Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

★ 4.4 (50K+ reviews) • 15K+ booked
Overview
Things to do
Restaurants
Hotels

Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai) Tickets & Tours

Koh Samui Big Buddha & Wat Plai Laem Half-Day Tour
Klook's choice
Tours • Ko Samui

Koh Samui Big Buddha & Wat Plai Laem Half-Day Tour

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English guided
Free cancellation
4.7 / 5
(64) • 1K+ booked
฿ 850
Phuket Must-See Half Day Tour and ATV Experience
Klook's choice
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket Must-See Half Day Tour and ATV Experience

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Hotel pick-up
English guided
4.3 / 5
(370) • 6K+ booked
฿ 533
Koh Samui Half-Day City Highlights Tour
Klook's choice
Tours • Ko Samui

Koh Samui Half-Day City Highlights Tour

Hotel pick-up
English guided
Free cancellation
4.6 / 5
(81) • 1K+ booked
฿ 1,093
Surat Thani Half-Day 4x4 Jungle Adventure with Lunch
Klook's choice
Tours • Ko Samui

Surat Thani Half-Day 4x4 Jungle Adventure with Lunch

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Small group
Free cancellation
4.6 / 5
(67) • 1K+ booked
฿ 1,857
Phuket Old Town Private Full-Day Tour
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket Old Town Private Full-Day Tour

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Hotel pick-up
Private tour
4.4 / 5
(483) • 3K+ booked
฿ 2,475
Phuket City Half Day Tour
Tours • From Phuket

Phuket City Half Day Tour

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Hotel pick-up
English guided
4.5 / 5
(122) • 2K+ booked
฿ 714
Koh Samui Adventure: Hidden Gems & 4x4 Safari Tour with Lunch
Tours • From Ko Samui

Koh Samui Adventure: Hidden Gems & 4x4 Safari Tour with Lunch

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English guided
Free cancellation
4.5 / 5
(15) • 200+ booked
฿ 1,900
The Paradise of Samui 4X4 Adventure Tour
Tours

The Paradise of Samui 4X4 Adventure Tour

Hotel pick-up
Private tour
Small group
4.8 / 5
(6) • 100+ booked
฿ 1,850
Koh Samui Island Discovery Tour by Travstore
Tours

Koh Samui Island Discovery Tour by Travstore

English guided
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
3.9 / 5
(20) • 600+ booked
฿ 1,267
Pattaya Full-Day Tour with Colosseum Show
Tours • From Bangkok

Pattaya Full-Day Tour with Colosseum Show

English guided
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(155) • 8K+ booked
฿ 1,810
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Experience in Koh Samui
Outdoor & sports activities

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Experience in Koh Samui

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English guided
Morning departure
4.7 / 5
(127) • 5K+ booked
฿ 846
Angthong National Park Speedboat Tour: Snorkeling, Kayaking & Lunch
Water activities

Angthong National Park Speedboat Tour: Snorkeling, Kayaking & Lunch

English guided
Morning departure
7+ hrs
4.6 / 5
(346) • 7K+ booked
฿ 2,029

Where to stay in Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

The Culture Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

The Culture Samui

Instant confirmation
4.6 / 5
(86)
From
฿ 4,438.4
฿ 9,257.5
Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi
Hotels • Ko Samui

Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi

Instant confirmation
4.1 / 5
(325)
From
฿ 1,544.3
Explorar Koh Samui – Adults Only Resort and Spa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Explorar Koh Samui – Adults Only Resort and Spa

Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(559)
From
฿ 2,849.7
Escape Beach Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Escape Beach Resort

Instant confirmation
4.3 / 5
(544)
฿ 1,026.3
OZO Chaweng Samui
Hotels • Ko Samui

OZO Chaweng Samui

Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(1.0K)
From
฿ 2,888.2
Lub d Koh Samui Chaweng Beach
Hotels • Ko Samui

Lub d Koh Samui Chaweng Beach

Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(218)
From
฿ 1,781.5
Chaweng Noi Pool Villa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Chaweng Noi Pool Villa

Instant confirmation
4.0 / 5
(385)
From
฿ 1,656.4
Nova Samui Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Nova Samui Resort

Instant confirmation
3.7 / 5
(445)
From
฿ 663.6
The Stay Chaweng Beach Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

The Stay Chaweng Beach Resort

Instant confirmation
4.5 / 5
(113)
From
฿ 1,633.1
The Privilege Hotel Ezra Beach Club
Hotels • Ko Samui

