Step into the wild heart of Thailand, where cascading waterfalls, jungle trails, and the calls of roaming elephants await in Khao Yai National Park.
Khao Yai National Park, Thailand’s oldest and most popular national park, is an extraordinary destination for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. Spanning 2,158 sq km and located approximately three hours from Bangkok, it has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Its mountainous terrain, dense forests, and stunning landscapes make it one of the best places in Thailand to experience the country’s rich flora and fauna.
The park is home to a wide variety of animals, including elephants, monkeys, bears, deer, and squirrels, as well as snakes, spiders, rodents, and countless insects. Birdwatchers will also delight in the more than 400 species of birds that inhabit the park.
We take one of the trekking trails in the park for a hike through the nature while enjoying the beautiful mountainous landscape. During this jungle hike you learn more about the flora and fauna of this beautiful wilderness. Even if you're not lucky with wildlife encounters, the massive strangler fig trees make it all worthwhile.
Khao Yai is also famous for its waterfalls. Haew Suwat is popular for its cinematic fame as the filming location for Leonardo DiCaprio’s waterfall dive in The Beach (2000). Haew Narok, the highest waterfall in the park, cascades over three tiers, with the final drop plunging 80 meters into a deep pool. Visitors can enjoy a safe hillside viewpoint for incredible photos, particularly spectacular during the rainy season.
One of the park’s highlights is the chance to see Asian elephants in the wild. Many visitors are lucky enough to spot them grazing peacefully in their natural habitat, though sightings cannot be guaranteed.
With its rich biodiversity, dramatic landscapes, and unforgettable wildlife experiences, Khao Yai National Park offers a perfect escape into Thailand’s wild heart, making it a must-visit for anyone seeking adventure and natural beauty.
Important notes:
- Please note that during the dry season the water flow at Haew Suwat and Haew Narok waterfalls may be lower than usual.
- For your comfort and safety, we recommend wearing hiking-appropriate clothing: lightweight but covering (to protect against insects and leeches), along with sturdy walking shoes.
- Khao Yai is a vast national park with many wild animals, reptiles, insects, and birds. Remember, this is not a zoo; the animals roam freely in their natural habitat, and spotting them can be challenging due to the dense vegetation.
- This tour also includes sections of hiking, so please ensure you are fit for this level of physical activity before booking.
Pick up/Meeting point:
We provide hotel pick-up only from accommodations located on/near Khao San Road and on Siam Square.
If you are not an actual guest at one of the hotels in our pick-up area, the designated meeting point will be our office on Chao Khamrop Road in Chinatown. Our office in Chinatown is just a short 5-minute walk from Wat Mangkon MRT (metro) station.
For the exact location of our WanderSiam office on Google Maps, please click HERE.
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155 Comments
5
A pleasant beautiful hike along the water with thick vegetation and diverse wildlife
Fun hiking in the beautiful Khao Yai National park, walking through a dense jungle along the water. A relatively easy three kms of dense vegetation and wildlife. Loved it. Surina our guide is a sweet, kind, knowledgable energetic person, who communicates always with a smile. Everything went smoothly and the lunch was yummy.
5
Great expedition
The expedition was very nice and the person that accompanied us was awesome. We saw some animals (monkeys, deers, lezards…) and had some fun throughout the day!
5
Walking inthe nature
It was a great experience, I enjoyed the tour and visiting the forest. big thanks to the team and their effort to make it enjoyable .
5
Worth The Visit
The trip was very good and well organised. Surina, the tour guide was friendly and allowed us to take time in exploring the locations. We did a 3km walking trail within the park (lots of thick jungle, climbing over and under branches and trees), had lunch (only 50 Baht) and went to the waterfall and camping grounds. There wasn’t a lot of wildlife within the trail but did see some monkeys, deer, snakes and lots of butterflies.
Some things to note:
– Bring a form of photo ID, as they’ll need that for insurance purposes.
– Entry to the park is 400 Baht per person and they only take cash within the park, no card.
– Because of heavy Bangkok traffic, the drive was more like 4-4.5 hours each way (so 8ish hours in total) but worth going nonetheless.
– The drop off location is different to the office in Chinatown and will depend on which area is best for the rest of the group (i.e could be on the BTS line, MRT etc.)
Would recommend for a day trip but you’ll definitely be sore if you not into fitness or hiking!
5
Great experience!
Very polite and enthusiastic staff. The experience was great and I would definitely recommend.
Please do not forget to remember to wear proper footwear and long trousers, to reduce the chance of getting bit by leeches.