There’s more to do in Koh Phangan than go to a Full Moon Party. This is a 3 day itinerary for your trip to Koh Phangan, filled with its best beaches and things to do on Koh Phangan island.

7 minutes read

Getting to Koh Phangan
Getting around Koh Phangan
What to do in Koh Phangan

The tropical island of Koh Pha-ngan (otherwise known as Koh Phangan) lies in the Gulf of Thailand, just 15 km from glamorous Koh Samui and 35 km away from the diving capital of Koh Tao.

Best known for its Full Moon Party at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan is so much more than just a place to party. In fact, we managed to enjoy our 3-day trip to this paradise without ever going to a party – and we don’t regret it. There are lots of things to do on Koh Phangan, and its best beaches rival some of the world’s most renowned islands.

Filled with beautiful beaches, temples, waterfalls and mountains, Koh Phangan is an affordable getaway for those looking to relax near blue waters, without breaking the bank.

Decided to visit Koh Phangan? Let’s get stuck into this 3-day itinerary!

Getting to Koh Phangan

Via Koh Samui

You can reach Koh Phangan in many ways. The easiest being flying into Koh Samui airport (USM) from any major city in Thailand. Flights from Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai are quite frequent. From the airport, take a bus to Big Buddha pier. There will be several bus options departing from the airport. If in doubt, ask the information counter for help.

Then, from Koh Samui’s Big Buddha pier, take a boat to any pier in Koh Phangan.

If you’re taking the operators Raja, Lomprayaha, Seatran or the Night Boat, take the ferry to Thongsala Pier.

If you’re taking the Haad Rin Queen Ferry, take the ferry to Haad Rin Pier. You can buy tickets on the day at the ticket office - just get in early so that tickets aren’t sold out.

Boats will also leave from Nathon pier and Mae Nam pier to Thongsala - so you can leave from here if these piers are closer to your accommodation than the Big Buddha pier.

The easiest way to book a ferry transfer currently is by booking ahead of time - which you can do here. The service is run by Seatran.

Note: The Full Moon Party takes place at Haad Rin, but most of Koh Phangan’s attractions are closer to Thongsala, so just keep this in mind when choosing your accommodation.

Via Koh Tao

You can also reach Koh Phangan from Koh Tao by taking the Songserm, Lomprayah or Seatran boats from Mae Haad pier. Your boat will arrive at Thongsala pier. The last boat will depart at 3:00 pm.

Via Surat Thani

This is no doubt the cheapest option if you’re flying, but quite possibly the longest journey of all the options.

You can get to Koh Phangan by arriving at Surat Thani airport. There are frequent flights from all major cities in Thailand. We took our flight from Chiang Mai, and there were several scheduled on that day.

From Surat Thani Airport, you’ll need to take a bus into Surat Thani City, and then a ferry from the city to Koh Phangan. If this all seems confusing, don’t worry - there will be plenty of information available at the airport terminal, and counters where you can buy combination tickets. These tickets often include your bus and ferry ticket, so you don’t have to buy them separately.

Via Bangkok

From Bangkok, you can take an overnight train or overnight bus to Koh Phangan, with a stop at Surat Thani. The overnight bus leaves from Khao San Road.

Where to stay in Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan has some pretty awesome places to stay, no matter your budget! Koh Phangan is a pretty small island, so no matter where you stay, you’re never too far away from any point on the island. Here are top picks of best places to stay in Koh Phangan.

Budget: Bluerama Resort

We’ve written a lot about Bluerama Resort before, and with good reason. Featuring a stunning infinity pool, comfortable rooms and friendly staff, the Bluerama Resort is truly one of the most beautiful and Instagrammable places on the island. The best part? Staying here isn’t expensive at all, so it’s suited to all kinds of travelers on different budgets.

Please note that Bluerama is an Adults Only resort.

Take a closer look at the Bluerama Resort by clicking here.

Mid-Range: Padel Phangan Suite

The Padel Phagan Suite is an absolutely gorgeous property featuring an amazing outdoor pool, fitness centre and beachfront area. It even features a Padel (mini-tennis) court! Located in the Chaloklum area, this is a great choice for those you want to splurge a little more.

Take a closer look at the Padel Phangan Suite by clicking here.

Luxury: Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas - SHA Plus

There are only a few 5-star resorts in Koh Phangan, and we think this one takes home the prize as the best one on the island. Located in the beautiful and romantic Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach area, the Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas - SHA Plus is a resort to remember.

