Koh Samui’s warm climate, beautiful water and huge popularity with tourists makes it one of the best destinations in Thailand for day trips. From junk charters to snorkelling in Angthong Marine Park, there are numerous exciting day trips that you can take from Koh Samui.
Ang Thong © nicolas_vollmer_photo
Below, we’ve listed the best day trips from Koh Samui, ranging from private tours of the island to yachting and junk charters, speedboat trips, snorkelling and kayaking tours, hiking and more.
Yachting and Junk Charter
- Koh Samui is the main hub island of the Samui Archipelago, and there’s no better way to look around the region than by private yacht. Several companies on Koh Samui offer yacht and junk charters, ranging from pleasure cruises to snorkelling trips to nearby islands.
- Boutique Yachting, which operates from Samui’s Bang Rak Beach, offers tours of the island and its surroundings aboard the Baidee and the Naga — two traditional Indonesian and Turkish ships with room for up to fifty people. Overnight trips are also available for smaller groups.
- Chantara Junk Boat offers private sea tours around Koh Samui aboard a 25 metre traditional Chinese junk. A variety of group tours and private trips are available, including group trips to Angthong Marine Park and sunset tours of Koh Samui.
Things To Do On Koh Samui
From diving to ziplining, spa treatments, golf and more, Koh Samui has a huge range of unique and exciting activities for visitors. Learn about the best things to do on Koh Samui, whether you feel like a relaxing day or an intrepid adventure.
Speedboat Charter
- Feel like travelling a little faster? Several companies offer speedboat charters from Koh Samui to nearby islands such as Koh Tao, Angthong Marine Park and elsewhere. Touring the area by speedboat lets you see many of Samui’s top sights without the crowds of a group tour.
- Samui Boat Charter has a large fleet of speedboats and motor yachts that travel to diving sites and snorkelling spots around Koh Samui. Top day trip destinations include Koh Tao, Angthong Marine Park and Koh Madsum — a small island to the south of Koh Samui.
Angthong National Marine Park
- Angthong National Marine Park is by far the most popular day trip destination from Samui. This beautiful national park is made up of more than 40 islands, many of which have stunning views of the Gulf of Thailand and great walking trails for visitors.
- Top activities in Angthong Marine Park include snorkelling in the park’s clear, unpolluted water, kayaking around the park’s numerous small islands, hiking and, for more adventurous visitors, camping on remote Koh Wua Talap.
- Angthong National Marine Park is easily accessible from Koh Samui by speedboat and ferry. As the ferry trip can take two hours from Koh Samui, the speedboat (which reaches the park in ~45 minutes) is the best option for visitors that want to see more of the park during their trip.
Private Day Tours of Koh Samui
- There’s much more to Koh Samui than just its popular beaches. The interior of Koh Samui is covered in thick jungle and has several beautiful waterfalls and viewpoints that make a private day trip a great way to experience more of the island.
- Samui Explorer offers a private day tour of Koh Samui that’s a great way to familiarise yourself with the less visited parts of the island. As well as highlights such as the Big Buddha, the tour visits less well known attractions such as Wat Khunaram, Secret Buddha Garden and the Na Muang Waterfalls.
Hiking and Camping Day Tours
- The thick jungle of Koh Samui’s interior is a great place to hike. Hiking On Samui offers guided hiking tours to some of Koh Samui’s most impressive viewpoints, with panoramic views of the island’s western coastline and challenging paths through Koh Samui’s jungle.
- It’s also possible to camp at several points on Koh Samui. There are camping grounds set up on the mountains that make up the centre of Koh Samui, as well as several paid camping grounds on some of the island’s quieter beaches.
Fishing Charters and Tours
- Koh Samui is a great place to go fishing, with deep sea fishing possible just off the coast of the island. There are also several fishing lakes on Koh Samui boasting an impressive selection of fish from Thailand and abroad.
- For lake fishing, TopCats Fishing and Samui Lake Fishing are the two best venues. Both have easily accessible fishing lakes stocked with plenty of large fish, as well as transfer services for most areas of Koh Samui.
- Deep sea fishing, as well as night fishing, is offered by most private speedboat and junk charter companies on Koh Samui. As the area around Koh Samui is somewhat overfished, most fishing trips travel for 1-2 hours to less popular areas with better fishing options.
Buy Ferry Tickets To Koh Samui
You can buy bus and ferry tickets to Koh Samui 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 Bangkok