Koh Lanta sits about 70 km south of Krabi Town — close enough on a map, but the route involves a vehicle ferry crossing that trips up first-timers and, in peak season, can add hours to the journey. The key decision is whether to go overland by shared minivan (year-round, involves the car ferry) or by passenger boat (faster on the water, but only reliable November to April). For most people travelling between May and October, the minivan is the only realistic choice. In high season, either works — the question is mainly about timing and how you’re arriving in Krabi.
The short version
- Shared minivan: ฿350–450/person from Krabi Town, ฿400–600 with Ao Nang hotel pickup. About 2.5 hours total. Includes a vehicle ferry crossing (10–15 minutes, fare included in your ticket). Runs year-round.
- Passenger ferry/speedboat from Ao Nang: ฿700 adult, ฿500 child. Around 1.5–2 hours to Saladan Pier. Seasonal — reliable November to April, reduced or unavailable May to October.
- Private transfer: ฿2,000–2,800 for the car. Door-to-door, includes the ferry crossing, useful for groups or heavy luggage.
- The car ferry queue: In high season (especially December–January), vehicles can wait several hours at the crossing. Shared minivans still get through, but mid-afternoon departure times catch the worst of it. Book a morning departure when possible.
- From Railay: Add a longtail to Ao Nang first (฿100, ~12 minutes). Factor in 45 minutes from Railay to any Ao Nang pickup point.
- Arrival pier: Saladan Pier on the northern tip of Koh Lanta Yai — the main island. Taxis and songthaews meet boats here; most hotels are 10–40 minutes south.
Options compared
| Method | Fare (2026) | Travel time | Year-round? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared minivan | ฿350–450/person (฿400–600 from Ao Nang) | ~2.5–3 hours | Yes |
| Passenger ferry | ฿700 adult / ฿500 child | ~1.5–2 hours | Nov–Apr only |
| Private transfer | ฿2,000–2,800/car | ~2–2.5 hours | Yes |
Option 1: Shared minivan (recommended)
The shared minivan is the standard way to get from Krabi to Koh Lanta and the only year-round option that doesn’t depend on sea conditions. Every guesthouse and tour desk in Ao Nang, Krabi Town and Railay sells seats.
How it works: The van collects from hotels in Ao Nang or picks up at Krabi Town Bus Terminal, drives south for about an hour to the mainland pier at Ban Hua Hin, loads onto a vehicle ferry for the crossing to Koh Lanta Noi (North Island), then drives across to Koh Lanta Yai (the main island) via the Siri Lanta bridge. Most vans drop to your hotel or a central point in Saladan village, Klong Dao or Long Beach. Confirm the drop-off location when booking — it varies by operator.
Prices: ฿350–450 per person if bought at Krabi Town Bus Terminal. Tickets through guesthouses and tour desks in Ao Nang typically run ฿400–600 per person, which includes the hotel pickup and avoids the songthaew to the bus terminal. The vehicle ferry crossing fare is always included in the minivan ticket.
Travel time: About 2.5 hours from Krabi Town or 3 hours from Ao Nang, assuming the car ferry queue is short. In peak season (December–January), queue delays of 30–60 minutes are typical; during Christmas and New Year week, waits can run longer than that.
Schedule: Departures from Krabi Town Bus Terminal run roughly every hour from 7am to 4pm. Ao Nang hotel pickups generally leave between 8am and 2pm. Don’t leave it late — afternoon minivans tend to hit the worst of the ferry queue, and vans after 3pm can miss the last drop-off window before island transport thins out.
What happens at the car ferry: When the minivan reaches Ban Hua Hin pier, it drives onto a flat-bed vehicle ferry (see photo below). Passengers stay in the van or get out and sit on the upper deck — there’s no wrong answer, but the deck has the views. The crossing to Koh Lanta Noi takes 10–15 minutes and runs throughout the day. On the other side, the van drives off, crosses Koh Lanta Noi, crosses the Siri Lanta bridge to Koh Lanta Yai, and continues south to your destination.
