Khao Sok National Park: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Important Places in Khao Sok National Park on a Map

Khao Sok National Park is a truly impressive natural area. Along with the metropolis of Bangkok and the popular Thai islands, it ranks among the most stunning places to visit in Thailand.

The national park sits in southern Thailand, right between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. To the west lies Khao Lak, to the east Koh Samui, and heading south brings you to Phuket or Ao Nang in Krabi.

Before your visit, here’s a quick overview of Khao Sok National Park on a map.

On the map you’ll see the top 6 highlights and the most important spots for activities, the boat pier (Cheow Lan Pier), and Khao Sok Village — the main base for tours and overnight stays.

Attractions and Activities in Khao Sok National Park

There’s a ton to discover in Khao Sok National Park — especially around Cheow Lan Lake and deep in the jungle.

Here are the 9 coolest things to see and do in Khao Sok National Park.
Important: We’ll give you a summary of how to explore each attraction — whether on your own or with a tour — in the section below under How to Explore Khao Sok National Park.

Cheow Lan Lake

What you need to know: Cheow Lan Lake is an artificial reservoir covering about 165 square kilometers. Here you’ll find emerald-green water ringed by dramatic karst cliffs, small islands, and dense rainforest. It honestly reminds us a little of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! Cheow Lan Lake IS the standout highlight of Khao Sok National Park — a longtail boat tour on the lake is a total must-do. You can also kayak, swim, watch wildlife along the shore, or explore caves. And spending the night in a floating bungalow on the lake? That’s a seriously special experience.

Pra Kie Phet Cave

What you need to know: Along the shores of Cheow Lan Lake there are several caves you can visit with a guide. We explored the Pra Kie Phet Cave (also known as Coral Cave) — one of the most accessible caves in the park. The walls are covered in crystalline, coral-like limestone formations that glitter in the beam of a flashlight.

Is it worth it? Absolutely! Exploring a cave is always a little adventure, and we even spotted some bats. The Pra Kie Phet Cave is also great for families with kids or older visitors, since there’s no water inside.

Our tip: Most tours into Khao Sok National Park include a cave visit — but it’s not always the Pra Kie Phet Cave. So don’t set your heart on this specific one, and stay open to exploring a different cave instead.

Ratchaprapha Dam

What you need to know: The Ratchaprapha Dam holds back the Klong Saeng River and is the reason Cheow Lan Lake exists today. It serves several purposes: flood control, water supply, power generation, and ecotourism — the lake it created has become one of the park’s biggest draws.

Is it worth it? You can technically walk across the dam, but honestly, just taking a look is enough. The best view of the dam and lake is from the Ratchaprapha Dam Scenic Viewpoint, about one kilometer from Cheow Lan Pier. It makes for a great quick stop on your way in or out.

Krai Sorn Viewpoint

What you need to know: The Krai Sorn Viewpoint is a fantastic lookout offering sweeping panoramic views over Cheow Lan Lake and the surrounding limestone formations. The trail to the viewpoint at 520 meters elevation is about 1.5 kilometers long — plan on one to two hours for the hike.

Is it worth it? For hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers, this is a must. The hike can be pretty strenuous — the last ten minutes involve scrambling over rocks — but the vista at the top is absolutely worth the effort.

Note: You may only do this hike with a guide.

Khao Sok Viewpoint

What you need to know: From the Khao Sok Viewpoint you get a unique panorama over the jungle of Khao Sok National Park. Fun fact: this exact shot was used on the movie poster for the 2016 film Gold starring Matthew McConaughey.

Is it worth it? On guided day tours from Khao Lak you’ll stop here anyway. But if your tour doesn’t pass by and you only have a short time in the park, you don’t need to make a special trip just for the viewpoint.

