Koh Lipe is a small beautiful island located in the very south part of Thailand, close to Langkawi island of Malaysia. In this article, I will share with you my itinerary for 2-3 days in Koh Lipe and my opinion on how many days in Koh Lipe is enough.
Koh Lipe is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park, and is famous for its pristine beaches and vibrant coral reefs. It is a popular destination for relaxing, snorkeling, and diving.
How Many Days in Koh Lipe is enough?
In my opinion, 2 to 3 full days is usually enough to go beach hopping, explore the walking street, and take snorkeling trips to nearby islands. I had 2 nights on Koh Lipe and was able to explore most beaches, enjoy the nightlife on the walking street, watch the sunset, and take a day trip to Koh Adang.
Here are my recommendation on some tops things to do in Koh Lipe and how long to do these activities:
#1. Beaches. There are three main beaches on Koh Lipe, including Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach. You can spend days enjoying the beach activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling. There are also many other hidden beaches on the southwest coast of the island to explore.
#2. Walking street. The walking street is the town center of Koh Lipe. It is especially busy at night when people come here to enjoy the nightlife with lots of restaurants and bars located here. You can explore the walking street within a night or two.
#3. Snorkeling trip. You can consider taking half days or full day snorkeling trips to nearby islands such as Jabang, Koh Hin Ngam, Koh Rang, or Koh Rawi.
#4. Koh Adang. Koh Adang is a popular day trip from Koh Lipe. You can easily take a water taxi boat from sunrise beach to this island. You can easily book at many taxi shelters along Sunrise beach. On Koh Dang, you can enjoy the quiet beaches, and hike to viewpoints and waterfalls.
#5. Relaxing. Koh Lipe is a perfect place for relaxing. You can spend as much time as you want chilling on the beach or doing nothing on the island.
See more: 12 Popular Things to Do in Koh Lipe
Getting to Ko Lipe:
Koh Lipe is only accessible by boat from Pak Bara Pier (mainland Satun), and other nearby islands such as Langkawi, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket.
If you are coming from Bangkok, you’ll need to take a flight or train to Hat Yai, then a bus to Pak Bara Pier, and finally a boat to Koh Lipe.
Getting Around Koh Lipe:
Koh Lipe is a very small island, only 3 km at its widest point and 2 km at its longest point. You can easily explore the island on foot or by using tuk tuk (motorbike taxi). Tuk tuk can be found in all popular places such as main beaches, the piers, and the walking street.
See more: How to Get to Koh Lipe & Get Around
Best time to visit Koh Lipe:
Like many other parts of Thailand, the best time to visit Koh Lipe is in the dry season, which is typically from November to April. This time offers plenty of sunny days and calm water to enjoy beach activities.
This is also the high season, accommodations can be very expensive, so be sure to book in advance to have the best choice.
If you travel in the monsoon season, from May to October, you may experience rough seas and the rian can interrupt your travel plan. The advantage of traveling in the low season is that you will have good deals on accommodations.
I traveled to Koh Lipe in mid January, the weather was perfect for exploration. Most days are sunny, and just an afternoon was cloudy with little rain, then heavy rain for a few hours in the evening. The rain didn’t stop me and other people from going out to the beach and trekking.
Best areas to stay in Koh Lipe:
I recommend staying somewhere near the walking street if you want to be in the center of nightlife and action. The walking street is packed with tourist amenities like travel agencies, restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels.
Other popular areas to stay in Koh Lipe are Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach. I personally think that Pattaya Beach and Sunrise Beach are more central and have more facilities than Sunset Beach. See more: Best places to stay in Koh Lipe.
Here are my brief itinerary for 2-3 days in Koh Lipe:
How to Spend 2-3 Days in Koh Lipe Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival, Pattaya Beach, Sanom Beach, Sunrise Beach, and North Point
I came to Koh Lipe from Krabi Town. It is a long journey by bus and speed boat. I left my hotel in Krabi Town around 6.30am, arrived at Pak Bara Pier at 11.30pm, then we were transferred by speed boat to Koh Lipe at 12pm. The boat stopped at Koh Tarutao for 20 minutes and arrived at Koh Lipe at 2pm.
Koh Lipe Pier & Getting to my Hotel
Koh Lipe Pier is a very busy pier located on Pattaya Beach, right at the beginning of Koh Lipe Walking Street. When I got off the boat, I had to carry my suitcase a short distance on the sand to reach the paved road on the walking street.
My hotel, Daya Beach, located at one end of Pattaya Beach, is only 10 minutes walking from the pier on the sand along the beach. This could be done easily if I had a backpack. However, I had a medium suitcase and couldn’t walk on the sand with it, so I had to detour in the Walking Street direction.
