KOH NANG YUAN THAILAND Day Trip – The Complete Guide

Koh Nang Yuan is a collection of three small islands with fine white sand and crystal clear water. Located on the North west coast of Koh Tao this picturesque island with beautiful viewpoint makes it the perfect setting for an idyllic day-trip. Due to its close location to the popular islands like Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, a visit to Koh Nang Yuan can’t be missed on your itinerary to these Thai islands. Read in this travel blog post everything you need to know before you make your trip to Koh Nang Yuan!

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Samui

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Phangan

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Tao

Best Koh Tao tours

If you want to explore Koh Tao then it is highly recommended to book your tour in advance. Choose your favorite tours here and secure your booking! All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.

• Thai Cooking Class Koh Tao. Rainy afternoon or just interested to learn Thai cooking? Then this activity is for you! In a small group you will learn how to cook Thai from a local expert. After cooking the dishes you will enjoy them and leftovers can be taken home.
• Half Day fishing experience Koh Tao. Enjoy this private half day fishing tour around the waters of Koh Tao. Learn how to catch fish and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
• PADI 4 day diving course Koh Tao. Get PADI certified during this 4 day scuba diving course. All lesson material, dives, equipment and the official certificate are included.
• Half day snorkeling trip to hidden bays of Koh Tao. Start your morning at 8AM with snorkeling in some of the hidden bays of Koh Tao. You will visit Freedom Bay, Shark Bay, Aow Leuk Bay and Tao Thong Bay during this half day snorkel tour.
• Private Photo Session with Local Photographer in Koh Tao. The perfect way to capture your solo trip, honeymoon, family vacation or couples photoshoot with 100% money back satisfaction guarantee on Koh Tao.
• One day diving experience Koh Tao. If you don’t have your PADI certificate but you want to go diving in Koh Tao, then this is the tour for you. During this one time scuba diving experience you will explore the underwater world of Koh Tao at 12 meters depth.
• Koh Nang Yuan snorkel day trip by speedboat. Explore the best snorkel spots around Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan during this half day snorkel trip. You can see many tropical fishes, turtles and maybe even black tip sharks!

How to get to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Tao

Koh Nang Yuan is only a 15-20 minute boat ride away from Koh Tao.

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Tao

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Samui

Book here your snorkel day trip to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Phangan

How to get to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Phangan

The best way to get from Phangan to Koh Nang Yuan is to arrange a snorkel tour by speedboat. Most of the tour operators offer a full-day snorkeling trip from Koh Phangan by speedboat. The you will visit Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan while spending the day snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. Depending on the package you book, an authentic Thai lunch and hotel pickup and drop-off is included. You can also choose to get by ferry from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao and then get a longtail taxi boat from Sairee beach. 

How to get to Koh Nang Yuan from Koh Samui

Day trips from Koh Samui are much more expensive because of the distance. So making Koh Tao as your home base to explore Koh Nang Yuan is a better idea. But if you only have time to stay on Samui and you really want to explore Koh Nang Yuan, you can arrange a snorkelling trip with any tour operator. The price vary around 2000-2500 Baht per person. This should include the boat transfer, snorkeling equipment, the entrance fee to the island and lunch.

Opening times and entrance fee Koh Nang Yuan

Koh Nang Yuan is opened daily between 10AM and 5PM. Around 2PM most people have arrived at the island. So it is highly recommended to get as early as possible to the island if you want to beat the crowds. The island is privately owned and every visitor has to pay 250 Baht as entrance fee per 2022.

What to expect at Koh Nang Yuan

A beautiful but crowded paradise island

Once you arrive on Koh Nang Yuan, you will feel as if you are secluded on a tropical island. But, it can get really crowded, especially in high season! So be prepared for that and manage your expectations about the amount of tourists that are on the island. There is only one dive resort, so if you want to have the beach for yourself, you should consider to stay for one night on the island.

No plastic bottles allowed

Important to know is that there are no plastic bottles allowed on the island. They are even confiscated upon arrival on the island which means you have to purchase water from the resort’s restaurant. The best solution for this is to bring your own reusable water bottle and fill it up before arrival. This means you don’t have to buy water from the resort. Also, there are a lot of places in Asia nowadays, especially Koh Phangan and Bali, where you can refill your own reusable water bottle and you pay only 10 baht, or it’s even free when you order some food at the restaurant. This is the best way to reduce the usage of plastic bottles which impacts the environment a lot. Be aware that waste disposal on tiny islands like these are very minimal, and most of the plastic bottles end up on land dumps. 

