the slower wooden ferry. Private speedboat charters cover the 45 km in 50 minutes for several hundred dollars for the whole boat. Check the live schedule before booking.

How much does the Krabi to Koh Lanta ferry cost?

Standard ferry fares run $12 to $20 one way per adult in 2026. Online booking lands at the low end of that range, pier counter at the high end, and resort-arranged tickets carry roughly a 30 percent markup. The cheapest option is the Lanta Naga wooden ferry, priced about 25 percent below the standard fast ferries for the longer 120-minute crossing.

Does the ferry run year round?

The 10:30 morning ferry runs year round, weather permitting. Afternoon departures (13:30, 16:00) run November through April only. May through October the southwest monsoon cuts the schedule to one boat a day and the cancellation rate measures about 1 day in 5. Build a 24-hour buffer if your dates fall in monsoon months.

Can you book a Krabi to Koh Lanta ferry the day you arrive?

Yes in low season, no in December and January. Walk up at the Klong Jilad counter works May through October. Mid-December through January the morning ferry sells out 5 to 7 days ahead, so book online. Afternoon high season ferries have more last-minute availability.

Where does the Krabi to Koh Lanta ferry arrive?

Saladan Pier at the north tip of Koh Lanta Yai. Saladan is the village, not the beach strip where most hotels sit. The west coast resort strip runs 12 km south of the pier through Klong Dao, Long Beach, Klong Khong, Klong Nin, and Kantiang Bay. Onward transfer to your hotel runs from a few dollars by shared songthaew, with private transfer several times that for door-to-door service.

Which Krabi pier does the Koh Lanta ferry leave from?

Klong Jilad Pier, 5 km south of Krabi Town and 18 km from Ao Nang Beach. Klong Jilad is the main Krabi-side passenger ferry pier. Nopparat Thara is a separate pier 1 km north of Ao Nang strip, used for Phi Phi day trip speedboats. The two get confused frequently. Confirm Klong Jilad on the ticket.

Is it worth taking the fast Phuket Ferry over the standard Ao Nang Princess?

The Phuket Ferry catamaran saves about 15 minutes for a 15 to 25 percent premium. Worth it only if you’re connecting to a specific Lanta afternoon activity that the standard ferry would miss. For most travelers the standard Ao Nang Princess is the better fare-to-time tradeoff.

For all 27 Thailand ferry routes plus operator reliability, seasonal cancellation patterns, and booking strategy, see our complete Thailand ferry guide.