- Kayaking is included in the price of the speedboat tour (฿1890) and the VIP speedboat tour (฿3890).
- On the big boat kayaks are optional: ฿1500 per adult with kayaks instead of ฿1100 without.
- The Red Baron cruise has no kayaking, and on the private speedboat kayaks are not included in the boat price.
- Kayaking in the national park is allowed from 5 years old, with no exceptions.
- The park is usually closed from 1 November to 15 December, so no kayaking or tours run then.
Lunch is over on Tamarin Beach, the boat leaves in an hour and a row of kayaks is lying on the sand. Paddle or sunbed? That is the real choice on an ang thong kayak tour, and it actually starts back on Koh Samui, when you pick the boat.
Not every tour to the park carries kayaks. Two include them, one sells them as an extra and two leave them out. Here is how each one works, what it costs and what paddling there is like for a first-timer.
Which Ang Thong tours include kayaking?
The speedboat tour and the VIP speedboat tour include kayaks in the price. The big boat offers them as an option, while the Red Baron cruise and the private charter do not include them.
Where you paddle and how much it costs differs a lot from boat to boat. The table sums it up before we go through them one by one.
| Tour | Kayaks | Where you paddle | Adult price | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat | Included | Tamarin Beach, after lunch | ฿1890 | Daily |
| VIP speedboat | Included | Coast of Koh Sam Sao | ฿3890, park fee included | Tue, Thu, Sat |
| Big boat | Optional | To and around Mae Ko | ฿1100 without, ฿1500 with kayaks | Daily |
| Red Baron | Not offered | No kayaking | ฿3700, park fee included | Wed, Sat |
| Private speedboat | Not included | Not in the boat price | ฿39,000 per boat, up to 6 guests | Any day |
On the speedboat, big boat and private boat you also pay the national park fee: ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child, in cash at the park. On the VIP and the Red Baron it is already in the price. The guide to the park fee explains who pays what.
Speedboat tour: kayaks on Tamarin Beach
On the daily speedboat tour, kayaks are part of the ฿1890 price and wait for you on Tamarin Beach, where the buffet lunch is served. The beach stop runs from about 12:00 to 14:00, so lunch, a swim and the paddle all share those two hours.
You go at your own pace along the cliffs and small caves near the beach. Nobody makes you go: if you would rather stay on the sand, that is fine.
My advice is to eat first, but not too much, and get on the water early in the stop. Two hours sound like a lot, and then the guide calls everyone back to the boat for Wua Ta Lap.
One detail people ask about: kayaking is included, so skipping it, or losing it to the weather, does not change the price. The speedboat tour suits most people: a crossing of about 40 minutes, four stops and kayaks in one day.
VIP speedboat: the classic route along Koh Sam Sao
The VIP tour includes kayaking along the coast of Koh Sam Sao, the island with the natural stone arch, almost in the centre of the park. This is the classic Ang Thong kayaking route, and for me the most interesting paddle on any of the tours.
The cliffs drop straight into clear water, and a coral reef stretches for about a kilometre along the shore. On a quiet day kayaks can pass close under the arch, the photo everyone wants. There is more about the island in the Koh Sam Sao article.
The trade-off is price and calendar. The VIP runs only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and costs ฿3890 per adult, with the park fee, breakfast and lunch included and no more than 16 guests on board. On the other tours you usually only see Sam Sao from the boat as you pass.
If kayaking is the part of the day you care about most and your dates fit, the VIP speedboat tour is the one I would book.
Big boat: kayaks for ฿400 more
On the big boat, kayaks are an option: ฿1500 per adult with kayaks instead of ฿1100 without, and ฿1000 per child instead of ฿700. For an adult that is ฿400 more.
The kayak stop is Mae Ko in the afternoon, from around 13:30. With the option you paddle to the island and along its coast, then climb to the Emerald Lake viewpoint. Without it, a longtail boat takes you ashore and you see the lake all the same.
Is the extra worth it? For an active couple, yes: it turns the slowest and cheapest tour into a day with real time on the water. For a family with a child under 5, or anyone who mainly wants to see the lake, save the money.
Keep in mind that the big boat is slow, about 1.5 hours each way from Nathon Pier. The ride is smooth and there are two meals on board, but the big boat tour makes fewer stops than a speedboat.
Red Baron and the private boat: no kayaks
The Red Baron sailing cruise has no kayaking, and on the private speedboat kayaks are not included in the boat price. If paddling is the point of your day, neither is the right pick.
The Red Baron (฿3700, Wednesday and Saturday) is a different kind of day: a 30-meter sailing junk, breakfast and lunch on board, the Emerald Lake, snorkeling in a sheltered bay and the Wua Ta Lap viewpoint. You get into the water by snorkeling straight from the yacht instead.
