Railay Beach
Thailand
Travel Guide
Railay Beach Travel Guide 2026
How to use my travel guides
Given how much there is to do in Thailand, I have split it into several pages as follows:
- Main Page – A written overview of Thailand
- Bangkok – A guide to the nation’s centrally located capital
- North Thailand – Mountain scenery with and a more ‘backpacker’ vibe than the rest of the country.
- South Thailand – Ideal for water-lovers with stunning islands, beaches, marine life and coastlines.
- Railay Beach – My favourite place in Thailand with beaches to relax and plenty of scope for adventure! (NOW READING)
You can find links to these other pages, as well as my travel guides for other destinations below…
Overview
Railay Beach is located on a peninsula in the south of Thailand. The peninsula cannot be accessed from the mainland and there are no roads, which makes it feel like an island. Travellers arrive by boat either from Ao Nang to the west (more information on there in my South Thailand Travel Guide) or from the town of Ao Nammao to the east.
Railay Beach and neighbouring Tonsai Beach are my favourite place in Thailand and easily one of my favourite in the world. When I first arrived, I wasn’t sure about the place. I am more of an adventurous traveller and I’m not great at sitting still. After arriving, I could see what looked like a generic tourist town with nice beaches and mushroom shake bars along the main strip. I suspected it was a party town where people lay on the beach all day. How wrong I was! Although the beaches are nice enough that you can definitely lie on them all day, drink yourself silly or treat yourself to a mushroom shake, there is also so much adventure in a small space that it warrants its own designated guide to tell you all the cool stuff that is there!
Railay Beach and Tonsai Beach
Railay Beach and Tonsai Beach are on the same peninsula. You can walk from one to the next via the coastal track or through the jungle – more on that later.
Railay Beach
Railay Beach really has three beaches.
- Railay Beach West
- Railay Beach East
- Phra Nang Beach
The small town lies between Railay Beach West and Railay Beach East. Everything is a short walk and since there are no cars, you will be walking lots of short distances regularly. Railay Beach is far busier than Tonsai Beach and it has a number of resorts, a hostel, bars, restaurants, and plenty to do.
Tonsai Beach
Tonsai Beach is definitely much quieter than Railay Beach and less touristy. Although there is great climbing at Railay Beach, Tonsai is more popular with hardcore climbers. There is a really nice resort on the beach; however, as soon as you go back from the resort, away from it, it’s like walking into a scene from jurrasic park. Huts and restaurants have been taken over by the jungle and the area seems completely disused, which is really cool to see. You will see that side of things if you do the jungle trail from Railay Beach to Tonsai (more details for that below).
Tonsai is a beautiful beach; however and definately quiter than Railay, with fewer places to stay too. It’s also a little harder to get to directly, as fewer boats go there, so make sure if you are trying to get there with suitcases and baggage that you get a boat which is stopping at Tonsai.
Getting to Railay Beach
Boats go from Ao Nang regularly to Railay Beach West with no need to book in advance. You will see them leaving from the beach at Ao Nang and you can ask the people working there for a ticket, who will direct you to the ticket office. Be aware that there is no jetty for this crossing, so you are wading out into the water (with your bags/suitcases) to then throw them into a small boat and then take the short crossing to Railay Beach, where again, you will be jumping out into the water and wading (through shallow water) to shore.
Some days there can be a big swell, making this more difficult. These run into the afternoon but not the evening, so if you are arriving in the late afternoon, you may have missed the last one and have to stay in Ao Nang for a night (I would recommend at least one night there, anywhere to do the activities around there, which can be found on my ‘Thailand South’ page).
You can also arrive at Railay Beach East from Ao Nammao. This way goes from jetty to jetty, so there is no need to wade out into the water, meaning that if you are not so mobile or have a lot of bags, this could be a better option for you.
Getting to Tonsai
You can also get boats from Ao Nang to Tonsai, or you can walk via the coastal trail. In reality, there are two versions of this: at low tide you can go lower, which is easier, but at high tide there is an alternative higher route.
Alternatively, you can do a cool, short jungle hike which I have listed below.
