The best things to do on Koh Tao are learning to dive or snorkelling its shallow reefs, a morning on Koh Nang Yuan, hiking to the John-Suwan and Love Koh Tao viewpoints, swimming at Tanote Bay and Aow Leuk, and watching the sunset from Sairee Beach. Allow 3-5 days, longer if you take a dive course.
Koh Tao is the smallest and most northerly of the three main islands in the Gulf of Thailand, about 21 square kilometres of granite boulders, jungle and small coves. It is best known as one of the cheapest places in the world to get a scuba certification, but you do not need to dive to enjoy it: the snorkelling straight off the beach is excellent, the hikes are short and rewarding, and the island has a relaxed, outdoorsy crowd.
Most visitors stay on Sairee Beach on the west coast, a 1.7 km strip of sand lined with bars, dive schools and restaurants. Mae Haad, just south of Sairee, is the pier and main village. Chalok Baan Kao in the south is quieter with a more local feel, while the east coast bays (Tanote, Aow Leuk, Hin Wong) are remote and reached by steep roads.
Koh Tao has no airport. Ferries arrive from Chumphon on the mainland (about 1.5-2 hours by catamaran), Koh Phangan (about 1 hour) and Koh Samui (about 1.5-2 hours). Combined bus and boat tickets from Bangkok take 9-11 hours in total. Compare options on our transport tickets page.
Koh Tao certifies more new divers each year than almost anywhere else, and the reasons are simple: calm, warm water (27-30°C), dozens of dive sites within 10-30 minutes by boat and fierce competition between schools that keeps prices low. A PADI or SSI Open Water course typically costs 11,000-12,500 THB (about €290-330) for three to four days, often with a few nights of basic accommodation included.
Already certified? Fun dives cost roughly 900-1,200 THB each, less in packages of five or ten. The headline sites are Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock, where big schools of barracuda and trevally circle and whale sharks turn up in some seasons. Closer in, Japanese Gardens, Twins and White Rock are gentle training sites full of reef fish, anemones and the occasional turtle.
Our dedicated Koh Tao diving guide covers courses, costs, dive sites, seasons and how to choose a school properly.
Koh Nang Yuan is the postcard shot of Koh Tao: three small islands just off the north-west coast, joined by a curving sandbar. It is privately owned, with a landing fee of around 100 THB (it has risen before, so budget a little more). Plastic bottles, cans and fins are not allowed on the island, to protect the reef.
Go early. From about 10:00 the tour boats from Samui and Phangan arrive and the sandbar gets crowded; before that, you can snorkel the coral around the Japanese Gardens area in near silence. The short but steep climb to the viewpoint takes 15-20 minutes on stairs and boulders and gives the classic view down onto the sandbar. Longtail water taxis run from Sairee and Mae Haad; expect roughly 100-200 THB per person each way depending on how many people share the boat.
You can see a surprising amount of marine life without a boat. The best snorkelling bays, all reachable by taxi or scooter, are:
Rent a mask and snorkel for 100-150 THB a day, or join a round-the-island longtail snorkel tour (usually 700-1,000 THB including lunch) that stops at four or five bays including Mango Bay in the north, which is effectively only reachable by boat.
The Gulf of Thailand saw serious coral bleaching during the 2024 marine heatwave. Much of the reef is recovering, but it is fragile: use reef-safe sunscreen (or a rash vest), do not stand on coral and do not feed fish.
Koh Tao's granite hills make for short, sweaty hikes with big rewards. Wear proper shoes rather than flip-flops, carry water, and aim for early morning or late afternoon.
| Viewpoint | Location | Walk | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| John-Suwan Viewpoint | Southern tip, above Chalok | 15-20 min, steep and rocky | about 50-100 THB |
| Love Koh Tao Viewpoint | Central hills, near Mae Haad | short walk from the road | about 50 THB, often with a drink |
| Koh Nang Yuan Viewpoint | On Nang Yuan island | 15-20 min stairs and rocks | included in landing fee |
| Mango Viewpoint | North of the island | steep road then a short trail | small fee |
John-Suwan is the one not to miss: from the top you look down on both Chalok Baan Kao and Shark Bay at once. For sunset, Love Koh Tao faces west over Sairee and Koh Nang Yuan.
