Koh Rok from Koh Lanta: Tours, Costs & Best Season

Featured image: Chaiyathat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Koh Rok at a Glance

Rok Nai is the inner island, with a ranger station, a small restaurant and the main landing beach. Rok Nok is the outer island and stays largely untouched. Twin islands sit only 250 m (about 820 ft) apart, with hard and soft coral covering the channel between them. Most visitors come on a full-day tour with snorkeling stops, lunch and a long beach break. For other reefs near the island, start with our guide to reef snorkeling around Lanta.

• Location: about 30 km (19 miles) south of Koh Lanta, inside Mu Ko Lanta National Park
• Islands: Rok Nai (inner) and Rok Nok (outer), about 250 m (820 ft) apart
• Park fee: ฿400 per person, with tickets valid for a few days
• Season: closed 16 May to 31 October
• Typical trip: a full day, with about 1 hour each way by speedboat from Lanta

When Koh Rok Is Open (and When to Go)

Koh Rok follows the same monsoon as the rest of Thailand's southwest coast. Tour boats stop running, and park accommodation shuts, for the 16 May to 31 October rainy season. Closures follow the weather, so check current dates with the Department of National Parks before you book. Across the dry season, expect calm seas and strong sun. Wind tends to pick up in the afternoon, which makes the ride home bumpier. Leave early and aim to be heading back by 2:00 or 3:00 pm. Midday heat is intense, and the beach sand is bright enough to dazzle. Shade comes only from trees along the shore.

How to Get to Koh Rok: Tour vs Private Boat vs Camping

No public boats run to Koh Rok. You can book a tour, charter a private boat or stay in the park. Lanta is the best base, because a speedboat tour covers the distance in about an hour. Departures from Phuket or Ao Nang can take up to 2 hours each way. Snorkeling stops on those trips are often rushed. Private longtails leave from Koh Ngai, Koh Kradan and Koh Muk. Resorts arrange them, or you can deal with boatmen directly. Tour pickup times differ by operator, with sources giving 8:00–17:00 or 9:00–15:00, so ask for your exact times. Browse the snorkeling tour options from Lanta to compare inclusions.

Costs and What's Included

Prices and hours checked November 2026. Small-group tours from Lanta are quoted at about ฿1,600 per person, with children around ฿800. Other operators ask about ฿2,000. Those higher fares typically cover two or three snorkeling stops, lunch, drinking water, mask, snorkel and fins. The park fee is ฿400 per person, and some quotes leave it out. Ask whether it is included. Your ticket stays valid for a few days, which helps if you also visit Koh Haa or other park areas. Carry cash, because Koh Rok has no banks, ATMs or shops. Private boats cost less per head only with a full load. A ฿4,000 longtail split four ways is ฿1,000 each. Split five ways, it is ฿800 each. Add the ฿400 fee in both cases.

• Four people on a ฿4,000 boat: ฿1,000 each plus ฿400 fee, so ฿1,400
• Five people on a ฿4,000 boat: ฿800 each plus ฿400 fee, so ฿1,200
• Tour at ฿2,000: add ฿400 only if the fee is not included

What to Do on Koh Rok

Ko Rok Beach on Rok Nai is the landing point, about 500 m (1,600 ft) long. Day-trippers eat lunch here, and swimming and decent snorkeling start right off the sand. Over some rocks sits Haad Man Sai, a quieter 300 m (about 1,000 ft) beach named for the banyan trees draping over it. On the north side, Ao Talu is a small cove of sand, rocks and mangroves. A trail from there climbs to the Pha Samed Daeng viewpoint, with views toward Koh Ngai and Koh Lanta. Reef snorkeling is the main draw. Named sites such as Bermuda Ridge and Seafan Garden blend into one reef system that may span over a square kilometer. Much coral lies within about 16 ft (5 m) of the surface. Rok Nok has beaches on its east coast and San Chao Beach, with almost no facilities. Wildlife includes large monitor lizards, so watch your step on the sand. Sea snakes also appear in the water. They are docile unless provoked, so swim to the side and leave them alone.

Koh Rok and Koh Haa: Choosing and Combining

Koh Haa is five limestone islets around a calm lagoon, and it suits casual snorkelers. Koh Rok offers longer beaches and a larger reef area. Many speedboat tours combine both. Koh Haa comes first after about 45 minutes, and Koh Rok follows roughly 30 minutes later. Combined days run long, at about 8:00–17:00 on some operators. Pick Koh Rok alone if beach time matters most. Pick the combination if you want two snorkeling styles in one day. Short on time? The 4 islands day trip is another way to cover several reefs. Trang-side travelers can pair a stay with the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook.

Staying Overnight on Koh Rok

Overnight stays use national park facilities, mainly in high season. Standard tents rent for about ฿450 per night, with a little extra for sleeping mats and pillows. Bring your own tent and the price is about ฿30. Bathrooms are shared and cold-water. Some operators also mention wooden bungalows, and Lanta travel agents can arrange stays through the park authorities. Because accounts differ, confirm what is on offer with the park before paying. You give up shops, ATMs and reliable phone signal, since the small cell tower is patchy. Food comes from the ranger-station restaurant and a basic cafe. In return, you have the beach once the day boats leave. Nothing is available during the 16 May to 31 October closure.

Practical Tips and Who Should Skip It

Pack a hat, sunglasses, reef-friendly sunscreen, a water bottle and enough cash for the day. Reef areas are roped off to keep boats away, so stay clear of the ropes. Rangers handle minor bumps and bruises. A serious injury needs a fast run to Trang in a park speedboat. If you want a slower base nearby, Koh Libong Travel Guide: Dugongs, Getting There, Worth It? is on the Trang side. Sea-sick travelers should think twice, because both speedboats and longtails get rough when wind rises.

• Skip it from 16 May to 31 October, when the islands are closed
• Skip it if you are prone to seasickness
• Skip it if you want restaurants, shops or nightlife
• Skip it if you need a very short day
• Mistake to avoid: assuming the ฿400 park fee is in your tour price
• Mistake to avoid: booking a late return and facing afternoon wind
• Mistake to avoid: arriving with no cash