Is Koh Tao Worth Visiting? My Honest Review in 2026

With so many different islands in Thailand, I know how hard it can be to find the one (or some!) you actually want to visit. I had this problem myself, I did research forever trying to figure out where exactly I wanted to go to relax on the beach, drink coconuts, and go snorkeling.

After a lot of research, I decided to go to Koh Tao, and I am so glad that I did. I loved Koh Tao; it was right up my alley. I loved it for its laid-back atmosphere with less mass tourism and more of a “traveler” vibe, which is way more my speed!

I also know how many of you guys are not sure if you want to visit Koh Tao or not because it’s a little harder to get to and a little more rugged. I know it can be a bit intimidating, so because of that, I figured I’d put together a whole guide on “Is Koh Tao worth visiting?”

In this guide, I’ll try to answer that question and include what I love about the island, and what I maybe didn’t like so much. So, let’s get straight into it!

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Is Koh Tao Worth Visiting? My Honest Review in 2026

Is Koh Tao Worth Visiting? My Quick Answer

Ok, I know some of you don’t love reading a whole blog post, so I figured I’d give you a quick answer right here: Yes, Koh Tao is absolutely worth visiting 100%. Well, at least I think so!

I am a traveler and backpacker at heart, so whenever I travel to islands in Asia, whether that’s in Thailand, the Philippines, or Indonesia, I always look for a more remote vibe.

I love just riding my scooter down quiet streets with palm trees everywhere and then stopping at some cool beaches. Koh Tao definitely is that type of island. It’s less flashy and fancy with fewer 5-star luxury resorts (compared to Koh Samui, for instance), but it has much more of a laid-back vibe. It’s $1 beers instead of $10 cocktails, if you know what I mean.

On top of that, I love snorkeling and scuba diving, and Koh Tao is super cheap and fun for diving. Needless to say, I did a bunch of fun dives here! I was already certified with my Advanced Open Water at the time, but if I wasn’t, I for sure would’ve done my PADI course here because it’s so cheap.

And it’s not just the diving, I also paid way less in Koh Tao for hotels and food than I did in Koh Samui, which was great.

Considering all of those things, if that sounds like something you’d enjoy too, then yes, it’s 100% worth visiting.

What I Love About Koh Tao

I like that Koh Tao is a Pretty Small Island

I actually love the size of Koh Tao because it’s very small. Islands like Koh Samui and Phuket are huge, so big that sometimes it made me forget that I’m even on an island.

Koh Tao is super small, and on my scooter, it would only take me 10–20 minutes max to drive across the island or to different beaches, towns, or viewpoints. It just felt really nice being able to explore so much independently without spending hours on the road.

Traveler Vibe over Mass Mourism

This one is a little hard to explain, but I felt like because Koh Tao is harder to get to, it has no airport and doesn’t have nearly as many large resort hotels, it attracts a different crowd.

In Koh Samui or Phuket, it always felt like mass tourism, whereas Koh Tao had more of a traveler/backpacker vibe. You also get a lot of people coming specifically for the scuba diving, and that just made the whole place feel more relaxed in my opinion.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

I wouldn’t say I’m scuba diving obsessed, but I do have my Advanced Open Water PADI certification, and whenever I get a good chance to go diving, I usually try to make it work. I’ve heard great things about the diving in Koh Tao, and it was so much fun, and insanely cheap as well! If you want to get scuba diving certified, this is a great place to do it.

Lush Nature

Another thing I love about Koh Tao is how green the island is. Now, you might think, “Duh, it’s an island in Thailand, of course it’s green,” but you’d be wrong!

Parts of Koh Samui or Phuket are so built up and developed that it’s just concrete and city with barely any palm trees or jungle, depending on where exactly you go. What I loved about Koh Tao is that it was lush everywhere. I actually felt like I was constantly on a tropical island in Thailand.

