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
Great Experience – Definitely recommend
What an experience, Khao Yai rocked! Surin, our guide, and Nu, the driver, made it awesome. Was great to get out of the city and into nature. Highlight of the day – hearing then seeing an elephant. Could not recommend enough.
3.5
Not worth it
The tour guide is very kind. However, I was surprised how long we had to stay in the car that day. 3 hours one way until the first stop, after 45 minutes to the other spot and 3 hours back. Hence, you are staying 7 hours in the car. That’s insane. The price you are paying is only for the gazoline. You have to pay for the lunch. Additionally if you are sporty, I wouldn’t recommend that tour. Individuals were very slow so walk most of the time by myself to keep up with my pace and to listen to the nature and not the chat of the other people 🙂 . so take more time to stay there. One day is nothing for this national park. You need at least 3 days. You can camp there.
4
Semi ok
During dry season not really recommended as the waterfalls are very small. Unfortunately, we saw no animals, except some monkeys who were trying to steal some food at the outdoor restaurant. The guide was very friendly and tried her best to make the trip as good as possible.
5
Worth every penny
Tour was fab, Surina was very informative, funny and welcoming.
We were armed with bamboo sticks at the beginning of the jungle walk, which was a nice safety measure!
The sounds and scenery was immaculate. As with any tour, there was no guarantee to see any animals, but we eventually saw a solitary male elephant on the road on the way back! I also managed to spot a large hornbill at the end of the waterfall walk.
The only downside was a rude American and the monkey who stole my crisps!!!
Cannot complain at all, it is definitely worth it 🙂
5
Amazing guide and trip
Surina was an amazing guide and the trip was wonderful. We were very lucky to see one of the elephants on the road. Wish if we had the chance to see more