Samui is small enough to drive around in a morning and rich enough to keep you busy for a week. The ring road passes almost everything worth seeing: two long beaches on the east coast, a golden Buddha above the north shore, waterfalls and a secret garden in the hills behind, and piers on the west side where boats leave for the smaller islands. Here are 20 things to do in Koh Samui, with opening hours, entry fees and map links for each one, plus when to visit and how to get to the island.
Samui has no trains and no metered taxis worth arguing over. GrabCar and GrabBike cover the island, and GrabRent lets you book a car with a driver by the hour with the price agreed upfront. Download the Grab app before you travel.
Highlight
- When is the best time to visit Koh Samui?
- How to get to Koh Samui
- 20 things to do in Koh Samui, from beaches to temples
- How to get around the island
- FAQ
When Is the Best Time to Visit Koh Samui?
Samui sits on the Gulf side, so its seasons run opposite to Phuket and Krabi. That catches people out.
February to June
The best months. Clear skies, calm waters and good visibility for swimming, diving and island trips.
July to September
Occasional rain, slightly cooler, and some swell. Still perfectly enjoyable, and room rates drop.
October to December
The monsoon on this coast: heavy rain, wind and rough seas. It is worth knowing that the rain tends to come in bursts rather than lasting all day, so a trip is not a write-off, but plan around the temples, markets and cafés rather than boat days.
January
Conditions improve week by week and the crowds have thinned. A good window if you want the dry season without the high-season prices.
How to Get to Koh Samui
By air
One hour and twenty minutes from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, with Bangkok Airways operating the route into Samui Airport. Fastest and easiest.
By bus or van, then ferry
Bangkok to Don Sak Pier in Surat Thani, then a ferry of about an hour and a half with Seatran or Raja. A popular budget option.
By train, then ferry
Train to Surat Thani, then a van or bus to Don Sak and the ferry across. Slow, scenic, and a genuinely pleasant way to arrive.
20 Things To Do In Koh Samui
Beaches, temples, viewpoints, islands and a couple of places to sit with a drink and watch the sun go down. Work through what fits your days.
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Guan Yu Shrine
A Chinese shrine about 150 years old, still the spiritual centre for Samui’s Thai-Chinese community, with a 16-metre bronze figure of Guan Yu standing over it. People come to ask for prosperity and success in business. Even if you are only here for the architecture, it is a striking stop on the north-east coast.
Address: 190/11 Moo 1, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/icR84uLYVVBts3d37
Highlights: bronze statue, Chinese architecture, photography
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Tarnim Magic Garden (Secret Buddha Garden)
High in the hills on Khao Pom, an old farmer spent years filling a patch of jungle with stone figures of deities, angels and creatures from Thai mythology, set among streams and boulders. The road up is steep and narrow, so this is one to reach with a driver rather than a scooter.
Address: Khao Pom, Na Mueang Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Entry: Free for Thai visitors, 80 Baht for foreign visitors
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yTUQhGhgKeoufsMN9
Highlights: stone sculptures, jungle setting, hill views
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Lad Koh Viewpoint
On the ring road between Chaweng and Lamai, where the cliffs drop into blue water and the coast curves away in both directions. There is a pavilion, somewhere to park and usually someone selling cold drinks. Best at sunrise, and it costs nothing but the stop.
Address: Route 4169 (ring road), Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 24 hours
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7RQr44fzwrh9fywRA
Highlights: sunrise, coastal views, easy roadside stop
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Na Mueang Nueng Waterfall
Thirty to forty metres of water falling over purple-tinged rock into a pool you can swim in, a short walk from the car park through the forest. It is the easier of the two Na Mueang falls to reach, and busiest after rain when the flow is at its strongest.
Address: Route 4169, Na Mueang Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mgxGtVhkgf6zVaqd7
Highlights: swimming, short forest walk, photography
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Ban Boran Na Samui (Ancient House)
A Sino-Thai wooden house about 150 years old, now a small museum still furnished with the family’s own things: period furniture, kitchenware, and photographs. Craft workshops are also available on-site. Closed Mondays, so check before you drive out.
Address: 7 Moo 3, Na Mueang Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Closed on Mondays)
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QUHVWrMe3zFzx9DS9
Highlights: local history, period interiors, craft workshops
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Wat Samret
More than 200 years old, with an ordination hall holding over 70 stucco Buddha images in the old southern style. It sees far fewer visitors than the Big Buddha, which is exactly the reason to go: on a weekday morning you may well have it to yourself.
