JW
James W.United Kingdom · January 2026
★★★★★
“No hidden extras. The price we agreed in November was the price we paid, entrance fees and all. Rare enough to mention.”
Small-group tour
Koh Tao Dive Week
Seven days on Thailand's dive island: an Open Water course, two fun-dive days and a slow last day on Sairee.
Koh Tao Dive Week is a 7-day small-group trip, capped at six, from $1,290 per person, including PADI Open Water certification, four fun dives, accommodation and breakfast. It is for first-time divers who want a proper course rather than a resort taster.
Duration7 days / 6 nights
From$1,290 pp
GroupSmall group · max 6
StyleSmall-group tour
Seven days on Thailand's dive island: an Open Water course, two fun-dive days and a slow last day on Sairee.
Best for: First-time divers who want a proper course. The route runs Koh Tao. Everything below is a starting point: hotels can be upgraded or simplified, days can be added, and any element can be removed.
Koh Tao certifies more divers than anywhere else in the world, which is both the appeal and the risk — there are 25-plus schools on one small island and quality varies enormously. We use one school with a maximum of four students per instructor and a pool session before anyone goes in the sea.
The week covers the Open Water course over three days, then two days of fun dives at Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock, then a day of snorkelling and the Nang Yuan sandbar to decompress. Nitrox and the Advanced course can be added on the island.
Day by day
Day01
Arrive Koh Tao
Ferry from Samui, check in, sunset on Sairee.
Day02
Open Water day 1
Theory and confined water in the afternoon.
Day03
Open Water day 2
Two open-water dives at Japanese Gardens and Twins.
Day04
Certification dive
Final dives, certification, evening off.
Day05
Fun dives
Two boat dives at Chumphon Pinnacle and Southwest Pinnacle.
Day06
Nang Yuan
Snorkel the sandbar, walk the viewpoint, afternoon free.
Day07
Depart
Ferry to Samui for the flight home.
How the days are paced
Seven nights, one hotel. Three days of course, two days of diving, two days of nothing. No dive day starts before 7am and none finishes after 4pm.
What changes the price
$1,290 per person is based on small group · max 6 sharing a room for 7 days, with mid-range four-star hotels as standard. Nothing is added locally: the entrance fees, boats and guiding are already in the number.
Deposit is 20% to confirm, balance 30 days before arrival. Free changes up to 45 days out.
What’s included
Included
- 6 nights
- PADI Open Water course and certification
- 6 dives
- All equipment
- Ferry transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Camera rental
- Alcohol
- Travel insurance
Good to know
From $1,290 per person, based on small group · max 6, 7 days and 6 nights. The quote includes the hotels, guiding and transport listed under “What’s included”; international flights and travel insurance are not included.
Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. Days can be added or removed, hotels upgraded or simplified, and the route reordered around your dates — we re-cost it as many times as you need before you commit.
Not included: international flights, camera rental. Everything else listed under “What’s included” is in the quote, and we do not add local payments on arrival.
Three to six months ahead for the best hotels, and by September for travel over Christmas and New Year. Green-season trips can usually be arranged with six weeks’ notice.
You need to swim 200 metres and float for 10 minutes. That is the PADI standard and it is not negotiable.
It happens, usually on the theory or the mask-clearing skill. You can repeat the sessions at no extra cost within the week.
What you will see
Experiences on this trip
What travellers say about trips like this
LN
Lars N.Sweden · March 2026
★★★★★
“We asked for two nights with nothing planned. They understood immediately, which most agencies do not.”
AP
Anna P.Netherlands · December 2025
★★★★★
“The elephant sanctuary they chose was small, quiet and clearly about the animals. That alone was worth booking direct.”
Reviews are from travellers on comparable itineraries, not this exact departure. All 2,400 are on the reviews page.
