We recently traveled to Khao Sok National Park and thoroughly loved our time there. We however did learn a lot about what we'd do differently on our next trip in order to save some money. Planning a trip here can be expensive, but also can be done affordably DIY - it all depends on the type of trip you're looking for. We'll break down our costs, as well as the prices of the various options available.

In general, it is more expensive to book online in advance. This comes with numerous benefits however, such as guaranteeing your booking, and avoiding confusing bus station timetables or haggling on arrival. We'll do our best to explain all options so you can decide when it's best to book in advance, versus booking on arrival.

Transportation to Khao Sok National Park

Transportation options of course depends highly on your starting point - the main options are broken down on our full guide to Khao Sok. We'll do our best to summarize here.

If you're traveling from a far distance, such as Bangkok, a train to Surat Thani Station is your best bet. Duration is 9-10 hours, so consider overnight sleeper trains. These often sell out a day before, but are slightly cheaper when buying at the station. You can buy online here; Thai trains are quite affordable.

From Surat Thani, Phuket or Krabi, you will either need public or private transport to Khao Sok village. Public busses are cheapest, but require buying tickets in person. Surat Thani Bus Station, Phuket Bus Station 2, and Krabi Bus Terminal all have routes that go directly to Khao Sok village, with tickets costing only a few dollars. You may prefer to purchase semi-private shuttles online from Surat Thani, Phuket or Krabi however as they're quite affordable and avoids risk and headaches.

Transportation to Cheow Lan Lake

Your bus or shuttle will drop you off in Khao Sok village. There is plenty to do here, but travelers who want to see Cheow Lan Lake will require additional transport, as this is still located a 1-hour drive away.

Transportation to the lake can easily be booked within Khao Sok village. Tickets can be bought directly from your hotel, or from the transport companies at the bus station in the village. We found this option to be quite reliable, and cheaper than booking online.

For reference, online bookings are roughly $20 CAD. Buying in person was about half the price, and is easier to schedule round-trip transport.

Khao Sok Accommodation Prices

Of course, your hotel stays will be the most expensive part of your trip to Khao Sok. Check out our full Khao Sok accommodation guide to choose the best option for you.

Main town hotels, nature lodges, and camps can be vary in price. You can search for prices here. Stays can range from $70 CAD to $500 CAD, so there's a wide range of options available.

Over-water bungalows on Cheow Lan Lake are on the upper-end of this price range. These are the coveted stays which some people solely make the trip to Khao Sok for. We found that these can often be booked upon arrival for a much lower price. Book a couple nights at your hotel within Khao Sok village, and then they can arrange your stay with any spot on the lake which still has availability. This is a great option to stay on the lake for a fraction of the price.

Khao Sok National Park Fees

You need to purchase park entry tickets, as well as an additional ticket if you plan to visit Cheow Lan Lake.

Adult tickets are 300 Baht (~$13 Canadian). Cheow Lan Lake pier tickets are an additional 40 Baht.

Khao Sok Boat Tour Prices

There are three primary ways to book your boat tours, all of which vary in price.

You can simply purchase tickets online, from GetYourGuide or Klook. This is of course the most convenient but most expensive option.

Secondly, you can book the boat tour directly from your hotel in Khao Sok village. This is much cheaper than buying online. Payment will likely require cash, but an ATM is found inside the village. A full package which includes a 1-night stay, transport, boat tour and hike can be bought for roughly $100 CAD.

Finally, boat tours can also be purchased directly at the pier. Boat tour duration vary, but prices range from 2,500 - 3,000 Bhat typically. Note that this is for the entire boat - you'll likely see other travelers in line who are willing to share the 6 or 10-person long-tail boats, which can make this the most affordable option to see the lake.

Additional Khao Sok Tour Prices

Khao Sok offers plenty of tours beyond the lake. Hiking is free (with your park ticket) (starting point is here), and you'll surely see plenty of monkeys and other animals. Most other activities will be paid. Again, check our full guide for details.

Night safaris require a paid guide, but are affordable. Kayaking or tubing down the river is also one of the more affordable activities. There's also a Thai massage place in town, for roughly 400 Bhat.

We want to specially mention the elephant rescue center - seeing (and feeding!) these animals in person was a truly incredible experience.

You can browse the tour options here, to get an idea of what's available. Although prices vary, you can expect to pay half price or even less if you book with your hotel upon arrival rather than online.

Total Cost of Khao Sok National Park

Let's make a rough sum of the total price of visiting Khao Sok.

Transportation via bus from a nearby station can be done for as little as $3 USD. Sleeper trains, or private shuttles will of course be more.

Accommodation of course also varies. We paid only $50 USD per night for a hotel in town.

Park tickets plus port/lake fees cost $10 USD per person.

Boat tours can be done for $10 USD, plus ~$8 USD with shared transport from Khao Sok Village. It may be best to book a complete package which includes an over-water bungalow, boat tour, transport and lake-side hiking for ~$75 USD.

Other optional tours vary. Night tours booked from your hotel may cost $15 USD or less. Elephant sanctuary visits booked online will be closer to $100.

Remember to check out our full guide to Khao Sok, or our Khao Sok accommodation guide.