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Khao Yai rewards curiosity. In one weekend you can watch hornbills at dawn, stand beneath a 150-metre waterfall, taste Thai wine and finish in a contemporary art gallery. This guide covers the attractions worth your time, inside and outside the national park, with practical notes for each.
Hours and fees change. Confirm with each attraction or the national park before you visit.
Inside Khao Yai National Park
The park gates open from 06:00 to 18:00, and entry is charged per person per day plus a vehicle fee (see the official fee page).
Haew Narok Waterfall
The park’s largest waterfall falls in tiers down a cliff of about 150 metres. A walk of around 1 km, with steep stairs at the end, leads to viewing platforms facing the main drop. It’s most powerful in the rainy season. Swimming is not allowed.
Haew Suwat Waterfall
A curtain of water roughly 20 metres high dropping into a round pool. It’s famous from the film The Beach and is a short paved walk from its car park. A forest trail of about 3 km links it with Pha Kluai Mai waterfall.
Pha Diao Dai viewpoint
A walk of about 450 metres on raised boardwalks through hill evergreen forest leads to a cliff-edge lookout at around 1,150 metres, near Khao Khiao. There are no railings. The park may close viewpoints in the rainy season.
Grasslands and observation towers
At Nong Phak Chi and other open areas, towers look over grassland where deer graze and elephants sometimes appear. Dawn and dusk are best.
Ranger-run night spotlighting
Evening drives with searchlights depart from park headquarters and can be booked at the accommodation office by the visitor centre. Ask locally for current times and prices.
Outside the park
PB Valley Khao Yai Winery
One of Thailand’s pioneering wineries, founded on a project begun in 1989 by Dr. Piya Bhirombhakdi. It offers guided tasting tours and the Great Hornbill Grill restaurant.
Khao Yai Art Museum
A private collection of Thai contemporary art in three halls covering more than 1,700 m², with a sculpture garden and a golden Ganesha on the hilltop. It’s in Mu Si, about 8 km north of the park’s northern gate.
Primo Piazza
An Italian-style hilltop village with cafes and farm animals, popular with families and photographers.
Ban Tha Chang Spring
A natural spring with vivid, clear blue water in Mu Si. It is busy on weekends, so go early.
Bats at dusk
Around sunset, huge numbers of bats stream out of a cave near Wat Tham Silathong, just outside the park’s northern gate. Watch from the roadside, and do not enter the cave.
Planning your days
Group sights by area: spend a morning in the park, and an afternoon on the Mu Si art-and-cafe trail or out at the vineyards. For a ready-made plan, follow our three-day luxury itinerary. For getting there, seasons and park rules, see the Khao Yai travel guide.
Where to stay near the attractions
For early park visits, stay in Mu Si near the northern gate. Compare options in our private pool villa guide and best resorts in Khao Yai.
Sources: Wikivoyage, Rough Guides, Vineyards.com, InterContinental Khao Yai.