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Food tours in Krabi: what to eat and which tour to book
Krabi is in Thailand's south, and southern Thai food is hotter, more turmeric-yellow and more seafood-heavy than the Bangkok dishes most visitors know. Look for gaeng som (sour curry), gaeng tai pla (a pungent curry made with fermented fish innards), kua kling (dry-fried minced meat with curry paste) and khanom jeen rice noodles with curry, served with a basket of fresh herbs. Much of the province is Muslim, so halal khao mok gai (yellow chicken rice), roti and grilled satay are everywhere. Most travellers stay in Ao Nang, which is convenient but tourist-priced; Krabi Town, 20 minutes away, is where locals eat.
Use this page to decide what to eat and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when markets run. The tours are real listings on GetYourGuide, with prices as seen when we checked; prices and group sizes change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Krabi
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern sour curry gaeng som / gaeng lueang | Thin, very spicy and sour yellow curry with fish and vegetables such as green papaya or bamboo shoot, coloured with turmeric. | Curry-and-rice shops (khao gaeng) in Krabi Town and local markets. | about ฿50–80 with rice (about €1.30–2) |
| Fermented fish curry gaeng tai pla | Thick, fiery curry made from fermented fish innards with vegetables and fish; strong-smelling and very southern. | Khao gaeng shops and morning markets in Krabi Town. | about ฿50–80 with rice |
| Dry-fried curry mince kua kling | Pork, chicken or beef stir-fried dry with southern curry paste, lime leaves and lots of chilli, served with rice and raw vegetables. | Southern Thai restaurants and khao gaeng shops. | about ฿60–120 |
| Rice noodles with curry khanom jeen | Fresh fermented rice noodles topped with fish curry (nam ya) or other curries, eaten with a free-for-all plate of fresh herbs, cucumber and pickles. A breakfast staple. | Morning markets and noodle shops in Krabi Town. | about ฿40–70 |
| Yellow chicken rice khao mok gai | Thai-Muslim biryani-style rice cooked with turmeric and spices, with chicken, crisp shallots and a sweet-sour green sauce. | Halal shops in Krabi Town and stalls at night markets. | about ฿50–80 |
| Roti | Flaky fried flatbread, eaten with curry for breakfast, or sweet with banana, egg and condensed milk as a snack. | Muslim roti stalls in Krabi Town in the morning and at Ao Nang and night markets in the evening. | about ฿30–70 |
| Grilled seafood thale phao | Squid, prawns, fish and crab grilled over charcoal and served with spicy seafood dipping sauce (nam jim thale). | Seafood stalls at Krabi Town's night market and Chao Fah area, and restaurants in Ao Nang. | skewers about ฿40–100; whole fish or prawns sold by weight |
| Mango with sticky rice khao niao mamuang | Sweet ripe mango with sticky rice and coconut cream; best in the hot season (roughly March to June). | Dessert stalls at night markets. | about ฿60–120 |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Krabi Town Walking Street
Weekend evening market in Krabi Town with food stalls, local snacks, desserts and live music; more local than the Ao Nang markets.
Chao Fah night market area (Krabi Town)
Riverside area near the pier where food stalls and seafood vendors set up in the evening.
Maharat Market (Krabi Town)
Large fresh market where locals buy produce, fish and curry paste, with breakfast stalls serving khanom jeen, roti and Thai coffee.
Ao Nang
The main beach resort, with hundreds of restaurants, roti carts and a small night market; convenient but more expensive and less spicy than Krabi Town.
Railay
Car-free peninsula reached by boat; food is mostly resort and bar fare at island prices, with a few simple Thai kitchens.
