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Here are some of the best things to do in Koh Tao to keep you busy and entertained during your trip to this small, charming island on the Gulf of Thailand.
When planning a trip to a Thai island, most people might overlook Koh Tao for being the smallest island on the Gulf; however, that would be a mistake.
Koh Tao is one of the best places to visit in Thailand for the perfect relaxing beach holiday, with smaller crowds and a chilled island vibe, without compromising on the availability of fun things to do.
After spending a whole week leisurely exploring the island, relaxing on its beautiful beaches and trying out many waterfront cafes, I’m convinced that this island has everything you need for a great beach holiday.
And fear not, while diving is one of the main allures of this small island, there are plenty of other things to do if, like me, being many meters underwater is not your idea of a relaxing time.
From visiting unique neighboring islands to snorkeling next to giant sea turtles, yoga classes, and other fun activities, here are some of the best things to do in Koh Tao for a fun trip.
āļø Before you go: Check out our complete Koh Tao travel guide to get all the information you need, from how to get there, how to get around the island, where to stay, travel tips, and more.
11 Best Things to Do in Koh Tao: Beaches, Fun Activities, & More
Take a snorkeling highlights day tour
While Koh Tao is known for its incredible diving spots, you don’t have to go too deep into the ocean to find incredible sights; there’s plenty you can still see in shallow water.
Taking a snorkeling highlights day tour is one of the best things to do in Koh Tao for travelers who want to enjoy the island’s beautiful beaches and admire the wildlife but are not a fan of divingālike me.
This Koh Tao snorkeling tour is highly reviewed and includes all the main snorkeling spots on the island, a trip to the must-visit Nang Yuan Island, and lunch. That’s your whole day sorted!
š Book your snorkeling day tour before it sells out:
Visit Majestic Spa for a relaxing massage
If you’re in the mindset of having a relaxing holiday like me, you can’t go to Thailand and not visit the famous Thai spas, and the best one in Koh Tao is Majestic Spa.
Majestic Spa is a little bit more expensive than some other ones on the island, but it is also a more private experience. Here you’ll get a room to yourself, instead of lying in the middle of an open room with someone else having a massage about an arm’s length away from you.
The staff at Majestic is very welcoming and friendly. After your massage, you get served a cup of tea to sit and keep the relaxation going.
I was here almost every day and would highly recommend it as one of the top things to do in Koh Tao to pamper yourself during your holiday.
Take a yoga class at Shambhala Yoga
Another top thing to do in Koh Tao besides diving is taking yoga classes during your holiday. You’ll find no shortage of yoga studios on the island.
I tried three different studios during my stay in Koh Tao, but the winner for me was Shambhala Yoga, due to its location, teachers, and flow of the classes.
They offer different classes throughout the day, but my favorite is always Vinyasa in the morning to get the body moving.
If you want to slow down and relax at the end of the day, you could always attend their Yin Yoga classes in the evening.
Definitely one of the best things to do in Koh Tao to add a little workout to your holiday, if, like me, you are mostly just lying on the sand all day.
Get your diving certification
If you’re way braver than I am and love to go deep underwater to see everything that lives at the bottom of the ocean, then you might be interested in getting your diving license, and Koh Tao is the perfect spot for this.
My husband did his advanced diving certificate with Taco Divers, and he loved his experience with them. The instructor was knowledgeable and friendly, and the dives, he said, were always amazing.
He booked this while on the island, but if you want to plan and book ahead, this 2.5-day PADI premium open water diver course has excellent reviews (5.0 stars out of 110 reviews!)
If you need some more adventure in your holiday, then this is definitely one of the best things to do in Koh Tao to keep you busy for a few days.
š Book your diving adventure before your dates sell out:
Try the local cuisine
One of the unmissable things to do in Koh Tao is to devour all the pad thais that you possibly can.
While small, the island has no shortage of delicious local eats, and for incredible prices. So make sure to try local dishes, like locally caught fish, pad thai, mango sticky riceāmy favoriteāand everything else you can get your hands on.
Some of my favorite spots on the island for local dishes are the popular Mama Tam, Cattago!, and Pranees Kitchen.
Koh Tao’s food game is strong, so make sure to check out our guide to the best places to eat in Koh Tao so you don’t miss any of my favorite spots.
