Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Thailand's Isan: Khao Yai, Khmer Temples and the Mekong
8 days from Bangkok to the Mekong: two nights in Khao Yai with a ranger, the Khmer temples of Phimai and Phanom Rung, an Isan food walk in Khon Kaen, Nong Khai and the wooden river town of Chiang Khan.
8 days · Round trip from Bangkok · up to 12 guests
Prasat Hin Phimai, the Khmer sanctuary at the heart of Phimai Photo: Philip Nalangan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phimai_Historical_Park_Thailand_03.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Bangkok
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly easy walking on flat temple grounds and town streets, 2 to 3 hours a day on foot. The Khao Yai day has forest trails of 3 to 5 km on uneven ground, with steps down to the waterfalls; you can stay with the vehicle at the viewpoints instead. Phanom Rung is reached by a long stairway and a processional walk of a few hundred metres. Two road days of about four hours, each with a sit-down lunch.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 385 (estimated price)
- Season
- November to February
Highlights
Why this trip
- An early morning in Khao Yai with a park ranger, listening for gibbons and watching for hornbills before the day visitors arrive
- Haew Suwat and Haew Narok waterfalls, full after the rains, and a lunch among the vines at a Khao Yai winery
- Phimai's Khmer sanctuary at opening, a temple older than Angkor Wat, with the grounds nearly to yourselves
- Phanom Rung at sunrise on the rim of an extinct volcano, after Prasat Muang Tam in the late afternoon
- An Isan food walk in Khon Kaen with your guide ordering: som tam, larb, grilled chicken and sticky rice
- The concrete giants of Sala Kaew Ku, then sunset on the Mekong promenade in Nong Khai, with Laos across the water
- The Mekong road to Chiang Khan, a town of teak shophouses, with the morning alms round and mist over the river
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 385 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Bangkok to Khao Yai
Suvarnabhumi airport to the hotels near Khao Yai National Park
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Khao Yai
- Drive about 3 h
Fly into Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) by about noon, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall. We gather the group and leave Bangkok at about 1:30 pm, so we skip the city and head north-east on the highway towards Khao Yai, about three hours away with a coffee stop. The flat rice plains give way to forested hills as we climb towards Pak Chong, and the air is noticeably cooler by the time we reach our hotel on Thanarat Road, the road that climbs from Pak Chong to the park gate, lined with resorts, cafes and farm stalls, where we stay two nights.
Evening
If you land earlier, or want a night in Bangkok first, we can arrange it. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week ahead: the temple dress code, the cash worth carrying, how the one-night stops work and an early start tomorrow. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Thai and Isan dishes.
Included
- Pick-up at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
- Drive to Khao Yai with your guide
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- An extra night in Bangkok before the trip, booked on request
Free time: Free time at the hotel before the evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land at Suvarnabhumi by about noon; the exact meeting time comes with your final itinerary. Arriving at Don Mueang (DMK)? Tell us and we arrange the pick-up there.
Gibbons, hornbills and waterfalls in Khao Yai
A full day in Khao Yai National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Khao Yai
- Drive about 1.5 h
We drive into Khao Yai at about 6:30, as the forest wakes, with a park ranger or naturalist guide alongside your See Sight Tours guide. Thailand's first national park, opened in 1962, is part of the Dong Phayayen–Khao Yai Forest Complex, listed by UNESCO in 2005.
Morning
Early morning is when the gibbons call across the valleys and great hornbills cross between fruiting trees, and our guide carries a spotting scope for whatever we find. We walk a forest trail of a few kilometres, then stop at the grassland watchtowers, where elephants and sambar deer sometimes come out.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the park. In the afternoon we visit the waterfalls: Haew Suwat, which drops into a pool you can walk down to, and Haew Narok, the park's tallest, seen from a platform at the end of a stepped forest path.
Evening
Back at the hotel by late afternoon, the evening is free.
Included
- Khao Yai National Park entry
- A day with a park ranger or naturalist guide: early forest walk for gibbons and hornbills, the grassland watchtowers
- Lunch in the park
- Haew Suwat and Haew Narok waterfalls
Optional experiences
- Night spotlighting drive in the park, run by the park in open trucks, paid locally
Easier option: Skip the forest walk and spend the morning at the watchtowers and visitor centre with the vehicle, then join the waterfalls after lunch.
More active option: A longer morning trail with the ranger, about 5 to 6 km, for more time on the gibbons' ridges.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Forest trails are uneven and can be muddy early in the season; wear closed shoes. Leech socks are useful in November. Wildlife is wild: gibbons are heard most mornings, sightings are never guaranteed.
