Is the Cheow Lan Lake Day Trip from Phuket Worth It?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Yes — as long as you're fine with about five hours in the vehicle, because that's the price of seeing Cheow Lan lake in Khao Sok and a sunrise over Phang Nga Bay on the same day. We pick you up at 06:00, stop at Samet Nangshe for the sunrise, cross the lake by longtail with lunch at a floating restaurant, and head back to Phuket at 17:00.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheow Lan lake and the Samet Nangshe sunrise | One day, 06:00–17:00 | 2,600 ฿ | 2,200 ฿ |
| Phang Nga and the Samet Nangshe glass skywalk | One day, 06:30–18:00 | 2,650 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
| Secrets of Krabi: hot springs, jungle lakes and the Tiger Cave temple | One day, 05:00–17:40 | 2,500 ฿ | 2,300 ฿ |
| Rafting and the elephant spa | One day, nine hours or more | 1,550 ฿ | 1,350 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The day, hour by hour
It starts in the dark. Pickup is at 06:00 and the first stop is Samet Nangshe, the viewpoint over Phang Nga Bay, where you get the sunrise over the limestone islands and some time for photos (the card has you there at about 08:00). Then the bus turns north through the jungle. That leg is roughly an hour and a half, and you're at Cheow Lan lake by 11:20, climbing into a longtail.
Midday is the part people come for. The boat runs under cliffs that go up as high as 960 metres, all of it covered in forest, and lunch at 13:00 is on a restaurant that floats in the middle of the lake. After that: fishing for red tilapia and a swim at 14:00, a short walk in the rainforest at 15:00, and Bang Tong temple at 16:20, where one of the monks is a painter. You leave for Phuket at 17:00.
Why it's worth it
Because it isn't a beach day, and after two or three island trips that's exactly what a lot of people need. The water is fresh and calm. The cliffs come straight up out of it. You spend the middle of the day on a lake rather than the open sea, which also makes it one of the easier boat rides we offer for anyone who dreads waves.
And you don't open your wallet much. Transfer from anywhere on Phuket, the guide, insurance, the floating-restaurant lunch, the boat across the lake, the Samet Nangshe entry, the fishing, the temple and the jungle walk — all in. The card lists only personal spending and souvenirs as extras, so cash is only for yourself.
Why it might not be
The driving, mainly. Our card doesn't hide it: about two and a half hours each way to the lake, so roughly five hours on the road altogether, split between the pre-dawn run to the viewpoint and the long leg north into Khao Sok. If a bus seat makes you miserable after an hour, pick something nearer Phuket and keep Cheow Lan for another trip.
Then there's the 06:00 start (no lie-in, the sunrise is stop one). People also ask whether this is the overnight stay on the floating bungalows. It isn't — you cross, eat at the floating restaurant and come home the same evening. Oh, and pack a light layer. It can be cool on the water.
What's in the price, and what to pack
Nearly everything is covered. Transfer from anywhere on Phuket (no surcharge for the far north on this one), the guide and insurance, lunch on the floating restaurant, the longtail across Cheow Lan, entry to Samet Nangshe, the fishing, Bang Tong temple and the jungle walk. What's left for you to pay? Personal spending and souvenirs.
In the bag: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat, a camera, that light layer for the boat, and something covering shoulders and knees for the temple. Prices are in the table on this page, in baht.
Who it suits
Photographers, people who've already done the island days, and families who want a calm-water day: the card says the trip suits children from about three. It suits less well anyone who hates early starts or long drives.
- Sunrise over Phang Nga Bay plus a jungle lake — Cheow Lan lake
- The same viewpoint with a glass bridge and an elephant programme — Phang Nga and the Samet Nangshe skywalk
- A warm mineral lake to swim in plus a temple climb — Secrets of Krabi
- Elephants and rafting instead of a lake — Rafting and the elephant spa
- A shorter day on the island — Phuket sightseeing
Cheow Lan or another land day?
If you're weighing the lake against an elephant day, elephants or Cheow Lan lake puts them side by side. If the sunrise is what draws you, Samet Nangshe at sunrise or in the afternoon lists the hour each of our trips reaches the viewpoint. And every trip that never goes out on the sea is on land tours from Phuket.
Guide, children and booking
Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and from ten the adult price applies. The programme can change with the weather.
Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send the tour, the date and your hotel, and we confirm the pickup time.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is this an overnight trip to the floating bungalows?
No. This is the one-day version: you cross the lake, eat at a floating restaurant and come back the same evening.
How much of the day is driving?
Around five hours in total. The drive to the lake is about two and a half hours each way, split between the run to Samet Nangshe before dawn and the leg north to Khao Sok.
Can you swim in Cheow Lan lake?
Yes. The swim comes after lunch, at the same time as the fishing, and the water is fresh and calm.
What time is the pickup?
06:00, because the sunrise at Samet Nangshe is the first stop. Transfer from anywhere on Phuket is included.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, the card says it suits children from about three. Ages 4 to 9 pay the child price, and from ten the adult price applies.
Is an English-speaking guide available?
Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.