Snorkeling at Shark Bay
If you don’t book a snorkeling tour, a spot you still have to visit on your own for snorkeling is Shark Bay.
By the name of it, you would think sharks are the main attraction here, but it was actually another fascinating sea creature that made a non-snorkeler like me put my head underwater: beautiful, massive sea turtles.
Snorkeling with these beautiful creatures became one of the highlights of my whole trip.
Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Koh Tao for avid snorkelers, or even nervous snorkelers like meāthis one is worth it.
Take a Muay Thai class
This one I wish I had done while in Koh Tao because I saw a few open-air studios since arriving on the island and I was so excited about it, but I was in such a sad fitness state that I just couldn’t imagine enduring a whole cardio class like this.
But if you’re in much better shape than I am and love to do sports, taking a Muay Thai class is a great thing to do in Koh Tao to try a local sport, learn a new skill, and have a good workout.
Keep your eyes open for the closest gym; there are plenty around the island.
Rent a scooter and drive around the island
One of the best things to do in Koh Tao, both for fun and practicality, is to rent a scooter.
We rented ours from our hotel, but there are plenty of places to rent one in the town.
This will allow you to move freely around the island and visit different beaches, or even some of the island’s viewpoints, like Viewpoint Mango.
PS: If you don’t want to, or can’t, rent a scooter, don’t worry; you can always grab an island taxiāthe back of a pickup truckāto get from point A to point B, for very affordable prices.
Relax on Sairee Beach, the best beach in Koh Tao
Now this activity is more up my alley.
If all you want is a quintessential beach holiday, then one of the best things to do in Koh Tao is to find your favorite spot on Sairee Beach and never leave it. Kidding…kind of.
The best part about chilling on Sairee Beach is that you can spend hours here lying on the sand, and as soon as you get a little bit hungry or thirsty, you have cafes and restaurants about five steps away from you.
That’s why I consider Sairee Beach to be the best beach in Koh Tao; you have everything you need at your fingertips.
My favorite spot on the beach is on the sand just next door to Blue Water Cafe. Thirsty? Walk over for a coconut. Hungry? Shrimp tacos are a few steps away.
Take a Thai cooking class
Another fun activity to add to your Koh Tao itinerary is to take a Thai cooking class.
My schedule while on the island wasn’t too busy, so it was fun to mix it up with a cooking class to learn something new and gain some knowledge that I can take home with me as a souvenir.
The class was informative about Thai cuisine, the ingredients they use, and techniques to be able to recreate the delicious dishes back at home, since at the end of the class you get the recipes sent to you. I normally wasn’t a fan of cooking classes, but honestly, I’m convertedāit was so fun!
My friend booked our class, so I’m not sure if this Koh Tao cooking class is the same one, but it looks like it might be. Either way, the reviews are great, and the menu is very similar to ours.
š Book your Thai cooking class before your dates sell out:
Go coffee shop shopping
One of my favorite things to do anywhere I go is coffee shop hopping.
To add this to your itinerary while on a tropical island sounds crazy, but honestly there’s a good variety of coffee shops in Koh Tao to make this a worthwhile activity.
Most of my favorite cafĆ©s are right on Sairee Beach, where you can sip your cappuccino with your toes in the sand, but if you want to explore further out, you’ll find some other cute coffee shops worth visiting.
One of my favorite ones that I visited solely for the purpose of coffee shop hopping is Sunrise Specialty Coffee, which had a delicious coconutty iced latteāthe perfect island coffee, in my opinion.
Final thoughts on the best things to do in Koh Tao
Koh Tao is seriously one of my favorite places in the world.
And I know I say that about many places, but Koh Tao truly is the place I would love to always go back to when I’m thinking of a relaxing holiday, with beautiful beaches and incredible food.
This tiny island truly has it all, from incredible diving spots for the adventure seekers to stunning beaches to relax on, plenty of yoga studios to stay in shape, and serene Thai spas for the ultimate relaxing holiday.
While there are always activities that can easily fill up your day on the island, I still think that the best way to enjoy Koh Tao is by leaving lots of free time to simply relax, sip a coconut on the beach, and see the sun move in the sky.
But if you want to arrive with a plan of fun things to do in Koh Tao, this guide will help you fill in your itinerary.
Which of these activities are you most looking forward to doing while in Koh Tao? Let us know in the comments.