Railay Beach Day Trip: Rock Climbing, Abseiling & Railay Viewpoint

During our trip in Krabi, we decided to spend our day at Railay Beach, a 15‑minute boat ride away from Ao Nang. Here, we visited Phra Nang Cave Beach, climbed natural rock walls, and abseiled down from Bat Cave. It ended up being one of my favourite days in Krabi.

Rock Climbing Guide

We started the day early with rock climbing first, booking a package with a climbing company called Real Rocks.

Real Rocks picked us up in a van from our hotel in Ao Nang, brought us to their shop to make payment, collect our climbing gear, and to meet our guide.

Their shop is a little way out from Ao Nang, so the van ride took us about 30 minutes. They were supposed to pick up other customers along the way, but luckily for us (and probably not so lucky for them), we were the only ones that day. So the van went straight from our hotel to their shop. I imagine that on busier days, the journey could easily take up to 1 hour with multiple pick ups.

After that, we took a short 10‑minute boat ride from Ao Nang to Railay Beach. Once we arrived, our guide brought us straight to a natural rock wall where we kicked off our climbing session.

Rock Climbing

Both Kwang and I had close to zero experience with rock climbing, so the guide chose a super beginner‑friendly wall with big, comfortable crags and holds.

We geared up, and he re-taught us the basics of belaying and how to communicate clearly while climbing. He then climbed the wall himself first to set up the pins where the belay rope goes, while I belayed him from below.

Once everything was set, it was our turn to climb a beginner route that the guide picked for us near Phra Nang Cave Beach. Since most of our limited rock‑climbing exposure had been in indoor gyms, so climbing on natural rock felt completely different. It was rougher, more technical, and somehow more satisfying.

Hiking up Bat Cave & Abseiling

After two rounds of climbing, our hands were already pretty tired. At that point, the guide brought us to hike up to Bat Cave, where we would abseil down from the top before continuing with another round of climbing.

We cut through Phra Nang Cave Beach to get there. We had previously seen this beach during high tide, but this time it was low tide and it looked absolutely stunning.

The hike up Railay's Bat Cave itself was a little treacherous, with flimsy‑looking bamboo ladders helping us climb up. The cave is actually quite empty and cavernous, with dark spots, tunnels, and pockets throughout.

But the view made everything worth it. Once you reach a high enough point, it overlooks the beach and the sea, giving you this almost secret viewpoint over the Railay area.

Once we reached the abseiling point, the guide started setting up the rope. These are some of the photos we took basically us hanging off a rope and hopping our way down. Kwang was super scared.

That said, when you’re abseiling down, your face is actually towards the rock, not the sea so you don’t really see the view while descending. But it definitely makes for great photos before you go down.

After abseiling to the bottom of the mini cliff, we had another chance to rock climb again, this time climbing back up the same section we had just abseiled down. I really liked this part because it showed that the tour wasn’t just “one climb and one abseil”, but a proper multi‑hour adventure with multiple climbs and activities.

After finishing this final round of climbing, it was time to bid farewell to our awesome guide and head off for lunch.

Lunch at Tew Lay Bar

We walked to Tew Lay Bar at the far end of Railay for lunch. It's right on the beach, open-air, pretty relaxed.

That said, to be honest, the food was pretty mediocre. We mainly took the opportunity to lie on the bean bags, relax, and recharge after a tiring but exciting first half of the day.

Railay Viewpoint & Lagoon

After lunch, we decided to attempt the Railay Viewpoint and Lagoon. From the photos online, it looked like a short hike, but we honestly didn’t even realise where the hike started at first.

The trail begins as a steep slope filled with rocks, roots, and mud, with just one long rope to guide you up. It was definitely more challenging than expected, especially with muddy conditions and people coming up and down at the same time. You constantly have to pause, give way, and carefully find your footing.

Once you reach the top section, there are two paths: one leading down to the lagoon (the famous Railay Lagoon you often see on Tiktok), and the other leading to the Railay Viewpoint. Because my shoes had almost no grip left, we weren’t very confident attempting the lagoon, especially after reading Google Maps reviews saying that the descent and climb back up can be quite tough. So we decided to go for the viewpoint instead.

The viewpoint itself was worth it.

Would I recommend this hike? Yes, but go prepared. Wear proper shoes with good grip, expect to get your hands dirty, and be ready to grab muddy ropes, especially if it’s just rained or drizzling.

Also, my legs were sore the next day, some of those steps were big, particularly on the way down. That said, it was absolutely worth it for the view. It really feels like a secluded, secret spot that you wouldn’t normally stumble upon.

In hindsight, I probably would’ve attempted the lagoon as well, just for the experience. After all, how often do you get to come back here, right?

Lastly, we dropped by Phra Nang Cave beach again just to see the structures they are well-known for.

Personal Thoughts

Honestly, I’d go back to Railay if I had the chance. Krabi itself is quite small, especially if you’re mostly based around Ao Nang. Spending a day at Railay doing rock climbing, abseiling, hiking around Phra Nang Cave Beach and Bat Cave, and attempting the Railay Viewpoint (and possibly the lagoon) easily fills up an entire day.

It was genuinely one of the most fun experiences I had in Krabi. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get their blood pumping, enjoy some light outdoor adventure, and experience heights with incredible views.

The hikes here are generally short but intense, yet you don’t need to spend hours hiking just to get a good view. Compared to Krabi hikes like Khao Ngon Nak (Dragon Crest Mountain), where you need to hike 2-3 hours for a viewpoint, Railay is perfect if you’re short on time but still want to pack in meaningful experiences during your Krabi trip.