What you will see at Khao Sok
Khao Sok National Park lies in Surat Thani province, north of Phuket. It was declared in 1980 and covers 738.74 km² according to DNP: limestone mountains up to 961 m, rainforest, waterfalls and caves.
Tours from Phuket head for Cheow Lan Lake (also spelled Chiao Lan), the reservoir behind Ratchaprapha Dam in the north of the park, with about 168 km² of water and roughly 165 islets per DNP. You ride a longtail boat between sheer cliffs, eat at a floating restaurant, swim and paddle a canoe. On overnight trips you sleep in a floating bungalow right on the water.
The day tour, step by step
This is the day as Tisland and Phuket Tour run it in October 2026. Stops on the road differ by operator, and times are approximate.
- 05:00-06:30 hotel pickup, then about three hours north
- A stop on the way: Wat Suwan Kuha cave temple with its reclining Buddha (Tisland) or a viewpoint (Phuket Tour)
- 10:00-11:10 Ratchaprapha Dam pier, board a longtail and cruise between the cliffs
- 12:00-12:40 lunch at a floating restaurant, then swimming and canoeing
- 14:30 boat back to the pier
- On the way home, Wat Bang Thong (Phuket Tour) or hot springs near Natai Beach (Tisland)
- 19:30-20:30 back at your hotel
The overnight tour
Both operators run nearly the same 2-day program:
- Day 1, hotel pickup around 07:00, stop at Sarasin Bridge
- A cave temple or an elephant village (see below), pier and boat around 13:00
- Lunch at a floating restaurant, check in to a floating bungalow, free time to swim and canoe
- Around 17:00-18:00 an evening boat safari: the program mentions monkeys and birds
- Day 2, breakfast at 07:00, a morning cruise, back at the pier by 10:00
- Lake viewpoint and Wat Bang Thong
- Back at your Phuket hotel around 13:30 (Tisland)
Both 2-day programs include an elephant village with a choice of “elephant spa” or elephant riding. We advise against riding and crowded bathing with elephants, so tell the operator in advance that you will skip it and ask what replaces it. Our reasons are in the Phuket elephants guide.
How long it takes and when to go
| Format | Length | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | about 15 hours, roughly 6 of them on the road | nothing to pack | only 3-4 hours on the water at midday |
| 2 days, night on the lake | from early day 1 to lunchtime day 2 | dusk and dawn on the water | basic bungalows, weak signal |
| 3 days | lake plus trails near park HQ | relaxed pace | eats a big part of a short holiday |
Drive times without traffic, OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data:
| From → to | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Phuket Old Town → park HQ | 172.5 km | about 2 h 35 min |
| Patong → park HQ | 176 km | about 2 h 40 min |
| Phuket Airport → park HQ | 147.5 km | about 2 h 10 min |
| Phuket Old Town → Cheow Lan Dam | 180.2 km | about 3 h |
| Park HQ → Cheow Lan Dam | 65.9 km | about 1 h 10 min |
The lake and park headquarters are an hour apart, so a day tour picks one, usually the lake. Route from Old Town to the dam on OpenStreetMap.
DNP describes the seasons like this: rain from the southwest monsoon May to September, rain from the northeast monsoon October to December, and a dry season from late December or early January to April, which is the best time. The average annual temperature is 26.4 °C. The lake is open all year, but some park sites close:
| Site | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tham Nam Thalu cave | every year 1 June-30 November |
| Rafflesia viewing site, km 111 | every year 1 April-30 November |
| Rafflesia site at Bang Man ranger station | indefinitely |
| Sip Et Chan waterfall (11 tiers) | closed as of 17 October 2026 |
The DNP table dates from 7 January 2026; the live status is on the DNP status page (checked 17 October 2026). For weather by month see the Phuket climate data.
Park fee
Under the DNP table, THB 200 per foreign adult and THB 100 per child (Thai nationals THB 40 and 20). The table dates from 2 June 2023 and is still current in October 2026. Phuket Tour lists the fee as included; with other operators, ask. Keep your receipt.
DNP lists wild elephants, gaur, banteng, tigers and leopards in the park. You are very unlikely to see them on a tour. Stay on trails with a guide, do not feed the monkeys at temples or on the lake, and take your rubbish with you.
