Should You Visit Phuket or Koh Tao?

Phuket is a famous island in the Andanman Sea, South Thailand. Koh Tao is a popular snorkeling and diving destination on the Gulf of Thailand, South Thailand.

If you’re wondering whether to stay in Phuket or Koh Tao, you’re in the right place. I’ve traveled to many parts of Thailand, including Phuket and Koh Tao, so I’ll give you some best recommendations based on personal experiences.

I will compare these two islands in some aspects, such as their locations, accommodations, beaches, nightlife, shopping, food, and cultural attractions.

Is it better to visit Phuket or Koh Tao?

I visited Koh Tao as part of my island hopping tour in the Gulf of Thailand, which also includes Koh Phang and Koh Samui. I visited Phuket as my last destination in the Adanman Sea after visiting Railay, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, Koh Phi Phi, and Koh Yao Yai.

I enjoyed my visit to both islands and rented a scooter to explore them. Each place offers me different experiences. Phuket is the bigger island with lots of attractions and activities to do. It has great nightlife, many shopping malls, night markets, and opportunities for island hopping tours.

Ko Tao is a tiny island where you can walk around the island on foot, especially if you are an active traveler. It has more crystal clear beaches than Phuket, which makes it a better destination for snorkeling and diving. The nightlife, shopping, and food are limited compared to Phuket though.

On both islands, I enjoyed riding a scooter, exploring different beaches and attractions. If you don’t drive, there are plenty of guided tours, long tail boats, local songthaews, and taxis to choose from. As a more developed island, Phuket has Uber-like riding shares such as Grab, Bolt, and InDrive.

Generally speaking, I would recommend visiting Phuket if you are first-timers to Thailand who enjoy the convenience of having everything in one place, including beaches, cultural attractions, and all tourist amenities.

The island is more easily accessible because it has an international airport and it’s connected with the mainland by a bridge, so you can get to the island by airplane, car, and boat.

I would recommend choosing Phuket over Koh Tao if you are all about crystal clear beaches, snorkeling, and diving. It’s a bit difficult to get to, making it have a more laid-back atmosphere than Phuket.

You can always visit both islands, as I and many other travelers do. You can use the combination of boat and bus, or boat and airplane to travel between these places.

My recommended accommodations in Phuket:

My hand-picked hotels in Koh Tao:

Mid-range: Koh Tao Heights Pool Villas
Budget: Sensi Paradise Beach Resort

Location & How to Get There

Both Phuket and Koh Tao are located in South Thailand. Koh Tao is located on the Gulf of Thailand, close to Koh Phangan, and Koh Samui. Phuket is located in the Andaman Sea, close to famous areas such as Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, and James Bond island.

Phuket is easier to access by air, road, and boat. It has an international airport, a bridge linking the island with the mainland, and direct boats to many other islands on the Andanman Sea.

Koh Tao is only accessible by boat. It is an around 2 hour boat ride from mainland Chumphon and 3-4 hour boat ride to Don Sak Pier in Surat Thani mainland.

There are two popular ways to travel between Koh Tao and Phuket. The first way is to fly from Phuket to Samui, then boat ride from Samui to Koh Tao. The second way is to take the bus ride to Donsak Pier then take the boat ride to Koh Tao. It’ll take around 5 hours traveling between two islands.

Beaches

I personally think the beaches in Koh Tao are more beautiful than in Phuket. The beaches often have crystal clear water, less crowded, and beautiful scenery, even though they often have rocky shores. Phuket, on the other hand, has a wider range of different beaches to explore.

Apart from two main beaches on Koh Lanta (Mae Haad and Sairree Beach), most beaches on the island are difficult to reach through very winding steep roads. If you’re planning to rent a scooter, be cautious. Road to Tanote Bay, Sai Nauan Beach, and Aow June Juea are not for novice drivers.

The main beaches on Koh Tao are Sairee Beach and Mae Haad Beach. These places often attract lots of people to come to watch the sunset. It also has a lively nightlife scene, with many beachfront restaurants, bars, with tables and bars on the sand.

Other less popular beaches on Koh Tao are the beaches on the southern coast and the east coast of the island. These are Freedom Beach, Shark Bay, Chalok baan kao bay, Tanote Bay, and Ao Hin Wong. Many of those beaches are great snorkeling and swimming destinations.

