Discover everything you need to know before attempting Krabi’s most famous trail in this complete guide to hiking Dragon Crest Mountain

The Dragon Crest Mountain hike is one of the best day trips in Krabi, and should definitely feature on the itinerary of any active traveller in the region.

Also known as Khao Ngon-Nak Nature Trail, the 2-3 hour walk up to the summit offers unparalleled panoramic views over tropical rainforest, monolith rocks, the Andaman Sea and Thai island silhouettes - but you really have to earn it!

We absolutely loved our experience of this hot, steep, and sweaty hike, but it did offer more of a challenge than we expected. Deceptively short in terms of distance - only 3.8km from the start to the summit - the trail is all up and has some challenging terrain in parts; it is most definitely a workout rather than a leisurely walk in a national park.

Due to this, we do not recommend the Dragon Crest hike for children, unfit travellers, or anyone with mobility issues and, whatever your fitness level or experience, there are several important things to know before you arrive at the trailhead.

In this short guide, we've shared everything you need to know to plan ahead and do the Dragon Crest Mountain hike, including the reason why you to ensure you arrive before 2pm.

dragon crest essentials

/ 7.4 km ‘out-and-back’ route, going to 565 metres peak above sea level
/ Plan a minimum of four hours, but five more likely for most
/ Several challenging sections means it’s not suitable for all travellers
/ 200 baht entry fee for foreign adults with check-in requirement
/ Wear trainers or closed sandals
/ Last entry to trail is currently 2pm
/ Bring lots of water and prepare to sweat a lot
/ Do it independently or join a guided trek w/transport

How To Get To Dragon Crest Mountain from Krabi & Ao Nang

Set within the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park (but not on that island), the Dragon's Crest hike start point is easily accessible by scooter / motorbike.

You can find the entrance car park here on Google Maps, and note that the place to stop is at the end of the road, rather than the first national park sign and cluster of scooters you find after the hotels.

We drove here on our rental scooter, and it was a pleasant and straightforward drive along the relatively empty highway and coast from Ao Nang (17km, 30 minutes).

From Krabi Town, factor in about 40 minutes to travel the 30km.

You'll find plenty space to park you scooter by the check-point and ranger's office.

For those staying on the more exclusive Tab Kaek Beach, then the start point is literally just a short walk / drive up the hill from your accommodation.

If you're starting this hike in the morning, we recommend those staying in Ao Nang or Krabi Town to have a couple of hours chilling out at Tab Kaek or in nearby Koh Kwang Beach after your hike.

There are no public buses to the Dragon's Crest start point, so if not renting a scooter, you should consider the following options:

· Full day Khao Hon Nak Trekking tour with lunch

· Dragon Crest Mountain Hike, ATV & Kayaking Full Day Private Tour

· Arrange a taxi or a tuk-tuk (we do not know costs, so kindly share in the comments if you do it!)

· Join a group trip offered by various hostels and agencies in Krabi / Ao Nang

The Check-In Process & Best Time To Hike

We love to hike on our travels, but this is the only one that we've ever had to check-in for.

On arrival, you'll see a small cabin on the left hand side to pay the cash-only entrance fee of 200 baht per person for foreign adults, and 100 baht for foreign children.

For Thai visitors, it's 40 baht and 20 baht respectively.

This is technically a ticket to the national park rather than for the trail, but they're one and the same.

At the cabin, you also have to provide your details in the logbook so that the rangers know who is on the trail and, most importantly, who hasn't made it back by closing time...

The details they require are name, nationality, scooter licence plate, phone number, and your start time: you are required to sign out once you complete the hike.

At the cabin, they also have staff phone numbers, and it's a good idea to take a photo of these before heading up in case of an emergency or delays exiting by 6pm (although we noticed the signal wasn't great at the summit).

The Dragon Crest Mountain hike is open from 8am to 6pm BUT the last entry to start the hike is 2pm; any arrivals after that time will not be permitted on the trail as it's going to be too close to the anticipated four-hour time to complete it (more advice on this later).