A winery lunch and the silk weavers
Khao Yai to a hill winery, then Pak Thong Chai and Nakhon Ratchasima
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nakhon Ratchasima
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
A slow morning after the early start: sleep in, swim, or go back to the park edge with your guide for an hour of birdwatching.
Afternoon
Late morning we drive into the hills around Khao Yai, where vineyards have grown since the 1990s on the cooler slopes, for a walk among the vines and a sit-down lunch at a winery with a tasting of its wines; we name the estate when we confirm your dates. In the afternoon we cross to Pak Thong Chai, a district south of Nakhon Ratchasima known for its silk. At a family workshop you see the whole chain: silkworms and mulberry leaves, reeling, dyeing and the wooden looms, and you can buy straight from the weavers.
Evening
Then it is a short drive into Nakhon Ratchasima, the city everyone calls Korat, the gateway to Isan, where the evening is free near the Thao Suranari monument and the night market.
Included
- Vineyard walk, wine tasting and a sit-down lunch at a Khao Yai winery
- Silk weaving workshop in Pak Thong Chai
- Drive to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)
More active option: An early bird walk at the park edge with your guide before breakfast.
Free time: Morning at leisure and the evening free in Korat
Activity: Non-drinkers get juice or soft drinks at the winery lunch at no extra cost.
Phimai at opening, Muang Tam at dusk
Nakhon Ratchasima to Phimai, then Buriram province and Prasat Muang Tam
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Buriram
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Korat at about 6:30 am and reach Phimai Historical Park at opening, about 7:30, when the lawns are wet and quiet. Prasat Hin Phimai was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, before Angkor Wat, and its central tower faces south-east, towards Angkor, at the end of an ancient Khmer road. Your guide walks you through the gates and galleries and reads the lintels with you: Shiva dancing, scenes from the Ramayana, and Buddhist images, because Phimai was a Mahayana Buddhist temple.
Morning
Breakfast is in town, and from Wednesday to Sunday the Phimai National Museum shows the finest carvings moved here for safekeeping.
Afternoon
After lunch we drive about two to two and a half hours south-east into Buriram province and rest at the hotel. In the late afternoon we visit Prasat Muang Tam, a 10th to 11th century temple wrapped in four L-shaped ponds, its laterite walls warm in the low sun.
Included
- Phimai Historical Park at opening with your guide
- Phimai National Museum, Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday)
- Lunch in Phimai
- Prasat Muang Tam in the late afternoon
Easier option: Stay at the hotel instead of the Muang Tam visit; you see Phanom Rung, the larger temple, tomorrow.
Free time: A rest at the hotel in the middle of the afternoon
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at Phimai on flat lawns and stone paving, and an hour at Muang Tam.
Phanom Rung at sunrise, an Isan night in Khon Kaen
Buriram province to Phanom Rung, then north to Khon Kaen
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Khon Kaen
- Drive about 4 h
A short, early drive brings us to Phanom Rung when it opens at about 6 am. The temple stands on the rim of an extinct volcano, about 400 m up, and you climb to it along a processional walk lined with lotus-bud posts, across three naga bridges and up a long stairway, with the plain of southern Isan spreading out behind you as the sun comes up. Inside, your guide points out the Narai Bantomsin lintel, Vishnu reclining, which was taken from the temple and returned from a museum in Chicago in 1988.
Afternoon
Breakfast follows, then we head north through Buriram and Maha Sarakham, about four hours of driving, with a sit-down lunch and stops on top of that. We reach Khon Kaen, the university city of the north-east, mid-afternoon and rest.
Evening
In the evening your guide leads an Isan food walk through the markets: som tam pounded to order, larb, grilled chicken, Isan sausage and sticky rice eaten by hand.
Included
- Phanom Rung Historical Park at opening with your guide
- Lunch on the way north
- Isan food walk in Khon Kaen with your guide, dinner included
Easier option: Sleep in and join the group for breakfast; your guide shows you Phanom Rung's carvings in photos on the drive, or stops briefly on the way past.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Khon Kaen
Activity: The only pre-dawn start, about 5:30 am. Phanom Rung's stairway has about 50 steps in flights, with landings. Tell your guide how hot you like your food: every dish on the walk can be made mild.
