Koh Tao is a small island located in the Gulf of Thailand. It is not only a famous diving destination but also offers lots of opportunities for hiking, and sightseeing. In this article, I will share my itinerary on how to spend 2-3 days in Koh Tao and my opinion on how many days in Koh Tao is enough.
Koh Tao is part of Surat Thani Province and lies to the north of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, which are also popular tourist destinations. From Koh Tao, you can easily take a boat trip to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.
How Many Days in Koh Tao is enough?
In my opinion, 2 to 3 days is enough to do beach hopping, hiking, checking some viewpoints, enjoy the sunset and nightlife. Within this time you can do some snorkeling and diving trips. If you want to take PADi Diving Course, you’ll need to add an extra 2-4 days to the sightseeing itinerary.
Here are my recommendations on things to do in Koh Tao and how many days for each activities:
#1. Beaches. You can easily do beach hopping within a day by driving a scooter and taking a half/ full day boat tours. I explored the most popular beaches on the island on a scooter within a day.
If you don’t drive, you can take a boat trip around Koh Tao and Nang Yuan Island. These tours can be easily booked at any travel agency on Koh Tao. It will take you to popular spots for sightseeing or snorkeling such as Koh Nang Yuan, Aow Leuk Bay, Shark Bay, Hin Wong, and Mango Bay/ Lighthouse.
#2. Hiking and viewpoints. There are lots of hiking routes to viewpoints and beaches on Koh Tao. You probably need 2-3 days to check all the hiking trails. I explored the island on a scooter and was able to do some small trekkings while visiting some beaches and viewpoints.
#3. Get Scuba Diving Certified. If you take a diving course and want to have a scuba diving certification, you’ll need 2-4 days for the course.
See more: 20 Awesome Things to Do in Koh Tao
Getting to and Around Koh Tao:
Koh Tao is only accessible by boat from the mainland Surat Thani and Chumphon as well as nearby islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. The island doesn’t have an airport, the closest airport is in Koh Samui, from where you can take a ferry to Koh Tao.
As a small island, only 6 km long and 3 km wide, you can easily get around the island by scooter, walking, songthaews, or long tail boats. The walk from Sairee Beach on the west coast to Ao Hin Wong Beach on the east coast is around 40 minutes.
Remember that Koh Tao has hilly terrains, so it will involve lots of walking up and down hill. If you drive, you need to be careful with dirt roads and steep roads to the viewpoints and some beaches.
See more: How to get to Koh Tao & Get Around
Best time to visit Koh Tao:
The best time to visit Koh Tao is from January to April. This is the dry season so the weather is good for beach activities like swimming, snorkeling, and diving.
I visited Koh Tao late December. The sea was quite rough when I traveled from Chumphon Pier to Koh Tao. Lots of passengers had sea sickness, lying down on the floor, or vomiting.
The weather was nice during my stay in late December but it was very cloudy and rained heavily on the last day for a few hours (from 11am to 3pm). Fortunately, it stopped, and I was able to take a boat ride to Koh Phangan at 3.30pm.
Top areas to stay in Koh Tao for tourists:
I stayed in Mae Haad and highly recommend it. Easy access to tourist amenities, the pier, and the beach. You can also consider staying at the nearby Sairee Beach, which is also close to the pier and has a higher concentration of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops.
In general, the central West coast and southern coast areas like Sairee Beach and Chalok Baan Kao Bay are popular places to stay in Koh Tao. You can still find many accommodations scattered around the island though. See more: Where to Stay in Koh Tao.
Here are the brief of my itinerary for 2-3 days in Koh Tao:
How to spend 2-3 days in Koh Tao Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Mae Haad Beach
I came to Koh Tao from Hua Hin. I booked a bus + boat transfer with Lomprayah. The bus left Lomprayah’s office in Hua Hin around 9am, arrived at Chumphon Pier at 1pm, then finally the speedboat arrived at Koh Tao at 4pm.
Mae Haad Pier
Mae Haad Pier is the main pier of Koh Tao to get boats to the mainland and nearby islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. It was very crowded during my visit in late December, which is part of the high season.