Accomodation
There are loads of options for accommodation here, including many hostels and resorts. I mainly stayed at the only hostel that is there, called Blanco Hideout. It has a pool, a nice view and decent accommodation. It does have a lot of stairs to get up to your room, however, so bear that in mind after a night out! I found it to be a great hostel and really social. They also organise events, and I ended up watching Muay Thai fights just around the corner twice a week, which was ace and then heading out afterwards. There was a good mix of ages, from 18-42 when I was there. It can fill up, though, so check availability. You may struggle to find it on the Hostelworld app, so try searching hostels in Ao Nang and then use the map tool to select it. I stayed here in 2023 so check recent reviews to make sure it’s not gone downhill but if it’s not your vibe, there are also plenty of other places to stay.
I also stayed a few nights at a nice beach hut too with a view which was ace and there are numerous resorts inluding nearby Tonsai which seemed very fancy from what I saw of it!
Best time to visit
November to February is ideal for having warm weather without it being unbearable. Bear in mind that May-October is also the rainy season, so best to avoid that if you can, as it’ll make the adventures there more dangerous.
Demographics
There is a good mix of people at Railay Beach. From young backpackers to couples and those who are middle-aged. I didn’t see many pensioners there, probably in part because access to and from the peninsula isn’t the easiest. It’s a great place for solo travellers, couples and groups of friends.
Relaxing
There are loads of things you can do to relax at Railay: lie on the beach, have a swim, have a drink, have a mushroom shake (if that’s your thing), have a massage, enjoy the restaurants, go for a stroll along the beach, you name it.
Adventures
Railay has plenty to do for adventurers, which I have listed below. From exploring caves, scrambling to viewpoints, and exploring hidden lagoons or walking through the jungle. Or try my personal favourite, rock climbing! There are places there where you can rent gear and do it yourself (ropes, harnesses, shoes, etc.), or you can take a lesson as a beginner. I spent most of my time doing this when I was there.
The 'Railay Rut'
In Thailand, many backpackers talk about getting stuck in the ‘Pai Hole’. This is because a town called Pai, located in the north of Thailand, is a popular destination for travellers where many people end up staying for a long time (some even setting up there for years). For me, though, I’m coining the phrase ‘Railay Rut’. A short two-day visit turned into two weeks of socialising,m swimming, watching Muay Thai, drinking and lots and lots of climbing. What a time!
Railay Beach is easily one of my favourite places on the planet and I had a lot of fun there and met incredible people. 10/10 would recommend! Check out my top recommendations below.
Best things to do in Railay Beach and Tonsai Beach
Thailand 2026
I provide star ratings for each of my recommendations so that you can quickly narrow down what appeals to you. Explanations for what these mean can be found here.
I use Google Maps to plan all my trips and it’s a game-changer! I’ve added links to Google Maps for each of the locations below so you can easily add them to your own map. Be sure to copy this web link into the description of each location you save so that you can easily refer back to this guide later. Check out this blog for more tips on how to use Google Maps to enhance your travels!
Climbing
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Sport
Recommended Duration: 2 days+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
The rock climbing at Railay Beach and Tonsai is legendary! You can rent everything you need there if you know what you;re doing (as I did) and they even have shoe rentals or you can do courses there and have the locals take you out. Easier climbs are generally at Railay Beach with a good number of really hard routes at Tonsai.
It was epic strolling out the door of the hostel, walking for five minutes, renting my usual gear and then strolling another five minutes to climb up a cliff behind a beach with an epic view. The climb is also ‘sport’ climbing with bolted routes, making it faster and more intuitive for beginners. It goes without saying, however, inspect the gear before you rent it (I had no issues with bad gear) and if you are new, then take a local guide! You could easily spend weeks or even months climbing here. If you are an experienced climber, you may want to bring your own shoes, as the rentals weren’t amazing when I was there, but they were manageable.
Photos: 1) Climbing with Clem (Austrian). 2) Me taking a short walk for another day of climbing. I am a climber, but rented gear at Railay Beach.
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Swimming, hike, caves, adventure!
Recommended Duration: 2 hours+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
This is awesome and despite being called a lagoon, it’s definitely not typical! I went here three times during my stay with different people and everyone loved it, me included!