The private charter on the Pearl costs ฿39,000 per boat for up to 6 guests, plus ฿2000 for each extra guest up to 15. Lunch, kayaking and the park fee are not in that price. People choose it for privacy and their own timetable; for kayaking, the group tours above do the job better.
Is kayaking in Ang Thong hard for beginners?
No. On a calm day you paddle along the shore at your own pace, and life jackets are provided and no experience is needed. If you can sit in a kayak and steer with a paddle, you will manage.
What makes it harder is rarely the paddling itself. It is the conditions around it:
- The sun on the water is strong. A hat and plenty of sunscreen matter more than technique.
- In October and after the park reopens in mid-December the sea can be rough, and the captain may shorten or cancel kayaking.
- Getting in and out on the beach is the wobbly part. Once you are sitting, it is easy.
- If you share a kayak, agree who steers before you leave the beach, or you will go in circles.
A simple rule from many trips: stay close to the cliffs and turn back before you feel tired. The way back is the same distance, and the boat keeps to its timetable.
From January to September the water is usually calm. That is the best window for a first time in a kayak.
What do you actually see from the kayak? Limestone walls rising straight out of the water, small caves at the waterline, beaches with no road to them and, on a clear day, the bottom under you. It is quieter than the boat, and that alone is a good reason to go.
Who should skip it? Anyone with a bad back or shoulder, and anyone who will spend the paddle worrying about the time. Sitting on the beach with a view of the cliffs is not a lesser version of the day, just a different one.
Age limit: kayaking from 5 years old
Kayaking in the national park is allowed from 5 years old, and the park makes no exceptions for younger children. This applies on every tour.
For families with a child under 5, this changes the plan a little. On the speedboat the kayaks are in the price anyway, so one parent can paddle while the other stays on Tamarin Beach with the little one.
On the big boat, a family with a toddler is usually better off without the kayak option: the longtail takes everyone ashore together and you see the same Emerald Lake.
Child tickets also differ: on the speedboat and big boat they are for ages 3 to 12 and under 130 cm, on the VIP for ages 4 to 10.
Which ang thong kayak tour should you book?
For most people, the speedboat: kayaks included, it runs daily, and the paddle comes with lunch on a beach. For the best kayaking route pick the VIP on its three days, and for the lowest price with a paddle, the big boat with the kayak option.
- Speedboat (฿1890): first-timers, couples and families with children of 5 and over who want a bit of everything.
- VIP speedboat (฿3890): keen paddlers who want Koh Sam Sao and a group of no more than 16.
- Big boat with kayaks (฿1500): budget travellers and anyone who prefers a smooth ride but still wants to paddle.
- Red Baron or private boat: people for whom kayaking is not the point of the day.
Choose the speedboat for an all-round day, the VIP for the Sam Sao kayak route, or the big boat for a budget day with a paddle.
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:40-16:30
- Boat
- Shared speedboat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
- Days
- Tue, Thu, Sat
- Time
- 07:00-17:30
- Boat
- Small group, max 16
- Park fee
- Included
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:30-17:00
- Boat
- Large tourist boat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
Before you go: dates and what to bring
The park is usually closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, and no tours run then, kayaks or not. Outside that window, book a few days ahead in the dry months.
- Swimwear you do not mind getting wet
- A waterproof pouch for your phone
- Hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen
- Shoes with grip for the stairs after the paddle
- A photo of your passport for the insurance
The Ang Thong kayaking guide shows where you paddle on each tour. The weather call always belongs to the captain: on a rough day kayaking can be cut short.
Questions and answers
Can I kayak in the Emerald Lake?
No. The lake inside Mae Ko is closed to swimming and boats. You see it from the viewing platform at the top of the stairway.
Do I need to book kayaks separately on the speedboat tour?
No. Kayaking is already included in the ฿1890 speedboat price. You decide on Tamarin Beach whether you want to paddle or stay on the sand.
Do I get money back if kayaking is cancelled because of the weather?
On the speedboat tour kayaking is included, so a weather cancellation of the kayaks does not change the price. Only the tour company and the captain decide about weather and may change the route.
Can I rent a kayak and paddle to Ang Thong on my own?
There is no public ferry to the park, and the tours on this site do not offer independent kayak trips. You reach Ang Thong on a day tour or a private boat from Koh Samui, with hotel pickup included.
Are life jackets provided for kayaking?
Yes. Life jackets are handed out on every tour, and no kayaking experience is needed for a calm-day paddle along the shore.
How much is the big boat with kayaks for a child?
฿1000 per child aged 3-12 and under 130 cm, instead of ฿700 without kayaks. Remember that the child must be at least 5 years old to kayak in the park.
Can I go kayaking in Ang Thong in November?
No. The park is usually closed every year from 1 November to 15 December to let nature recover, and no tours run then. From mid-December tours start again, but the sea can still be rough.
Facts checked against our tour pages on 9 November 2026. Prices and days can change: your manager confirms them when you book.