Phuket’s beaches are located on the west coast of the island. Popular beaches with great nightlife are located on the central west coast, such as Patong, Kata, and Karon. The beaches are quieter further south and north of the island.

If you want a tranquil atmosphere, you can check out Naithon or Mai Khao Beach. There are also some secluded beaches such as Nui Beach, Freedom Beach, or Haad Laem Sing.

There are some beaches on the south eastern coast of the island but they’re not as beautiful as the ones on the west coast. You can check out Rawai Beach, Yanui Beach, or Kao Khad Beach.

The beaches on Phuket are often more crowded than the beaches on Koh Tao. It has more beach facilities such as umbrellas, sunbeds, and many watersport options such as jet skiing, or banana boats.

Accommodations

Phuket and Koh Tao have a wide range of accommodations for all preferences. As the most popular tourist island, Phuket has more luxury international brand resorts, while the accommodations in Koh Tao are mostly in mid-range and budget range.

Many accommodations in Koh Tao are located high on the hills along the beach, offering stunning views of the ocean. This means it requires walking up and down a lot to get to the room, which might be not ideal for those with mobility problems, and older people.

Many resorts and hotels on Koh Tao are located right on the beachfront area next to the sand, while many resorts in popular areas of Phuket like Patong, Kata, and Karon are located on the beach road, which requires crossing the traffic road to get to the beach.

Both islands are popular tourist destinations, so make sure to book well in advance if you’re visiting in the high season, from November to May. I often book hotels spontaneously and it was always really hard to find a good hotel within my budget at the last minute.

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Nightlife

Phuket has better nightlife than Koh Tao, so if you’re after parties and nightlife, I recommend going straight to Phuket. Koh Tao has some nightlife but it’s more relaxed than Phuket.

The nightlife in Koh Tao is centered around Sairee main beach, and Mae Haad main pier area. There are a cluster of bars, and restaurants along the main road in Mae Haad and along the beach road in the Sairee Beach area.

The nightlife of Phuket is centered around Patong Beach. This beach town has wild nightlife with many bars, night clubs, restaurants, night markets, ladyboy shows, and Muay Thai Stadium. The nightlife hub of Patong is the Bangla Walking Street, which is always busy and packed with people at night.

If you want some quieter atmosphere but still plenty of options for nightlife, I recommend visiting Karon, Kamala, and Kata. These areas are family-friendly areas that have night markets, chill bars, and good restaurants for a relaxing night out.

The old town Phuket is also worth checking out for its authentic restaurant, charming historic atmosphere, and local experience. It has trendy bars, chic cafes, and live music venues.

Shopping

Phuket is definitely the better place to go for shopping. Koh Tao is not the place to go for shopping, it has some local shops selling usual Thai souvenirs and snorkeling and diving gear. There are no big shopping malls or big night markets in Koh Tao.

Phuket is home to several modern shopping malls where you can shop for mid-range and luxury products. The most popular malls on the island are Central Phuket and Jungcelon Mall. These places also have food courts and upscale restaurants.

If you are looking for a traditional shopping experience at the night markets where you can find cheap souvenirs and have fun shopping, I recommend checking out Sunday Walking Street Night Market, Chillva Night Market, Banzaan Market, or Kata Night Market.

Food

Seafood and typical Thai food can be found easily on Phuket and Koh Tao. Phuket is the more tourist island of the two, so it has a wider range of all dishes, including Thai, international, vegan, and vegetarian.

In Phuket, you can eat at local restaurants, street food stalls at many night markets, or food courts inside the shopping malls. There are also several fast food chains like Mc Donald’s and fine dining restaurants on the island.

In Phuket, I enjoyed eating authentic and cheap food in Phuket Old Town. It has good noodle dishes, Thai food, and Chinese influenced dishes. I also find good street food stalls at Chillva Night Market, Kata Night Market, and Banzaan Night Market in Patong.

Koh Tao doesn’t have night market culture, you can find some street food stalls near the 7-Eleven in Sairee Beach. The food can be found mainly at local restaurants and cafes.

Cultural attractions

Koh Tao does not have any significant cultural attractions, it’s all about the beaches and nature. Phuket is rich in history and culture, it has many cultural attractions to visit.