Ban Nam Rad Watershed Forest (Emerald Pool)

What you need to know: The highlight of Ban Nam Rad Watershed Forest (Emerald Pool) is its crystal-clear, emerald-green pools. Around them is a forest with waterways you can explore by boat. Strictly speaking, the Emerald Pool is no longer within Khao Sok National Park itself — it’s about an hour’s drive away.

Is it worth it? Totally! The Emerald Pool was a stop on our day tour from Khao Lak to Cheow Lan Lake and was a real surprise. This place is genuinely beautiful, and if you get there early in the morning, it’s incredibly peaceful. Don’t skip it.

Our tip: Ban Nam Rad Watershed Forest is one of the few spots in the area you can visit independently — by scooter, for example. That said, some tours do include it.

Admission: 150 baht (approx. $4), boat rental 50 baht (approx. $1.50)

Hiking in the Rainforest

What you need to know: Most of Khao Sok National Park is blanketed in dense, pristine rainforest. The jungle is the second big highlight of the park (after the lake), and there are some really beautiful hikes here — some trails lead to waterfalls, caves, or viewpoints.

Is it worth it? 100%! If you have more than one day in Khao Sok National Park, you should definitely get out on a rainforest hike. Away from the tourist crowds, you’ll enjoy the silence of the jungle, breathe in fresh air, and feel completely surrounded by nature.

Note: Most hiking trails in Khao Sok National Park can only be walked with a guide. The upside? You’ll learn a huge amount about the flora, fauna, and ecosystem — and spot details you’d never notice on your own.

Wildlife Watching in Khao Sok National Park

What you need to know: Khao Sok is one of the most biodiverse regions in Thailand. It’s home to more than 300 bird species, snakes, spiders, frogs, wild boars, turtles, monkeys, Asian elephants, and even tapirs and leopards. Quite the cast of characters.

Is it worth it? On a jungle hike you’ll spot animals here and there, and if you stay overnight on the lake, you’ll typically go on a morning boat safari and see wildlife along the shore. There are also dedicated wildlife-watching tours — a night jungle safari is really cool!

Kayaking and Rafting

What you need to know: The Sok River is a calm, natural river winding through Khao Sok National Park and the surrounding region. Two popular activities here are a leisurely canoe trip or a slightly more exciting ride on a bamboo raft. With a bit of luck, you might spot monkeys, kingfishers, monitor lizards, or butterflies along the way.

Is it worth it? On a tour you’ll glide quietly along the river, past dense rainforest, striking limestone formations, and sometimes wild animals on the bank — a really cool, somewhat different way to experience Khao Sok. You can often take a swim at calmer spots too.

Our tip: The jungle is especially lively in the morning or evening, and the soundscape is truly something else.

How to Explore Khao Sok National Park: With a Tour or on Your Own?

Because of its location deep inland, Khao Sok National Park doesn’t naturally fall on a typical Thailand itinerary.

We recommend setting aside at least two full days for visiting Khao Sok National Park — that way you can also spend the night inside the park.

The tourist hub is Khao Sok Village. Alternatively, there are fantastic floating bungalows right on the lake.

From larger resort areas like Khao Lak, Phuket, or Krabi, you can reach Khao Sok Village fairly quickly by bus or van — which is also why these towns are popular bases for a day trip if you only have one day.

Important: Since you can’t visit most places and attractions in Khao Sok National Park independently, you should book at least one tour.

Here are the three best ways to visit Khao Sok National Park: staying overnight in the park on your own, guided multi-day tours, and a day trip.

Option 1: Staying Overnight in Khao Sok National Park on Your Own

• Best base for your accommodation: Khao Sok Village
• Number of nights: At least 3
• Recommended tours: At least 2 ➞ Cheow Lan Lake and jungle hike
• Optional: 1 to 2 nights in a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake
• From 3 full days: Additional guided tours, a short hike, and a visit to the Emerald Pool on your own

If this option works for you, keep reading at Option 1. There we’ll give you all the tips for tours and how to organize everything yourself.

