Koh Tao is only about 21 km², but it has a lot packed in: warm, clear water, dozens of dive schools, coves you can snorkel straight from the beach, and a social scene that's lively without being wild. It's a good island to arrive on alone. Dive courses and boat trips put you with a small group from the first morning, and Sairee Beach at sunset is where everyone ends up.
This guide covers what to do, where to stay, how to get there and when to go. For the rest of the country, see our Thailand travel guide.
Koh Tao at a glance
- Where: in the Gulf of Thailand, about 1 to 1.5 hours by boat north of Koh Phangan
- Known for: learning to dive, snorkelling, the Koh Nang Yuan sandbar and viewpoint
- Main areas: Sairee Beach (west coast), Mae Haad (the ferry pier) and Chalok Baan Kao (south)
- Best months: February to September
- How long: two or three nights, or four or more for a dive course
- Vibe: sociable and outdoorsy. Livelier than it looks in the daytime, and much calmer than Koh Phangan's party beaches
Things to do on Koh Tao
Learn to dive
Diving is why Koh Tao is famous. The water is warm and usually calm, the dive sites are close to shore, and courses are among the cheapest you'll find. Most schools teach PADI or SSI courses.
- Open Water. The first full certification takes about three to three and a half days and costs roughly 9,500 to 12,500 baht, often including a few nights' accommodation.
- Discover Scuba. A half-day try-dive with an instructor, down to 12 m at most, for about 2,500 to 4,000 baht. It's a good option if you only have a day or two.
When choosing a school, look for small groups (four students per instructor or fewer is ideal), well-kept gear and recent reviews that talk about the instructors. Check that your travel insurance covers diving. Our Koh Tao diving guide compares the courses and the best dive sites, and scuba diving in Thailand covers the rest of the country.
Snorkel round the island and visit Koh Nang Yuan
You don't need to dive to see the reefs. A round-island snorkel boat is the best day out on Koh Tao, stopping at four or five bays depending on the conditions. A standard shared trip costs about 500 baht, or about 890 baht for a smaller "VIP" boat. Under Thailand's marine rules in force since April 2025, snorkellers wear a life jacket unless they hold a dive certification, and feeding fish and touching coral are banned.
Most trips stop at Koh Nang Yuan, three small islands joined by a white sandbar, just off the north-west coast. There's a 250 baht entry fee, day visitors can land between 10:00 and 15:00, and single-use plastic bottles are banned (staff take them off you at the pier), so bring a refillable one. The short, steep climb to the viewpoint gives you the photo you've probably already seen.
Shark Bay, in the south-east, is the best place to snorkel from the shore. Blacktip reef sharks and turtles are sometimes seen early in the morning, when the water is calmest. Keep your distance and don't touch or chase anything.
Viewpoints and beaches
- John-Suwan viewpoint in the south looks over two bays at once. It's a 10-minute scramble over rocks from the entrance, and entry is about 50 baht. Wear proper shoes.
- Sairee Beach is the main strip: 1.7 km of sand with bars, dive shops and the best sunset on the island.
- Freedom Beach, Tanote Bay and Aow Leuk are smaller coves, better for a quieter swim and snorkelling.
Evenings
Sairee is the social centre, with beach bars, fire shows and a few busier nights each week. It's a good place to meet other travellers without it becoming a Full Moon-style party. If you want the big one, Koh Phangan is an hour or so away by boat. See the Full Moon Party guide.
Where to stay on Koh Tao
| Area | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sairee Beach | First visits, solo travellers, sunsets | The busiest area, with most hostels, dive schools and bars. It can be noisy at night |
| Mae Haad | Short stays, early ferries | The pier town. Handy for boats, but not much of a beach |
| Chalok Baan Kao | A quieter base with dive schools | In the south, near John-Suwan and Freedom Beach |
| East-coast bays (Tanote, Aow Leuk) | Peace and snorkelling | Steep roads, far from everything. You'll need taxis |
Many dive schools offer cheap or free dorm beds during a course, so if you're diving, book the course first. Search for "accommodation on Koh Tao" nearer the time and you'll find everything from dorms to beach bungalows. In peak months (July, August, and from late December to March), book well ahead.
