At 229 square kilometres Koh Samui is the second largest island in Thailand, and inside its 51 kilometre ring road there is more than you can fit into two or three days. That is fine. The island has a bit of everything, which is exactly why choosing matters more here than ticking things off.
A few things simply belong on the list: one day on the water, one day riding the ring road on a scooter and one evening at a market where dinner costs two euros. Others are on every list and make a quick stop if you are riding that way anyway. Just know that distances are bigger than they look on the map, so do not plan two places on opposite sides of the island for the same day.
So where do your Koh Samui days go, and what do you save for next time?
Want the practical side first, like how many days you need, where to sleep and how to get there? That is all on our Koh Samui page.
Ang Thong Marine Park
Forty-two islands off the coast, and for most visitors the best day of their whole stay. Limestone cliffs rising straight out of the sea, empty bays in between, and from the viewpoint at the top you look down over the emerald lake the park is famous for.
You get there on a boat trip, usually a full day, kayaking between the islands and snorkelling along the way. The cruise with the kayaking option is the most booked way to do it. If you would rather just get in the water, the snorkelling trip to Koh Tan and Pig Island is the shorter alternative.
Give this a day of its own. There is a reason it stands alone in our three day plan: combining it with a loop of the island is not going to fit.
Our verdict: if you only have one day to spare, spend it here
Riding the ring road on a scooter
This is our own favourite on Koh Samui, and the reason the island feels bigger than it is. Fifty-one kilometres of tarmac all the way round, with viewpoints, hidden beaches, jungle cafés and waterfalls along the route that most visitors never see because they never leave Chaweng.
A scooter costs about €6 a day here. You can ride the whole loop in a day, stopping at the Na Muang waterfalls, the Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks at Lamai and the quiet beaches in the south. Stop at every beach that looks good, because that is exactly what the scooter is for.
Take photos of the scooter when you pick it up, existing damage included, and never hand over your passport as a deposit. And do not ride the ring road after dark: real cars use this road, and they drive fast.
Our verdict: absolutely, and give it a whole day
Fisherman’s Village in Bophut
An old fishing street on the north coast, with wooden shopfronts, restaurants and bars along the water. It is the nicest evening on the island and also the least rushed one, even though it is in every guidebook.
On Friday there is a walking street: stalls along the whole road, Thai snacks, street food and more than enough to graze your way to a full dinner. Other days are quieter, but the fish market and the restaurants are still there.
Arrive before sunset. That way you catch the light over the sea first and walk into the market afterwards, rather than the other way round.
Our verdict: a must, and on a Friday if you can
The Na Muang waterfalls
Had enough beach for a bit? Head inland. Two waterfalls sit in the middle of the jungle: the first is easy to reach, the second takes a climb. They are at their best after a spell of rain, and in the dry season there is sometimes not much water coming down.
It will not fill half a day, so treat it as a stop rather than a destination. It sits on the southern side of the ring road, so you do it on the day you are riding round anyway.
Wear shoes you can climb in. The rocks at the second waterfall are slippery, and flip-flops will not get you far.
Our verdict: a fun stop on your loop of the island
The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem
The golden Buddha at Wat Phra Yai is twelve metres tall and you can see it from a long way off. You climb the steps, see it up close and get a view over the coast thrown in at the top. Wat Plai Laem is just down the road, and together they make the classic loop in the northeast.
Allow an hour for both, no more. Combine them with Chaweng or Fisherman’s Village, because they are in the same corner of the island.
Bring something that covers you, or you will not get in. Shoulders and knees covered, even if you have come straight from the beach.
Our verdict: definitely go, and an hour is just right
The night markets in Lamai and Chaweng
Koh Samui has the most resorts of the three Gulf islands and therefore the most expensive restaurants. None of that reaches the night markets: they are simply Thai, and a plate costs a euro or two.
The Sunday market in Lamai is the biggest and the best, and Chaweng has one too. Go hungry and eat at three or four stalls instead of one plate at one, because that is the whole fun of it.
If you can, plan your ring road day for a Sunday. You finish the day at the market in Lamai and do not have to go anywhere else.
Our verdict: the cheapest and best evening you will have here
Chaweng: beach by day, bars by night
Chaweng is the longest and busiest beach on the island and the centre of the nightlife. By day it is beach clubs and seawater, and in the evening everything moves over to Chaweng Beach Road, which has the biggest choice of bars and clubs on Koh Samui.
It is a different night out from the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan: less extreme, but you can easily keep going until late here. Start somewhere quiet with a drink and see where you end up. A beer costs around €1.80.
Keep an eye on the flags during the day. Chaweng and Lamai can have a serious undertow, and when there is any swell, stay away from the rocks at Lamai.
Our verdict: one night is enough, two is fine too
Got time to spare on Koh Samui?
A day on the water at Ang Thong
Got a spare day and torn between water sports on the beach and a boat trip? Take the boat to Ang Thong: for roughly the price of fifteen minutes on a jet ski you spend a whole day among the limestone islands. If you do rent a jet ski, photograph every centimetre of it first, because the damage claims on Koh Samui are notorious.
Another temple on your loop
The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem are the best two, so do those properly and pick up whatever else you pass on the way. The rest of your day is better spent on the water, because that is where this island is at its best.
Ang Thong and the ring road on separate days
The boat trip is a full day and so is the loop on the ring road. If you have two or three days, give each its own day instead of squeezing them together. That way you see the best of both without your day disappearing into travel time.
Beyond Chaweng
Chaweng is handy and fun, and also the busiest bit of the island. Lamai, Bophut, Maenam and the little bays in the south show you a completely different Koh Samui, and on a scooter they are close. Sleep in Chaweng by all means, but give at least one day to the rest.
Our top five on Koh Samui
Only got a few days? These are the five we would do no matter what:
- Ang Thong Marine Park, as a full day on the water
- The whole ring road on a scooter, ideally on a Sunday
- Fisherman’s Village in Bophut, preferably on a Friday
- The Na Muang waterfalls, as a stop along the way
- The Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem, an hour in the northeast
Still got time after that? The Tree Bridge Zipline in the jungle is the most fun way to fill half a day. Otherwise, find a beach bar in Bophut or Lamai late in the afternoon, order something cold and just stay for a few hours. That counts as a highlight here too.
So what do you really have to do on Koh Samui?
Honestly? Nothing on this list is compulsory. Most backpackers spend two or three days here and use the island as a stepping stone to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, and that is completely fine. This list is here to help you choose, not to fill every hour.
If we had to pick just one thing: rent that scooter and ride the whole ring road. Six euros, one day, and in those fifty-one kilometres you will see more of Koh Samui than the people who spend their entire stay shuttling between Chaweng Beach Road and their hostel. Stop where it looks good, not where the map tells you to.
And keep your last evening free for a market. Lamai on a Sunday, Bophut on a Friday, a two euro plate and the boat to the next island the following morning. There is no better way to finish here.
