Koh Rok Day Trip From Koh Lanta: How to Book It, What It Costs and When to Go

We spent a few days on Koh Lanta during our year-long honeymoon, and our verdict on camera still stands: the top thing to do in Koh Lanta is to leave Koh Lanta and go to Koh Rok. It is a pair of uninhabited islands in a national park in the Andaman Sea, with turquoise water, a reef in good shape and a speedboat that drops you right on the sand. Here is how to plan the day trip, updated for 2026.

WhereAndaman Sea, south of Koh Lantatwo islands in Mu Ko Lanta National Park

Getting thereSpeedboat day tourhotel pickup on Koh Lanta

How longOne full daymost tours add a stop at Koh Haa

Best timeNovember to Aprilthe park closes in the rainy season

CostAbout $50-$60 a persontour listings in 2026; park fee extra

BaseKoh Lantaferries from Krabi and Ao Nang

Things to doGetting thereWhere to stayTips

why go

Why Koh Rok

Why we loved it. Of everything we did around Koh Lanta, this was the day to remember. The water is turquoise, the coral was in good shape, and there was no garbage anywhere: nobody lives on the islands, and the park takes care of them.

What it is not. Quiet. Koh Rok is a popular day trip, so expect other boats and plenty of snorkelers on the beach. The park also closes for several months each rainy season to protect the coral.

▶ Our Koh Rok video · 7 min

what to do

Things to do in Koh Rok

SnorkelSnorkel the reef

The main event, in some of the clearest water we have snorkeled. The tour lends you a mask, and the coral was in really good shape when we went.

BeachAn hour on the sand

The speedboat drops you right on the beach, so you are steps from the sand. Bring a towel and reef-safe sunscreen.

TipThe toothpaste trick

The thing that made the biggest difference on our trip: rub a little toothpaste on the lens of the borrowed mask, rinse it, then add anti-fog spray. No more fogged-up snorkeling.

Koh LantaWalk a shelter dog

Back on Koh Lanta, Lanta Animal Welfare was the top-rated thing to do on the island when we went. You can take a shelter dog for a walk on the beach for the afternoon.

Koh LantaMai Kaew Cave, with a guide

A real crawl-through-the-dark cave with ladders and tight squeezes. It was 300 baht each, more than we usually spent, and worth it. Do not go in without a guide.

getting there

How to get to Koh Rok

1. Get to Koh LantaVans run from Krabi airport, and ferries connect Koh Lanta with Krabi and Ao Nang. We took the ferry from Koh Lanta to Ao Nang when we left.
2. Compare a few tour agenciesWe checked four agencies in town and they were all about the same, around 1,300 baht a person in high season in 2017. Today the online listings run about $50 to $60 a person, usually with Koh Haa added.
3. Hotel pickup and the speedboatTours pick you up at your hotel in the morning and run the speedboat out to the islands, with lunch and snorkel gear included.
4. Pay the national park feeThe park entry fee is usually not included in the tour price. Bring cash and check the current rate with your operator.

Season and prices checked October 2026 from the park and tour listings, which do not always agree. Confirm with your operator before you book.

where to stay

Where to stay in Koh Rok

Where we stayedA $25-a-night apartmentFine for the price, until the blackouts and the ants. On this trip we would spend a little more.Look it upReality checkWhat $12 gets you in ThailandOur backpacker hotel tour from the same trip.Watch itA step upBeachfront on Koh LantaKoh Lanta’s west coast is lined with beaches and resorts, and the Koh Rok tours pick up all along it.Look it up

know before you go

6 Koh Rok mistakes to avoid

1. Going in the rainy season.The park closes for the monsoon, roughly mid-May to mid-October, and the dates change from year to year. Check before you plan around it.
2. Booking with the first agency you see.Compare two or three. The prices were close when we checked four, but you can sometimes save a couple hundred baht.
3. Snorkeling with a foggy mask.Toothpaste on the lens, rinse, then anti-fog spray. It made the biggest difference to our day.
4. Forgetting cash for the park fee.It is usually separate from the tour price.
5. Touching the coral or leaving trash.The reef is in good shape because the park protects it. Take everything back with you, and use reef-safe sunscreen.
6. Skipping the guide at Mai Kaew Cave.It is genuinely intense inside. You would not want to be in there without one.

a simple plan

3 days in Koh Rok

Day 1Settle into Koh Lanta

Settle into Koh Lanta, an afternoon on the beach and dinner by the water.

Day 2Koh Rok

Koh Rok, by speedboat: snorkel the reef, lunch on the beach and a stop at Koh Haa on most tours.

Day 3Mai Kaew Cave

Mai Kaew Cave, with a guide in the morning, then walk a shelter dog with Lanta Animal Welfare.

pack for the beach

What to pack

Swimsuits, a cover-up and a dry bag for the speedboat. Bug spray, reef-safe sunscreen and cash go in the day bag.

TrippedCompression packing cubesA week of beach outfits in one carry-on.Shop it

▶ Vacation capsule wardrobe

pair it with

More Thailand

ThailandThailand travel guideBudget, when to go and every video we filmed in Thailand.Read itVideoKoh Lanta: caves and shelter dogsThe rest of our week on Koh Lanta.Watch itVideoKoh Phi Phi in one dayCaptain Bob’s sailing and snorkeling trip.Watch itVideoKrabi and Ao NangOur Thailand film, from the beaches around Krabi.Watch it

good to know

Koh Rok questions

Is Koh Rok worth it?

Yes. It was the highlight of our time on Koh Lanta: turquoise water, a healthy reef and no garbage. Expect other boats, since it is a popular day trip.

How do you get to Koh Rok?

Most people take a speedboat day tour from Koh Lanta with hotel pickup. Private longtail boats also run from Koh Ngai, Koh Kradan and Koh Muk.

How much is a Koh Rok tour?

We paid about 1,300 baht a person in high season in 2017. In 2026, online listings run about $50 to $60 a person, usually with Koh Haa included. The national park fee is usually extra.

When is Koh Rok closed?

The national park closes in the rainy season, roughly mid-May to mid-October, and the dates change from year to year. Go between November and April.

How do you stop a snorkel mask from fogging?

Rub a little toothpaste on the inside of the lens, rinse it, then add anti-fog spray. It made the biggest difference on our Koh Rok trip.

What else is there to do on Koh Lanta?

Walk a shelter dog with Lanta Animal Welfare, and crawl through Mai Kaew Cave with a guide.

keep planning

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