Option 2: Guided Multi-Day Tours with Overnight Stay

• Best starting point: Depending on the tour you choose, pickup in Khao Lak, Phuket, Krabi, or Surat Thani, or meeting your guide at the Cheow Lan Lake pier (travel tips further below)
• Number of nights: At least 1; our recommendation: at least 2
• Recommended tours: A guided tour with local tour operator Siamways ➞ with an all-inclusive package

If this option works for you, keep reading at Option 2. There you’ll find all the details about Siamways’ guided multi-day tours.

Option 3: Day Trip from Khao Lak and Beyond

• Best base for your accommodation: Khao Lak (alternatively Phuket or Krabi)
• Recommended tour: To Cheow Lan Lake

If this option works for you, keep reading at Option 3.

Note: You can of course also stay overnight in Khao Sok Village if you only have one full day. But this really only makes sense if you’re traveling through Thailand anyway — from Khao Lak (or Phuket/Krabi) toward Koh Samui and beyond, or vice versa.

Option 1: Staying Overnight in Khao Sok National Park on Your Own

Most travelers set aside at least two full days. The best base for accommodation in Khao Sok National Park is Khao Sok Village.

Khao Sok Village is a small tourist hub right at the main entrance to the jungle. It’s about an hour’s drive to Cheow Lan Pier, where the boat tours on the lake depart from.

Instead of only staying in Khao Sok Village, you can also spend a night in a floating bungalow on the lake. If you have more time, two nights is even better.

We’ll show you both options now:

#1 Two Full Days and Three Nights Based in Khao Sok Village

Day 1: After your first night in Khao Sok Village, we recommend heading out on a guided tour to Cheow Lan Lake.

A full-day tour is the way to go here. We did the tour with the company Khaolak Planner and were absolutely blown away.

Full-Day Tour to Cheow Lan Lake with Lunch
Day 2: On your second full day, it’s time to explore the jungle. The entrance to the national park is right in Khao Sok Village, so you can walk there.

There are a few trails you’re allowed to hike without a guide, such as the Wing Hin–Bang Hua Rat Trail. It’s about 7 kilometers long, well-marked, and leads to several small waterfalls.

Most trails, however, require a guide — which is why we recommend booking a guided tour. Your guide will also share loads of fascinating information along the way.

The full-day tour is the best option here too. You’ll hike through the rainforest during the day, enjoy dinner in the middle of the jungle, and then head out on a night safari.

Private Full-Day Hike with Jungle Dinner & Night Safari

If that sounds like too much, there’s also a great half-day option. The hike is a bit more relaxed and shorter.

Private Half-Day Hike to Waterfalls
Staying even longer? Then you can fit in another great tour through Khao Sok National Park.

More tour recommendations from Khao Sok Village:

Private Night Jungle Safari with Hotel Transfer
Private Bamboo Rafting & Thai Cooking Class in the Jungle

#2 Two Full Days and Three Nights with an Overnight Stay on Cheow Lan Lake

Day 1: After your first night in Khao Sok Village, head straight out on a great hike through the jungle.

We’d strongly recommend the full-day tour — otherwise you won’t have time for a separate night safari, and that’s a true highlight of Khao Sok National Park.

Private Full-Day Hike with Jungle Dinner & Night Safari
Day 2: Early on day two, take a taxi to Cheow Lan Lake. At the pier, you’ll meet the longtail boat driver from your floating bungalow, which you’ve booked in advance.

We recommend the Panvaree The Greenery. The bungalows are incredibly stylish, the staff is wonderfully warm, and the setting on the lake is simply dreamy.

A more budget-friendly option is the Panvaree Resort. The bungalows sit right next to the Panvaree The Greenery and have a somewhat simpler feel.

Important: At first glance the prices might seem high, but the price is always for two people, and all of our bungalow recommendations come with a complete all-inclusive package:

• Round-trip boat transfer
• Lunch, dinner, and breakfast
• A guided sightseeing tour on the lake both in the evening and in the morning
• Free kayak use

Day 3: After the morning tour and breakfast, it’s time to head back to the pier. From there you can continue on to your next stop in Thailand.