Sala Kaew Ku and sunset on the Mekong
Khon Kaen to Nong Khai, then Sala Kaew Ku and the Mekong promenade
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nong Khai
- Drive about 2.5 h
Before we leave Khon Kaen we climb Wat Nong Wang, a nine-storey pagoda by Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake, painted inside with the city's history and with a view over the lake from the top. Then it is about two and a half hours north through Udon Thani to Nong Khai, a quiet border town on the Mekong.
Afternoon
After lunch near the river we visit Sala Kaew Ku, a sculpture park of giant concrete figures made from the late 1970s by the mystic Bunleua Sulilat and his followers: a many-headed naga rearing over the trees, Buddhas, Hindu gods and a wheel of life you walk through. Your guide explains the strange mix of beliefs behind it. In the late afternoon we walk the Mekong promenade past the Tha Sadet market as the sun drops behind Laos, a few hundred metres away across the water.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice along the river.
Included
- Wat Nong Wang in Khon Kaen
- Lunch in Nong Khai
- Sala Kaew Ku sculpture park with your guide
- Sunset walk on the Mekong promenade and the Tha Sadet market
More active option: Hire a bicycle from the riverside and ride the flat Mekong path towards the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge before sunset.
Free time: Evening free on the riverside
The Mekong road to Chiang Khan
Nong Khai along the Mekong to Wat Hin Mak Peng and Sangkhom, then Chiang Khan
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Chiang Khan
- Drive about 4 h
Today follows the river. Route 211 runs west from Nong Khai beside the Mekong, through banana groves and riverside villages, with the hills of Laos on the far bank, about four hours of driving at an easy pace with stops.
Morning
Mid-morning we stop at Wat Hin Mak Peng, a forest monastery on rocks above the river, where monks still meditate in the trees; it is quiet and asks for modest dress.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal by the river in Sangkhom. We reach Chiang Khan in the late afternoon. The town's main streets are lined with two-storey teak shophouses, many over a century old, with shutters that open straight onto the street, and the riverside path looks across to Laos.
Evening
In the evening the walking street fills with stalls, and we finish the trip with a farewell dinner by the Mekong.
Included
- The Mekong road (Route 211) with your guide
- Wat Hin Mak Peng
- Riverside lunch in Sangkhom
- Evening walk through Chiang Khan's old wooden streets
- Farewell dinner by the Mekong
Free time: Free time on the walking street after dinner
Activity: Shoulders and knees covered, and no bright or tight clothing, at Wat Hin Mak Peng; your guide carries spare sarongs.
Mist on the river, then fly to Bangkok
Chiang Khan to Phu Thok and Kaeng Khut Khu, then Loei airport and a flight to Bangkok Don Mueang
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Chiang Khan's mornings are the reason to come.
Morning
At dawn, monks walk barefoot along Chai Khong Road to receive sticky rice from kneeling townspeople; you can watch from a respectful distance or join in with your guide's help. Those who want the view drive up Phu Thok, a hill a few kilometres outside town, where from November to February the Mekong valley often lies under a sea of mist at sunrise. After breakfast we stop at Kaeng Khut Khu, a bend of the river where rapids run over rocks in the dry season, and try the coconut sweets the stalls are known for.
Afternoon
Late morning we drive about an hour to Loei airport (LOE) for a flight of a little over an hour to Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK), arriving in the afternoon. Your guide sees you to check-in.
Included
- Dawn alms round in Chiang Khan
- Phu Thok viewpoint at sunrise
- Kaeng Khut Khu rapids
- Drop-off at Loei airport (LOE)
- Flight from Loei to Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) with one checked bag
Easier option: Skip the sunrise and walk the riverside at your own pace after breakfast.
More active option: Walk the last stretch up Phu Thok instead of riding to the top.
Activity: The flight time is confirmed at booking. Book an international flight leaving Bangkok in the evening, after about 8 pm, and allow for the transfer from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi if you fly from there.
