9:00am — Departure from Ao Nang
Boats leave in a loose wave between 9 and 10am, which means every operator's boats hit the first island at roughly the same time. If avoiding crowds matters more to you than an early start, an afternoon departure is worth asking for.
9:30am — Koh Poda
The first stop is usually the busiest, simply because every boat arrives within the same half hour. The water is genuinely beautiful — pale turquoise, calm, shallow enough to stand in much of it — but expect company.
11:00am — Chicken Island & the Tup/Mor sandbar
By late morning the boats have spread out a little. The sandbar between Koh Tup and Koh Mor is the highlight for most people — it genuinely only exists at low tide, and the two-tone water either side of it photographs exactly like the brochures.
1:00pm — Lunch and Phra Nang Cave Beach
Most tours build in lunch (often on the boat or a beach stop) before the final stop at Phra Nang, which doubles as a Railay viewpoint if you haven't been yet.
The honest verdict
Crowded at the first stop, genuinely beautiful throughout, and worth doing despite the company — just adjust your expectations for the classic postcard shots, and consider a private longtail charter (see our full 4 Island Tour guide) if having quieter beaches matters more than budget.