Minivans depart regularly from the pier in all directions. For buses, you’ll need to head back to Khao Sok Village. You can read more about this in the Getting There section below.

Note: If you’re heading back to Khao Sok Village anyway, ask your hotel on the first day whether you can leave your luggage there. That way you only take the essentials with you to the bungalow on the lake.

Option 2: Guided Multi-Day Tours with Overnight Stay

This option is essentially the same as Option 1, with one key difference: you don’t have to organize the accommodation and tours yourself. A tour operator handles everything. Super hassle-free.

We recommend the local tour operator Siamways. They offer various tours into Khao Sok National Park with one, two, or three overnight stays.

For a truly special experience in Khao Sok Thailand, check out the 4-day Khao Sok National Park tour with Siamways. It’s the perfect all-in-one package with:

• Private transfers: to and from any destination in southern Thailand.
• 2 nights with breakfast in a treehouse / boutique camp in Khao Sok Village.
• 1 night with full board in a water bungalow on the lake.
• Jungle BBQ & night safari — away from the crowds.
• Jungle hike — tailored to your fitness level and off the main trails.
• Boat safari on Cheow Lan Lake with a stop at the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Exploration of the Coral Cave.
• Canoe tour, bamboo raft ride, or tubing on the Sok River.

You can also customize the tour. With your guide in the jungle, for example, you have the option of hiking off the main routes.

That includes trails to the Ton Kloi Waterfall, the Than Sawan Waterfall, or even more remote routes to the Sip-Et-Chan Waterfall, along the 99-km trail, or on the Rafflesia Trail — all routes you can’t enter without a guide.

View All Khao Sok National Park Tours by Siamways

Option 3: Guided Day Trip from Khao Lak, Phuket, or Krabi

Only have one full day for Khao Sok National Park? Then our advice is: skip the trip to Khao Sok Village and book a guided day trip from a larger resort town.

Our Recommendation: Guided Tours from Khao Lak

Khao Lak on the Andaman Sea is the best base for this, for two reasons.

• The drive from Khao Lak to Khao Sok National Park takes about two hours, which is still very manageable for a day trip.
• Khao Lak is a really beautiful resort town in its own right. You could easily spend a few extra days here — there are genuinely lovely attractions in Khao Lak, stunning beaches, and cool activities in Khao Lak too.

We did the day trip to Khao Sok National Park from Khao Lak and had an unforgettable day. It’s the same tour you can do from Khao Sok Village — so you won’t miss a thing.

Day Trip to the Lake in Khao Sok National Park with Lunch

If you’d rather skip the lake, you can alternatively do a day tour with a jungle hike and a ride on a bamboo raft down the Khao Sok River.

Jungle Hike in Khao Sok National Park with River Tour

Guided Tours from Phuket and Krabi

Day tours from Phuket and Krabi are also available, but the drive is longer than from Khao Lak — count on about three hours each way.

If that works for you, here are our tour recommendations:
From Phuket: Day Trip to Cheow Lan Lake and Sok River

From Krabi: Day Trip to Cheow Lan Lake

Accommodations in Khao Sok National Park

As mentioned, Khao Sok Village is the best base for your stay in Khao Sok National Park. You’ll find a solid selection for every budget.

For something truly special, spending the night in a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake is hard to beat. For all three recommendations, meals and boat tours are included.

Accommodations in Khao Sok Village

Floating Bungalows on the Lake

Getting to Khao Sok National Park

Multiple times a day, buses from major bus companies and smaller minivans run from popular resort areas to Khao Sok National Park.

The best connections can be found on the 12Go platform — it’s also where we prefer to book our buses and minivans.

When booking, make sure to check whether you’re arriving at or departing from Khao Sok Village or the pier. Good to know: no large buses run to or from the pier.