Starting the Dragon's Crest hike in the early morning will therefore be the best option for most travellers, and that's usually our modus operandi: there will be fewer people and groups, temperatures are cooler, the light is soft, and you can be up and down before the peak sun arrives. It also means you still have the afternoon for other adventures.

However, as we had prioritised spending the morning at the wonderful Din Daeng Doi viewpoint and then kayaking in the Khlong Khao Klom river (see our Krabi destination guide for more on these), we decided to flip things and start the hike at 1.30 pm.

Obviously, there were drawbacks to this (mainly the temperature!), but the hope was that it would also leave us with a relatively empty summit and trail.

The most important consideration though, for travellers who aren't the quickest hikers or prefer to go at a slower pace to savour the scenery, is to set aside five hours to complete the hike. We completed the hike in 4 hours 10 minutes, including a 30-minute diversion to a waterfall and various photo stops, but our pace was pretty nippy on the way up and down; in the logbook, the majority of people were in the 4 to 5.5 hour range.

Therefore, if going for the afternoon, we strongly recommend arriving no later than 1pm in order to be comfortably out by 6pm.

The Trail To Dragon Crest Mountain, krabi

In terms of the route, it's pretty straightforward from the check-point entrance, with a gradual climb up of 3.7km from the start to the summit.

It's 2.5km to the first viewpoint, left at the fork at 2.8km, and then seeking out several obvious and more secluded Khao Ngon Nan scenic viewpoints at 3.5 and 3.7km. There are red and stone waymarkers at 1km, 2km etc, a few signposts, as well as a dozen or so educational information boards in English about plants, ecosystems etc.

You will follow the exact same path and route through the forest on the way down, and there's a clear map of it at the start point if you’d like to take a photo before you head off.

However, don't arrive thinking this is an easy 7.2km round-trip walk.

Steep and requiring a scramble in sections, the dusty trail is rough, pockmarked, and very uneven throughout. Most of the 'steps' are formed of thick roots, hanging vines, and loose rocks - easily tripped over if you're not paying attention or fatigued - whilst there's a couple of points on a sharper gradient where there's rope for support/safety handrail.

Add in the heat and the wrong footwear, and it's certainly a workout.

For experienced hikers and fit travellers, such terrain won't be an issue, but for anyone having a day trip on their Thai holiday, it may take you by surprise at how much of a challenge this is. It's the main reason why we wouldn't recommend attempting this in the May to December rainy season unless there has been a solid run of dry weather.

However, it's the man-made element which is the most dangerous part of the whole hike - and we're not exaggerating.

About 1.5km from the start, you'll encounter the wonky, horror house wooden stairs. Escher-like in design, both are well-worn, slippy, steep, and have several broken steps and railings. One is mercifully short, whilst the other is long and zig-zagging through the trees, but you really have to pay attention on each - especially on the way down when your thighs and calves are tired.

Once at the summit of Dragon Crest Mountain, you'll find one of the best views out of over the limestone formations at around about the 3.5km sign (it's called the Laum Cha-mook Kwai viewpoint and has a big information board), but this is not the end.

Instead, for the dramatic Khao Ngon-Nak viewpoint and the secluded 'Instagram viewpoint', you need to keep going and scramble up the grey rocks before arriving at a rickety wooden ladder on a big rock. Go up that (watch for broken or loose rungs), and you'll find the most epic views atop the large rock, where there's plenty of space for groups.

After you're done there, go back down the ladder and continue along the trail, until you find a small clearing, the 3.7km waymarker, and several large brown and yellow 'Danger Zone / No Entry' signs. This is the turn-around point of the hike, but also the spot for a well-known vertiginous photo - however, the National Park has now blocked this off with barbed wire after several incidents, with 2000 baht fines for trespass.

Personally speaking, upon seeing the sheer drop ledge from the safety of the trail, you would've had to pay us to even consider stepping out on it for a shot!

We strongly encourage anyone reading this to respect the rules of the national park, as well as other hikers, and to not attempt to take that shot.

Also, note that drones are banned here, with a 1000 baht fine for flying without permission.