Getting to Koh Tao
Koh Tao has no airport, so everyone arrives by boat. The island charges visitors a 20 baht fee at the pier, which pays for waste and reef management.
| From | How | About |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Phangan | Lomprayah, Seatran or Songserm ferry | 1 to 2 hours, about 350 to 650 baht |
| Koh Samui | Catamaran or ferry, sometimes via Phangan | 1.5 to 2.75 hours, from about 700 baht |
| Chumphon (mainland) | Catamaran | 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
| Bangkok | Joint bus or train ticket plus a boat from Chumphon | About 10 hours in total |
The fastest way from Bangkok is to fly to Samui or Chumphon and take a boat. If you're coming from the north, Bangkok Airways flies direct from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui. The Bangkok guide covers the overland options in more detail.
Getting around
Koh Tao is hilly, and some roads are steep, rutted concrete. Taxis (pick-up trucks) and water taxis are the lower-risk way around. Scooters are everywhere, but crashes are common, and to ride legally you need a motorcycle licence from home plus an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles. Without both, your travel insurance probably won't pay out if you crash. Never leave your passport as a rental deposit, and photograph the bike before you ride off.
Best time to visit Koh Tao
| Months | Weather and sea | Diving |
|---|---|---|
| January | Mostly dry, some showers early in the month | Good and improving |
| February to April | Dry, calm and hot | Excellent: flat seas and often 15 to 30 m visibility. Whale sharks are sometimes seen |
| May to September | Warm, with short showers | Good. July and August are the busiest months |
| October | Rain increases as the monsoon arrives | Mixed |
| November | Wettest month and rough seas | The month to avoid |
| December | Improving through the month | Fair, often 10 to 25 m visibility |
The Gulf islands have the opposite season to Phuket and Krabi, so Koh Tao is one of the best beach choices in Thailand from June to September. The best time to visit Thailand guide compares every region month by month.
How much does Koh Tao cost?
Koh Tao costs a little more than the mainland because everything arrives by boat. As a rough guide:
| Item | Baht |
|---|---|
| Street-food or simple Thai dish | about 60 to 100 |
| Dinner at a tourist restaurant | about 200 to 400 |
| Large beer in a bar | about 100 to 150 |
| Round-island snorkel trip | about 500 |
| Koh Nang Yuan entry | 250 |
| Island visitor fee, paid at the pier | 20 |
| Discover Scuba | about 2,500 to 4,000 |
| Open Water course | about 9,500 to 12,500 |
Outside diving and accommodation, budget about 1,000 to 1,500 baht a day.
Staying safe on Koh Tao
- Scooters are the biggest risk. See the licence rules above, or just use taxis.
- Drinks. The UK Foreign Office warns that drinks in Thailand can be spiked or contain methanol. Buy sealed drinks and watch them being poured.
- Boats. Check there are life jackets on snorkel and dive boats, and don't board one that looks overloaded or head out in bad weather.
- Reef. Use reef-friendly sunscreen, don't stand on coral and never take shells or coral home.
How many days on Koh Tao?
Two nights is the minimum: one day on the water and one to explore. Three nights is comfortable. If you're doing the Open Water course, allow four nights or more, because the course takes three to three and a half days and bad weather can push a dive back.
If you're here to get certified, our dedicated diving trip is built around exactly that: a full PADI Open Water course on Koh Tao with a spare day for bad weather, then two nights on Koh Phangan timed to the Full Moon Party.
Koh Tao also pairs naturally with Chiang Mai and Pai in the north. Our Thailand in 2 Weeks trip spends two nights on Koh Tao, with a snorkelling day round the island and Koh Nang Yuan included, before three nights on Koh Phangan.