Food tours in Krabi compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi: Traditional Thai Cooking Class | 3.5 hours | from €53 per person | max 8 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Krabi: Morning Food Tour with Local Guide | 3.5 hours | from €45 per person | max 8 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Krabi: Sunset Boat Tour and Night Market Food Tasting | 4 hours | from €36 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Authentic Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang with Local Chef | 4.5 hours | from €45 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
Krabi: Traditional Thai Cooking Class
On GetYourGuide · run by Anda Krabi Seatour
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €53 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 183 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- only from Aonang hotels Raw ingredients Cooking equipment Apron Gratuities
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Krabi: Morning Food Tour with Local Guide
On GetYourGuide · run by Taste Krabi
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 11 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Krabi Street Art : Wild Life Wonder
Krabi: Sunset Boat Tour and Night Market Food Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by CanalTour x ExploreSiam
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €36 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 3 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- English speaking tour guide Air-conditioned vehicle Pick up and drop from hotel within Ao Nang area One bottle of drinking water per person Local food tasting Typical long tail boat ride
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
Authentic Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang with Local Chef
On GetYourGuide · run by บริษัท เจ แอนด์ เจ แอฟฟลูเอนท์ ทราเวล แอนด์ ทัวร์ จํากัด
- Length
- 4.5 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 3 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Free pick-up & drop-off in Ao Nang area Free recipe book & certificate for all participants Food tasting & drinking water included Friendly Thai cooking instructor Extra transfer charge 200 THB/person (min. 2 pax) for…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is the best value in Krabi: khao gaeng curry shops at lunch, morning markets for khanom jeen and roti, and the weekend Walking Street in Krabi Town in the evening. Look for stalls busy with locals and food cooked to order.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down restaurants in Ao Nang serve a broad Thai-and-Western menu with spice toned down. For proper southern food, look for local restaurants in Krabi Town and ask for it 'phet baep Thai' (spicy, Thai style). Seafood restaurants price by weight, so check before ordering.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are popular around Ao Nang and Krabi Town, often with a market visit to buy ingredients, then cooking four to six dishes such as green curry, tom yum, pad thai and spring rolls. Some are in garden settings and include hotel pick-up; check how many dishes you make yourself.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | ฿300–500 (about €8–13): market breakfast, curry-and-rice lunch, night-market dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | ฿800–1,500 (about €21–40): Thai restaurant meals and a seafood dinner |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | ฿3,000+ (about €80+): resort restaurant or seafood feast with wine |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible but needs care: fish sauce, shrimp paste and dried shrimp are in most curries and dressings, including southern curry pastes. Say 'jay' (vegan, no animal products) or 'mangsawirat' (vegetarian) and look for yellow 'jay' flags at stalls. Ao Nang has several vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
Halal: Easy. A large share of Krabi's population is Muslim, and halal restaurants, khao mok gai shops, roti stalls and many seafood places are halal. Look for the green-and-white Thai halal certification sign. Pork is still common at non-halal stalls, so check.
Gluten-free: Rice-based food helps, but soy sauce, oyster sauce and some curry pastes contain wheat, and fried foods are often battered. Plain grilled seafood with lime-chilli dip, steamed rice and som tam (ask for no soy) are safer. Carry a Thai translation card.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Seafood restaurants in Ao Nang and Railay displaying fish and lobster without prices, then charging much more by weight than expected. Ask the price per kg (or per 100 g) and the total weight before it is cooked.
- 'Krabi food tours' or island tours sold on the street with a cheap Thai lunch that is low-quality buffet food. Treat island-tour lunches as fuel, not a food experience, and book food activities through listings with recent reviews.
- Restaurants adding a 10% service charge and 7% VAT on top of menu prices without stating it clearly. Check the menu small print ('prices subject to service charge and VAT').
- Tuk-tuk or taxi drivers taking you to a specific restaurant where they earn commission. Choose your own restaurant and ask to be dropped at a nearby landmark.
Top tours & activities in Krabi
Rent a car in Krabi
Compare rental cars from local and international companies, with free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare car rentals in KrabiPlan the rest of your Krabi trip
Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Krabi?
Tipping is not expected at street stalls and markets. In sit-down restaurants, leaving ฿20–50 or rounding up is a polite gesture, and 10% is generous unless a service charge is already on the bill. On cooking classes and food tours, a tip of ฿100–200 per person is appreciated if you enjoyed it.
Is street food safe in Krabi?
Generally yes. Choose busy stalls with high turnover, food cooked or reheated to order, and drink bottled or filtered water; ice in restaurants is usually made from purified water. Southern curries can be very spicy; if you are not used to it, ask for 'mai phet' (not spicy) or 'phet nit noi' (a little spicy).
Where can I eat local southern Thai food?
Krabi Town rather than Ao Nang. Go to Maharat Market or a morning khanom jeen shop for breakfast, a khao gaeng curry shop for lunch, and the weekend Walking Street in the evening. In Ao Nang, food tends to be milder and aimed at tourists, though some local places exist on the back roads.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about ฿300–500 (roughly €8–13) covers market and street meals. A mid-range day of Thai restaurant meals and a seafood dinner runs ฿800–1,500. Resort restaurants and lobster or large seafood platters can easily cost ฿3,000 or more per person.
When are the night markets on?
The Krabi Town Walking Street usually runs Friday to Sunday evenings from about 17:00. Ao Nang has small evening markets most nights in the high season. Market days and locations change from time to time, so check locally. Morning markets in Krabi Town run daily from very early until late morning.
Is it a problem to visit during Ramadan?
No. Many Muslim-run restaurants and stalls change their hours during Ramadan, opening later or only after sunset, but non-Muslim restaurants and tourist areas run normally. Evening food stalls around Krabi Town can be especially busy at sunset when people break their fast.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.