The best things to do in Koh Phangan are a longtail boat to Bottle Beach, lazy days at Thong Nai Pan Noi, hiking to Phaeng waterfall and the Domesila viewpoint, snorkelling at Koh Ma, the Thong Sala Saturday walking street and sunset at Zen Beach, with the Full Moon Party as an optional extra. Plan 4-6 days.
Koh Phangan is famous for the Full Moon Party, but that happens on one beach, one night a month. The rest of the island is green, hilly and surprisingly calm: two-thirds of it is covered in jungle and national park, the north and east coasts hide some of the best beaches in the Gulf, and the west coast has become one of Asia's best-known yoga and wellness hubs.
The island is about 15 km across. Thong Sala on the south-west is the main town and ferry pier. Haad Rin on the south-east tip is party central. The west coast (Sri Thanu, Haad Yao, Haad Salad) has sunsets and yoga schools, the north (Chaloklum, Mae Haad, Bottle Beach) is quiet and scenic, and the east (Thong Nai Pan, Than Sadet, Haad Tien) is remote, partly reachable only by steep road or boat.
Four to six days lets you do the island properly: two or three beach areas, one hike, one boat trip and a market night. Party days need recovery time, so plan them in, not on top.
Like Samui, Phangan is driest from roughly January to August. October to early December is the rainy season, with the heaviest rain in November and sometimes rough crossings. See the best time to visit Thailand.
Phangan's beaches are more varied than Samui's, and the best ones take some effort to reach.
If you are choosing a base, Thong Nai Pan Noi and Haad Salad suit beach lovers, Sri Thanu suits wellness travellers and Haad Rin suits party-goers.
The small island of Koh Ma, off Mae Haad in the north-west, is part of a protected marine area and the easiest good snorkelling on Phangan. Walk across the sandbar at low tide (or swim at high tide) and follow the reef edge on the island's east side for hard corals, parrotfish, clownfish and the occasional turtle. Bring your own mask or rent one on the beach for about 100-150 THB.
A round-island longtail or speedboat tour (roughly 1,000-1,800 THB) is the easiest way to see the remote east coast: stops usually include Bottle Beach, Thong Nai Pan, the Than Sadet waterfall and a snorkel stop. Full-day tours to Ang Thong National Marine Park also leave from Phangan (around 2,000-2,800 THB plus the 300 THB park fee), and it is one of the best days out in the Gulf.
For diving, Sail Rock, between Phangan and Koh Tao, is the Gulf's top site, with a vertical chimney swim-through, huge schools of barracuda and trevally and a chance of whale sharks between March and May and September to October. Fun dives cost around 3,500-4,500 THB for two dives; many learners prefer Koh Tao for courses.
The jungle interior is protected as Than Sadet-Koh Phangan National Park, and it offers the best hiking of any Gulf island.
Take plenty of water, wear real shoes rather than flip-flops, and tell your accommodation where you are going. Leeches appear on trails after rain.
Phangan is not a temple destination, but a few are worth a detour, especially if you combine them with the hikes.
Dress modestly at temples and in villages. Our temple etiquette guide covers the basics.
The Thong Sala Saturday Walking Street, from around 16:00 to 22:00, is the island's best evening out that does not involve a party: food stalls, crafts, clothes and live music along the town's main street. The Thong Sala night market (Phantip) near the pier runs every evening with cheap pad thai, grilled seafood, khao soi, roti and fruit shakes, typically 40-100 THB a dish.
Sri Thanu and Haad Yao have a wide choice of vegan and health-food cafes aimed at the yoga crowd, while Chaloklum and Ban Tai have simple Thai seafood places at local prices. Our Thai street food guide and food in Thailand guide explain what to order.
The west coast around Sri Thanu is packed with yoga shalas, meditation centres, ecstatic-dance evenings and detox retreats. Drop-in yoga classes cost roughly 300-500 THB, and many schools run multi-week teacher trainings. Even if yoga is not your thing, the area's cafes and relaxed atmosphere make a pleasant half-day.
Zen Beach, a small rocky beach in Sri Thanu, is the island's favourite sunset spot, where people gather with music and fire spinners as the sun drops behind Ang Thong. The sunset bars around Haad Son (Secret Beach) and Haad Yao are also excellent.
Thai massage costs 300-400 THB an hour almost everywhere on the island and is the best way to recover from hikes, dives or party nights.
The Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Nok draws anything from 5,000 to 30,000 people a month, with sound systems along the whole beach from dusk to sunrise. There is a small entry fee (around 100-200 THB), buckets of spirits, neon paint and fire shows. Smaller events such as the Half Moon Party and jungle parties run around the lunar calendar.
If you plan to go, book accommodation early (Haad Rin often requires three to five night minimums around the party), stay in a group, watch your drink and keep valuables at your hotel. Our full Full Moon Party guide covers dates, safety and how to get there from Samui and Koh Tao.
There is no airport, so everyone arrives by boat. From Koh Samui, ferries run from Bophut, Big Buddha, Maenam and Nathon piers to Thong Sala or Haad Rin in 30-60 minutes (roughly 300-400 THB). Koh Tao is 1.5-2 hours by high-speed catamaran. Combined bus-and-boat tickets from Bangkok and Surat Thani are also available; compare them on our transport tickets page and read getting around Thailand.
On the island, shared songthaews and taxis cost roughly 100-400 THB per person depending on distance, and Grab and Bolt now operate on Phangan. Scooters rent for 200-300 THB a day, but Phangan's roads are steep and some are unpaved, and accidents are frequent. Only ride if you are experienced and properly licensed, and read our Thailand safety guide.
Ready to plan? Start with the Koh Phangan destination guide, compare hotels in Koh Phangan with live prices, or link the island into a longer route with our island hopping routes.
Four to six days is ideal to see two or three beach areas, do a hike and a boat trip, and enjoy a market night. Add a day or two if you are going to the Full Moon Party.
No. The parties are concentrated in Haad Rin and a few venues. Most of the island is quiet, with jungle, secluded beaches, fishing villages and a large yoga and wellness community.
The easiest way is by longtail boat from Chaloklum, roughly 150-300 THB per person each way. There is also a jungle trail and a rough road, but both are demanding.
Koh Ma, reached across a sandbar from Mae Haad, has the best snorkelling from the shore. Haad Salad and Haad Yao also have reefs close to the beach.
Only for experienced riders with a valid licence. The island has steep, sometimes unpaved roads and a high accident rate. Taxis, songthaews and Grab are safer alternatives.