In the table below, you’ll find more details on popular routes using public transportation. You can also always arrange a private taxi.

Opening Hours and Tickets for Khao Sok National Park

The entrance to the rainforest in Khao Sok Village is open daily from 6 AM to 6 PM. During these hours you can also enter on your own.

Since you rely on a guide on the lake, there are no specific opening hours there.

The entry fee for Khao Sok National Park is 300 baht (approx. €8), and for children between 3 and 14 years old 150 baht (approx. €4).

The ticket is generally valid for 24 hours and covers the main hiking trails from Khao Sok Village as well as Cheow Lan Lake.
If you book a night safari, for example, you can use the ticket the next day for further activities too. You can pick up your ticket at all official park entrances.

There may also be additional fees — such as the pier fee at Cheow Lan Lake of 40 baht per person, or admission of up to 200 baht for certain caves (e.g., Coral Cave).

Note: Most tours in Khao Sok National Park already include all admission fees — but not always. Always check the tour description before booking.

Practical Travel Tips for Khao Sok National Park

To make sure your visit to Khao Sok National Park goes really smoothly, here are three important things to know before you go.

#1 When Is the Best Time to Visit Khao Sok National Park?

The best time to visit Khao Sok National Park is from December to April. This also lines up with the best time to visit Thailand in general.

During these months the sun shines almost constantly, there’s barely any rain, and temperatures are a pleasant 26 to 34°C (79 to 93°F).

You can also visit Khao Sok during the off-season. One real advantage: there are fewer tourists around and hotel prices drop.

That said, from May to November you should expect significantly more rain. During our visit in June the weather was very changeable — sometimes sunny, but then it would start raining right when we had the perfect photo op.

#2 Safety: Is Khao Sok National Park Dangerous?

Visiting Khao Sok National Park is generally not dangerous. To keep it that way, you should follow the key safety rules while you’re there.

Most potential hazards come from animals and the weather. Things to watch out for:

• There are venomous snakes, but they usually avoid people.
• Mosquitoes can transmit diseases like dengue fever. Always use insect repellent.
• Don’t feed the monkeys, even if they seem friendly.
• Keep your distance from elephants.
• During the rainy season (May to October) there is a risk of slippery conditions and flooding.
• Some hiking trails are very demanding — it’s better to tackle them with a guide.
• Cheow Lan Lake has strong currents in places, so you should wear a life jacket.

#3 Packing List: What Should You Definitely Bring?

To make sure you’re really well prepared for your visit to Khao Sok National Park, here’s a quick packing list.

This is meant to complement our packing list for Southeast Asia, which covers all the standard items you should have at any destination in Thailand.

Packing list for Khao Sok National Park:

• Day backpack
• Rain jacket / poncho
• Hiking shoes, if you plan to hike in the rainforest
• Water shoes
• Waterproof bag / dry bag
• Insect repellent

Conclusion: Our Experiences in Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park is absolutely worth a visit — for us, it’s a total must-see when you’re in Thailand. The nature is breathtakingly beautiful and the atmosphere is something truly special.

We did the day trip from Khao Lak to Cheow Lan Lake and can honestly say: it was one of the coolest tours we’ve ever done. A wholehearted recommendation.

Full-Day Tour to Cheow Lan Lake with Lunch

The highlight was the boat tour and a photo in front of the famous Three Rocks. But we also had plenty of time for kayaking and exploring the Pra Kie Phet Cave.

Our guide was incredibly warm and answered every question we had. We enjoyed a super delicious lunch on a floating bungalow.

You can do the same tour from Khao Sok Village as well — you’ll just get picked up a little later.

Our top recommendation for you:

If we were to go back to Khao Sok National Park, we’d set aside at least two days and stay overnight in Khao Sok Village.

In addition to the tour to the lake, we’d also do a guided hike through the jungle.

Frequently Asked Questions About Khao Sok National Park