Directions
It can be a little difficult to find, so here’s how. On the path just south of Railay Beach East, you will find the start.
The start is on the path which takes you from Railay Beach East to Phra Nang Beach. Phra Nang Beach is in the south-west of the peninsula. It’s also the beach, which has a cave with some carved cocks inside; you heard me right, that’ll make sense when you’ve seen it in person, it’s a useful landmark! On your left as you walk towards Phra Nang Beach, you will see a rock cliff on your left which you can scramble up.
The Adventure
There are some fixed ropes in place to assist you for the steeper sections, but beware, it can be slippery, especially after rainfall. You climb the cliff, which is great fun in itself and when you reach the top you will see paths going to the left and the right. First, take the left, which is short and takes you to a beautiful viewpoint looking north over East Railay Beach. Once you’ve had your fill of the view, go back down the path which was previously to your right and this takes you down an interesting scramble, again with ropes in places. If you’re relatively fit and surefooted, you should be ok for this bit, but it is harder than the initial climb up, so use your judgement if you think you’re up to it and stay safe. When you are down, you’ll find the lagoon! It’s beautiful and sunken into the hill, which is surrounded by cliffs. Up the cliff walls to every side, you also have beautiful plant life growing up it and hanging down into the hole above, which looks like a giant eye. It’s an incredible swimming spot and likely the best I have ever seen! At the far end of the lagoon, you will find one cave to the right, which you can walk into and another, slightly elevated and to the left, which you have to climb up a rope to get into. This climb is difficult to get up and down and only I entered out of all the people I took there. This is one of the best places you’ll ever see, so if you are up for the scramble, definitely check it out!
I’ve included photos below of the ascent/descent route so you know what you’re getting in for, but I’ve deliberately omitted images of the lagoon itself as I don’t want to spill the surprise and photos frankly don’t do it justice anyway.
View from descent route towards the lagoon
Olly (UK) climbing up the rope to leave the lagoon
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Cave and adventure
Recommended Duration: 1 hour+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
The Bat Cave is incredible! No, it isn’t home to Bruce Wayne and his gadgets, but it does have some bamboo ladders to climb up and an impressive lookout halfway up a cliff for the finale!
To get there, you start at the north end of Phra Nand Beach and head inland (east) from there towards the cliffs. The entrance can be a little difficult to find, but there was a small track to follow when I was there. You will then find the entrance to the cave. Be sure to take a headtorch with you as it will be tough going with just your phone torch (flashlight). You will climb upwards through some caves and scramble up and over bamboo ladders. This in itself feels like a great Indiana Jones-like experience but even then, once you reach the top, you will see daylight ahead. The cave opens up to a natural lookout with stunning views looking north over Railay Beach West and beyond. You can actually see the lookout from the beach and from the boats to Railay Beach West from Ao Nang – if you look at the cliffs on the south side of the beach, look halfway up, many people don’t notice it until you know what to look for! I have heard rumours you may be able to get higher up in the cave, but after going there twice, I couldn’t find a way. Do this adventure at your own risk; there are uneven surfaces, old bamboo ladders and unprotected edges. If you take the wrong route, you could even fall down cliffs to the sea below. Do this adventure at your own risk, come prepared and enjoy!
Phra Nang, Railay Beach
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Beach and wildlife
Recommended Duration: 1 hour+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
Phra Nang Beach is a west-facing beach located in the south-west of the Railay peninsula.
As you walk there from the north, you will see ahead of you (at the south side of the beach) a small cave. The cave is so small that you can see the back of it from the beach easily. Inside this small cave is are some large sculpted penises, making it a distinctive reference point to make sure you are at the right beach.
It’s a nice beach and also used to access the Bat Cave (see notes above), but crucially, you can see bioluminescent plankton when you are there. I saw the plankton a couple of times when I was there. I was there at about 3-4am after nights out and you have to wait for dark and for the numerous lights in the area to go out, which they seemed to do around 3-4am. The plankton was awesome and definitely worth seeing. You had to be in the water to see it and it lit up upon contact with me. I saw some just to the right of the path leading from the beach back towards the main trip. If you are swimming at night, that’s on you, so go as a group and swim safely.