If you're hiking in the morning and in no rush, you could hang out up here for a while admiring the viewpoints and eating lunch if you brought it up. There is also a 'stone courtyard' and a pond to visit at the top, but we had already used up our surplus time to head to the waterfall earlier in the trail to fill up our water bottles (it's quite pretty, but not essential to go out of your way there).

The return journey is back along the exact same trail, and when planning out your visit, bear in mind that the bulk of your time and effort will be on the 'up', and you can make up quite a bit of time on the way down. At the checkpoint they suggest it's 2 hours up + 2 hours down, but we suggest most visitors should factor in 2.5 hours up, and 1.5-2 hours down.

What To Bring + Travel Better Tips

Whatever your age, experience, or fitness levels, the most important preparation elements for the Dragon Crest Mountain hike are hydration, footwear, and clothing.

· We sweated a lot on this hike, and you need to ensure you have plenty water. Bring two litres with you and, if you forget, there is a very small shop at the start point selling cold drinks and fresh coconuts (we had one of those before we started).

There are no vendors or facilities after this.

· One of our best pieces of travel kit are our 50cl Water-To-Go Filter bottles, which allow us to fill up quickly and safely from almost any water source, as well as dramatically cut down our single-plastic consumption. They joined us on this hike, and for the month in Thailand, with the sink at the start point and the waterfall the two sources to fill up from on the trail, so it may be a good idea to also bring a 1 litre bottle given the level of exertion.

After using them on all our travels for the last seven years, we highly recommend investing in a Water-To-Go bottle by the way. You can get a 15% discount using the code 'ADR15' on the official website, and also purchase them on Amazon here.

To find out more about how they work, read our explainer to travel filter bottles.

· The other key part of hike hydration beyond drinking plenty water on the trail, is to also have several bottles Changs, Leos, or Singha once back in Krabi or Ao Nang!

· In terms of footwear, we did the Dragon's Crest hike in our sports trainers. Based on the terrain, we'd recommend closed-toe shoes and trainers over hiking sandals, but you do not need boots. You will see a few people doing it in flip-flops or sandals, but we recommend against that for a more comfortable, secure experience.

· Given that we were drenched in sweat for the majority of this activity, we were thankful to have opted for our running vests + shorts. It's best to wear something similar, or loose and comfortable, alternatives, and it's important that you don't mind ruining it with sweat and suncream (or at least writing it off until your next laundry run). If you plan on doing anything afterward where you don’t wish to stink, then it’s not a bad idea to take something to change into after.

· Most of the trail is actually under the forest canopy, so you're thankfully not in full sun at all times. However, it's more exposed at the summit, and we recommend slapping on suncream before you begin.

· Bring cash for the entrance and the small shop.

· There's a modern bathroom behind the ticket cabin which is free to use.

· You shouldn’t need loads of sustenance, but it’s a good idea to bring a snack if you need an energy boost after reaching the summit.

· Make sure your phone has plenty charge in case you need to contact the rangers in the event of a mishap or emergency, or use it as a flashlight if everything goes tits up on your timing.

· As mentioned, the waterfall diversion (signposted Pho Nam Yod) is not essential, but a pleasant, quiet spot for a breather, a water filter bottle refill, and opportunity to splash some cool water on yourself. It takes about five minutes on a gradual downhill to reach it from the signpost at the fork.

· Lastly, get ready for the fucking Thai cicadas. Their bagpipe car alarm / nuclear reactor song is the loudest, shrillest and most piercing frequency, we have ever encountered from these insects and becomes quite grating if you’re close to them.

· As mentioned, it makes sense to pair you day trip to Dragon Crest Mountain with time at nearby Tubkaek Beach and Koh Kwang Beach after your hike. If you're ravenous after your walk, that's also where to go for lunch. In addition, you could add in the morning or afternoon kayaking and ATV riding, but we absolutely do not recommend doing the Tiger Temple Cave stairs on the same day and also strongly advise against visiting any of the elephant tourism companies in Krabi.

Find more information and inspiration for your trip in 13 Best Things To Do In Krabi, Thailand (published soon).