Want to know what the best part about staying here is? Even though this is a stunning resort, compared to other resorts in the world, this one won’t come close to breaking your bank as it’s still quite affordable.

Take a closer look at the Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas - SHA Plus by clicking here.

Getting around Koh Phangan

The most common way tourists get around Koh Phangan is by motorcycle. A lot of visitors also cycle on a bicycle.

The most common way to get around Koh Phangan is by motorcycle

We chose to hire a taxi for the day, because we wanted to see a lot of stops in a short amount of time, and didn’t want to waste any time getting lost.

You can book a private tour to tour the island by clicking here.

You can also hire a boat for the day to visit attractions along the coastline, if you head down to Thongsala pier.

What to do in Koh Phangan?

Day 1 – Arrival Day

Arriving in Koh Phangan can be exhausting, no matter which method you take. Since there’s no direct flight into the island, chances are that you’ll be involved in one or more transfers on your way to Koh Phangan.

Koh Phangan is a place that’s great for relaxing, soaking in the sun and chilling by the water. With this in mind, we recommend that you take it easy on your first day.

The best way to do this? Stay in an amazing resort with an infinity pool!

As you know, at Beyond the Bay we have a thing for infinity pools (psst, check out our guide on the Best Infinity Pools in Thailand). One of our favourite infinity pools in the country is Bluerama Resort’s awesome infinity pool.

Featuring a bright blue, wide infinity pool overlooking the ocean and decorated with turquoise bean bags, Bluerama’s infinity pool is the perfect venue for your first day on the island. It’s also a massive bonus that the pool is right by the resort’s restaurant and bar.

Bluerama’s rooms are modest-sized, clean and refreshing. The resort is situated on top of a hill, in the middle of lush green nature.

Even though the view looks a million dollars, staying at Bluerama resort is actually quite affordable. We stayed three nights here for around 45USD per night, and found that it was definitely worth the price.

If this sounds good to you, you can book your stay at Bluerama Resort here.

Note: We haven’t been sponsored by Bluerama Resort in anyway. We just think the infinity pool is 100% amazing!

Some other resorts you should check out are:

The Buri Rasa Resort, a beachfront resort situated on Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach, featuring stunningly decorated rooms and a beautiful pool. This is one of Koh Phangan’s most renowned resorts.

Also on Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach, the Panviman Resort is a 5-star estate designed to impress. Overlooking the bay, this resort also features an infinity pool and hilltop spa, where you’ll be surrounded by nature.

**Kupu Kupu Beach Villas and Spa by L’Occitane, Koh Phangan**

Finally, the stunning Kupu Kupu Beach Villas and Spa by L’Occitane Resort also features a gorgeous outdoor infinity pool, as well its own private beach. Another great facet of this resort is its location. Only a 10-minute drive from Thong Sala Pier and the main shopping street, this resort is punctuated with style, as well as as having a distinct focus for wellness (just like the L’Occitane brand).

Day 2 – Exploration Day on Phangan Island

Today will be the day you get to really explore this beautiful island. Today’s itinerary may seem like a lot to get through, but Koh Phangan is a relatively small island - so you can definitely fit these in a day if you want to.

The best way to explore much of this itinerary is to embark on a One-day road trip around Koh Phangan. This tour hits some of the spots on this itinerary, with a few added stops. You can also customize your tour and ask the driver to take you to some of the spots not originally on the itinerary.

Bent Tree of Koh Phangan

The first stop of your day is this bent tree overlooking the sea. It’s a bit of a hidden spot, but worth the short stop to take pictures at.

You wouldn’t spend more than 5-10 minutes here, but it’s on the way to the next destination, so why not?

Secret Beach

Secret Beach is a beach that is, despite its name, quite popular with visitors due to its green-blue waters and fine sand. It’s also the site of Koh Raham Beach Bar, which features a cool little hammock that you can take photos on.

The beach is quaint and cosy, with golden sands, perfect for sunbathing and going for a swim. It’s also a great place to go snorkelling.

Hammock at Koh Raham Beach Bar, Secret Beach

Koh Mah

Koh Mah is a dot-sized island that’s connected to Koh Phangan by a narrow sandbank during low tide. This location is really famous and is often used for promotional images of Koh Phangan.