- Bangkokstart
- Khao Yai2 nights
- Nakhon Ratchasima1 night
- Buriram1 night
- Khon Kaen1 night
- Nong Khai1 night
- Chiang Khan1 night
- Bangkokend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: November to February is the dry, cool season: clear days in the low 30s C, cool nights in Khao Yai and morning mist on the Mekong at Chiang Khan. The waterfalls are fullest in November and thinner by February. Gibbons call most in the early morning; hornbills and other wildlife are wild and never guaranteed.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Bangkok and Chiang Mai and want the Thailand most visitors skip
- Khmer temples without Angkor's crowds
- Food lovers curious about Isan cooking
- Early risers: wildlife, temples and the river are best in the first hours
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want to unpack once: after Khao Yai there are five one-night stops
- A beach or nightlife holiday
- Guaranteed wildlife sightings
- Step-free access: Phanom Rung has a long stairway and forest trails are uneven
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Khao Yai2 nights
- Nakhon Ratchasima1 night
- Buriram1 night
- Khon Kaen1 night
- Nong Khai1 night
- Chiang Khan1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 2 near Khao Yai National Park, 1 in central Nakhon Ratchasima, 1 in Buriram province near Phanom Rung, 1 in central Khon Kaen, 1 in Nong Khai near the Mekong, 1 in Chiang Khan by the river
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Suvarnabhumi (BKK), or Don Mueang (DMK) on request
- Our own air-conditioned van and driver from Bangkok to Loei
- Drop-off at Loei airport (LOE)
- Flight from Loei to Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK), with one checked bag
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from the Bangkok airport to the Loei flight
- A park ranger or naturalist guide for the Khao Yai day
Activities
- Khao Yai: park entry, a ranger-led day for gibbons and hornbills, Haew Suwat and Haew Narok waterfalls
- Khao Yai: vineyard walk and wine tasting
- Pak Thong Chai: silk weaving workshop
- Phimai Historical Park, and the Phimai National Museum (open Wednesday to Sunday)
- Prasat Muang Tam
- Phanom Rung Historical Park at sunrise
- Khon Kaen: Isan food walk and Wat Nong Wang
- Nong Khai: Sala Kaew Ku and the Mekong promenade
- Wat Hin Mak Peng on the Mekong road
- Chiang Khan: the old town, the dawn alms round, Phu Thok and Kaeng Khut Khu
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, days 2 to 7, including the winery lunch with its wine tasting and a riverside lunch in Sangkhom
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Khao Yai, the Isan food walk in Khon Kaen and a farewell dinner in Chiang Khan
Not included
- International flights to and from Bangkok
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Dinners on days 2, 3, 4 and 6
- Drinks, except the wine tasting included with the winery lunch
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Khao Yai night drive
- The transfer from Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi after the trip
- Personal expenses and silk you buy
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 385 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in 3-star-plus hotels, breakfast daily, six lunches and three dinners, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, our own van and driver, a ranger day in Khao Yai with park entry, every temple entry, the winery lunch, the Khon Kaen food walk, the flight from Loei to Bangkok with a bag, and airport transfers.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to share one table at the food walk, move quietly on a forest trail where gibbons are calling, and fit into the small riverside hotels of Chiang Khan.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group from the Bangkok airport to the Loei flight and briefs you at every temple. In Khao Yai a park ranger or naturalist joins for the wildlife day. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
An easy level. Most days mean 2 to 3 hours of flat walking. The Khao Yai trails are 3 to 5 km on uneven, sometimes muddy ground, and Phanom Rung has a long stairway with landings. You can stay with the vehicle at the Khao Yai viewpoints if you prefer.
Is there a single supplement?
Yes, and it is published before you book: a room of your own costs CAD 385 more. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and the price you see is the price you pay, with no surprise at checkout.
When is the best time to visit Isan?
November to February, the dry, cool season. Days are sunny in the low 30s C, nights in Khao Yai are cool, and Chiang Khan's morning mist is at its best. From March the heat builds, and the rains run from about June to October.
How long are the drives?
No day goes over about four hours of driving. The Phimai day, Phanom Rung to Khon Kaen and Nong Khai to Chiang Khan are the longest, each about four hours with a sit-down lunch and stops on top. The trip ends with a flight from Loei, which saves a full day on the road back to Bangkok.
Will we be changing hotels every night?
After two nights in Khao Yai, yes: the next five nights are one each in Korat, near Phanom Rung, Khon Kaen, Nong Khai and Chiang Khan. It is the cost of crossing Isan to the Mekong in eight days. Each move is four hours of driving or less, with a sit-down lunch and free time at the hotel.
Do I need a visa for Thailand?
Canadian, US and many other passport holders can currently enter Thailand visa-free for longer than this trip, and Thailand asks visitors to fill in the online Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival. Rules change, so check them for your passport before you fly.
Will we see wild elephants and gibbons in Khao Yai?
Gibbons are heard on most mornings and often seen; hornbills are likely in the fruiting season. Wild elephants live in the park and are sometimes seen near the roads or grasslands, but no sighting is guaranteed. Starting early with a ranger gives the best chance.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, driver and guides.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 2,265 per person sharing, taxes included.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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