According to Google Maps, it’ll take around 20 minutes walking. I can do it because I can explore more along the way and save some money on motorbike taxis. It was ok for the first 15 minutes of walking on the paved road until I reached the dirt road and couldn’t drag my suitcase on it.
I waited for a motorbike taxi to come by and ask him to take me to my hotel. He charged me 50 baht for a 5 minute ride. I should have taken the motorbike taxi at the pier for the same price to avoid the hassle of walking.
A tip: Google Maps directions don’t indicate whether the road is sandy, dirt, or paved, so if you’re walking with a suitcase, be mindful of this issue. It is best to have tuk tuk to your hotel first if you have a suitcase then explore later.
Pattaya Beach
Pattaya Beach is one of the main beaches on Koh Lipe. This is more than 1km long beach with white fine sand and crystal clear water. The beach is great for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling.
This is also the first beach you see when arriving at the island. There are several piers along the beach and lots of longtail boats dock here.
Pattaya Beach is lined with resorts, with its onsite restaurants, cafes, bars, and massage places. At the end of the beach near Daya Beach Resort, you can walk up to a nice wooden bridge and have stunning views of Pattaya Beach. You follow this bridge and head to Sanom Beach.
Sanom Beach
Sanom Beach is a small quiet beach with white fine sand and crystal clear water. There is a cafe/restaurant on the beach with bean bags, beach chairs, and umbrellas.
You can order a drink and a meal here such as shrimp fried rice. You can rent a beach lounger from them or bring your own beach towel/mat with you to lie down on the sand.
Sunrise Beach
From Sanom Beach, I walked to Sunrise Beach by passing Pattaya Beach and the Walking Street. Sunrise Beach is another long beautiful beach on Koh Lipe with crystal clear water, white sand, and stunning views of nearby islands like Koh Adang.
Sunrise Beach is lined with resorts, restaurants, bars, and cafes. There are some areas where longtail boats dock and you can take water taxis from here to nearby islands.
North Point Beach
North Point Beach is a beautiful place to watch both sunset and sunrise on the island. I walked along Sunrise Beach all the way to the north to reach North Point Beach.
This beach is packed with resorts, bars, and restaurants. Many people come here waiting for the sunset. I recommend bringing your own beach mats/towels and snacks here to chill at sunset. Otherwise, you can sit at many restaurants and bars nearby.
Koh Lipe Walking Street
Koh Lipe Walking Street is more lively at night with more bars and restaurants open in the evening. You can easily find good restaurants to eat on the street.
Pattaya Beach at night
Pattaya Beach is a busy place at night with lots of chairs and tables set out on the sand. You can have a nice romantic dinner on the beach.
Day 2: Day trip to Koh Adang, and Lipe Secret Beach
On my second day in Koh Lipe, I took day trips to Koh Adang, enjoyed the quiet beaches on this island, as well as took a hike to the viewpoints and the waterfall.
In the late afternoon, I explored hidden beaches on the southwest coast of the island such as Lipe Secret Beach.
Breakfast at Noy wangcha-aon thai food
I had breakfast around 9.30am at Noy wangcha-aon thai food located close to the walking street. I tried noodle soup which is quite tasty. There are many other authentic Thai foods here such as fried rice, massaman curry, or pad thai.
Long tail Boat from Sunrise Beach to Koh Adang
I walked to Sunrise beach to find the taxi boat to get to Koh Adang. The boat shelter is located on the beach in front of Ban Koh Lipe school.
The ticket is 200 baht two ways. I left Koh Lipe around 10am and told them to pick me up at Koh Adang at 3pm.
The boat arrived at a beach on Koh Adang after a 10 minute ride. I got off the boat, walked along the floating pier, then on the sand to the visitor center area. This area has a camping site, restaurant, and toilets.
Hike to Chado Cliff trail Viewpoints
The park has clear signs showing direction to Chado Cliff trail and viewpoints. There are 3 viewpoints on the trail. It is easy to miss viewpoint 1 as it is a bit hidden on the trail.
I recommend using Map.me to have an idea of the directions and locations of the viewpoints. Google Maps does not show you this route. The hike is moderate with lots of ropes to support you to hike up and down.
It took me 15 minutes to reach viewpoint 1 from the bottom of the trail, 10 minutes to reach viewpoint 2 from viewpoint 1, and another 10 minutes to reach viewpoint 3. Viewpoint 3 is the most beautiful viewpoint of the three, you can skip another two.
Chado Cliff viewpoint has tuning views of Koh Lipe and crystal clear blue water of the ocean. There are some rocks and shades at viewpoint 3 where you can rest and enjoy the view.
From viewpoint 3, I found the track to the other side of the island, but after walking along the track for 15 minutes, the trail is not clear anymore. I didn’t know where it would lead to, so I decided to get back to viewpoint 1 then the camping site area.