High-season ferry queue warning: The vehicle ferry is a bottleneck. In December and January especially, traffic backs up several kilometres from the pier, with reported waits of 1–3 hours on the busiest days. Private cars and minivans all queue together — no guaranteed fast lane. A morning departure from Ao Nang (leaving by 8am) is the clearest way to avoid the worst of it. Afternoon travel in peak season is a gamble. A bridge to replace the ferry crossing is planned but not expected to open until around 2029.
Option 2: Passenger ferry (seasonal)
From November to April, the passenger ferry from Ao Nang to Saladan Pier is the cleaner option if the timing works. You board at Nopparat Thara Beach pier in Ao Nang or at Klong Jilad Pier near Krabi Town, and arrive at Saladan without setting foot in a vehicle.
Price: ฿700 for adults, ฿500 for children from Ao Nang. Prices are broadly similar from Klong Jilad. Booking the evening before secures a seat; walk-up is often possible outside the absolute peak weeks.
Travel time: Roughly 1.5–2 hours to Saladan Pier from Ao Nang, depending on the operator and whether the service stops en route.
Departure time: Most services depart mid-morning — the 10:30am departure from Ao Nang arrives around 12:30–12:45pm in Saladan. There are rarely more than one or two departures per day from any single pier, so missing the morning boat typically means waiting until the next day.
Seasonal restriction — important: This service only runs reliably November to April. During the southwest monsoon (May to October), services are reduced or suspended entirely when sea conditions are rough. Operators may cancel with a day’s notice. If you’re travelling in the wet season, don’t plan around the ferry — the minivan is the only dependable option. Check with your accommodation the evening before if you’re in a shoulder month.
Who it suits: Travellers based in Ao Nang in the dry season who want to skip the road entirely, don’t have heavy luggage, and are departing in the mid-morning window. If you’re coming from Krabi Airport or have an early or late departure, the minivan is more flexible.
Option 3: Private transfer
A private car or minivan from Ao Nang or Krabi Town to Koh Lanta costs ฿2,000–2,800 for the vehicle (not per person), regardless of how many passengers you have. For a family of three or four, that works out to ฿500–700 per head — not far off a shared minivan when you split it, with significantly more comfort and no shared stops.
What’s included: Door-to-door pickup and drop-off, the vehicle ferry crossing (your vehicle drives on and the fare is paid by the driver), and typically air conditioning. Late-night travel may carry an additional surcharge for the car ferry component — confirm with your operator when booking.
Travel time: Same 2.5–3 hours as the shared minivan. Private transfers don’t get priority at the ferry — the queue applies equally. Morning departure still applies as advice.
When it makes sense: Travelling with young children or a lot of luggage; coming from Krabi Airport with a large group; needing to arrive at a specific time at a specific hotel; or booking a resort well south of Saladan where the per-person taxi fare from the pier adds significantly to the minivan option’s total cost.
Any hotel, guesthouse or tour desk in Ao Nang, and most accommodation around Krabi, can arrange a private transfer with 24 hours’ notice. Morning departures: book the evening before. Same-day is often possible but carries a premium.
Getting there from Ao Nang and Railay
From Ao Nang: Book a shared minivan with hotel pickup through your guesthouse or any tour desk on the main strip. The van collects from your accommodation — no trip to Krabi Town needed. For the ferry, the departure pier at Nopparat Thara Beach is about 2km west of Ao Nang centre (a short taxi or ฿40–60 by songthaew). See the Ao Nang area guide for pier directions and local songthaew routes.
From Railay: You can’t get a minivan from Railay directly — there are no roads. Take the longtail to Ao Nang first (฿100 per person, ~12 minutes, runs roughly 8am–6pm). Factor in at least 45 minutes from your Railay hotel to an Ao Nang minivan pickup point. Some Railay accommodation can arrange a combined longtail-plus-transfer, especially in high season — worth asking your hotel before you carry bags to the boat yourself. For more on longtail logistics, the getting around Krabi guide covers timings and fares in detail.