Inside the pier, you’ll see Lomprayah’s office and a cafe/restaurant. You will need to pay a fee of 20 baht to get out of the pier. If your hotel or diving center does not pick you up from the pier, you can see many songthaew/taxi drivers right outside at the exit area.
The price depends on your final location. It is best to share a ride with a group of people so you can save the money. I walked to my hostel, which is located only 5 minutes walking from the pier.
Mae Haad Village
Mae Haad Village is a busy village, packed with restaurants, bars, shops, and convenient stores. You can easily find massage shops, travel agencies, motorbike rental shops, and diving centers here.
After checking my hostel, I headed to the nearby restaurant called Wasana Restaurant for a late lunch. I had chicken fried rice and it was quite nice.
Mae Haad Beach
Mae Haad Beach is a nice beach located right next to the pier. There are also many small boats at one side of the beach taking you to Nangyuan Island. You can find a turtle statue in the middle of the beach.
The beach is lined with several restaurants, resorts, and diving schools. You can take a nice walk along the beach as well as swimming and sunbathing. It is especially beautiful at sunset.
Day 2: Around the island: Beach Hopping and Viewpoints
On my second day on Koh Lanta, I rented a motorbike to explore the beaches and viewpoints. I visit Chalok baan kao bay, June Juea Beach, Cape Ja Te Kang, John-Suwan Viewpoint & Freedom Beach, Shark Bay, Tanote Bay, Ao Hin Wong, and Mango Bay.
If you don’t plan to rent a motorbike, you can still continue reading to know more things to do on the island. You can use Songthaew to reach each destination and many places can be reached on foot or by long tail boat ride.
I didn’t plan to rent a scooter at first, but I came across a rental shop on the way walking to the beach. This shop had a scooter that fit me and they had good reviews on Google. The owner seems to be a good person and they had a repair shop onsite, so I decided to give it a go.
Chalok baan kao Bay
I followed Google Maps to drive from Mae Haad Village to Chalok baan kao bay. It is 2 km away and around 7 minutes drive. If you walk, it will take around 30 minutes.
I parked my scooter at the parking area then walked to the beach. Chalok baan kao bay is a nice bay area with crystal clear and calm water. There are lots of resorts, restaurants, and bars lining its beachfront.
Coastal Trekking from Chalok baan kao Bay to June Juea Beach and Cape Ja Te Kang
I took a walk on a bridge passing the Happy Monk restaurant, then continued walking along the coast line. I walked past Summer Rays Beach Club and View Point Resort. You can see stunning ocean views with crystal clear water and the rocks from every corner of the trail.
June Juea Beach
After passing PD resort, I reached Aow June Juea Beach. This is a small beautiful beach with lots of shade, clean calm water, which is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. If you want to escape from the crowds from other popular beaches, June Juea Beach is a great place to relax.
You can find a restaurant on the beach called “Sunset Restaurant”. They have chairs and tables under the shadow where you can enjoy the meals and the beach.
Cape Ja Te Kang & Tao Thong Villa 1 & 2
I asked the staff at the Sunset Restaurant how to get to Cape Ja Te Kang. He told me to climb up the top of the staircase and follow the sign to Tao Thong Villa at the end of the staircase.
There is a trail at the sign. You need to walk through the jungle with lots of mosquitos, so remember to bring insect spray with you. I saw only one person on the trail doing his running. I guess he is an expat living on the island.
It was only a 15 minutes walk through the jungle to reach the bungalows of Tao Thong Villa 2. I followed the sign to the reception area at Tao Thong Villa 2, walked down to the beach, then climbed to the rocks at Cape Ja Te Kang.
From here, you can continue walking to Sai Nuan Beach and Jansom Bay. I decided to walk back to Chalok baan kao Bay where I parked my scooter. It took 45 minutes to walk from Cape Ja Te Kang to Chalok baan kao Bay and a total of 2.5 hours for the round trip.
