3 stops
- Ferry
Is this route for you?
This suits beaches, a diving course or the Full Moon Party, without pulling a fourth region into the trip. Koh Tao is one of the cheapest and most popular places in the world to learn to dive, and Koh Phangan's monthly party is one of the most searched single events in Southeast Asian backpacking. Koh Samui has the region's main airport and its most developed beach town, so it works as a first stop or a last one.
Prefer cliffs and climbing to beach towns? The Andaman coast itinerary covers Phuket, Krabi and Koh Phi Phi instead, on a season that runs opposite to this one. Care more about mountains than a beach? See the Northern Thailand itinerary. Still deciding between the three islands themselves? Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan vs Koh Tao breaks down which one deserves your extra days.
Day by day
Arrival and a first beach
Koh Samui
Getting there fly direct to Koh Samui with Bangkok Airways, which owns the airport and flies the main nonstop routes, from Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Krabi, about 50 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the departure city; or fly into Surat Thani and take a joint bus and ferry transfer, about 2 to 5 hours door to door
- Morning
- settle in
- Afternoon
- Chaweng or Lamai beach
- Evening
- Fisherman's Village in Bophut, a row of old shophouses turned into restaurants, for a relaxed first dinner
Eat hoy tod (oyster omelette) and fresh grilled seafood along Bophut's walking street
Local tip pick a room near Chaweng or Bophut so you're close to the piers you'll need in a couple of days
Big Buddha and the rock formations
Koh Samui
- Morning
- Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai) and the Secret Buddha Garden inland
- Afternoon
- Hin Ta Hin Yai, the "grandfather and grandmother rocks", or Na Muang waterfall if you'd rather skip the crowds
- Evening
- an early night, since tomorrow starts with a ferry
Eat a Samui-style seafood curry
Local tip book tomorrow's Lomprayah or Seatran ferry to Koh Phangan the evening before; sailings run several times a day and take about 30 minutes
Arrival and the beach scene
Koh Phangan
Getting there Koh Samui to Koh Phangan by Lomprayah or Seatran catamaran, about 30 to 45 minutes, about 250 to 370 baht
- Morning
- arrive and settle in: Haad Rin if you're timing the Full Moon Party, or a quieter beach such as Thong Nai Pan if you're not
- Afternoon
- beach time, or a short viewpoint walk
- Evening
- Haad Rin's regular bar strip, or a smaller warm-up party if the calendar lines up
Eat beachside pad thai, and a bucket cocktail if you want one; buy sealed drinks and never share one with strangers
Local tip if you're timing the Full Moon Party, book a Haad Rin room for at least 3 nights now: guesthouses there often enforce a minimum stay around that date and raise their rates
The Full Moon Party, or a quieter alternative
Koh Phangan
- Morning
- sleep in, or walk to Phaeng Waterfall
- Afternoon
- more beach time, or a yoga class; Phangan runs a real wellness-retreat scene alongside its party reputation
- Evening
- the Full Moon Party on Haad Rin beach if the date matches your trip, otherwise a smaller beach bar night
Eat Thong Sala's night market stalls
Local tip wear shoes if you're out for the party; the sand fills with broken glass and bottle caps by the end of the night
Onward to the dive island
Koh Phangan to Koh Tao
Getting there Koh Phangan to Koh Tao by Lomprayah, Seatran or Songserm ferry, about 1 to 2 hours, 350 to 650 baht
- Morning
- a slow start at Thong Sala market, or a beach north of Haad Rin
- Afternoon
- ferry to Koh Tao, then straight to Sairee Beach
- Evening
- Sairee's low-key bar strip
Eat fresh fish barbecue on Sairee Beach
Local tip Koh Tao charges a 20 baht visitor fee at the pier, so keep a small note handy as you land
Diving or snorkelling
Koh Tao
- Morning
- a Discover Scuba try-dive, or a snorkelling boat trip to Koh Nang Yuan (250 baht entry, day visitors 10:00 to 15:00, no single-use plastic bottles)
- Afternoon
- Sairee Beach or Mango Bay
- Evening
- John-Suwan Viewpoint at sunset for the twin-bay view, a 10-minute scramble over rocks from the entrance, about 50 baht; wear proper shoes
Eat a smoothie bowl at one of Sairee's cafes, Koh Tao's answer to backpacker brunch
Local tip a one-week trip doesn't leave room for a full PADI Open Water course, which needs about 3 to 3.5 days; take the 10-day version below if getting certified matters to you. On snorkel trips, Thailand's marine rules (since April 2025) require a life jacket if you aren't a certified diver, and ban feeding fish and touching coral