From Krabi Airport: Shared minivan services direct from the airport to Koh Lanta exist at around ฿490–600 per person — ask at the transport desk in arrivals or have your hotel pre-book it. Private transfer (฿2,000–2,800 for the car) is the easiest option for groups or late arrivals. The Krabi airport transfer guide has the full breakdown of what meets you on arrival, including shared vans and private options.
On arrival in Koh Lanta
Saladan Pier is the main passenger arrival point on the northern tip of Koh Lanta Yai. Taxis and songthaew-style pickup trucks meet incoming ferries and minivans here. If your shared minivan is continuing to drop passengers at their hotels, you’ll ride on — no additional cost.
If you’ve arrived independently and need transport south:
- A taxi or songthaew from Saladan to Klong Dao Beach (the first main beach, about 5km south) costs around ฿100–150.
- Long Beach and Hat Nui (further south) run ฿200–350 depending on distance.
- Saladan village has ATMs, a 7-Eleven and several restaurants — useful if your arrival is around lunchtime.
Most hotels south of Saladan are 15–40 minutes by road. Koh Lanta is long and narrow — the quieter beaches are strung south from Klong Dao through Long Beach and Klong Khong down to Kantiang Bay. Factor the extra drive into your arrival plan if you’ve booked a resort near the southern end, especially arriving late afternoon.
When to book ahead
High season (November–April): Book the minivan or ferry the evening before you travel, at minimum. Morning departures — particularly 8am and 9am pickups from Ao Nang — fill first. Don’t assume a walk-up is possible in December and January. Private transfers can usually be arranged with 24 hours’ notice, but morning-of booking risks losing your slot.
Low season (May–October): Most passenger ferries don’t operate. Shared minivans are more relaxed in terms of availability — booking same-day is often fine outside peak Thai holiday weekends. Prices are broadly the same regardless of season.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Krabi to Koh Lanta?
By shared minivan, 2–2.5 hours from Krabi Town (2.5–3 hours from Ao Nang), including the vehicle ferry crossing. In peak season (December–January), a congested queue at the ferry can add another hour. By passenger ferry from Ao Nang, the sea crossing to Saladan Pier takes 1.5–2 hours — but only runs reliably November to April.
How much does it cost?
Shared minivan: ฿350–450 per person from Krabi Town; ฿400–600 per person with Ao Nang hotel pickup (crossing included). Passenger ferry from Ao Nang: ฿700 adult, ฿500 child (seasonal). Private transfer: ฿2,000–2,800 for the whole car.
Does the journey always involve a ferry crossing?
The overland minivan route includes a vehicle ferry crossing near Ban Hua Hin pier — your van drives onto a flat barge for 10–15 minutes. That fare is built into your ticket. The passenger boat option travels entirely by sea. Either way, you’ll cross water to reach Koh Lanta.
Can I go in the rainy season?
Yes, by minivan. The overland route runs year-round. Passenger ferries are unreliable or suspended May to October — don’t plan around them in the wet season.
How do I get from Ao Nang to Koh Lanta?
In the dry season: passenger ferry from Nopparat Thara Beach pier, around 10:30am, ฿700 adult, arrives ~12:30–12:45pm at Saladan. Year-round: shared minivan with hotel pickup, ฿400–600 per person, about 2.5 hours. Book the night before in high season.
How do I get from Railay to Koh Lanta?
Longtail to Ao Nang first (฿100, ~12 minutes, from around 8am). Then a shared minivan from Ao Nang (฿400–600). Allow 45 minutes from your Railay hotel to an Ao Nang pickup point. Some Railay hotels can arrange the combined transfer — ask before you carry your luggage to the water yourself.
For getting around within Krabi before you leave — songthaews, longtails and Grab — the getting around Krabi guide covers the full picture. If you haven’t picked a base yet, Ao Nang vs Railay compares the two side by side. And if Koh Lanta is the start of a longer island hop, the best time to visit Krabi guide has the seasonal breakdown for the whole region.