Tree House Bar & Restaurant, Railay Beach
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Restaurant and bar
Recommended Duration: 1 hour+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
This is a nice treehouse bar, which sometimes has live music and has a chill atmosphere too. It’s also very close to Blanco Hostel if you’re staying there.
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Beach, resort, rockpools, climbing
Recommended Duration: 1 hour+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
Tonsai Beach is located next to Railay Beach on the same Peninsula and also does not have cars here. Both Railay and Tonsai beaches can be accessed from one another; see my notes below called ‘Trail to Tonsai’ for more information.
Tonsai is a quieter beach than Railay, with a nice resort where you can grab a drink. It’s also a famous place for hardcore climbers, with Railay Beach having more beginner-friendly routes and lessons if you are interested. Both Railay Beach and Tonsai offer some of the most beautiful climbing routes ever, with short walks in, bolted sport climbing and amazing views. You can get a small boat here from Ao Nang, but I believe they are less frequent than those to Railay. Your other options are to walk there by the coastal route or through the jungle. Both routes I discuss below are under the heading ‘Trail to Tonsai’. Whichever route you take, you have to be somewhat mobile and agile. The boats you have to wade through the shallows for, with no jetty when I was there. Both walking routes are nothing like a pavement; they are easy enough, but difficult with bags. It’s lovely when you get there though. It’s a great place though and definitely worth visiting from Railay even if you aren’t staying at Tonsai.
Tonsai is a quieter beach than Railay, with a nice resort where you can grab a drink. It’s also a famous place for hardcore climbers, with Railay Beach having more beginner-friendly routes and lessons if you are interested. Both Railay Beach and Tonsai offer some of the most beautiful climbing routes ever, with short walks in, bolted sport climbing and amazing views. You can get a small boat here from Ao Nang, but I believe they are less frequent than those to Railay. Your other options are to walk there by the coastal route or through the jungle. Both routes I discuss below are under the heading ‘Trail to Tonsai’. Whichever route you take, you have to be somewhat mobile and agile. The boats you have to wade through the shallows for, with no jetty when I was there. Both walking routes are nothing like a pavement; they are easy enough, but difficult with bags. It’s lovely when you get there though. It’s a great place though and definitely worth visiting from Railay even if you aren’t staying at Tonsai.
Adventure
Andy Argo
Uniqueness
Category: Jungle and coastal hike
Recommended Duration: 4 hours+
Andy visited?: Yes
Description
There is a rarely travelled but fun hiking trail from Railay Beach to nearby Tonsai Beach. Most people either get a boat there or go via Railay Beach west and walking by the coast. I recommend going through the jungle to Tonsai and returning via the coastal route.
If you walk down the trail past Diamond Cave and keep going, you will find the Jungle trail. I did it solo and love it. It’s a proper jungle trek but only takes around half an hour. Take water, mosquito spray, etc. I saw some cliffs down a side track on the left, which I explored. As you head into Tonsai, you will come into the back of the resort, a place where few tourists go. You will find broken cars, empty huts and monkeys and animals galore. It’s like a scene from the third Jurassic Park film! There is a nice resort on the beachfront at Tonsai and I hear they tried to expand it to the rear, but it never took off and now it’s a desolate. For me though, it was an attraction as it was cool to see, like a forgotten world, despite being so close to somewhere which has thousands of visitors a year.
You can then head to the fancy resort at the front and grab a drink and refresh yourself from the jungle hike. You can then explore Tonsai Beach, which is quieter than Railay and watch the hardcore climbers. When you are ready, head back to Railay via the more travelled coastal track to the west. You can see a multitude of animals in rock pools on the way back to Railay. There are also two routes back to Railay Beach so that you can keep your feet dry, one for low tide and one for high tide but route finding can be hard at times. Try and tell someone beforehand if you do this route, should you get injured on the way and not make it back to Railay; coastal rocks can be slippery and the jungle can be very humid and tough going, even despite the relatively short walk.
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Happy travels!
Andy Argo
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Title image: View of Railay Beach taken from the viewpoint in the Bat Cave.