The Privilege Hotel Ezra Beach Club

Instant confirmation
4.2 / 5
(276)
฿ 1,518.2
Hansar Samui Resort & Spa
Hotels • Ko Samui

Hansar Samui Resort & Spa

Instant confirmation
4.7 / 5
(441)
From
฿ 5,122.4
Karma Resort
Hotels • Ko Samui

Karma Resort

Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(213)
From
฿ 3,883.9

Transport to & from Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

Koh Samui - Koh Pangan - Koh Tao Ferry by Lomprayah
Ferries • (From Ko Samui, Chumphon Province)

Koh Samui - Koh Pangan - Koh Tao Ferry by Lomprayah

Free cancellation
4.3 / 5
(156) • 7K+ booked
฿ 350
Koh Samui Ferry & Bus ticket by Lomprayah
Ferries • (From Ko Samui)

Koh Samui Ferry & Bus ticket by Lomprayah

24-hour confirmation
4.3 / 5
(157) • 5K+ booked
฿ 412
Retail: ฿ 450
Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Smile Samui Tour
Car charters • (From Ko Samui)

Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Smile Samui Tour

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Customized itinerary
Free cancellation
4.9 / 5
(142) • 1K+ booked
฿ 2,000
Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Black Panda Travel
Car charters • Ko Samui

Koh Samui Car Rental with Driver by Black Panda Travel

Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(22) • 100+ booked
฿ 2,125
Koh Samui car rentals | Choose from multiple car models
Car rentals • Ko Samui

Koh Samui car rentals | Choose from multiple car models

Instant confirmation
Free cancellation
Europcar
3K+ booked
From
฿ 806
/day
10% off
Ko Samui|Samui Airport Private Airport Transfer
Private airport transfers • Ko Samui

Ko Samui|Samui Airport Private Airport Transfer

Bestseller
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(3.2K) • 10K+ booked
From
฿ 360

More to explore

Muay Thai Phetchbuncha Boxing Stadium Koh Samui Admission ticket
Events & shows

Muay Thai Phetchbuncha Boxing Stadium Koh Samui Admission ticket

Book now for today
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.3 / 5
(24) • 1K+ booked
฿ 1,450
Retail: ฿ 1,500
Samui International Muay Thai Stadium Tickets in Koh Samui
Events & shows

Samui International Muay Thai Stadium Tickets in Koh Samui

Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.3 / 5
(30) • 700+ booked
฿ 1,444
Retail: ฿ 1,800
SunRay Social & Swim Club Day Pass at SAii Koh Samui Villas
Ko Samui

SunRay Social & Swim Club Day Pass at SAii Koh Samui Villas

Book now for today
Instant confirmation
New Activity
฿ 1,500
Buy 2 get 50% off select options
Afternoon Tea Experience at W Koh Samui, W T-Time
Food & dining

Afternoon Tea Experience at W Koh Samui, W T-Time

Book now for tomorrow
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
4.8 / 5
(6) • 300+ booked
฿ 2,894
Retail: ฿ 3,100
Luxury Dining at Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui
Food & dining • Ko Samui

Luxury Dining at Garrya Tongsai Bay Samui

Book now for tomorrow
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
฿ 2,250
฿ 2,500
Save ฿ 250

Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai) Reviews

Klook User
2026-04-05 13:44:52
Fantastic 5.0
It was truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Momo, our guide, was incredibly organised and friendly. Her communication and helpfulness made the whole trip a lot of fun. I highly recommend booking this tour; you won’t regret it.
Klook User
2026-08-01 08:23:30
Fantastic 5.0
Great tour, helps you check off the different landmarks around the island of Koh Samui in just a day! The aircon van is also perfect for a hot and sunny day in Koh Samui to chill while going to the next location! One thing i wished could be improved is more introduction to the history of Koh Samui, I felt that there was very little explaination and wished there was more information about the different places and their rich history. Other than that, a very good tour! Would highly recommend!
nithya *
2026-06-20 10:03:52
Fantastic 5.0
Great tour with my guide. The coconut ice cream was good and the pace of tour was good.
Klook User
2026-08-19 03:31:12
Fantastic 5.0
excellant driver very nice person flexible always smiling and good conversation we went around most of island stopping briefly in differant places which we wanted he was completley flexible and gave good advise where we needed. travelled with children and he was nice to the also. driver name was AO
Nurshaqilah *********
2026-06-11 12:55:45
Fantastic 5.0
It was a great full day tour with Mossy and Shita. They are really cheerful and friendly. Mossy explained really well on every location we went. I really like rhe viewpoint. The views are amazing and breathtaking! Despite the hot weather, Mossy and Shita provide us a really good service~ photos are well taken! Thank you!
Christophe *
2026-09-21 15:41:48
Fantastic 5.0
The tour was great! Very well organized with a smooth pickup. It did rain, but that's not your fault :) It was still fun, and the water fight was amazing - you just get absolutely soaked, and it lasts a little too long. Make sure to secure your valuables in time.
Joy ***
2026-08-12 03:34:17
Fantastic 5.0
True hidden gems in Koh Samui. It was packed with nice surprises & adventure! The 4x4 drivers were fun! The only downside was guide not really well aware of the local history... and calling out local monument of Shiva as 'beautiful lady' 😣
Maurice *******
2026-08-07 05:25:21
Fantastic 5.0
Our experience was top-notch; the crew's service truly deserves more than 5 stars. They genuinely take care of you throughout the entire trip. Just take this tour with a fast boat that is very stable on the water, so you don't waste unnecessary time at sea and have more time for the tour itself. The food during the tour was also better than we expected. I give 10 stars for the crew of boat number 19. The fast boat is safe for younger children.
Kayleigh ******
2026-07-12 05:03:30
Fantastic 5.0
our guides, mikey, Dennis, mr arm & captain jack sparrow were incredible, especially mikey, he was so happy, funny and nothing was to much for him, he also played music. The boat trip itself was very bumpy but me & my family enjoyed that. We didnt see much while snorkeling at koh tao which was slightly disappointing but cant be helped. koh nangyuan was the most beautiful place we have ever seen, my teenagers walked to the viewpoint which they loved. & the water there where you can snorkel was absolutely insane, so clear & warm. We were given toast & hot/cold drinks before we left, then had lunch on a beach at koh tao which was lovely. There was also water/diet coke & Pepsi on board the boat which you could help yourself too. Would recommend this trip.

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What to know about Big Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Yai)

Immerse yourself in the spiritual and historical wonders of Wat Phra Yai Koh Samui, also known as Big Buddha Temple. This iconic destination offers a serene and breathtaking experience that will captivate your senses and leave you in awe. Welcome to Wat Phra Yai, also known as the Big Buddha Temple, a captivating Buddhist temple located on Ko Phan, a small island off the northeastern coast of Ko Samui, Thailand. Home to a magnificent 12-meter-high gold-painted Buddha statue, Wat Phra Yai has become a prominent tourist attraction and a significant landmark on the island since its establishment in 1972. Discover the allure of Koh Samui's Big Buddha, a star attraction that captivates visitors with its grandeur and intricate details. Plan your visit to this iconic site and immerse yourself in the cultural and historical significance of this religious landmark.
H3C5+7XV, Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320, Thailand

Remarkable Landmarks and Must-Visit Sights

Big Buddha Statue

The towering 12-meter tall Buddha statue is the centerpiece of Wat Phra Yai, surrounded by intricate details and vibrant colors. The temple itself is a beautiful blend of traditional Thai architecture and peaceful surroundings. The Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai portrays Buddha in a state of calm and purity, symbolizing the triumph over temptation and fear. The temple also houses a smaller statue of the Maitreya of the Future and a collection of bells, showcasing a blend of animism, Brahminism, and Buddhism in its architecture.

Serpent Staircase and Mara Pose

The jeweled serpent staircase leads to a tall platform where the Buddha sits in a Mara pose, symbolizing his journey to enlightenment. The intricate details and symbolism make this a must-see attraction.

Scenic Views and Sculptures

Climb the 72 steps to the top for stunning views of Big Buddha Beach and explore the sandy beach area with unique sculptures, including a mermaid and a green sea horse.

Cultural and Historical Significance

Built in 1972, Wat Phra Yai holds deep cultural and historical significance, offering insights into Thai spirituality and traditional practices. The temple's architecture and artifacts reflect the rich heritage of the region. Wat Phra Yai holds a rich cultural and historical significance, with its intricate temple design incorporating elements of various belief systems. The presence of nāga statues and a bazaar within the temple grounds adds to the unique cultural experience for visitors.

Local Cuisine

After your visit, indulge in delicious local dishes at nearby eateries like The Social Samui, offering stunning views of Big Buddha. Try authentic Thai flavors and vegan options while enjoying a relaxing atmosphere. Explore the vibrant culinary scene around Wat Phra Yai, particularly in the area known as Big Buddha Beach (Bang Rak). Indulge in popular local dishes and dining experiences that offer a taste of authentic Thai flavors.