Things to Do in Koh Samui, Sorted by the Kind of Day You Want

The best things to do in Koh Samui, by the day you want

A good Samui week mixes one sea day, one temple morning, one market evening and plenty of beach time. Pick the kind of day, then read its section below.

A day on the water

You do not need a long crossing to see Samui from the sea. Our Half-Day Trip boards at 09:00, Monday to Friday, runs north past the Big Buddha on Koh Faan, then round to the east coast to snorkel at Silver Beach or Coral Cove, chosen on the day, with lunch on board and back by 14:00, for ฿2,900 per adult. The Sunset Cruise, also Monday to Friday, runs from 16:00 to about 19:30, west past Fisherman’s Village to the open water off Bang Po for a swim and light bites as the sun goes down, for ฿2,500 per adult. Both run on one slow Thai teak cruiser, never a party boat, with free hotel pickup, and groups of up to 15 can charter the whole boat, with weekends kept for charters. See all our boat trips.

Ang Thong and Koh Tao: the big island days we don’t run

Both are worth a full day if their reward is what you want. Our boat goes to neither.

Ang Thong National Marine Park is a group of about 40 islands north-west of Samui, with the emerald lake on Koh Mae Ko and the viewpoint on Koh Wua Talab. It is closed to visitors every year from 1 November to 15 December. Expect pickup around 07:00 to 08:00, about an hour and a half each way by standard boat, typically 30 to 50 people on board, and home in the late afternoon. Join-in trips sell for roughly 1,200 to 2,000 baht per person, a rough market range. Both climbs are steep, so it suits adults and older children who like a walk. Our Ang Thong comparison has the detail; if it is for you, this Ang Thong day tour with kayaking, snorkelling and lunch is the classic format.

Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan, further north, have better reef than anything around Samui. The price is a long day and a long open-water crossing, hard on anyone prone to seasickness. If reef is your priority, a Koh Tao and Nang Yuan snorkelling day is the trip to look at.

Koh Samui sights: temples, viewpoints and waterfalls worth the drive

Samui’s best-known sights sit in two clusters, the north-east corner around Bangrak and the south-east around Lamai, and each works as a half-day by taxi or hire car. At temples, cover shoulders and knees, men and women alike.

• Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai). A 12-metre golden seated Buddha on Koh Faan, an islet joined to Samui by a causeway near Bangrak. Allow about an hour and go early or late, as there is little shade. Our Big Buddha guide covers etiquette and the view from the sea.
• Wat Plai Laem. A few minutes’ drive from the Big Buddha: a modern temple built around a lake, best known for its white, 18-armed statue of Guanyin. Do the two in one morning.
• Lad Koh viewpoint. A roadside lookout on the ring road between Chaweng and Lamai. A ten-minute stop.
• Hin Ta and Hin Yai. The Grandfather and Grandmother rocks at the southern end of Lamai, near the fishing village of Hua Thanon: granite formations known for their anatomical shapes. Fifteen minutes is plenty.
• Wat Khunaram. On the ring road south of Lamai, home to the preserved body of Luang Pho Daeng, a monk who died in 1973 and sits in a glass case wearing sunglasses.
• Na Muang waterfalls. Inland in the south of the island. Na Muang 1, about 18 metres high, is a few minutes’ walk from the car park and has a pool at the bottom. Na Muang 2 is much higher and a steep walk of roughly 20 to 35 minutes up. Our waterfalls guide covers both, plus Hin Lad. Wear shoes with grip.
• Secret Buddha Garden (Tarnim Magic Garden). Stone statues high in the central hills, up a steep, rough road: go by 4x4 or on a tour.

Heading south from Chaweng, Lad Koh, Hin Ta and Hin Yai, Wat Khunaram and Na Muang fall roughly in that order: one easy run south.

Which Koh Samui beaches are worth your time?

For families, pick Choeng Mon, a gentle curved bay in the north-east corner; for snorkelling from the shore, the boulder coves between Chaweng and Lamai, Silver Beach and Coral Cove; for quiet, Mae Nam on the north coast. Our guide to the best beaches on Koh Samui goes through the rest one by one.