John-Suwan Viewpoint & Freedom Beach
John-Suwan Viewpoint and Freedom Beach are located in the same complex in South Koh Tao. It is just 5 minutes drive from Chalok baan kao Bay. John-Suwan Viewpoint is the best viewpoint on the island where you can climb to the top for stunning views of Chalok Bay and Shark Bay.
It costs 50 baht to get to John-Suwan Viewpoint and Freedom Beach. I bought the ticket at the entrance and parked the scooter there.
It took me 15 minutes to hike from the entrance to the top of the viewpoints. There are ropes and many nice viewpoints on the way to the top. I visited this place around 12.30 pm and it was quite crowded. Everyone is waiting for the best spots to take photos.
When you get down from the viewpoint, you can follow the sign to Freedom Beach. This is another small beautiful beach on Koh Tao but it was very crowded. I prefer the atmosphere of June Juea Beach. People come here for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling.
There is a beach bar at Freedom Beach where you can buy drinks and meals and enjoy stunning views of the ocean. I had mango smoothies. It was quite expensive as it was on the beach.
From Freedom Beach, you can walk back on the concrete pathway along the coast line, you will reach another beach near the bungalows. I think the beach is called “Taa Toh Lagoon”.
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a beautiful beach located in South Koh Tao, just 2 minutes drive from the Freedom Beach area. To have free access to the Shark Bay, I recommend putting this address “Free beach to shark bay” to Google Map. If you access Shark Bay from Haad Tien Beach Resort, they will charge you 100 baht.
Shark Bay is a beautiful beach with crystal clear and clean water. This is a good place for swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling. The restaurant area had the smell of weed, which I didn’t like.
It is a crowded beach with a restaurant/bar on the beach as well as bed chairs and tables for rent. The parking area is quite small, and from the parking, you just need to walk down for a few minutes to reach the beach.
Tanote Bay
Tanote Bay is a popular beach located on the east coast of the island. It is 5 km from Shark Bay and Freedom Beach. If you drive, I recommend driving slowly because the road to Tanote Bay has many sharp downhill curves.
I parked my scooter near Family Tanote Bay Resort then walked to the beach. There are couples of diving schools located on this side of the beach such as Calypso and Buddha View.
Tanote Bay is bigger than Shark bay and Freedom Beach, making it look less crowded than these beaches. In addition to swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling, you can climb to big rocks and jump into the water.
There are several resorts on the beach along with beach bars and restaurants. You can rent beach chairs here. There aren’t many shadows at the center of the beach, you can find shade near the right end of the beach near Calypso Diving school.
Ao Hin Wong Beach
Ao Hin Wong Beach is a secluded and rocky beach on the east coast of Koh Tao. This is a good spot for snorkeling and swimming. If you drive the scooter, you need to pay 20 baht at the parking area. Alway be aware of the steep ascent.
You find a restaurant and a reggae bar at the beach. This place is less crowded compared to Shark Bay or Freedom Beach.
Summit Viewpoint
After Ao Hin Wong Beach, I put Mango Bay on the map but got lost on the way to the viewpoints. At the gasoline shop, instead of turning right to Mango Bay, I turned left to viewpoints.
The road is very difficult to drive with narrow, dirt, steep roads, so make sure you have good experience to do it. Otherwise, just park the scooter at the gasoline shop and walk up the steep path for 1.5-2km. If you like hiking, you’re gonna like it.
There are many viewpoints here including Summit Viewpoint, Jim View Bar, or Grape Viewpoint. At the chicken cages area, you turn left to get to Jim View Bar, go straight to get to Summit Viewpoint, and turn right to Grape Viewpoint.
I drove all the way to Summit Viewpoint, which is the highest viewpoint on the island, but did not enter because it cost 100 baht entrance fee.
Mango Bay
Mango Bay is a popular stop on the boat tour for snorkeling. It is 2km from the gasoline shop at the insertion to the viewpoints and to Mango Bay. You can access this beach by scooter. The road can be dangerous for inexperienced drivers and when it rains.