Address: Phru Na Mueang Road, Na Mueang Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cqvDXsy2EuxpzCkW7
Highlights: historic temple, Buddha images, peaceful atmosphere
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Koh Madsum (Pig Island)
Fifteen to twenty-five minutes by boat off the south coast, and yes, there are pigs on the sand. Beyond the novelty it is a proper little island: clear shallow water, white sand, coral offshore and a bar behind the beach. Popular with families, and easy to combine with the islands below on one boat trip.
Address: 18 Moo 2, Taling Ngam Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: Subject to boat schedules (confirm before traveling)
Entry: 50 Baht per person
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/q8jzE6pJsLwWFswf7
Highlights: the pigs, swimming, snorkelling
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Koh Taen
South of Samui and still genuinely quiet, with long beaches, a shallow reef close to shore and a walking trail up to a viewpoint. Good for snorkelling, kayaking and doing very little. Note this is Koh Taen, not Koh Tao, which is a different island several hours north.
Address: Taling Ngam Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: Subject to boat schedules (confirm before traveling)
Entry: 50 Baht per person
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6XBrG2YT42aKrhtGA
Highlights: snorkelling, kayaking, hiking to the viewpoint
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Koh Rab
Twenty-five to forty minutes out, small, quiet and almost empty most days. White sand, clear water and nothing much to do beyond swimming and taking photographs, which for a lot of people is the whole appeal.
Address: Taling Ngam Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: Subject to boat schedules (confirm before traveling)
Entry: 50 Baht per person
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C3rLCtzS5yRWA3AU9
Highlights: quiet beach, swimming, photography
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The Nature Samui
An organic farm with lotus ponds, vegetable beds and fruit trees, plus a café looking out over the greenery. Children can join engaging workshops on planting, collecting eggs and exploring the farm. Closed Wednesdays.
Address: 112/9 Moo 1, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (closed Wednesday)
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HQ4QQAhLK8eXFWMV6
Highlights: organic farm, café, family workshops
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Fisherman’s Village, Bophut
An old fishing village of wooden shophouses on the north coast, now a pedestrian street lined with seafood restaurants, cafés, boutiques and stalls. The Friday night walking street is the busiest and best time to visit. Come at dusk, eat your way along, and stay for a drink by the water.
Address: Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 4:00 – 11:00 p.m.; walking street every Friday, 5:00 – 10:30 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/snKzJaiJmC4H4A2Q8
Highlights: Friday walking street, seafood, wooden shophouses
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Nathon Beach
The island’s main town and west-coast port, where the ferries depart for Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Ang Thong. Being on the west side, it gets the sunset, with the seafront full of restaurants, cafés and markets to enjoy it from.
Address: Nathon, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 24 hours
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/U9bSkzYPfE667gFNA
Highlights: sunset, ferry pier, seafood and markets
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Chaweng Beach
The longest and best-known beach on the island, featuring fine white sand and water clear enough to swim in all day. Jet skis, kayaks and snorkelling gear along the shore; restaurants, bars and clubs behind it. Sunrise here is worth getting up for, since the east coast gets it head on.
Address: Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 24 hours
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ktpahY16RGZP1Uwg9
Highlights: swimming, water sports, sunrise, nightlife
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Seen Beach Club
Two beachfront pools facing the sea on Chaweng Beach, a swim-up bar in the center and a DJ from the afternoon onwards. The polished end of a Samui beach day. Worth booking a bed on weekends and during the high season.
Address: Chaweng beachfront, Koh Samui
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Entry: Free entry, minimum spend may apply
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/u3AWtRPRuxXZEUiJA
Highlights: beachfront pools, swim-up bar, DJs
Credit: Air Bar Samui
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Air Bar, InterContinental Koh Samui
An open-air bar on the cliff at Taling Ngam, on the west side of the island, where the sunset goes down directly in front of you over the Five Islands. Cocktails are priced accordingly. Arrive an hour before sunset to get a seat at the rail.
