Best National Park and Old Town Tours

The half-day: mangroves and Old Town

The half-day tour lasts three to four hours and runs in a small group. A minibus collects you from your hotel, drives across the island to the east coast and drops you at the edge of the Thung Yee Peng mangrove reserve. From there you choose how to travel: paddle a kayak yourself, or sit back in a longtail boat.

In the mangroves, the channels narrow between roots and mudflats, and the pace is slow enough to look for crabs, mudskippers and birds. After the water section the tour continues to Lanta Old Town, the former fishing village and trading port, with wooden houses on stilts over the sea and small craft and souvenir shops along the main street.

Drinks are included. A lunch or dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants in Old Town is not, so bring cash if you want to eat there. Timing matters: a morning slot gives you cooler paddling, while an afternoon slot lets you finish with a seafood meal as the light drops over the bay.

Half-day prices at a glance

Rates published by the operator for the mangrove and Old Town half-day:

• Adult (12 and over). 1,095 THB.
• Child (4 to 11). 745 THB.
• Under 4. Free.
• Included. Hotel pickup and drop-off, kayak or longtail boat, drinks. Meals in Old Town are extra.

The full day: national park, Old Town and kayaking

The longer format combines Mu Ko Lanta National Park, Lanta Old Town and a kayak session in one day. The park sits at the southern tip of the island, around the Laem Tanod lighthouse, with a short nature trail, viewpoints and Ta Nod beach. Visiting it on the same day as Old Town means crossing most of the island by road.

The park entrance is paid on site and is generally not part of the tour price. For foreign visitors it is 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child, in cash, and the park is open from 08:30 to 16:30. Ask your operator whether the fee is included before you book, so you are not caught without cash at the gate.

The same operator family also runs a day on the water further south, to Talabeng, Koh Phee and Koh BuBu with mangrove kayaking. It suits people who want more paddling and small islands rather than the lighthouse and trail, and it is a different product from the national park combination.

Which format to choose

Pick the half-day if you have one free morning or afternoon, if you travel with young children, or if the mangroves and Old Town are what interest you most. Three to four hours is enough to see both without rushing, and you are back at your beach by lunch or before sunset.

Pick the full day if you have a longer stay, no scooter, and want to see the national park without arranging transport yourself. The drive between the east coast and the southern tip takes time, so a single day covering all three sights is fuller and less relaxed than two separate half-days.

If you are comfortable on a scooter, a good compromise is to book the half-day tour for the mangroves and Old Town, then ride to the national park on another day. The park's trail and lighthouse are straightforward on your own, and you can arrive early, before the heat and the other visitors.

With children, the half-day is usually the easier sell. Under-4s travel free, the kayak can be swapped for a longtail boat if small arms tire quickly, and the tour ends before anyone gets bored. A full day with long drives between three sights asks much more patience from young travellers.

Seasons and practical tips

The mangrove and Old Town half-day runs through most of the year, because the channels are sheltered from open sea. The national park is different: its published seasonal closure runs from 16 May to mid-October, so the full-day format is mainly a high-season product. Check our closure page before building a trip around it.

Wear clothes that can get wet, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen, and keep your phone in a dry bag in the kayak. Mosquito repellent helps in the mangroves, especially late in the day. Bring cash for Old Town shops, meals and the park fee, since card payment is not guaranteed.