4 Day Koh Samui Itinerary | Hotels – Attractions – Transport – Money

Ready to plan your Koh Samui island itinerary?

Great choice! Koh Samui is one of the top tourist destinations in Thailand. With it’s powdery white beaches spilling into crystal clear water, waterfront resorts at affordable prices, loads of things to do and equally loads of places to eat, drink and party, it is no wonder Koh Samui is high on the bucket list of so many tourists.

Planning a Koh Samui itinerary is exciting to say the least as you’ll get that first taste of the things you’ll be up to during this dream vacation on a tropical island. But you’ll quickly realize that between the beaches, attractions, activities and entertainment, there is way too much on offer, not to mention choosing a place to stay. Planning those 4 days in Koh Samui may begin to feel stressful.

This 4 day Koh Samui itinerary lays out everything you need to know. From the basics like ways to get there, when to visit and where to base yourself. And this is followed by a detailed daily travel plan which will include the best beaches, activities and attractions along with dining recommendations and nighttime entertainment.

Getting there

Below are the most common routes to get to Koh Samui. Flights are generally expensive and tickets are often upward of $100. The bus and ferry combo will cost around $50 or less.

Bangkok to Koh Samui flight
Phuket to Koh Samui flight

Should you be on a budget, then you should consider the all-inclusive bus+ferry combo tickets.

Bangkok to Koh Samui (bus+ferry)
Phuket to Koh Samui (bus+ferry)
Krabi to Koh Samui (bus+ferry)

Koh Samui 4 Day Itinerary

Below is a detailed 4 day Koh Samui itinerary. It’s a non exhaustive Koh Samui travel plan that combines the best things to do and activities in Koh Samui along with entertainment and dining options.

A white sandy beach with emerald water and rock formations

Day 1

Arriving in Koh Samui: You hotel is most likely close to a beach. Just drop off all your luggage and go for a cool refreshing swim.

Evening: Go for sunset cocktails. There’s quite a few beach lounges to choose from. Probably the most famous is Ark Bar in Chaweng and next door is The Elephant Club but there’s many others to choose from. Just walk along the beach and drop into a place that you like.

Day 2

Morning: Start the day with a great breakfast at ANNIE sweetery and eatery. Try the acai bowls loaded with fresh fruits, or the eggs benedict on toasted bread. Next make your way to Chaweng Noi beach located on the southern end of Chaweng. If you have a scooter or car, beach hopping is a must. Coral Cove and Crystal bay aare both close by are don’t generally get busy.

Jacqueline swimming at a beach surrounded with lush mountains

Lunch: A Koh Samui itinerary isn’t complete without an authentic Thai meal. Head towards Thai Kitchen in Lamai. It’s a 1 lady show and she puts together the tastiest and best presented Thai dishes. For something even more authentic try Kanoi Restaurant near the market in Lamai. This is where the locals eat and they serve the best pork.

Evening: Coco Tams is a chic sunset lounge in the charming Fisherman’s village. They serve amazing cocktails and once the sun goes down you’ll get to enjoy a fire show. Make sure to be here at around 5:00pm or make a reservation as it does get busy. You can enjoy your dinner here or if you want a change of atmosphere, try the pizzas and pastas at Gusto Italiano restaurant just 2 minutes walk down the road.

A fireshow on the beach in Koh Samui

Day 3

Morning: Skip breakfast and visit the Big Buddha, a 12-meter golden statue at Wat Phra Yai. Explore the temple grounds, admire intricate statues, and enjoy peaceful lakes filled with catfish. Grab a sourdough sandwich at nearby Golden Crust.

Next, visit Wat Sila Ngu, a beautiful terracotta temple, and see the Hin Ta and Hin Yai rock formations, resembling male and female genitals. You can also spend some time at the small beach here.

A big Buddha statue perched on a slope

Lunch: High up in the mountains above Chaweng and Lamai there is the Jungle Club. It’s a resort that boasts some of the best views of the island. Besides the sweeping views, you can enjoy a great lunch at their restaurant. If you still have the time, drive up to the Secret Buddha Garden nestled in the jungle high up in the mountains.

Alternatively visit Overlap Stone which is closer to Chaweng. This famous rock is about 3 meters high resting on a ledge overlooking the coast of Koh Samui.

Overlap stone in Koh Samui. A big boulder resting on another boulder at the end of a cliff

Evening: Koh Samui is known for its lively nightlife scene which is mostly concentrated in Chaweng. For loud music and cocktails, try ArkBar, The Elephant Club or the Mango Club. But there are many other, not so noisy places, to enjoy a drink and meal. Try tropical Murphy’s Irish pub or The Duke Pub and Restaurant.

Day 4

Morning: Spend an adventurous last day in Koh Samui. Hopping onto an ATV quad-bike and roaming through Koh Samui’s jungle in an exciting experience that you should no doubt add to your Koh Samui itinerary. While you could rent your own quadbike, it is best to do this adventure with a tour. Unless of course you are a professional quad-biker. View this tour

If this idea doesn’t excite you, maybe try a relaxing cooking class and get to know everything about Thai cuisine. Book a cooking class

Afternoon/Evening: Finally, book a tour to Angthong National marine park. This park is a cluster of small islands covered in jungle and jutting out of the water. You’ll take a boat here and get to walk up to a stunning viewpoint. The tours also offer mask and snorkel so you can experience the colorful underwater life. And finally sail back during sunset. Book this tour

KOH SAMUI ITINERARY PLANNING QUESTIONS

Below are the most common questions related to planning a Koh Samui. These details will help you give a solid foundation to create a comprehensive travel plan.