Beaches at Koh Adang
The beach at the campsite is beautiful with white sand and crystal blue water. There were just a few people on the beach creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Hike to Chon Salad Waterfall
From the Koh Adang visitor center, I walked along the beach opposite the Chado Cliff viewpoint. At the end of the beach, you will see the sign to Chon Salad Waterfall with the rope to help you climb up.
The trail in the jungle is easy to follow. At the end near the waterfall, you need to climb a rock to reach it. There is a red sign to show you direction. I met a dog and 3 other people at the waterfall. I visited this waterfall in mid January, there was not much water at the stream and the pool.
Not many people check this trail, it was mostly covered by leaves but still visible to follow. There were lots of mosquitoes, I recommend bringing insect spray with you.
On the way back, I head down to Koh Adang resort within 20 minutes. You can ask the resort for a boat to get back to Koh Lipe. I continued my walk back to the trail to Koh Adang visitor center where my boatman will pick me up at 3pm. It took me 20 minutes to walk from the resort to the visitor center.
Long tail boat from Koh Adang to Koh Lipe
I was waiting for boat number 33 to pick me up and another boat man told me that I could get into his boat. So me and 3 other people got into the same boat and went back to Sunrise Beach. All the boatmans know each other so I guess that you can just get into any boat of your convenience.
Late lunch at Thaidurm Restaurant
This restaurant has a good review on Google, so I decided to check out. I had just rice and a pattaya salad. The price is similar with other shops on the island. If you travel with a group, you can order hotpot and different seafood dishes to share.
Lipe Secret Beach
This boat is located quite far from the walking street area, so I decided to take tuk tuk to the starting point of the hike. The tuk tuk driver did not speak English and dropped me off around the Daya Beach area. He insisted this is the place and I need to walk there.
I walked to Daya Beach and ended up at Sanom Beach again. I checked Map.me and walked for another 700m with lots of uphill areas to get to the beginning of the trail. There are lots of trails around the area, I guess all of them lead to a beach.
I recommend using Map.me to have an idea of where to go. I used the map in mid Jan 2025, It wasn’t updated. There is a “the end (no more trail)” note on the map but actually there was the trail and you just need to follow it.
It took me 20 minutes walking through the jungle to reach the beach from the starting point of the jungle trail. The beach is small and peaceful with no one there. There are some trash plastic bottles near the jungle, but people had collected them and put them in one place.
Svedo Beach and Pollo Beach (Pantai Galah Beach)
When you head back to the jungle from Secret Beach, you can use Map.me to have an idea of the direction of Svedo Beach and Pollo Beach. There are other nice quiet coves where you can swim and snorkeling. You can have the whole beach for yourself.
“Pollo Beach” on Map.me might be the “Pantai Galah Beach” on Google Maps. Some people mentioned that you can swim from Secret Beach to Pollo Beach if you don’t want to walk through the jungle.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is one of the main beaches on Koh Lipe along with Pattay Beach and Sunrise Beach. This beach is located further from the walking street compared to other beaches, offering a more relaxing atmosphere.
It was a bit difficult for me to find public access to this beach, so I ended up going to the beach through a resort. I visited this beach on a cloudy and bit rainy day, there were just a few bars and restaurants open on the sand.
You can catch a long tail boat from Sunset Beach to Koh Adang if you stay at a resort in this area. It is further away than taking a boat from Sunrise Beach though.
From Sunset Beach I found the way to the main road from Bay View resort, then take motorbike taxi back to my hotel.
Dinner at Glow Noodle House
I had beef noodle soup for dinner at Glow Noodle House. This restaurant is located right on the walking street, close to Pattaya Beach and its Pier. The soup is delicious.
It was raining very heavily when I had dinner and I walked back to my hostel all wet.
Day 3: Leaving to Koh Lanta & Other things to do in Koh Lipe
I booked the speed boat to Koh Lanta at night, so I had some time to explore the walking street again. I bought mixed fruits and snacks at Patt Market to bring with me on the boat.
If you have more time in Koh Lipe, you can consider taking a snorkeling trip or diving course. There is a diving school located on the main road. You can easily book snorkeling trips at any local travel agencies on the island.
There are full day and half day snorkeling trips to nearby islands such as Koh Hin Ngam, Jabang, Ko Adang, Koh Rawi, and Koh Yang. They have different programs with different routes depending on seasons. The local travel agencies will give you the best advice on what to take.
There you have it, my recommendation on how to spend 2-3 days in Koh Lipe. I think this is a minimum amount of time to explore the island’s beaches, walking streets, take a snorkeling trip, or a boat trip to nearby island Ko Adang. Feel free to add more days to my itinerary if you just want time to relax on the beach or just doing nothing.