Khao Sok National Park is a destination high on many backpackers’ bucket lists. It offers stunning views, niche accommodation options and the chance to see elephants in the wild. If you’re heading to Khao Sok and not sure whether to book a tour or how to stay in the Floating Bungalows, this guide is for you. I’ll cover how many days you need to see Khao Sok National Park, what to expect and more!
How many days to spend in Khao Sok
It is important to note that you will not be able to see and do much in Khao Sok Town; you need to book a tour. These tours are common at all hostels and tour agencies in Khao Sok. With the tours, you have the option of either a 2-day/1-night or 3-day/ 2-night option. Honestly, there is no point in coming to Khao Sok if you are not doing a tour. All of the best things to see and do are deep in the national park, so you cannot reach them while staying in Khao Sok Town (Khlong Sok).
If you want to head to Khao Sok, you will need at least three days. This will allow you to see the Khao Sok National Park properly and stay at the Floating Bungalows. You may need to allow extra days for travel time depending on where you are coming from and going after Khao Sok. Personally, I spent five days (four nights) in Khao Sok. This included travel time and staying a night on either side of the tour. I felt this was a good amount of time, so I didn’t feel rushed. If you are really short on time, you could arrive the night before the tour. Then commence the 3-day/ 2-night tour then leave for the night bus or train as soon as the tour finishes. However, you would miss out on tubing and the night safari walks, and it would just feel a bit rushed.
How to get to Khao Sok
Khao Sok National Park is located in the South of Thailand, on the mainland, around halfway between Phuket and Surat Thani. Ideally, you should visit Khao Sok when you are travelling from the West Coast destinations (Phi Phi, Phuket, Krabi, Railay, Ao Nang) to the east coast islands (Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui). You can also access Khao Sok National Park for Bangkok, but it would require a night bus/ train and then a bus transfer and take a little longer. If you are coming from Northern Thailand, you will need to make your way to the major transport hubs of either Krabi, Phuket or Surat Thani and then jump in a van transfer headed for Khao Sok. For all ferry, van, train and bus transfers, the easiest way to book is by using the 12GOAsia website.
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Krabi, Ao Nang or Railay
This is the most popular route to get to Khao Sok. Direct van transfers from both Krabi Town and Ao Nang Beach will take you directly to Khao Sok Town. The vans take between 3-5 hours, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions. Vans depart at 11 am, 11:30 am and 12 pm. Expect to pay 315 THB Thai Baht ($9 USD).
To get to Khao Sok from Railay Beach, you have to catch a local longtail boat from Railay Main Beach to Ao Nang and then get on the van transfer. The local boat doesn’t run on a schedule; it runs whenever there are enough people. Make you get to the beach super early to allow enough time in case you have to wait for the boat to fill up.
The boat only takes around 10 minutes and costs 90 THB Thai Baht ($2.50 USD). Depending on how far in the tide is, expect to get your feet and maybe legs wet, embarking and disembarking the boat. I had to carry my backpack on my head to avoid my luggage getting wet. The boat will drop you off at the main beach in Ao Nang. Then you need to get on the get on van transfer to Khao Sok.
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Phuket
Another popular route is from Phuket to Khao Sok National Park. The journey only takes around 4 hours in a bus/ van. The bus departs from Phuket Terminal 2, which is in Phuket Old Town. Buses depart at 7:30 am, 9:30 am and 1:40 pm daily. Expect to pay a flat rate of 233 THB Thai Baht ($6.85 USD).
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Phi Phi Island
To get to Khao Sok National Park from Phi Phi Island, you will need to catch a ferry to either Krabi/Ao Nang or Phuket and then get on a bus. This can be a bit risky booking it as individual tickets as if your first ferry is late or delayed, you risk missing your connecting van transfer. It also ends up being basically the same price as a combined ticket when you factor in the taxi or tuk-tuk from the pier to the bus terminal. There is a combined ticket option on 12GOAsia, which I would strongly recommend booking as it guarantees all connections. This departs Ton Sai Pier in Phi Phi at 9 am and gets you into Khao Sok at 2:30 pm. This ticket costs 520 THB Thai Baht ($15.50 USD) and includes all transfers and connections.
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Samui
To get from Koh Samui to Khao Sok National Park to Koh Samui, you will need to jump on a ferry to Surat Thani and then in a shared van transfer to Khao Sok Town. You can buy this as a combined ticket on 12GOAsia. The journey takes 6-8 hours, and you can expect to pay 390 THB Thai Baht ($11 USD) for the whole journey. Ferries depart Koh Samui at 6 am, 8 am, 10 am, 12 pm and 2 pm daily. They depart from multiple piers around Koh Samui. Make sure you book one that is closest to where you are staying.