Food and evenings: walking streets, Fisherman’s Village and Muay Thai

The best evening out on Samui is the Friday walking street in Fisherman’s Village, Bophut. The beach road of old wooden shophouses fills with food stalls, clothes and crafts from about 17:00 and is at its busiest from roughly 19:00 to 21:00. Go early if you want room to move, and get dropped off, because parking fills fast. On Sunday evenings Lamai holds a walking street of its own.

A Friday Sunset Cruise fits neatly in front of it: you are back about 19:30, with the walking street still going.

Muay Thai stadiums in Chaweng hold fight nights on set evenings, often starting around 21:00; schedules change, so check before you buy. To try it rather than watch, gyms around the island run beginners’ classes; our Muay Thai guide covers both.

What to do in Koh Samui when it rains

Rain on Samui mostly comes in bursts with sunny spells between, so plan something under a roof that you can drop when the sun returns.

• A Thai cooking class. Most run a morning or afternoon session, many include a market visit, and you eat what you cook. Our cooking class guide compares two good ones.
• Temples between showers. The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem are short visits close together, easy to fit into a dry hour.
• A massage. Every beach area has massage shops, and a good one is the best use of a grey afternoon.

Skip the waterfalls and long scooter rides in heavy rain: the rocks get slippery, the water gets strong, and wet roads are the season’s real hazard.

The wettest stretch is mid-October to mid-December. The east coast takes the swell first. The north coast is sometimes easier, but a strong north-easterly makes it rough too; the crew decide on the day. If they cancel for weather, you choose a free reschedule or a full refund. Seas settle from late December. More in our rainy season guide.

Things to do in Koh Samui with kids

Keep the days short and cool: mornings in the water, afternoons in the shade, an early evening out.

• A morning on a slow boat. Our Half-Day Trip takes children from age four. The crew run a supervised snorkelling session in shallow water for 4 to 11-year-olds, and at anchor guests jump off the roof into the sea.
• Na Muang 1 rather than Na Muang 2. A short walk and a pool at the bottom; the upper fall is too steep for small legs.
• The Fisherman’s Village walking street, early. From 17:00, before the crowd peaks.

Ziplines and quad bikes set their own minimum ages and heights, so ask before you book; see our guides to ziplines and quad bikes and go-karting. Our guide to a Koh Samui boat trip with kids covers seasickness, lunch for fussy eaters and what to pack.

What to do in Koh Samui in 3 days, or 5

Three days covers a sea day, a temple morning and a market evening; five adds a big island day and a slow one. Our shared trips run Monday to Friday.

1. Day 1: Half-Day Trip, 09:00 to 14:00. An afternoon by the pool. Dinner in Fisherman’s Village.
2. Day 2: The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem early, a few hours on the beach, then the Sunset Cruise from 16:00 (pickup from 14:00). On a Friday, go on to the walking street afterwards.
3. Day 3: The south-east loop: Lad Koh viewpoint, Hin Ta and Hin Yai, Wat Khunaram and Na Muang. In the evening, Chaweng or a Muay Thai fight night.

For five days, keep those three and add:

1. Day 4: Ang Thong (outside 1 November to 15 December) or Koh Tao. Both are full days, so plan nothing for the evening.
2. Day 5: A slow one. A cooking class in the morning, an afternoon at Silver Beach, Lamai or Mae Nam, and the Lamai walking street if it is a Sunday.

What we’d skip in Koh Samui, and why

• Elephant riding and animal shows. If you want to see elephants, choose a sanctuary with no riding and no shows, small groups and room for the animals to roam, and ask exactly what contact is involved before you book. Our elephant sanctuary guide explains what to look for.
• Hiring a scooter if you have never ridden one. Samui’s hills, sand on the bends and sudden downpours are not the place to learn.
• Snorkelling off the middle of Chaweng or Lamai beach. Long stretches of sand, little to see. Go to the boulder coves instead.
• Na Muang 2 or the Secret Buddha Garden road after heavy rain. Slippery rock and steep, rough tracks. Go on a dry day.
• The whole island in one day. A round-island tour means a lot of minivan and little of any one place. Two half-days, north-east and south-east, are better.

And if a slow boat is not your thing, don’t book one. A faster day to Ang Thong or Koh Tao will suit you better, and we would rather tell you now.