Rewritten and Translated Version:

In Thailand, one of the best places to admire natural scenery and wildlife is Khao Sok National Park, located not far from Phuket and Krabi.

We spent three delightful days in Khao Sok National Park. The emerald-green lakes were stunning, and wildlife was easily spotted within the park. We even saw wild elephants!

The best way to experience Khao Sok National Park is to spend a few days there, take boat tours of the lakes, hike through the jungle to see animals and caves, and stay at least one night in floating bungalows on the lake.

In this travel guide, I will explain how to visit Khao Sok National Park whether you are part of a tour group or traveling solo, as well as what you can see and do there!

How Many Days to Spend in Khao Sok

First, decide how long you want to stay in the park.

Here are your options:

• One-Day Tour: You can take a day trip to Khao Sok National Park from tourist areas like Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta, or Surat Thani. This is the quickest and easiest option, but you won't have much time to explore the park. In my opinion, it's too short.

• Package Tour (2-4 Days): This is also a convenient option as it includes everything: transportation, tour guide, meals, and accommodation. For some, this may be a good choice due to its convenience and the sufficient time it allows to visit the park's main attractions.

• Stay in Khlong Sok Village: This option offers the most flexibility and is more budget-friendly. By settling directly in Khlong Sok Village near the park, you can stay for as long as you like and explore what interests you most. If you have unlimited time, this is the best way to explore the park.

Best Time to Visit Khao Sok

GetYourGuide offers 2-day tours from Phuket or Koh Lanta to Khao Sok National Park, including hotel pickup, meals, accommodation, and park tours.

Alternatively, if your time is really limited, they also offer one-day tours from Phuket, Krabi, or Koh Lanta to Khao Sok National Park.

Additionally, if you stay in Khlong Sok Village near the park, they offer day trips to the lake, jungle trekking, elephant tours, and more.

We have arranged many trips and activities around the world with GetYourGuide and had a fantastic experience. Highly recommended!

How to Get to Khao Sok National Park

• From Phuket: If you don't want to use a tour package, you can easily travel to Khao Sok National Park independently.
  From Phuket, you can take a public bus, shared minivan, or private taxi to Khlong Sok Village.

Buses run five times a day, with a journey time of four hours. Minivans run up to eight times a day, with a journey time of 2.5 to 4.5 hours, depending on your departure point in Phuket. Taxis take 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

You can check the schedule and book tickets for any of these options online here.

We took a private taxi and had a great experience. They picked us up from Phuket Airport and took us to Koh Lanta, where we stayed for a few days, before transferring us to Khao Sok National Park. Everything went smoothly.

After our visit to Khao Sok National Park, we returned to Phuket by shared minivan arranged by our hotel in Khao Sok National Park.

• From Krabi: From Krabi, you can take a minivan or taxi to Khlong Sok. There are no large buses available.

Many minivans depart daily from Ao Nang or Krabi Town, with a journey time of approximately 3 to 4 hours. You can book here.

• From Koh Lanta: From Koh Lanta, you can take a bus, minivan, or taxi to Khlong Sok.

Buses take about two hours, while minivans or taxis take just over an hour. You can book here.

• From Surat Thani: From Surat Thani, you can take a bus, minivan, or taxi to Khlong Sok. This is the nearest airport and a starting point for visiting the park.

Buses take about 2 to 3 hours, minivans take 2 to 2.5 hours, and taxis take 1.5 to 2 hours. You can book any of these options here.

• From Bangkok: The fastest option from Bangkok is to fly or take a train to Surat Thani and then travel by land to Khlong Sok.

Transportation in the Khao Sok Area

Once you arrive in Khlong Sok Village, there are several ways to explore. You can arrange park tours through your hotel or local travel agency, or explore independently like we did.

Many hotels in Khlong Sok are within walking distance of the national park entrance (map here), making jungle trekking easily accessible. To venture outside the village, we rented a motorcycle from our hotel.

The lake is a one-hour drive from the village and park headquarters, and can only be accessed by longtail boats, so your options are limited. You don't need a tour to visit, but you'll still need a boatman.

If you're on a budget and want to explore the lake as cheaply as possible, you can take a day tour without booking a package tour.

Get up early in the morning and drive to the main port, Ratchaprapha Pier, where you can rent a private or shared longtail boat on the spot.

We went once and it was crowded in the late morning. Waiting in line for a boat was chaotic and wasted hours we could have spent in the park, so I only recommend arriving there before 9 AM.

A 2-hour private boat tour costs about 1,700 Thai baht (about $50), which is more reasonable if you're traveling with friends. However, 2 hours is not enough, so you may need to negotiate and pay extra to spend more time on the lake.

This is one of the most economical ways to explore Cheow Lan Lake, as ticket prices are a bit high compared to other places in Thailand. That's just the way it is.

Longtail Boats on Cheow Lan Lake, Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Boats on Cheow Lan Lake

Drone Photo of Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Massive Cliffs

Best Attractions and Activities in Khao Sok National Park

• Cheow Lan Lake

One of the park's main attractions is Cheow Lan Lake. It's a beautiful turquoise lake surrounded by limestone mountains, with caves and islands to explore.

Boat tours of the lake usually take you to a landmark called Khao Sam Kler, where three pointed rock formations stick out of the water, seemingly floating.

You'll also usually be taken to at least one cave, where you can walk through with a flashlight. The cave we visited had impressive stalactites and a beautiful lake view, almost like a picture frame.

Longtail Boat on Cheow Lan Lake, Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

This is where we went ashore to visit the cave.

Pak Bi Limestone Cave

Pak Bi Cave

In the evening, we returned to our boat and took a short trip to look for wild elephants.

We were lucky to see a female elephant and her calf grazing by the lake, close enough for us to take photos from the boat!

We also spotted two hornbills perched on treetops near our floating bungalow.

Female and Baby Elephant in the Jungle

Wild Elephants!

• Lakefront Cabins

A highlight of the lake is the floating bungalows where you can spend the night and wake up to the mist and sunrise over the lake.

Many such water bungalows are scattered in different areas around the lake, varying in price and quality. Some high-end bungalows are stunningly beautiful, like Panvaree Resort.

Even the simplest lakeside hotels are quite comfortable, equipped with mattresses, showers, toilets, fans, and solar-powered power outlets. We stayed at Keeree Tara Rafthouse, which was a bit worn out, but had all these necessities, so we didn't mind.

Most importantly, all the lakeside cabins offer breathtaking views of the national park. You should stay at least one night by the lake. It's a fantastic experience!

Water Cabins at Panvaree Resort

Cabins Perched on Cheow Lan Lake (© Panvaree Resort)

• Wildlife Trekking

The first thing we did when we arrived in Khlong Sok was to hike to see the animals in the jungle. It can be done in half a day, so it's a perfect way to spend the afternoon in the park.

The hike is not difficult and suitable for families. There's a wide dirt road, almost like a highway, with jungle on both sides.

Sometimes you might venture deeper into the jungle for a close-up view of some animals, waterfalls, or other attractions.