Khao Sok National Park Tours: Lake & Jungle Day Trips

Khao Sok is the oldest and most biodiverse rainforest in Thailand - at 160 million years old, older than the Amazon. Combined with Cheow Lan Lake, a flooded valley surrounded by limestone karst towers that rivals Halong Bay for dramatic scenery, it offers two completely different experiences within the same national park. Most visitors to the southern Andaman coast pass within 90 minutes of it and never stop - an oversight, given that a single day or overnight visit is easily the most memorable nature experience in the region.

Khao Sok village and the jungle

The village of Khao Sok sits at the park entrance and is the base for most operations. The jungle here is lowland tropical rainforest with rivers, waterfalls, and an ecosystem that survived the Ice Ages that decimated Southeast Asian forests elsewhere. The result: extraordinary biodiversity.

Standard jungle day trek - A guided walk of 3–6 km through the forest floor, typically including a river crossing on foot or by bamboo raft, and a visit to Sip Et Chan Falls. A competent guide will point out hornbills, gibbons, forest macaques, pitcher plants, and the Rafflesia kerrii - a parasitic flower up to 80 cm across that blooms periodically throughout the year. Duration: approximately 4–5 hours. Cost: approximately THB 1,000–1,800 per person as of 2026 including national park entry (approximately THB 300 for foreigners, approximately THB 30 for Thai nationals), guide, and lunch. Khao Sok Discovery and Khao Sok Green Valley are two long-running operators in the village with good guide availability.

Night safari - A guided walk or jeep safari after dark searching for nocturnal wildlife: civets, flying squirrels, slow lorises, frogs, and insects. Duration: 2–3 hours. Cost: approximately THB 700–1,200 per person. Best combined with an overnight stay so you can do an early-morning activity the following day.

Cheow Lan Lake

The lake - technically the Ratchaprapha Reservoir, created in 1987 when the Khlong Saeng River was dammed - sits 65 km east of Khao Sok village. The flooding submerged a vast section of forest, leaving only the tips of the limestone mountains visible. The resulting landscape is one of the most striking in Thailand: vertical karst pillars rising 200–400 metres from calm green water, with jungle covering every surface.

Getting to the lake - From Khao Sok village, a 45-minute minivan drive brings you to the dam pier, where longtail boats take you across. Most day-tour operators handle all transfers.

Lake day tour - A longtail boat explores the main channels of the lake, stopping at caves (the illuminated Tham Phraya Naak cave inside a mountain is worth the 20-minute walk), swimming spots where the water is warm and surprisingly clear, and the narrower channels between cliff faces. Duration at the lake: approximately 4–5 hours. Cost: approximately THB 2,000–3,500 per person as of 2026 including boat, national park entry, guide, and lunch. Browse Khao Sok lake tour options to compare current availability.

Overnight raft houses - The most popular format for visitors with more time. Floating wooden raft houses sit moored in the lake’s quieter channels, with the karsts as a backdrop. You arrive in the afternoon, swim, explore by kayak, watch the sunset from the water, eat a Thai dinner on the platform, and wake up to gibbon calls at dawn. Most packages include one night, two meals, and a morning boat tour. Cost: approximately THB 3,000–6,000 per person as of 2026 depending on accommodation standard. Elephant Hills runs a luxury tented camp version at the higher end; Art’s Riverside Jungle House at the lake is a solid mid-range option.

Combined lake and jungle tours

For visitors passing through on a single day, several operators offer a combined format: jungle trek in the morning (2–3 hours), lunch in the village, then a half-day boat tour of the lake. This is the most efficient way to see both environments in one visit. Cost: approximately THB 2,500–4,500 per person depending on which activities are included.

Season and timing

November to April - Best season. Lower rainfall, calmer conditions on the lake, cleaner visibility for swimming. This is peak season, so book ahead (especially for raft houses in December–February).

May to October - Khao Sok stays relatively drier than the Andaman coast during this period because the park sits inland and benefits from the topography. The jungle is greener and lusher, waterfalls are fuller, and raft house operators continue running (unlike many coastal operators that close). Some trails may be muddy after heavy rain. This is genuinely a reasonable time to visit - one of the few nature destinations in southern Thailand that holds up year-round.

Getting there from the main tourist centres

From	Method	Duration	Approx. cost
Khao Lak	Minivan	1.5 hours	THB 200–300
Surat Thani	Minivan	1.5 hours	THB 150–250
Phuket	Minivan	3 hours	THB 350–450
Krabi	Minivan	2.5 hours	THB 300–400

Most minivan services drop you at the main junction; your guesthouse or tour operator can arrange pickup from there.

See also: Khao Sok travel guide · Things to do in Khao Sok · 2 weeks in Thailand itinerary