Thailand island hopping

How does island hopping work?

Choose one coast and move along it by ferry, rather than crossing between the two.

On the Andaman side, chain Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta; on the Gulf side, link Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Each coast has its own season, so the month decides the coast.

For a group, a private boat between the islands beats the shared ferry.

Which islands are worth hopping?

Two chains: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta in the west, and Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the east.

• Phuket, the Andaman gateway with the big airport
• Koh Phi Phi and Maya Bay
• Krabi and Railay
• Koh Lanta, for long, quiet beaches
• Koh Lipe, in the far south
• Koh Samui, the Gulf gateway with its own airport
• Koh Phangan and the Full Moon Party
• Koh Tao, for diving

Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood in the east are quieter alternatives.

See our best party islands in Thailand.

The Gulf route: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao

The Gulf route is the easiest: three islands close together, with Koh Samui's airport at one end.

Koh Samui is the only one of the three with an airport. Speedboats reach Koh Phangan in about 20 minutes, and Koh Tao is about 1.5 to 2 hours on.

Samui has the villas and the resorts, Phangan the Full Moon Party, and Tao the diving.

See Koh Samui to Koh Phangan and Koh Phangan to Koh Tao.

The Andaman route: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta

The Andaman route is the classic limestone island hop: Phuket, then Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta.

The ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi takes about 2 hours, or 1 hour by speedboat, and five ferry and speedboat companies run on from Phi Phi to Koh Lanta.

Fly into Phuket, spend a day or two on Phi Phi, then Krabi for Railay, and finish on Koh Lanta's quiet beaches.

See the Phi Phi island tour and things to do in Krabi.

Koh Lipe and the deep south

Koh Lipe is the far-south island at the end of the Andaman chain, with white sand and clear water.

Direct boats from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe sail from October to May and stop from June to September.

Outside those months, getting to Lipe takes longer and the sea is rougher.

See our Koh Lipe guide.

Going in July? Ask Tanner to save Lipe for the dry season.

How do you cross between coasts?

Crossing between the Andaman and the Gulf is the slow part of a two-coast trip, so groups fly.

Overland, the bus and the Donsak ferry take 7 to 9 hours in all.

Bangkok Airways flies Phuket to Koh Samui in about an hour, 6 to 8 times a day (checked October 2026), so flying saves most of a day.

See Phuket to Koh Samui.

Two coasts? Fly, every time.

When is the best time to go?

It depends on the coast: November to April for the Andaman, February to September for the Gulf.

Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao get steady rain from October to January, peaking in November, the Met Office says, so the Gulf is the drier coast from February to September.

On the Andaman side, the southwest monsoon brings red flags and rough seas from May to October, and some routes stop.

From February to April, both coasts are good. See our best time to visit Thailand.

Ask Tanner which coast is dry for your dates.

A Thailand island hopping itinerary for one or two weeks

One coast fits in a week; both coasts take two, with a flight in the middle.

The Gulf route is the easiest to plan, with three islands an hour or two apart.

A Gulf week: three nights in a Samui villa, the boat to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon, a dive day on Koh Tao, then back to Samui to fly home.

An Andaman week: land in Phuket, two nights on Phi Phi, Railay from Krabi, then the slow days on Koh Lanta.

Time the Gulf leg with a Full Moon date: 24 November or 24 December 2026.

Ask Tanner to build the route around your Full Moon.

What island hopping costs

Island hopping isn't the cheap way to see Thailand: every crossing is another ticket.

Ferries and speedboats add up on an island-hopping trip, so budget for one or two crossings a week.

A party trip with villas and private boats costs more: a full party week for 12 starts from about ฿300,000.

See what a Thailand trip costs.

Ask Tanner for the all-in figure for your group.

Hopping with a group

For a group, take your own boat: the group, the bags and the timing on one deck.

The price depends on the boat, and Tanner quotes it to your plan; we add the party: the crew, the drinks, a DJ and the meals.

At each end, a luxury van takes up to 4 from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, a party van up to 10, and a coach 20 or more.

See yacht parties in Thailand and the Full Moon Party.

Ask Tanner to hold your boat.

What the boats cost

The public boats are cheap: Koh Samui to Koh Phangan starts from ฿200 one way (checked October 2026).

For twelve of you, our Koh Samui catamaran is quoted to your plan, with the DJ and the bar on top and the islands on your own timing.

First island hop? Tanner's call is the Gulf: three islands an hour apart, and the Full Moon in the middle. Ask Tanner to hold the boat.

Thailand island hopping in short

• Two chains: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and Koh Lanta on the Andaman; Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao on the Gulf.

• The Andaman is best November to April; the Gulf February to September.
• Neighbouring islands are 20 minutes to 2 hours apart by boat.
• To do both coasts, fly from Phuket to Koh Samui in about an hour.
• A week covers one coast; two weeks covers both.
• There are no fixed Thailand island hopping packages here: Tanner sets the boats to your dates.

Checked October 2026.

Pick your coast

Pick your month, then your coast: the Andaman from November to April, the Gulf from February to September.

Then add the boats, the villas and the club evenings. Our where to go in Thailand guide helps you choose.

Ask Tanner, and he sends back the route, the boats and the timing for your group.