Depart
Koh Tao to onward
Getting there ferry back to Koh Samui for a flight home (1.5 to 2.75 hours, from about 700 baht), or to Chumphon for the mainland train and buses (1.5 to 2.5 hours)
- Morning
- one last swim or snorkel
- Afternoon
- ferry onward
Eat a final Sairee Beach meal before you go
Local tip book the ferry a day or two ahead in high season; boats on this route fill up
The 10 days version
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koh Samui | Arrive, Chaweng beach, Fisherman's Village for dinner | Hoy tod and seafood |
| 2 | Koh Samui | Big Buddha, Hin Ta Hin Yai, ferry to Phangan next morning | Seafood curry |
| 3 | Koh Phangan | Arrive, settle in, a beach afternoon | Beachside pad thai |
| 4 | Koh Phangan | Full Moon Party, or Phaeng Waterfall | Bucket cocktails or night market food |
| 5 | Koh Phangan | A slow day at Thong Sala market or Bottle Beach, ferry to Tao next morning | Thong Sala stalls |
| 6 | Koh Tao | Arrive, start the PADI Open Water course: classroom and pool | Fresh fish barbecue |
| 7 | Koh Tao | Course day 2: confined water skills and the first open-water dives | Smoothie bowl |
| 8 | Koh Tao | Course days 3 to 4: remaining open-water dives and certification | Sairee cafe food |
| 9 | Koh Tao | Snorkel Koh Nang Yuan or a fun dive, John-Suwan Viewpoint at sunset | Sairee Beach dinner |
| 10 | Koh Tao to onward | Ferry to Koh Samui or Chumphon for onward travel | One last Sairee meal |
What changes: the extra three days go entirely into a full PADI Open Water certification on Koh Tao rather than a single taster dive. Build in a spare day if you can, since dive schools sometimes move a training day when the sea is too rough.
What it costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dorm bed | 300 to 600 baht a night |
| Local food, 3 meals | 250 to 400 baht |
| Ferry, Samui to Phangan | about 250 to 370 baht |
| Ferry, Phangan to Tao | 350 to 650 baht |
| Koh Tao island visitor fee, paid at the pier | 20 baht |
| Full Moon Party entry | 200 baht wristband, plus drinks, paint and a taxi |
| PADI Open Water course (10-day version) | 9,500 to 12,500 baht |
| Daily total for food, drinks and local transport, not counting your bed, the party or the course | about 1,000 to 1,800 baht |
Getting there, away and around
Fly direct into Koh Samui with Bangkok Airways, which owns the airport and flies the main nonstop routes, from Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Krabi, about 50 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the departure city. Flying into Surat Thani and taking a joint bus and ferry transfer is cheaper, at roughly 2 to 5 hours in total depending on the connection.
From Koh Tao, ferry to Chumphon (1.5 to 2.5 hours) for the train and bus network on the mainland, or back to Koh Samui for a flight out.
Lomprayah, Seatran and Songserm run the ferries between the islands, with several sailings a day outside the rainy season; operators cancel sailings in rough weather. On each island, shared songthaews (pickup-truck taxis) cover the main routes, and scooter hire is common if you're comfortable riding one.
Best time and festivals
February to September is best, with February to April the calmest stretch. Avoid October and November, the peak of the northeast monsoon, when seas turn rough and inter-island ferries are among the first services operators cancel; weather sources put Koh Samui's November rainfall at more than 400 mm. That's the opposite pattern to the Andaman coast, so combining both coasts in one trip only really works from January to April, when both are calm at the same time. See Thailand's best time to visit for the month-by-month detail.
What to eat on this route
Look for hoy tod (oyster omelette) on Koh Samui, fresh grilled seafood cooked right on Sairee or Chaweng beach, and a Samui-style seafood curry. Koh Phangan's beach bars serve the bucket cocktails the island is known for, best treated with caution, alongside beachside pad thai and Thong Sala's night market stalls. Koh Tao's cafes lean into health-food brunches, so a smoothie bowl after a morning dive is the local habit. For the wider picture, see our Thai food guide.
If diving is the reason you're here, our Thailand Diving Tour covers Koh Tao and Koh Phangan with a full PADI course built in.
Keep planning
Head back to the Thailand itinerary hub to compare this against the north and the Andaman coast, or read up on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao individually before you book anything. Stitching together a longer trip across both coasts? Thailand island hopping covers the ferries and park fees on the Andaman side too.
