Koh Samui road map — how the island's roads work for a rider (2026)
Samui looks complicated on a phone screen, but on a scooter it is simple: one ring road, a few numbered branches and a web of narrow concrete lanes going up into the hills. This page explains how they fit together, which navigators work without signal and how to use the GPX tracks I recorded on 21 day rides here.
Colour — all the routes on this site (list under the Routes button on the map), faint — every road I have ridden. GPX works in Maps.me, Organic Maps, OsmAnd, Garmin.
One ring and a few branches
Samui has one main road, and everything else hangs off it. The 4169 is the ring: about 51 km around the island. The site's ring-road route is longer — 63.7 km — because it includes stops off the main ring.
For rides beyond the main ring, the site has these routes:
- Temples of the east includes Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem and Choeng Mon Beach: 24.7 km, easy.
- South-west includes Laem Sor, Taling Ngam and Lipa Noi: 36.3 km, easy, one way.
- North coast includes Bophut, Maenam, Bang Por and Nathon: 27.2 km, easy, one way.
In practice nobody gives directions by number. People say "the ring road", "the road to Big Buddha", "the road up to Na Muang". Learn the coast towns — Chaweng, Lamai, Hua Thanon, Nathon, Maenam, Bophut — and you can read any sign and follow any conversation.
The mountain concrete lanes
Inland roads lead into the hills; the mountain route has 16 steep sections, including nine very steep ones. These lanes lead to the viewpoints, the waterfalls and places like the Secret Buddha Garden. Expect short, very steep climbs, broken slab edges, sand and gravel on the bends and wet leaves under the trees.
If you do want the hills, go on purpose: ride the mountain route on a dry morning, on a 125cc, alone rather than two-up. After rain or in the dark, stay on the numbered roads — more on that in rain and night riding.
Navigators that work offline
Mobile signal is good along the coast; in my experience it gets patchy in the hills, which is exactly where you need the map most. Download the island before you leave the hotel.
| App | What it is good for |
|---|---|
| Organic Maps | Before choosing it, test your downloaded map and track without a connection. |
| OsmAnd | Before choosing it, test your downloaded map and track without a connection. |
| Maps.me | Before choosing it, test your downloaded map and track without a connection. |
| Google Maps | Before choosing it, test offline coverage and whether your version can display the track you need. |
| Garmin | Any unit that takes GPX tracks will follow the files from this site. |
A phone mount on the handlebar is worth asking for when you rent. Ask the shop; many have them.
How to use the GPX from this site
Every route on this site comes with a GPX file cut from my own GPS log — 32,000 points in total, so the tracks follow the lanes and turns exactly as I rode them, not as a router guesses.
- Open the route page and download the GPX.
- Open the file in a navigator that supports GPX tracks; on a phone, try sharing the file to that app.
- The track appears as a line. Ride along it, or tap a point and ask the app to navigate there.
| Route | Distance and level |
|---|---|
| Ring road 4169 | 63.7 km, easy |
| Temples of the east | 24.7 km, easy |
| North coast | 27.2 km, easy |
| South-west | 36.3 km, easy |
| Viewpoints loop | 38.3 km, medium |
| One-day classic | 54.5 km, medium |
| Waterfalls | 69.3 km, medium |
| Mountain roads | 45.7 km, hard |
The mountain route is rated hard and includes nine very steep sections; the ring-road route is rated easy. If you are new, start with the ring road and see how the island feels.
Questions
What is the main road on Koh Samui?
The 4169 ring road, about 51 km around the island. The site's ring-road ride is 63.7 km with its additional stops.
Does Google Maps work offline on Samui?
Before relying on it, test the downloaded island map without a connection. For this site's tracks, use a navigator that supports GPX and test the file before leaving.
Where can I get a Koh Samui GPX for a scooter route?
Each route page on this site has a GPX file recorded on my rides. Download it and open it in any offline navigator that supports GPX.
Can a navigator send me onto a dangerous road?
Review any shortcut before following it. If the line leaves the 4169 and starts to wiggle, look for steep climbs and consider whether staying on the ring gets you there too.
Anton A.
I live on Koh Samui and have been riding the island for several years. Every road on these maps I rode myself — the track is a real GPS log. Spotted an error? Message me on Telegram: @abrameicev