I parked my scooter at a point that I think I can’t drive anymore and walked for around 30 minutes to reach the Bay. The walk is quite challenging up and down the road then stairs to the beach.
At the entrance, the woman told me to pay 50 baht, but I decided to skip and come back to my scooter.
On the road to Mango bay, you can find a trekking route to the lighthouse, which is one of the best hiking routes on Koh Tao. If you like hiking, you must check it out. I skipped this one because it was getting dark and I was already tired after hiking to Mango beach.
Nang Yuan Terrace at Dusit Hotel
Nang Yuan Terrace is located in the Dusit Hotel and it has beautiful views of Nang Yuan island, especially at sunset. This place was closed when I arrived, but I still have beautiful sunset views from the pier of this hotel.
Sairee Beach for sunset
Sairee Beach is one of the main beaches of Koh Tao. The beach is located on the central west coast, very close to Mae Haad pier. It is more busy and beautiful at sunset. Lots of tables and chairs were set up on the sand for romantic dinners.
The Beach Road at Sairee Beach is also very lively at night with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops.
Body/foot Massage
After a day-long sightseeing, I really need a massage. There are several good massage shops near my hotel in Mae Haad, but they’re all full. I found Kinnaree Massage near the pier and they gave me a very good oil massage. Other places to look at are Manara Massage and Massage koh tao supakorn.
Day 3: Summit Viewpoint, Grape Viewpoint, Sai Nuan Beach
On my 3rd day in Koh Tao, I visited Summit Viewpoint, Grape Viewpoint, and Sai Nuan Beach in the morning, then took a boat to Koh Phangan in the afternoon.
Grape Viewpoint
Grape Viewpoint is one of the most popular viewpoints on the island. It has stunning views of the Koh Nang Yuan. The road to the Grape Viewpoint is driveable with motorbike, especially if you are an experienced driver.
Grape Viewpoint is located in the same areas with many other viewpoints such as Jim View Bar or Summit Viewpoint. You need to turn right at the chicken cages area to get to the Grape Viewpoint. There is a sign that says you can drive a motorbike this way for 1km.
I drove all the way to the point that I think I can’t handle any more. I parked there then walked 5 minutes to the viewpoint. The entrance fee is 100 baht. They will give you a bottle of water or a can of soft drink. You can order the meal here and they have toilets on site.
The best time to visit is at sunset, but remember it is best to get out of this small dirt road before dark. I visited this place in the morning and the view was still braktaking.
Summit Viewpoint
On the way back from Grape Viewpoint, I decided to take a look at the Summit Viewpoint. I didn’t go inside to this viewpoint the day before. I pay 100 baht at the entrance. It was only me, the friendly dogs, and the owner’s family at the viewpoint.
This place has a nice cafe area within beautiful views of the beach. You can take some nice photos with the sea and the rocks.
Sai Nuan Beach
Sai Nuan Beach is a beautiful quiet beach on the west coast of Koh Tao. It is located 10 minutes drive from Mae Haad. The road near Sai Nuan Beach is very steep and curvy.
There are several nice restaurants, bars, and resorts on this beach such as Banana Rock. The price is reasonable. The beach is a good spot for relaxing, swimming, and snorkeling.
Boat to Koh Phangan
I took a speed boat ride at 3.30 from Mae Haad Pier to Thong Sala Pier in Koh Phangan. The rain was very heavy for two hours before my trip, and fortunately the rain stopped and the boat still left for Koh Phangan.
It was the high eason and accommodations in either Koh Tao or Phangan were all booked out. If I were stranded in Koh Tao, I wouldn’t know what to do.
I didn’t take a boat trip to Koh Nang Yuan island, but if I have more time, I would make a visit here. This island is just a short boat ride from Koh tao and is known for its white sandy beaches and stunning viewpoints.
See more:
There you have it, my guide on how to spend 2-3 days in Koh Tao and the itinerary for first-timers. I personally think 2-3 days is enough for sightseeing and beach hopping. If you want to take a snorkeling or diving course, you will need to add extra 3-4 days to this itinerary.