The old town of Phuke, located on the island’s east coast, is packed with museums, Chinese temples, and colorful Sino-Portuguese colonial buildings. You can experience the past of the area by walking in the main roads such as Thalang Road, and Phangnga Road.

There are also many buddhist temples around the islands where you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful architecture, and breathtaking views.

The big buddha and Wat Chalong are not to be missed temples on Phuket, but I also recommend visiting lesser-known places such as Wat Khao Rang Samakkhitham on the way to Khao Rang Viewpoint or Samnaksong Laem Phromthep on the way to Promthep Viewpoint.

Viewpoints and Hiking

Both islands have mountainous terrain, so there are plenty of viewpoints and hiking trails for enthusiastic hikers. I prefer Koh Tao more for its hiking trails along the scenic coast and up to the summit of the island.

Me at Phromthep Cape Viewpoint at sunset

Some of the most popular viewpoints in Phuket are Karon viewpoint, Promthep Viewpoints, and Black Rock Viewpoint. Karon Viewpoint has stunning views of Kata, Kata Noi, and Karon Beaches. Promthep Viewpoints are also beautiful viewpoints and often paced with people at sunset.

If you like hiking, I recommend checking out the challenging trails to Monkey Hill Viewpoints. You can encounter wild monkeys at the upper parts of the mountain and have a good view at the top. The Viewpoint is not as stunning as other viewpoints but the trail is well worth checking if you’re into hiking.

The most famous hiking trail and viewpoints in Koh Tao is perhaps the John-Suwan Viewpoint, located at the southern tip of the island. It requires around a 30 minute hike through the big rocks and steep trail to reach the top. The top has sweeping views of two bays, Shark Bay and Chalok Ban Kao.

One of my favorite trails in Koh Tao is the coastal trail from Chalok Ban Kao Bay to Tao Thong Beach. It has scenic views from most parts of the trail. The trail involved some hiking through the jungle.

You can stop at the beautiful Aow June Juea and Cape Ja Te Kang along the way. If you are an active hiker, you can walk all the way to Sai Naun Beach, Jansom Bay, and back to the main pier area Mae Haad.

Koh Tao also has a cluster of viewpoints located in the central and northern parts of the island. Places like Summit Viewpoint and Grape Viewpoint are very difficult to reach with a scooter. Grape Viewpoint has sweeping views of Koh Nang Yuan.

Island Hopping

Phuket offers better opportunities for island hopping tours to the Andanman Sea. This region is home to some of Thailand’s most famous islands such as Phi Phi island and James Bond island. These places are known for their white sand beaches with crystal clear water and beautiful scenery of limestone cliffs.

Additionally, you can visit many other lesser-known and quieter islands such as Koh Yao Yai/ Noi, Koh Lanta, and Koh Lipe.

From Koh Tao, you can take boat trips to several islands such as Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. Koh Phangan is known for its wellness retreat and full Moon party. Koh Samui is known for its nightlife, shopping, and wide range of cultural attractions.

You can easily take a boat trip from Koh Tao’s main beaches, Mae Haad and Sairee Beach, to nearby island Koh Nang Yuan. This island has a more secluded atmosphere with stunning beaches and a viewpoint to explore.

Getting Around & Size

Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, around 50km long and 18km wide. Koh Tao is a tiny island, around 7km long and 4km wide. It’s possible to get around Koh Tao island on foot, but to get around Phuket, you need a vehicle.

I rented a scooter to explore each island, so I was able to explore most parts of these places. Both islands have mountainous terrain with lots of winding and steep roads, but I personally felt that the roads in Koh Tao are more dangerous than in Phuket, especially the road to the famous viewpoints.

If you don’t drive, you can easily take guided tours or use local taxis to get around. Koh Tao has half day and full day long tails boats around the island, taking you to all famous beaches and bays for snorkeling and sightseeing.

Phuket also has around the island, which takes you to famous attractions around the island including the old town, viewpoints, and temples.

Additionally, Phuket has many riding share services such as Grab, Bolt, and InDriver, making it getting around easily without having to bargain the drive with the driver. The taxi price in Phuket is generally more expensive than other parts of Thailand.