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Phangan
Getting to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Phangan involves a ferry from Thong Sala Pier in Koh Phangan to Surat Thani Port and then a van transfer. Ferries depart Thong Sala at 5 am, 8:30 am,11 am. The journey takes between 7-8 hours. The price is 430 THB Thai Baht ($13 USD), with the journey taking around 8 hours. There is also a night ferry and van option, which departs at 10 pm and arrives in Khao Sok at 9:30 am. Expect to pay 630 THB Thai Baht ($18 USD) for the night ferry. In my opinion, the night ferry is not worth it as it is a very uncomfortable journey and by the time you arrive in Khao Sok, you have missed the departure for the tour for that day. For a full review of the night ferries in Thailand, check out my transport guide here.
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Tao
There are two options for getting to Khao Sok National Park from Koh Tao. The first option (which is recommended) is getting a day ferry and then a van transfer. The ferry departs from Mae Haad at 7 am and will get you into Khao Sok Town at 12:30 pm. You can expect to pay 922 THB Thai Baht ($26.50 USD) for the entire journey. The other option is a night ferry to Surat Thani and then an early morning van transfer. This is not recommended if you value a good night’s sleep, as the night ferries are notoriously uncomfortable.
For a full review of the night ferries in Thailand, check out my transport guide here. Also, it gets you into Khao Sok at an awkward time where you’ve missed the tour departure for the day, and you can’t check into your dorm yet. The night ferry departs at 9 pm from Mae Haad Pier in Koh Tao and arrives in Khao Sok Town at 9:15 am the next day. This will cost you 787 THB Thai Baht ($22.50 USD).
How to get to Khao Sok National Park from Bangkok
There are two ways to get to Khao Sok National Park from Bangkok: a night train and then a van transfer or a night bus and then a van transfer. You can book the night bus and van transfer as a combined ticket on 12GOAsia, guaranteeing all connections if the first bus runs late. Buses depart at 7 pm from either Southern Bus Terminal or a travel agency near Khao San Road. You’ll arrive in Khao Sok Town at 11 am the next morning. Expect to pay between 650-790 THB Thai Baht ($18.50-$22.50 USD) for the whole journey, the price depending on which company you go with.
Getting to Khao Sok National Park from Bangkok via train
The other option, which will be a better night’s sleep than the bus, is a night train and then a van transfer. The two downsides to this are it will be slightly more expensive, and you have to book it as two separate tickets. That means you will need to allow extra time between the train arriving and van departing in case of delays. Sleeper trains all depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (also called Bang Sue) in Bangkok at regular intervals from 5:30 pm to 10:10 pm. For a Second Class AC Sleeper Seat ticket, expect to pay between 510-700 THB Thai Baht ($15-$20 USD). To learn about the different classes on Thai Sleeper Trains and which seat you should choose, refer to my transport guide here.
When you arrive in Surat Thani, you will need to get a van transfer to Khao Sok. Vans depart every hour from Surat Thani from 7:30 am- 5:30 pm. Expect to pay 180 THB Thai Baht ($5.15 USD) for this ticket. Make sure you allow at least 2-3 hours from your expected arrival time on the train to the van departure time. Sleeper trains never arrive on time, and you risk missing your van transfer!
How to get around Khao Sok
The main town of Khao Sok is called Khlong Sok, which is pretty tiny. You can get around everywhere, like restaurants, cafes and bars on foot. The furthest you’ll walk in Khlong Sok is 15 minutes, and it’s all pretty flat, so easy to walk around. It is a very sleepy town, with basically no traffic and only a few locals, all of which work in tourism. It feels extremely safe to walk around everywhere, particularly at night as a solo female! Depending on where you are staying, you’ll also most likely be able to walk from the bus terminal when you arrive and depart. However, many hostels include complimentary pickup and drop-off if you book your bus transfer with them. You can book all the tours and activities through your hostel, and they will pick you up.
Where to stay in Khao Sok
Where you stay in Khao Sok doesn’t really matter that much as most people will only spend one night at their accommodation before you head on a tour to stay at the Floating Bungalows. All hostels will store your bigger luggage for free while you go on a tour and stay in the national park itself. There are only a few hostels in Khao Sok, and most are along the main road. There are a few lodges and other accommodations, which are further out, more expensive but offer better views. I honestly do not find staying at one of these places worth it, as they will be a pain to get to and from. Also, you will be staying at the Floating Bungalows anyway on the tour, which has spectacular river views. You can book all accommodation online here.
