Koh Samui Off-Road Jungle Tour: Jeep, Waterfall & Big Buddha

Jeep into the jungle, swim at a hidden waterfall, feed elephants, and eat lunch overlooking the sea

An off-road jeep tour of Koh Samui that covers the island's interior in seven hours, stopping at Na Muang Waterfall for a swim, Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, the Big Buddha Temple, and a mountaintop shrine. A live guide leads the route in English, Thai, Chinese or Hebrew, and hotel pickup is included. The day includes a canopy walk, optional ziplining, elephant interaction, and Thai lunch at a scenic mountain spot.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Big Buddha Temple1h · entry included
2. Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks40m · entry included
3. Na Muang Waterfall1h · entry included

Explore Koh Samui jungle and landmarks

• Visit Big Buddha Temple
• Try canopy walk and ziplining
• Enjoy Thai lunch on mountain
• Visit mountain temple in forest
• See Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks
• Visit Guan Yu Shrine
• Swim at Na Muang Waterfall
• Feed and interact with elephants

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup and heads straight into Koh Samui's interior by jeep, skipping the beaches to reach sites most visitors miss. Na Muang Waterfall is the main swim stop: a natural pool fed by the cascade where you can cool off in the forest. From there the route climbs to Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, a pair of massive granite boulders shaped by sea erosion, named after a local legend about a marriage proposal that never happened.

The Big Buddha Temple sits on its own peninsula and draws most visitors to the island, but the tour reaches it as part of a larger day rather than as a standalone stop. You'll also visit a mountaintop shrine with a 16-metre bronze statue of Guan Yu, and a newer temple perched in the forest canopy that few tourists find on their own. The canopy walk lets you move through the treetops. Ziplining through them costs extra but is available on the same route.

Thai lunch arrives at a mountain viewpoint overlooking the sea, eaten outdoors with the island spread below. The tour includes time to feed and interact with elephants in a controlled setting before heading back to your hotel. The whole day runs seven hours, and a guide travels with the group in English, Thai, Chinese or Hebrew: useful if your Thai is nonexistent or if you're traveling with family who speak another language at home.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• a live guide in your choice of language.
• entry to the Big Buddha Temple, Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, and the mountaintop temples.
• the canopy walk.
• elephant interaction.
• Thai lunch at a scenic mountain viewpoint.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 to 60 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 100

Live guideEnglish, Chinese, Hebrew and Thai

Audio guideEnglish and Thai

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 11 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mountain Jungle Tour

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour by jeep, so you travel with other visitors and follow a fixed route and schedule. It suits travelers with a free morning or afternoon who want to see the island's interior without renting a vehicle or navigating on their own, and who are comfortable with a moderate level of activity. The jeep ride is bumpy, and there is walking and climbing involved.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Thai, Chinese and Hebrew.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Na Muang Waterfall like when you get there?

Na Muang Waterfall is a natural cascade in the forest interior with a pool deep enough to swim in. You stop there to cool off and spend time in the water before moving on to the next site.

Does the tour include the ziplining?

The canopy walk is part of the standard tour, but ziplining through the treetops costs extra: a minimum of 1,200 Thai baht on top of the tour price if you want to add it.

How much of the day is actually spent driving in the jeep?

The tour runs seven hours total from pickup to return, so the jeep time is split between driving to each site, stopping to explore, swimming, eating lunch, and interacting with the elephants. Most of the interior travel happens in the first half of the day.