✅ Updated on 21.12.2025
🚤 Koh Tao is only accessible by boat. You can buy tickets online through the 12Go website.
Sairee Beach
📍 Location
💰 Entrance — 50 THB per person (sunbed included)
Sairee Beach is the most popular beach on Koh Tao, mainly because it’s located in the liveliest area of the island. This is where you’ll find the highest concentration of hotels, cafés, bars, and shops. Most tourists choose to stay here.
Personally, I wouldn’t swim at Sairee Beach. A lot of boats are parked close to shore, which means fuel and exhaust fumes in the water. That said, the beach is perfect for breakfasts by the sea, sunsets, evening fire shows, and beach volleyball. For atmosphere and convenience, it’s hard to beat.
✅ Here are some hotels on Koh Tao I considered with a good price-to-quality ratio:
Freedom Beach
📍 Location
Freedom Beach is one of the most beautiful and well-maintained beaches on Koh Tao.
Getting there is an adventure on its own. Steep descents and climbs require confident riding skills, especially if you’re traveling with a passenger. I’d recommend renting a motorbike with a 150–160 cc engine.
The final descent to the beach goes down a staircase past a few small bungalows. You can rent them if you want to stay longer — for example, at Koh Tao Relax Freedom Beach Resort. Trees line the shore and provide natural shade, and the overall vibe is calm and deeply relaxing.
There’s a café right on the beach with sea views. Prices are above average, but in return you get toilets, showers, bean bags, hammocks, and cool net beds. It’s a perfect spot to relax after snorkeling.
And the snorkeling here is outstanding. I’d even say Freedom Beach is the best snorkeling spot on Koh Tao. Close to shore you’ll find plenty of coral, colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, and sea cucumbers on the seabed.
❌ Downside: around 5 PM, hungry mosquitoes show up — some of them are huge. That’s a good time to start packing up.
💡 Tip: before the staircase down to the beach, there’s a turn-off leading to a viewpoint with a great panorama. On the way, you can also stop by nearby beaches like Taa Toh Lagoon and Shark Bay.
Taa Toh Lagoon
📍 Location
Taa Toh Lagoon is a quiet beach connected to Freedom Beach by a concrete walkway running along the shoreline. You pay 50 THB once and get access to both beaches, which is very convenient.
Keep in mind: the later you arrive, the more people there are — and the murkier the water becomes. It is a lagoon after all. It’s best to come early in the morning, while the sea is still clear and calm.
Shark Bay
📍 Paid entrance (200 baht): Location
📍 Free entrance: Location
Shark Bay is one of the most famous beaches on Koh Tao — and for good reason. This is one of the best places on the island to spot sea turtles, reef sharks, and enjoy excellent snorkeling. However, the experience depends heavily on which entrance you use.
The paid entrance (200 baht) is through Haad Tien Beach Resort. For the fee, you get a large, well-maintained beach with soft sand, palm trees, beach bungalows, and sunbeds. It’s a comfortable place for swimming and relaxing. Snorkeling here is decent, though not the most exciting — the big plus is the solid infrastructure and overall comfort.
The free entrance leads to a very small stretch of beach, enough space for only about 5–6 people. The shore is rocky, and there’s almost no shade. But the water here is excellent: crystal clear, with plenty of corals and fish.
💡 Swim a bit toward the boats in the center of the bay — that’s where your chances of seeing a sea turtle or a reef shark are highest.
Sai Daeng Beach
📍 Location
Sai Daeng Beach is a wide beach with white sand and clear water. Entry is free — you just walk through the hotel grounds to reach the beach. There are sunbeds and plenty of trees for natural shade, which makes it comfortable even in the middle of the day. A bar and restaurant operate on the hotel territory, so you can grab food or a drink with a sea view.
This is a good snorkeling spot. I saw a turtle here, along with lots of fish. For the best snorkeling, head toward the edges of the beach — the water is deeper there, and marine life is more active.
✅ You might also find this useful: How to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao
Ao Leuk Beach
📍 Location
💰 Entrance — 50 THB per person (sunbed with umbrella included)
Ao Leuk Beach is another great spot for snorkeling. Here you can often see small reef sharks, and the road to Ao Leuk is much easier compared to the route to Freedom Beach.
The beach is clean, the water is clear, and the seabed is sandy, with corals and fish along both sides of the bay. Snorkeling is especially good on the left side of the beach.
As with most popular spots on Koh Tao, it’s best to arrive in the morning, when there are fewer people and the water is at its clearest.
Aow June Juea Beach
📍 Location
Aow June Juea Beach is a small, secluded beach that very few people make it to. When we visited, there was only one other couple. Most likely, this is because of the steep descent — although I had no problem riding there with a passenger on a Honda Click 160.
There’s a family-run café on the beach where you can order food and drinks, and even rent a beachfront bungalow. A night in a bungalow right by the sea costs 1,500 THB. You step out onto the terrace and you’re immediately facing the ocean, sand, and what feels like your own private beach. The owner is a local woman, and you can contact her directly via WhatsApp.
❌ Cons: the bungalows only have a fan — no air conditioning. Internet signal is weak, so it’s not suitable for remote work, but it’s perfect for a couple of days of offline relaxation.
You can also rent a kayak on the beach for 200 THB per hour. Paddle around, sunbathe, then enjoy some homemade food — an ideal island day.
Snorkeling here is more modest than at Freedom Beach, but the plenty of shade and lack of crowds are a huge advantage.
Tanote Bay
📍 Location
💰 Entrance — free
Tanote Bay is best known for its giant boulder in the middle of the bay, which you can jump from straight into the water. You need to swim a short distance to reach the rock, then climb up using a rope. There are two jumping points from a height of about 8 meters, and the view from the top is fantastic.
There aren’t many tourists here, the water is clear, and you’ll find natural shade under the trees along the beach. It’s also an excellent snorkeling spot, with corals, plenty of fish, and occasional sea turtles.
Ao Hin Wong
📍 Location
💰 Motorbike parking — 20 THB
Ao Hin Wong Beach is a small beach on the northeast coast of Koh Tao. It’s usually quiet, with clear water and decent snorkeling.
There’s a reggae-style beach bar serving drinks and snacks. You’ll also meet some friendly dogs that live on the beach — sometimes they even swim alongside tourists, which adds to the laid-back island vibe.
Koh Tao Beach Map
You can save this map for later by opening it via this link.
