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How many days in Koh Samui? 4 days of beaches, temples and marine parks
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Koh Samui is Thailand's second-largest island, about 25 km across, with a 50 km ring road that takes 1h30 to drive round. It is more developed and pricier than its neighbours, but it has the airport, the best hotels and the easiest boat days in the Gulf. Give it four days: one round the north coast, one at sea in Ang Thong Marine National Park, one in the south and the jungle interior, and one snorkelling off Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan.
Short answer
Three days covers the north coast, the south and one boat trip. Four lets you do both boat trips, Ang Thong and Nang Yuan, which are the real highlights of the region.
The 4-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem and Fisherman's Village
Morning. Start at Wat Phra Yai, the 12-metre golden Big Buddha on a small island joined by a causeway in the north-east (free; cover shoulders and knees). Drive 5 minutes to Wat Plai Laem, whose 18-armed white statue of Guanyin rises from a lake.
Afternoon. Swim at Choeng Mon, a calm bay with shallow water, then continue to Bophut for a late lunch.
Evening. Walk the old wooden shophouses of Fisherman's Village in Bophut; on Friday evenings the Walking Street market fills the lane with food stalls, where pad thai or grilled skewers cost ฿60-120.
Rent a scooter only if you ride confidently and have a licence valid for motorbikes; accidents on Samui's hills are common, and insurance often refuses claims without one.
Day 2: Ang Thong Marine National Park
Morning. Join a boat at about 7:30-8:00 from Nathon or Bophut to Ang Thong, an archipelago of 42 limestone islands about 1-1.5 hours west (about ฿1,800-2,800 with lunch and kayaking, plus the national park fee of about ฿300 for foreigners).
Afternoon. Climb the steep 500-metre trail on Koh Wua Talab to the viewpoint over the islands (about 40 minutes up, partly with ropes), then walk to the Emerald Lake on Koh Mae Ko, a salt-water lagoon enclosed by cliffs.
Evening. Back by about 17:00. Eat at a beach restaurant in Bophut or Maenam, quieter than Chaweng, where a Thai curry costs ฿150-250.
The park closes to tour boats for part of the north-east monsoon, roughly November to December; check before booking in those months.
Day 3: Lamai, waterfalls and the Secret Buddha Garden
Morning. Drive to the south-east coast for Hin Ta and Hin Yai, the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks, two granite formations famous for their shapes (free, small stalls). Then visit Wat Khunaram, where a monk who died in 1973 sits mummified in a glass case.
Afternoon. Swim in the pool below Na Mueang Waterfall 1, a short walk from the road, then take a 4x4 or a strong scooter up to the Secret Buddha Garden (Magic Garden, about ฿80), a sculpture garden built by a durian farmer in the hills.
Evening. Eat at Lamai night market, or on Sunday at the Lamai Walking Street, then a cocktail on Chaweng Beach, the island's busiest strip.
The road to the Secret Buddha Garden is very steep; many rental scooters struggle. Organised jeep tours of the interior combine it with the waterfalls for about ฿1,200-1,800.
Day 4: Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan
Morning. Take a speedboat tour from Samui at about 7:00 to Koh Tao, about 1.5-2 hours north (about ฿2,500-3,500 with lunch and snorkelling). Snorkel over coral at Mango Bay or Aow Leuk on the way.
Afternoon. Land on Koh Nang Yuan, three islands joined by sandbars; climb the 15-minute viewpoint path for the classic view of the twin beaches (an island landing fee of a few hundred baht is usually extra).
Evening. Return to Samui by about 17:30 and have a last dinner on the sand at Fisherman's Village or a sunset drink in Lipa Noi on the west coast.
Nang Yuan bans plastic bottles and fins on the beach. Use reef-safe sunscreen and do not touch or stand on coral.
Only have 3 days?
With 3 days, do Days 1 to 3, and choose Ang Thong or Nang Yuan for the boat day: Ang Thong for kayaking and scenery, Nang Yuan for snorkelling.
Got extra days?
Extra days fit Koh Phangan, about 30 minutes by boat, for quieter beaches like Thong Nai Pan and the monthly Full Moon Party at Haad Rin, a Thai cooking class, or a muay thai fight at one of Chaweng's stadiums.
Where to stay in Koh Samui
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Lamai | Cheaper bungalows on a long beach, night market close by. | ฿800-1,800 |
| Mid-range | Bophut / Fisherman's Village | 10 minutes from the airport and ferry piers, calmer water, good restaurants. | ฿2,000-4,500 |
| Mid-range | Chaweng | Busiest beach, nightlife and shopping, every kind of hotel. | ฿2,000-5,000 |
| Comfort | Choeng Mon / Laem Yai pool villas | Quiet bays and resort villas with private pools. | ฿8,000-25,000 |
Getting around
Samui's taxis rarely use their meters, so agree fares first, about ฿300-600 between beaches and ฿500-800 to the airport. Songthaew pickup trucks run the ring road by day for ฿60-150. Grab and Bolt work and are often cheaper than street taxis. Scooters rent for ฿250-350 a day, cars for ฿1,000-1,500. Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok in about 1 hour; a cheaper route is a flight to Surat Thani and a bus and ferry, about 4-5 hours in total.
What to eat in Koh Samui
Southern Thai food is spicier than in Bangkok: try khao yam (rice salad with herbs), gaeng som (sour fish curry), gaeng tai pla and massaman curry. On Samui, eat grilled squid and fish at beach barbecues and fresh coconut everywhere, since the island was a coconut plantation. A street meal is ฿60-120 and a Thai restaurant dish ฿150-300. Beach resort restaurants charge Western prices of ฿400-900 a main, often plus 17% service and VAT.
Best time to visit
January to August is the best period, with dry, sunny weather and highs of 30-33°C; March to May is the hottest. Samui follows the Gulf pattern, not Phuket's: its rainy season peaks in October to December, with heavy rain and rough sea that can cancel boat trips. Christmas, New Year and July-August are busiest and most expensive.
Month-by-month weather for Koh Samui →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | ฿500 | ฿1,600 | ฿6,000 |
| Food & drink | ฿500 | ฿1,000 | ฿2,500 |
| Sights & tickets | ฿500 | ฿1,500 | ฿3,000 |
| Local transport | ฿250 | ฿500 | ฿1,200 |
| Total per person, per day | about ฿1,750 | about ฿4,600 | about ฿12,700 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Thai baht; mid-range and comfort sights include a boat tour on most days. National park fees for foreigners are paid in cash, and Thailand has announced a small tourist entry fee for foreign visitors that may apply by 2026.
Before you go
Common questions
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao?
Samui is the most comfortable, with an airport, resorts and good hospitals. Koh Phangan is quieter and cheaper apart from the Full Moon Party beach. Koh Tao is small and built around diving, with the cheapest dive courses in Thailand. Many travellers base on Samui and day-trip to the other two by speedboat.
Is Koh Samui expensive?
It is one of the pricier places in Thailand, mainly because of hotels and taxis. You can keep costs down by staying in Lamai or Maenam, eating at night markets and local restaurants, and using Grab or songthaews instead of taxis. Flights on Bangkok Airways are expensive; the Surat Thani route saves money.
When is the rainy season on Koh Samui?
Mainly October to December, with the heaviest rain in November. That is the opposite of the Andaman coast around Phuket and Krabi, which is wettest from May to October. From January to August Samui is mostly dry, with short tropical showers.
What should I wear at the temples?
Cover your shoulders and knees, and remove shoes before entering any temple building. At the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, sarongs are sometimes provided. Do not point your feet at Buddha images or touch monks if you are a woman, and keep your voice low inside.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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