Address: 295 Taling Ngam, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani
Opening hours: 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Entry: Free entry
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/i3xDjyhHRzk1hNTy8
Highlights: sunset, cocktails, cliffside setting
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Hin Ta Hin Yai (Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks)
At the end of Lamai Beach, two rock formations have been naturally weathered by wind and sea into shapes that leave nothing to the imagination, which is how they got their names and why every visitor to Samui ends up here. There is a local legend attached, along with an array of souvenir stalls along the path down.
Address: 126/92 Moo 3, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani 84310
Opening hours: Daily 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/43zU9E7SYwndNx1m6
Highlights: rock formations, coastal path, souvenir stalls
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Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)
The island’s landmark: a 12-metre golden Buddha in the Earth-Witness posture, seated on Koh Fan at the top of a flight of steps, visible from the air as your flight lands. Climb up for sweeping views over the north coast. Please ensure shoulders and knees are covered; souvenir shops and refreshment stalls are available at the base.
Address: Bo Phut Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani 84320
Opening hours: 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/J5Ej34YxjBFsSPWe6
Highlights: golden Buddha, coastal views, paying respect
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Lamai Beach
The island’s second beach and the perfect choice if Chaweng feels a bit too bustling. Same white sand and clear water, considerably calmer atmosphere, with places to stay and dine all along it. Hin Ta Hin Yai sits at the southern end, making the two easy to explore together.
Address: Maret Subdistrict, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani 84310
Opening hours: 24 hours
Entry: Free
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6D7mSxvQ3fiTU1Hd6
Highlights: swimming, quiet sand, restaurants nearby
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Overlap Stone
A huge boulder balanced on the rock beneath it on a hill above Lamai, offering the coast and the interior spread out below. There are two viewpoints operating under this name with different admission fees, so check which one you are heading for before setting off.
Address: 438/35, Koh Samui District, Surat Thani 84310
Opening hours: 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Entry: Overlap Stone 1: 20 – 50 Baht; Overlap Stone 2: 100 Baht for Thai visitors, 200 Baht for foreign visitors
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tkwt2ApJLGxE2dWk9
Highlights: balanced rock, hilltop views, photography
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Ang Thong National Marine Park
More than 40 limestone islands rise out of green water an hour and a half west of Samui, and the best full day trip from the island. Kayak between them, snorkel, climb to the viewpoint, and walk up to the Emerald Lake in the crater of Koh Mae Koh. Book a day tour, and save this trip for a day with good weather.
Address: Koh Samui District, Surat Thani 84280
Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Entry: Thai adults 40 Baht, children 20 Baht; foreign adults 300 Baht, children 150 Baht
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tCXHiyERCqu7KdGZ9
Highlights: kayaking, snorkelling, Emerald Lake, viewpoint
Twenty places, and the island is small enough that you can pair them up without much driving: the Big Buddha with Fisherman’s Village, Hin Ta Hin Yai with Lamai and Overlap Stone, the waterfall with the secret garden on the way back over the hills. Keep Ang Thong and the small islands for the clearest day you get, and leave the temples and the old house for whenever the rain comes through.
How to get around without driving
Getting around the island: GrabCar and GrabBike handle airport runs and trips between beaches, while GrabRent lets you book a car with a driver by the hour, with upfront fare and payment by cash or GrabPay. No haggling at the roadside and no riding a scooter on wet hill roads.
FAQ
Q: What are the best things to do in Koh Samui for first-time visitors?
A: The Big Buddha, a day at Chaweng or Lamai, sunset at Fisherman’s Village or Air Bar, and a boat trip to Ang Thong National Marine Park if the weather is good.
Q: When is the best month to visit Koh Samui?
A: February to June, when the weather is settled, rain is rare and the sea is calm enough for swimming and boat trips.
Q: Is it easy to get around Koh Samui?
A: Yes. Songthaews, taxis, car and scooter rentals all operate, and GrabBike and GrabCar work across the island, which saves negotiating a fare every time.
Q: I want to plan my own day around the island. Which Grab service is best value?
A: GrabRent. It lets you hire a car and driver by the hour and stop wherever you like, which suits a day mixing viewpoints, temples and beaches.
Q: Should I use Grab or hire a car and drive myself in Samui?
A: If you do not know the roads, or would rather not drive the steep hill routes to places like the Magic Garden, Grab hassle of parking and navigation entirely.
Q: How is GrabRent priced and how do I pay?
A: By the hour, with the price shown upfront before you book, payable by cash or via GrabPay.