Pricey food in comparison to Koh Tao

Because there is only one resort, one restaurant and one beach bar, the food and drinks are more expensive than on Koh Tao. This is also the case in the beach bar. The choice on the menu is also somewhat limited, but it still works for a quick lunch break. Eventually you can bring your own snacks such as fruit (banana) and dried fruit and nuts. 

Things to do on Koh Nang Yuan

Go snorkeling

Koh Nang Yuan is one of the best places to snorkel in Thailand, there’s no need for exaggeration about this! The shallow reefs surrounding the island have soft and hard corals just a few meters away from the beach. You will see schools of all sorts of tropical fish like the colourful parrotfish and shy angelfish. The water is calm because it has shelter from the island. And as you might expect from a tropical paradise, the water is also crystal clear. Twin Peak and the Japanese Gardens are the most popular spots which are shallow enough for snorkelers. You can rent snorkels at the resort, but if you have your own then don’t forget to bring them!

Go scuba diving

Koh Nang Yuan island has some of the best dive spots in Thailand. The popular dive sites are Twin Peak and the Japanese Gardens, which lie just off the island. Other great dive sites nearby are White Rock and Green Rock. Diving gear can be rented in the Resort’s Dive Shop, or you can bring your own. Of course you can also arrange a dive tour at the Koh Nang Yuan Dive Resort or get your PADI! Koh Tao is one of the, if not THE cheapest location in the world to get your PADI license!

Relax on the beach and take a swim

The beach on Koh Nang Yuan island is beautiful! Although it can get crowded, you will still enjoy this slice of paradise. When the tide is high, there is less beach to relax on. And the other way around, when it’s low tide, there is more beach to relax on. Although the white sand and crystal clear waters will always be there! If you want to rent 2 sun beds with parasol you will have to pay 150 Baht. There are a few separate swimming areas on the island. One is more for snorkelling where you can find the Japanese Garden and many tropical fish. The other areas are where people just chill out.

Have lunch

After you hiked to the viewpoint or saw the beautiful underwater world, you might want to grab some lunch! As said before, there is only one restaurant and one beach bar. The choice on the menu is limited and the prices are a bit high in comparison to what you can get on Koh Tao. You might want to consider to bring your own lunch or some light snacks. Depending on the time you leave the island.

Hike to the Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint

Hiking to the famous Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint is a must do when you take a day trip to the island. But because it is a popular activity, I would advice to do this hike as soon as you arrive on the island. Not only to avoid the crowds, but also because it can get super hot when you do this hike in the middle of the day. Hiking to the viewpoint only takes 15-20 minutes and will give you a stunning view on the island. This short uphill walk can be done on flip flops but be aware of some parts where you have to climb your way up boulders. As soon as you reach the top, you will be rewarded by a stunning view of the three little islands connected by the sandbar.

Stay a night at the Koh Nang Yuan island dive resort

If you really want to enjoy the private tropical island vibes and you love diving, then staying a night at the island dive resort is a great option. This is the only resort on the island so be aware that it’s pricey and seems to cater mainly Asian tourists. However, you would get to wake up to totally abandoned beaches before the day-trippers arrive and it gives you the chance to go diving in the early morning without many other boats. 

Koh Nang Yuan weather

The climate on Koh Tao island is hot and humid for most of the year. The rainiest months are October, November and December, so avoid these months. The best moment to come to Koh Tao and visit Koh Nang Yuan is from January to April but the islands are also enjoyable during the months of March until August. At this time of the year Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have the best weather of all Thai islands.

More Koh Tao travel inspiration

I hope you enjoyed this complete guide about Koh Nang Yuan island.

For more Koh Tao travel inspiration, read our other Koh Tao blog posts:

15 best things to do in Koh Tao – The Ultimate Guide

10 best Koh Tao beaches – The Complete Guide

7 best Koh Tao viewpoints – The Complete Guide

For all best tips about Koh Phangan, head over to these blog posts:

25 best things to do in Koh Phangan – The Ultimate Guide

11 best beaches of Koh Phangan – The Complete Guide

23 best restaurants in Koh Phangan – The Complete Guide

6 best Koh Phangan hikes – The Complete Guide

Bottle Beach – The Complete Guide

Thong Sala Night Market – The Complete Guide

Is your plan to travel to Koh Samui? Then read this blog for all the best things to do in Koh Samui