Sairee faces west, so every clear evening ends with the sun dropping behind Koh Nang Yuan. Grab a beanbag at one of the beach bars, or walk the full length of the sand at low tide. After dark, several bars put on fire shows, and the nightlife picks up from around 22:00, with a lively but smaller scene than the Full Moon Party on neighbouring Koh Phangan.
For dinner, the lanes behind Sairee and the streets around Mae Haad pier have Thai restaurants where a curry or pad kra pao costs 80-150 THB, alongside plenty of Western food aimed at divers. Our Thai street food guide tells you what to order.
Where you sleep shapes your Koh Tao trip more than on bigger islands, because the hills make casual hopping between bays slow and expensive. A quick comparison:
| Area | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Sairee Beach | First visit, dive courses, sunsets, bars | Busiest and noisiest at night |
| Mae Haad | Early ferries, short stays, cheap food | Pier traffic, small beach |
| Chalok Baan Kao | Quieter stays, John-Suwan and Freedom Beach | Shallow bay at low tide |
| Tanote and Aow Leuk | Snorkelling from your door, peace | Steep roads, few restaurants |
Budget travellers can still find fan rooms and dorm beds for 300-600 THB, while air-conditioned bungalows usually run 1,200-3,000 THB and hillside pool villas cost more. Prices climb from July to August and around Christmas, so book ahead in those periods. Our wider guide to where to stay in Thailand explains how the Gulf islands compare.
A few practical points: ATMs are plentiful in Mae Haad and Sairee but charge around 220 THB per withdrawal, tap water is not drinkable (most places refill bottles cheaply) and mobile data is good across the island, so an eSIM for Thailand works well here.
The island is small but the roads are steep, narrow and partly unpaved, especially towards the east coast bays. Scooter accidents are common enough that locals joke about the "Koh Tao tattoo" of grazes. If you are not an experienced rider, use the pick-up truck taxis instead: a ride from Mae Haad to Sairee costs about 100-200 THB per person, and trips to Tanote or Aow Leuk cost more. Always wear a helmet, and check your travel insurance covers scooters and diving. Our guide to getting around Thailand and the Thailand safety page cover this in more detail.
Many visitors combine Koh Tao with Koh Phangan and Koh Samui on one trip. See our island-hopping routes and things to do on Koh Phangan for the next stop.
Koh Tao follows the Gulf of Thailand weather pattern, which is different from the Andaman coast. The driest, calmest months are roughly February to September, with the best diving visibility often from April to August. The heaviest rain and roughest seas arrive in November and early December, when some boats are cancelled and visibility drops. See the best time to visit Thailand for a month-by-month view.
Three days is enough to snorkel, hike and see Koh Nang Yuan. If you are doing an Open Water course, plan at least five days so you have a spare day for weather and a rest day before flying. Browse hotels on Koh Tao by area, from dive-school bungalows on Sairee to hillside villas above Chalok.
Three days covers the highlights: Koh Nang Yuan, a snorkel tour, a viewpoint hike and Sairee sunsets. Plan five or more if you are taking a dive course, so you have time for bad weather and a rest day before flying.
Yes. The snorkelling from beaches such as Aow Leuk and Tanote Bay is excellent, Koh Nang Yuan is one of Thailand's most beautiful spots, and the viewpoint hikes and relaxed atmosphere make it worth a few days.
The landing fee is around 100 THB per person, plus a longtail water taxi of roughly 100-200 THB each way. Plastic bottles, cans and fins are not allowed on the island.
Sairee is the best all-round beach for sunsets, food and nightlife. For snorkelling, Aow Leuk and Tanote Bay are the best, and Freedom Beach is a quiet cove near Chalok Baan Kao.
By ferry only. Catamarans run from Chumphon on the mainland, and from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. From Bangkok, combined bus or train and boat tickets take around 9-11 hours, or fly to Chumphon or Samui and connect by boat.