Holding the title as Thailand's oldest and most popular national park, Khao Yai National Park is an amazing destination that is home to an abundance of nature and wildlife. Spanning 2158 sq km, the Khao Yai National Park is located approximately 3 hours driving from Bangkok and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountainous terrain and picturesque natural landscapes are among some of the best places in Thailand to see native wildlife.
Holding the title as Thailand's oldest and most popular national park, Khao Yai National Park is an amazing destination that is home to an abundance of nature and wildlife. Spanning 2158 sq km, the Khao Yai National Park is located approximately 3 hours driving from Bangkok and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountainous terrain and picturesque natural landscapes are among some of the best places in Thailand to see native wildlife.
Khao Yai is the perfect destinations for nature lovers with its rich flora and fauna. The dense forest of Khao Yai National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005.
There are many animals inhabiting the national park including elephants, tigers, monkeys, bears, deer and squirrels. There are also various types of snakes like pythons, spiders, rodents and insects, so it is best advised to wear long sleeved clothing. In addition, the park has more than 400 species of birds.
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.
There are several waterfalls throughout the national park offering incredible scenery and photo opportunities. The most well-known waterfall in Khao Yai National Park is Haew Suwat. It is famous for being the location for Leonardo DiCaprio's waterfall dive in the movie ‘The Beach’ back in 2000.Â
Haew Narok is the highest falls in Khao Yai National Park, and the park’s star attraction, cascading over three tiers with the final level gushing 80 metres below into a deep pool. However, only the first level is open to the public, as the other levels are steep and dangerous. There’s a hillside viewpoint where you can clearly watch and take photos of the waterfall. Especially at the height of the rainy season, the Haew Narok Waterfall is a truly breathtaking sight.
Khao Yai National Park is one of the best places in Thailand to see Asian elephants in the wild and many visitors come to catch a glimpse of the park's wild elephant population, grazing in their natural habitat. Keep in mind, however, that it cannot be guaranteed that you will see wild elephants in the park during your day trip.
Highlights
- Spend a day in nature with a visit to one of Thailand’s largest and oldest national parks.
- See the majestic Haew Suwat Waterfall and Haew Narok Waterfall.
- Hike along one of the many nature trails and admire the flora and fauna.
- Enjoy the intimacy of a small group.
Additional information
- Last-minute booking is available for the meeting point option.
- Please be aware that during the dry season there might be less water flow at Haew Suwat and Haew Narok waterfalls.
- We recommend wearing hiking-appropriate clothing, including comfortable clothing that covers your arms and legs and can protect you from insects and leeches, and comfortable walking shoes.
- There are many wild animals, reptiles, insects and birds in the national park, but participants should always remember they’re visiting a huge National Park, not a zoo looking at animals in captivity.
The animals are free to roam where they like, and with the dense vegetation it’s definitely not always easy to find them.
- This tour includes some hiking. Kindly ensure you are fit for physical activity at this level before booking this tour.
- Hotel pick up only from hotels in our service area. If your hotel is not in our service area, departure is from our office in Chinatown.
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155 Comments
5
Best nature day from Bangkok!
Had the most amazing time today, I was going solo and wanted to get a feel of the jungle on my spare day in Bangkok! It was amazing. Paul the tour guide and Mr Frank was perfect. Two great treks, one short and one long I really felt immersed into the wildlife and the natural beauty. Even spotting monkeys and an elephant amongst lots of creatures. It was a very special day thank you Wandersiam! Perfect!
5
Rainy Season Fun (ft. Phupha the elephant)
Monkeys, waterfalls, an elephant on the side of the road, hiking through a veritable deluge… all led by a great tour guide and driver – what more could you ask for?
5
Nice day in a National Park
A nice day away from the city in the jungle. The rivers were too dry for the waterfalls but we saw pig tail macaques and gibbons . Thanya was a great tour guide.
4.5
What a day……
Not what I was expecting. The photos did not prepare me for the day. It was a challenging walk through the bush, with all the stairs to climb, then the hike over rough terrain. Then I had to climb over a huge tree. I didn’t think I would be able to do it at my age 52yrs young. Glad I got through the anxiety attack when it came to going down the steep steps and almost collapsing coming up all 400 steps. The guide was funny and helpful, made it easier to not give up. The driver was a racing driver in a previous life no doubt. A bit more information on what to expect would be helpful for us older individuals.
5
Stunning park trip
Excellent guided trip to National Park.
Air conditioned SUV as small group. Guide and driver were friendly and polite. We stopped on way there for restrooms and snacks, plus lunch in the park- 60baht for fried rice and veggies with plenty of other options available.
Guide was always on the look out for things to show us, including squirrels, water monitor, aphids, birds, lizards, butterflies and deer, plus bear marks and elephant scat.
Felt like we had plenty of time to take in the scenery and not rushed along.
It was a long day out (12hours), I felt I had truly seen the park and some of it inhabitants whilst enjoying the breathtaking scenery, it was a great!
Please note although it was April and dry season so the waterfalls are trickles however this did permit us to walk along the river bed and go to a cave behind a waterfall basin.
Do wear trainers and long trousers, the terrain is slippy in places and rough, those in sandals slipped a few times and were bitten on the legs so highly recommend taking some insect repellent. I had a sarong over my shoulders which helped keep the critters at bay.