Coco Hostel
This is one of the best places to stay in Khao Sok for both social vibe and comfort! Coco is by far the most popular hostel in Khao Sok. It’s not super important where you stay in Khao Sok as it is only for one night. So if you choose to stay somewhere cheaper or if Coco is fully booked, it’s really not the end of the world. Coco Hostel had pod-style beds with curtains, massive security lockers and clean bathrooms. They also have a pretty good social vibe among backpackers. Coco Hostel has a restaurant and bakery on-site. They also have a tour desk that will book all activities and transfers for you.
What to do in Khao Sok
The main thing to do in Khao Sok is go on a tour of the National Park and stay at the Floating Bungalows. If you come to Khao Sok and don’t stay at the Floating Bungalows, what are you doing with yourself? There are other Khao Sok tours you can do instead that don’t include the Floating Bungalows, but you do really miss out by not doing this. You can also do many activities from Khlong Sok without having to stay overnight in the national park. However, nothing compares to the experience of staying on the water in the national park.
Khao Sok National Park Tour
There are many Khao Sok National Park Tour options available. They all have different inclusions and different lengths of time and include accommodations ranging from dorms to luxury resorts. Not every tour will stay at the Floating Bungalows (which is why most people come to Khao Sok), so be wary. Also, you don’t need to book your tour in advance. 95% of people will book their tour through their hostel when they arrive, to commence the next morning. If you want to book in advance, Coco Hostel has a range of tours online, which you can book here. I booked the 3-Day, 2-Night Rafthouse and Rainforest Tour. This is the only tour through Coco that includes staying at the Floating Bungalows. It costs 3400 THB Thai Baht per person ($97 USD).
What to expect on a Khao Sok National Park Tour
- The first night of the tour is the night you have already booked and paid for at the hostel. This will get deducted from the total price of the tour.
- On the second night of the Khao Sok tour, you will stay in the Floating Bungalows. Rooms are twin share (either a double or two singles, depending on your preference) with a shared basic bathroom.
- Tours include a night safari, guided walks through the national park, including caves and waterfalls, boat rides through the national park and kayak rental.
- All costs are included from the night safari on the first night (you do have to get dinner before at your own expense) until you arrive back into town at 3 pm 2 days later.
- The only thing that is not included is the compulsory National Park fee. The fee is 180 THB Thai Baht ($5 USD) and valid for however many days you stay.
- There is no phone service or wifi in the National Park. I highly recommend bringing card games or other things to do in the evening.
- You need to store your larger luggage backpack and suitcase at your hostel and bring only a smaller day bag with you.
- On the way to the pier on the second day, the driver will stop at a grocery store. If you fancy it, buying a bottle of alcohol and some mixers is a good idea for playing drinking games at night at the Floating Bungalows.
- The tour finishes in Khao Sok Town at 3 pm on the final day. Hostels can organise transfers to Surat Thani, Phuket or Krabi to depart when you return from the tour if you don’t want to stay an extra night.
Where to eat in Khao Sok
Given how small it is, there are only a few restaurants and places to eat in Khao Sok. Most people will eat at their hostel if they have a restaurant on site (Coco Hostel does delicious food!). Otherwise, all meals are included if you join a national park tour. If you stay an extra night on either side of the tour, there are a few restaurants you can try.
Pawns Restaurant
Located right in the middle of town, Pawns Restaurant is always busy! They have plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs and are open for lunch and dinner. Pawns serve a combination of Thai food and Western foods for affordable prices. It’s also not a bad spot to stay for a drink or two if you fancy it!
Nung House
Tucked away on a street off the main road, Nung House is a small local restaurant specialising in Thai food. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but they don’t stay open late as a bar.
Khao Sok Bistro and Bar
Just next to Pawn’s Restaurant is Khao Sok Bistro and Bar. It is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night drinks. They have seating both upstairs and downstairs and are generally pretty busy. They sell Thai food, but most people come here for pizza and other Western food options.
Nightlife in Khao Sok
Khlong Sok is a tiny town, so the nightlife isn’t that great. Most people will only spend one night here and will get up early the next day to start their tour. There are a couple of small bars, such as Chillout Bar and Blue Tiger Bar. The bars have drink specials on cocktails and pool tables, but they’re generally pretty empty after everyone has finished having dinner.
Did you find this blog post helpful? Want to see more travel tips and recommendations?
Join me on Tik Tok and Instagram for daily travel content!
This blog is a free and independent source of information for all things travel and backpacking. If you benefitted from the information on this blog, please consider using the affiliate links to book hostels/activities etc. This will be at no extra cost to you but helps subsidise the cost of running a free travel blog.