Budget for Koh Samui

For your vacation in Koh Samui a decent starting budget would be at least $100 for 2 persons. Hotel rooms with air condition and hot water start at around $50 a night. You will need to be careful though when it comes to food and drinks and getting around.

A more flexible budget that will allow you to make the most of your Koh Samui itinerary would be around $200 a day for 2 persons. You can book a nice resort possibly on the beach and enjoy meals at nicer restaurants and also go out for drinks and party

If you don’t want to be held back from anything and plan splurging, then budget at least $400 a night. The best 5 star resorts will easily set you back $200 and more during peak season and Christmas.

Where To Stay

While Koh Samui is a relatively large island, all the tourist areas are concentrated in the north eastern portion of the island. For your 4 day Koh Samui itinerary I would suggest spending the entire time in 1 place. It doesn’t make sense to waste time moving around and packing and unpacking in such a short amount of time. So its important to choose wisely.

A pool with villas in the background

Chaweng
Chaweng is the most sought out area on the island. With a beach that stretches for 7 km and a tourist road packed with restaurants, bars, beach clubs and even a mall. Some of the best 5 star resorts are in Chaweng including The Library or possibly Banana Fan Sea Resort and the minimalist Sala Samui and offer a slice of tranquility just outside the hustle and bustle. But there are lots of cheaper options like King’s Garden Resort or if you want to stay in the heart of Chaweng try Lub D.

Lamai
About 20 minutes south Lamai offers a spite of relief from the often more chaotic Chaweng. You’ll find a much more laid back atmosphere and also a larger selection of affordable accommodation. On the higher end, Outrigger is a favorite and the Private Villas at Silavadee Pool Spa Resort are what you’d expect from a destination like Samui. Affordable places like Crystal Bay Yacht Club along with Sand Sea Beach Resort are ideal if you want a beautiful hotel without forking out 100’s per night.

BoPhut – Fisherman’s Village
But if you want to include the nicest neighborhood to your Koh Samui itinerary, that would probably be Bophut’s Fisherman’s village. It’s a charming pedestrianized road with lots of restaurants, cafes and chic lounges such as Coco Tams. With exclusive waterfront resorts like Anantara and the gorgeous Hansar Resort you’re sure to spend your holiday in the best location. There are still affordable alternatives further away from the beach such as Eden Bungalows.

Getting Around

Getting around Koh Samui is pretty straightforward. There’s a ring road that wraps all the way around the island. From here, side streets branch off into the various areas such as Chaweng, Lamai, Fisherman’s village area.

Rentals: The most convenient way to get around Koh Samui is to rent your own vehicle. Scooter and car rentals are found around the island. Renting your own car or motorbike is the cheapest way to explore the island.

Taxis: Taxis are by far the most expensive way to get around Koh Samui. While they have meters they never use them instead offer fixed prices. Expect to pay a minimum of ฿500 ($14) even for a short 10 minute drive. In the rare case a driver does accept to use the meter, it starts at ฿50 and then there is an additional ฿50 island surcharge at the end of the ride.

Public Transport: Public transport is pick-up trucks with benches fitted in the back. These “buses” have fixed routes that connect various areas together. The main route goes around the main ring road. The tourist areas like Chaweng and Lamai will have there own route with vans going back and forth along the popular streets. For short distances rides start at ฿50 and up to ฿150 if you’re moving between the different towns.

How to get there

All the travel options can be found on the 12Go website, just enter your origin and destination (in this case Koh Samui) and you’ll have all the travel methods with prices and departures. Below is further information.

The lomprayah ferry at a wooden pier in Maenam Koh Samui

Getting to Koh Samui is relatively straightforward regardless if you’re on a budget or not. The easiest and fastest option is a direct flight either from Bangkok or Phuket.

Alternatively, the All-Inclusive bus and ferry tickets are an affordable option with departures from all major destination including Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and even Koh Lanta.

An interesting experience is to take an overnight sleeper train from Bangkok down to Surat Thani followed by a 45 minute ferry to Koh Samui. But make sure to book in advance as tickets often sell out well in advance.

After Koh Samui

Where are you going after Koh Samui? There are various places to go after Koh Samui. An option is to jump onto a boat and island hop the nearby islands Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. You can easily reach these via a 1 hour to 2 hour fast ferry.

Other places worth considering are Krabi, Ao Nang, Phuket, Khaosok or even Phi Phi island.

All these destinations can easily be reached from Koh Samui with the most popular travel option being the ferry+bus combo tickets. Or if you’re going to Phuket to book a direct flight.

You can click on any route below and view departures after entering your travel date ⤵

Koh Samui to Krabi
Koh Samui to Ao Nang
Koh Samui to Phuket
Koh Samui to Khaosok
Koh Samui to Koh Phi Phi island

HEY, just so you know…

Leave a Comment