There’s much more to do on Koh Phangan than just party. From some of Thailand’s best dive sites to nearby islands that are perfect for exploring, Koh Phangan has a huge variety of day trips for solo travellers, couples and families alike.
Longtailboat on Bottle Beach © christianhaugen
Below, we’ve listed Koh Phangan’s best day trips and adventures, from snorkelling around the island and on nearby dive sites to exploring the beautiful islands of Angthong Marine Park, Koh Samui and Koh Tao.
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Boat Trips, Sailing and Charters
- One of Koh Phangan’s biggest strengths is its beautiful tropical water. The island is surrounded by clear blue sea that’s perfect for exploring, whether on a chartered boat or as part of a group tour to nearby islands and dive sites.
- Several companies offer boat trips, sailing and chartered tours of Koh Phangan and its island surroundings. Red Star Sailing, which is based on Koh Phangan, offers private sunset tours, multi-day charters and cruises around the island.
- Orion Boat Trips offers group tours around Koh Phangan and to nearby highlights such as the stunning Angthong Marine Park. It’s also possible to book full and half-day snorkelling tours to sites around Koh Phangan, particularly sites along the island’s western coast.
- Feel like more of an adventure? Most of the deep sea fishing tour providers based on nearby Koh Samui can pick you up from Koh Phangan on the way out to sea.
Angthong National Marine Park
- Angthong National Marine Park is a stunning marine reserve that encompasses more than 40 islands, ranging from tall limestone cliffs to large islands covered in jungle. Angthong is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Koh Phangan.
- A trip to Anthong National Marine Park usually involves a mix of exploring the islands by boat, snorkelling in the clear and unpolluted water, hiking to the famous viewpoint on Ko Wua Talab and kayaking through the park.
- There are two options for visiting Angthong Marine Park from Koh Phangan. The cheapest is to book aboard a group tour, which will usually stop on Koh Samui to pick up more passengers. It takes around two and a half hours to reach Angthong from Koh Phangan on a slow ferry.
- The second option is to charter a private catamaran or speedboat to explore the park through a company like Samui Boat Charter. While this is significantly more expensive, it gives you private access to many of the park’s beaches and cuts down the back and forth travel time.
- Have a look at Safari Boat, Itsaramai or Samui Boat Charter.
Koh Tao
- Koh Tao, one of Thailand’s most popular backpacker islands, is only an hour from Koh Phangan by ferry. The Lomprayah high speed ferry leaves Thong Sala at 8:30am and reaches Koh Tao in one hour, making it possible to get to the island by 9:30am and stay until the late afternoon.
- Famous for its diving, Koh Tao has a great mix of snorkelling spots and stunning beaches ideal for relaxing and swimming. Koh Nang Yuan, a stunning group of islands connected to Koh Tao by sandbar, is one of the most popular spots to spend the day on Koh Tao.
- The last ferry of the day from Koh Tao to Koh Phangan leaves at 3:00pm, arriving at Thong Sala one hour later. Almost all of Koh Phangan’s travel agencies offer day trips to Koh Tao as part of a group tour, saving you from having to buy ferry tickets on your own.
Koh Samui
- Koh Samui is even closer to Koh Phangan than Koh Tao and can be a fun place to spend the day. Ferries depart from Thong Sala to Koh Samui’s Bang Rak Pier at 8:00am and 10:30am, with the last return ferry from Bang Rak leaving at 4:30pm. The trip takes around 30 minutes.
- Visiting Koh Samui for the day is a fun way to visit some of the island’s beautiful north coast beaches, enjoy the thrills and excitement of Chaweng or just see more of Thailand’s stunning islands. If you’d like to stay until later, there’s also a 7:00pm return ferry from Nathon Pier.
Buy Tickets To Koh Phangan
You can buy bus and ferry tickets to Koh Phangan online. Use the search box below to find out departure times, prices and to book online. Enter a different starting point if you're not coming from BangkokPowered by 12Go Asia system
Koh Phangan Travel Guide:
- Koh Phangan – A Very Quick Travel Guide
- How To Get To Koh Phangan
- Full Moon Party Koh Phangan
- Drugs on Koh Phangan
- Full Moon Party Accommodation on Koh Phangan
- Things To Do On Koh Phangan
- Places To Eat On Koh Phangan
- Koh Phangan Villas For Rent
- Where To Stay On Koh Phangan
- Koh Phangan Day Trips
- Koh Phangan Weather
- Koh Phangan Airport
- Koh Phangan Beaches