To the side of Koh Mah is Mae Haad Beach, another pretty Koh Phangan beach. This area is particularly picturesque, and is a good place to stop by for an hour or so.

Bottle Beach

Bottle Beach (otherwise known as Hat Khuat) is said to be one of, if not Koh Phangan’s most beautiful beach. It lies just in front of the Bottle Beach 1 Resort, a popular seaside resort on the island.

The waters here are calm, and protected by green hills all along the coastline. You can get here through a rough hiking track, but the beach is most easily accessed by boat.

We hired a local boatman for a return trip and had lunch on the beach before returning back.

Chinese Temple Guan Yin

Guan Yin Temple is the most well-known and largest temple in Koh Phangan. Dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, this temple is set atop a large hill and is noticeable from the road below.

When visiting, you should take a stroll through the temple grounds, and take in views of Koh Phangan island, as well as the temple’s colourful architecture.

Guan Yin Temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy

Three Sixty Bar

Three Sixty Bar is a rooftop bar with an incredible panoramic sea view of Koh Phangan island. The bar also serves both Thai and Western food.

We had a few drinks here while enjoying the great view before moving on.

Thong Nai Pan Beach and Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach

Thong Pan Nai Pan and Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach are two of Koh Phangan’s best beaches. Situated right next to each other, these beaches are wide, sandy beaches with calm waters.

Around this location, you’ll also find a lot of resorts, accommodation options and bars.

Day 3 – Day Trip to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan

On your last full day in Koh Phangan, you simply have to visit the enchanting island of Koh Nang Yuan.

The best and easiest way to do this is to go on a speed boat day trip. We booked this experience on Viator, and our ticket also included a snorkel stop at Koh Tao, and also a delicious lunch buffet to boot. Would highly recommend!

Book Now: Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch

We have to admit – the snorkelling stop at Koh Tao was rather underwhelming. Koh Tao itself looked beautiful, but the snorkelling was pretty sub-par. We enjoyed the lunch though, as there was a lot of variety and delicious Thai food on offer. After lunch, you’ll be free to explore the island of Koh Nang Yuan.

Blue water galore at Koh Nang Yuan, a short day trip away from Koh Phangan — **Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch**

By far the highlight of our day, and also of our entire trip to Koh Phangan, was getting to spend time at Koh Nang Yuan. On a day with good weather, this island is surrounded by white sands and bright, blue water. There are so many good snorkelling opportunities here as well, making it the perfect day out.

Koh Nang Yuan was the highlight of our trip to Koh Phangan — **Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch**

You might have seen the famous image of Koh Nang Yuan with two islets connected to each other via a sandbank. To take this photo, you have to hike up to the Kong Nang Yuan viewpoint, which takes about 20 minutes.

Epic viewpoint of Koh Nang Yuan island — **Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch**

If you go on a busy day, there might be a long line, but don’t lose patience – the view is 100% worth it! You can climb in sandals, but just remember to tread carefully at all times.

White sand, blue water at Koh Nang Yuan island — **Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch**

There are some accounts of people saying that Koh Nang Yuan is now ‘overrated’, but we have to entirely disagree.

Koh Nang Yuang - worth visiting or overrated?

This is one of those occasions where we think the hype is actually well justified. In contrast, you can check out what we thought of the popular Whitehaven Beach in Australia being overrated, as well as the small town of Hallstatt in Austria.

So there’s our three-day itinerary of Koh Phangan. We hope you have a blast on this beautiful island! Don’t forget to leave a comment and let us know what you thought of this itinerary.

Check out or post on Thailand’s best infinity pools here, including our pick for Koh Phangan,

Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint – it took a short hike, but we got there in the end — **Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan Snorkel Tour By Speedboat with Lunch**

Looking for other things to do in and around Koh Phangan? Check out these highly rated experiences!

Full Moon Party Koh Phangan from Koh Samui - for party lovers.
Ang Thong National Marine Park Speedboat Tour from Koh Phangan - absolutely beautiful national park.
PADI Discover Scuba Diving at Sail Rock From Koh Phangan (Beginners) - for those you want to try scuba diving in a safe environment.

Planning on making the visit to Koh Phangan? Let us know in the comments below!

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Koh Phangan 3 Day Itinerary [2024]

There’s more to do in Koh Phangan than just its Full Moon Party. This is a 3-day itinerary for your trip is filled with its best beaches and things to do.

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