Things I Didn’t Like About Koh Tao

I didn’t like getting to Koh Tao

So, I flew into Surat Thani and then took the speedboat ferry to Koh Tao, which took about 3 hours. People jokingly call it the “Vomit Comet,” which I guess tells you everything you need to know. It wasn’t the worst ferry ride I’ve ever had, but it was fairly uncomfortable and, yes, quite a few people threw up along the way. However, you can also fly into Koh Samui and take a regular ferry from there, which is much more comfortable!

Parts can be crowded

Even though I felt like Koh Tao overall was way less crowded and overrun than other islands, certain parts, especially around the ferry port and Sairee Beach, could get fairly crowded at times.

Not very walkable

I actually didn’t stay in Sairee Beach (which is the most popular area); I stayed a little further south. Because of that, I was really depending on my scooter. I don’t mind taking my scooter anywhere, but for someone who doesn’t know how to ride one, it’s a bit harder. You’ll end up relying on super expensive taxis on the island because that’s really the only other way to get around.

My Favorite Things to Do in Koh Tao Thailand

1. Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

I loved the scuba diving here because it was so much fun and so affordable! I’ve been scuba diving in quite a few places in the world by now, but Koh Tao was definitely one of the cheapest places to do it.

I had a great time doing two fun dives here and I saw a turtle and a stingray and, of course, loads of fish! I highly recommend getting certified here if you aren’t already because it is just so cheap.

2. Exploring Remote Beaches

I loved taking my scooter over the island to explore more remote beaches, such as Tanote Bay, which was amazing, or Freedom Beach, which was also incredible. I personally didn’t love Sairee Beach that much because it’s a big, main beach, but the smaller bays I really enjoyed, especially for snorkeling.

3. Cliff Diving in Tanote Bay

One of my absolute favorite things to do was cliff diving at Tanote Bay, and I’ll be honest, I was a little scared initially!

There is this huge boulder in the water that me and a bunch of other people swam out to and jumped off of. It was actually pretty difficult to get up that boulder; there is a rope to help you climb up, but it was honestly more sketchy than jumping off the cliff itself! I definitely recommend being in good shape if you’re planning on climbing up there.

FAQs About Koh Tao Thailand is it worth it?

Should I visit Koh Tao or Koh Samui?

I’d say it depends on what type of experience you’re looking for. If you want a luxury resort vacation, then I’d definitely say Koh Samui. However, I personally preferred Koh Tao just because I love a more laid-back vibe. Koh Tao was super chill with more quiet beaches, and it was much less built up in general.

Is it easy to get to Koh Tao?

I don’t think it’s as hard as people make it sound. I had a pretty horrible experience taking the speedboat from Surat Thani (the one they call the “Vomit Comet”), but it’s also possible to just take a regular ferry from Koh Samui, which is super easy!

Is Koh Tao good to visit for families?

It can be! There are some cute little boutique hotels and resorts, and I actually stayed in an aparthotel myself with a kitchen and bunk beds, which would be perfect for a family. Just bear in mind that it’s a little more rugged in Koh Tao and you’ll have to take the ferry to get there.

Is Koh Tao expensive?

No, I didn’t think so. I actually thought that because Koh Tao has cheaper boutique hotels, a lot of local Thai food restaurants, and plenty of free beaches and viewpoints to visit, I didn’t spend much money there at all. The only major activity I paid for was scuba diving, and even that was still fairly cheap.

Final Thoughts on is it worth visiting Koh Tao?

I absolutely love Koh Tao, in fact, I’d say it’s one of my favorite islands in Thailand. I really enjoyed the scuba diving and the more rugged feel.

I’m just a sucker for driving my scooter down empty roads with palm trees on the left and the ocean and beach on the right. I much prefer that over places like Koh Samui or Phuket, which often feel more like major cities than islands.

So yes, I definitely think Koh Tao is more than worth visiting, and I’m sure whenever I come back to Thailand (hopefully sooner than later!), I’ll be coming back here.

I hope this little guide helps you plan your next trip and that you make it to Koh Tao!