Best Things To Do in Koh Tao, Thailand

1. Visit the best beaches on Koh Tao

Koh Tao has some spectacular beaches and bays. The waters around the island are crystal clear and ideal for swimming and snorkeling. We’re naming the ones we’ve visited, but there are a lot more that are surprisingly uncrowded.

Sairee Beach

Several beach bars and restaurants are located on this beach. Sairee beach is still not extremely busy and the vibe feels like the most laid back.

Shark Bay

In the southeastern part of Koh Tao, there’s a beach called Haad Thien, where the coconut palms are lined perfectly. The name of the bay is not just a name since you can snorkel with Blacktip Reef sharks in there.

Freedom Beach

A small stretch of sand and rocks that is only accessible by motorbike. It is a great spot to swim in azure blue water and snorkel through beautiful, shallow corals. We recommend booking a snorkeling tour to see some of the best hidden spots and marine life on the island.

2. Koh Tao Viewpoints

Viewpoints can make you speechless, and that feeling is great. Koh Tao, Thailand, has a lot of these viewpoints if you compare it to the size of the small island. All of the viewpoints are on private property so for some there’s a small entrance fee.

Mango Viewpoint

At this beautiful viewpoint, you’ll have a view of Sairee Beach and Mae Haad Bay that stretches all the way to the south. The way up is not the easiest, so make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes unless you’re that flip-flop kind of person. The entrance fee for Mango Viewpoint is 100 THB.

John Suwan Viewpoint

In our opinion, the most impressive viewpoint on Koh Tao. The way up is cool because you’re doing a little hike and the big amount of Palm trees with super clear blue water behind it makes it look like perfectly pure paradise. We’ve visited it a few times and just sat there, amazed. The entrance fee at John Suwan Viewpoint is 50THB.

Koh Nang Yuan Viewpoint

The viewpoint at Nang Yuan is definitely the most popular point. Take the boat from Sairee Beach, which will bring you to Nang Yuan island. Pay the 100THB entrance fee and you’ll be allowed to visit every corner of the island.

3. Explore Koh Tao

Koh Tao is small, so you can easily explore the island by motorbike or even by foot! The motorbike is our number one favorite transport to start exploring new areas.
Some roads are still undeveloped, which is probably a reason for a lot of people to not explore the island. Still, you should explore the island even if you have minimum driving experience. Just get off the bike when you think it’s too dangerous.

Motorbike rental Koh Tao

Motorbikes can be rented for an average price of 200TBH a day. Be careful about giving your passport because sadly motorbike scams are a thing on this island. We can highly recommend Oli’s Motorbike Rentals and RPM.

4. Paddleboard at Koh Tao

Especially during sunset! At the Sairee Beach, there are a few companies that have paddle boards for rent. Get one at sunset and you’ll experience the most chilled out part of your day. Except if you’re not finding your balance. Look for the signs saying ‘Sup Tao’. There are multiple, but one of them is located at Maya Beach Club.

5. Staying in shape

The gym is one of the things we really missed while traveling in Thailand. Getting fit in Koh Tao is easy. You can workout in the gym, take a CrossFit lesson or doing Yoga at Grounded. Also, you can fill up your proteins in one of the health bars, Fitness Cafe or Living Juices for example. Don’t forget that climbing up a viewpoint is one hell of a workout too.

6. Eating and drinking

At Koh Tao, there are loads of good restaurants and bars, no one more expensive than the other. We preferred to get some food and drinks in Sairee village while we stayed near the pier because there are more local bars.

Where to stay on Koh Tao

There are plenty of great hotels on Koh Tao, from luxury resorts to budget-friendly guesthouses and backpacking hostels. Find your hostel in Koh Tao here.

Our favorite hotels in Koh Tao 😴

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Koh Tao Relax Freedom Beach Resort

Koh Tao

Ecotao Lodge

Koh Tao

Big Tree Boutique Hotel

Koh Tao

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Koh Tao

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Surat Thani to Koh Tao by ferry
At 09:00 and 14:30, fast ferries go to Koh Tao within 4-5 hours. Find times and tickets here

Weather in Koh Tao

The weather in Koh Tao has two seasons, wet and dry.  The island is at its busiest between July and September and from Christmas until late February.