What to bring
- Swimwear, a towel and a dry change of clothes
- Long sleeves for the evening and insect repellent
- Shoes you can get wet: caves and trails are often muddy
- Clothes covering shoulders and knees for the temple
- A power bank: bungalow power is not always on
- Cash for the park fee and small purchases
- Breakfast to go: Tisland suggests ordering a lunch box at your hotel reception by 17:00 the day before
Who should skip it
- People who get carsick. About 6 hours on the road in a day
- Anyone with less than a week who came for the beach. One Khao Sok day costs two days of energy
- Anyone expecting hotel comfort. The floating bungalows are simple, and only DTAC has signal
- Anyone hoping to see wild elephants. They live in the park, but tours almost never meet them
How to choose a Cheow Lan tour
- Day trip or overnight. If you can, take two days: the drive is the same, but you get an evening and a morning on the lake
- Where you sleep. A private floating resort or the national park’s own raft houses at Khlong Kha. Phuket Tour offers bungalows or capsules, which are quite different
- Pickup time. A 05:00-06:00 start means fewer boats on the lake but a short night
- What is included. Park fee, lunch, a guide who speaks your language, insurance. Ask before you pay
- Elephant village. If it is in the program, check that you can skip the riding and what you get instead
- Cancellation. Tisland cancels free of charge up to 48 hours before. Ask your seller for their terms
Other trips are in the Phuket day trips guide.
FAQ
How many days do you need for Khao Sok?
One day is enough to see it, but two are better. A day tour from Phuket takes about 15 hours, roughly 6 of them on the road, with 3-4 hours on the lake around midday (Tisland and Phuket Tour programs). With a night in a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan you see the lake at dusk and dawn and are back by lunchtime on day two. The park fee is THB 200 per foreign adult under the DNP table, and the best time is late December to April.
Is a Khao Sok day tour from Phuket worth it?
It works if you mainly want to see the lake and the cliffs. But the day starts at 5 or 6 in the morning and ends at 19:30-20:30, and you get 3-4 hours on the water in the midday heat. For sunrise on the lake and a slower pace, book an overnight trip.
What does a 2-day Cheow Lan trip look like?
In the Tisland and Phuket Tour programs you leave your hotel around 07:00, reach the floating bungalows by boat after lunch, go on an evening boat safari, have breakfast on the water and a morning cruise, and are back in Phuket around 13:30. Private operators run the raft houses; the national park also has its own at the Khlong Kha station, bookable through the DNP system.
How far is Khao Sok from Phuket?
By OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, 172.5 km and about 2.5 hours from Phuket Old Town to park headquarters, and 180 km and about 3 hours to Cheow Lan Dam without traffic. From Phuket Airport to headquarters it is 147.5 km.
What is the Khao Sok entrance fee?
Under the DNP table, THB 200 per foreign adult and THB 100 per child, Thai nationals THB 40 and 20. Phuket Tour lists the park fee as included; with other operators, ask before you pay.
When is the best time to visit Khao Sok?
DNP calls the dry season, from late December or early January to April, the best time. The southwest monsoon brings rain from May to September and the northeast monsoon from October to December. The lake is open all year, but Tham Nam Thalu cave closes every year from 1 June to 30 November.
Is there phone signal and electricity on the lake?
DNP lists only DTAC coverage at the dam, so other SIM cards may have no signal. Power in floating bungalows is often not on around the clock: bring a power bank and download maps and tickets in advance.
Can you swim in Cheow Lan Lake?
Yes. Both the Tisland and Phuket Tour programs include free time after lunch for swimming and canoeing by the floating restaurant. Swim only where your guide says: the lake is deep and boats pass close by.
Sources
- DNP. Current national park closure status (17 October 2026)
- DNP. Khao Sok National Park
- DNP. National park entrance fees for individuals, revision of 2 June 2023 (CSV)
- DNP. National park closure table 2026 (data as of 7 January 2026)
- DNP. National park accommodation booking
- Tisland. Secret Lake day tour to Cheow Lan from Phuket, program
- Tisland. Khao Sok and Cheow Lan 2 days 1 night, program
- Phuket Tour. Khao Sok National Park and Cheow Lan Lake, 1 day (program, in Russian)
- Phuket Tour. Khao Sok National Park and Cheow Lan Lake, 2 days (program, in Russian)
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Phuket Old Town → Khao Sok headquarters
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Phuket Old Town → Cheow Lan Dam
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Khao Sok headquarters → Cheow Lan Dam
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Phuket Airport → Khao Sok headquarters
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