Getting to Koh Lanta: Flights, Ferries and Transfers

How do you get to Koh Lanta from each starting point?

Every route ends the same way: a road transfer and a car ferry crossing. What changes is how you reach the mainland. The table gives total times and indicative prices, read from booking platforms and travel guides on 4 October 2026. No operator publishes an official fare grid, so treat every figure as a guide and check the price for your date when you book. For what the whole trip costs once you are there, see Is Koh Lanta expensive? A realistic budget guide.

Does Koh Lanta have an airport?

Unlike Phuket or Koh Samui, Koh Lanta has no airport of its own. The nearest is Krabi International Airport (KBV), which has domestic connections from Bangkok and other Thai cities plus a growing list of international routes. If you are flying long-haul, you will usually connect through Bangkok or another regional hub. For the full story on why the island has never had a runway, see Koh Lanta Airport: why there isn't one.

Phuket International Airport is an alternative if the flight prices or schedules suit you better, but it adds hours to the journey. Unless there is a strong reason to fly into Phuket, Krabi is the sensible choice.

How to get from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta?

This is how the large majority of visitors arrive. From the airport the road heads south through the Krabi hinterland to a mainland car-ferry pier. The ferry carries cars, minivans and motorbikes across to Koh Lanta Noi, the flatter and quieter northern island. From there the road runs across Koh Lanta Noi and over a bridge to Koh Lanta Yai, the island with the beaches and almost all of the hotels.

Your transfer operator handles all of this: the ferry fare is normally part of a pre-booked transfer price, but confirm that when you book. Options run from a shared minivan (cheapest, with other pickups and drop-offs on the way) to a private car (fixed price, direct, better with luggage or kids) to a taxi arranged at the airport. For every option and how to choose between them, see Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta: all transfer options.

If you would rather not rely on airport queue-hunting, our comparison of airport transfer services covers pre-bookable options. For the mainland leg on its own, Thailand Voyager's Krabi to Koh Lanta transfer guide walks through the same route from the Krabi side.

Compare Krabi Airport → Koh Lanta options and book

Does the car ferry run in low season?

Short answer: yes. The car ferry is generally reported to run year-round, but crossings can be slowed or cancelled in rough weather from May to October. The car ferry between the mainland and Koh Lanta Noi is the one water crossing on the standard route, and it is the part of the trip you cannot control. Several vessels operate through the day and into the evening, and services are generally reported to run year-round rather than seasonally, but queue times swing with traffic, and rough weather or maintenance can slow things down, particularly in the rainy season.

We deliberately do not print a fixed timetable or fare here, because both change and out-of-date numbers cause real problems. For what to expect on the day, see our car ferry guide and ferry schedule and booking tips, and confirm current details with your transfer operator or the ferry operator close to your travel date.

A road bridge from the mainland to Koh Lanta has been proposed for years and has been reported as planned for later this decade, but it is not open. Treat any source that tells you the ferry is already gone as out of date, and check locally.

Can you get to Koh Lanta from Phuket?

Yes, but expect 5 to 6 hours rather than 2 to 3. Phuket is farther away and the route is more complicated: a long road transfer toward Krabi followed by the same ferry crossing, or, in the drier season, boat services that link Phuket with the Phi Phi islands and onward to Koh Lanta. Boat schedules are seasonal and weather-dependent, so verify them before you build a plan around one. Either way, expect a long travel day rather than a couple of hours. Our Phuket to Koh Lanta guide compares the routes.

Coming from Ao Nang, Koh Phi Phi or Trang, a road transfer or, in season, a boat is usually the simplest way in. If you are still deciding between Koh Lanta and those places, read Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta or Ao Nang. Heading on from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe instead? The seasonal boat and the overland route are in our Koh Lipe guide.

Starting from somewhere else? See every route to Koh Lanta by starting point, with typical journey times and where to check live prices for your date.

Compare Phuket → Koh Lanta options and book

How to get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta?

The fast way is a flight from Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi to Krabi, about 1 h 20, then the transfer described above. Fares in our sources run from roughly 29 to 80 USD depending on the date. The first flight leaves around 6:10 am and the last around 7 pm, so a late flight means arriving on the island after dark: book the transfer in advance and tell the operator your flight number.

The alternative is the overnight bus, close to 20 hours for about 785 km. It saves a night of accommodation but costs a day of your trip.

Can you travel from Chiang Mai to Koh Lanta directly?

There is no direct route in either direction. Fly from Chiang Mai to Krabi, usually with a change in Bangkok (AirAsia lists two flights of about 1 hour each), then take the Krabi to Koh Lanta transfer. Going back, do the same in reverse and keep a wide margin for the ferry before a flight out of Krabi.

Overland is possible but impractical for most trips: Chiang Mai is far north of the Andaman coast, and the saving over flying is small once you count the nights on the way.

How to get from Koh Samui or Surat Thani to Koh Lanta?

From Koh Samui the usual route is a ferry to the mainland pier at Don Sak, then a minivan and the car ferry to Koh Lanta: about 8 hours in total for about 32 USD, or about 9 hours with a combined ferry ticket. From the town of Surat Thani, a minivan or bus covers the 212 km in 6 to 7 hours from about 400 THB, arriving near Saladan Pier or on the main road.

Connections between the Gulf and Andaman coasts run in daylight, so a late ferry from Samui can cost you the last onward minivan. If you arrive in the evening, keep a night in Surat Thani as a fallback.

Shared minivan or private transfer: which should you choose?

Whichever you choose, tell the operator which beach you are staying on. Koh Lanta is long, and the difference between dropping off at Klong Dao near the north and Kantiang Bay in the south is a meaningful chunk of the journey. Our where to stay guide explains how the beaches line up along the coast. Transfer, scooter and park prices are collected in our Koh Lanta budget guide.

How long from Saladan pier to your beach?

The car ferry and the passenger boats arrive at the northern tip of the island, and every beach lies further south along one main road. The times below are the ones used across our beach pages, and the songthaew fares come from our September 2026 price survey. A private taxi from Saladan to Kantiang Bay cost 300 to 800 THB in the same survey. There are no metered taxis and no ride-hailing apps on Koh Lanta, so agree the price before you get in; where we have no surveyed fare, ask your hotel for a current figure.

How do you get around once you are on the island?

Koh Lanta Yai is long and narrow, and the beaches run down its west coast. Most people rent a scooter or use songthaews and taxis. See getting around Koh Lanta and, if you plan to ride, the motorbike rental guide before you commit.

What should you know before you arrive?

Going from Krabi to Koh Lanta is the route most visitors take. From Krabi International Airport, a road transfer takes you to the mainland pier, where a car ferry makes the short crossing. On the island, the road continues over the bridge that links Koh Lanta's two halves. Most visitors reach their hotel within a couple of hours of landing, which is why Krabi is the usual gateway.

Your main choice is between a shared minivan and a private transfer. A shared minivan suits solo travellers and couples who don't mind waiting for other passengers or stopping at several hotels. A private transfer is simpler for families, groups or late arrivals. Whichever you choose, avoid tight connections on arrival day, and read our ferry guide for what to expect at the pier.