# Khao Lak from Phuket: What to Expect on a Tour On our tours Khao Lak means two things: a full jungle day from Phuket, the Khao Lak safari, with a cave temple, an elephant spa, a bamboo raft, a turtle farm and a waterfall; and the Similan islands, whose boats also collect guests staying in Khao Lak. The safari picks you up at 06:50 and heads back at 16:50, so expect a ten-hour day. ## Tours and prices in Thai baht - [Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/kao-lak-safari-1-day) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/kao-lak-safari-1-day.md) — One day, around ten hours · Adult 1,650 THB · Child 4–9 1,450 THB - [Similan islands: the classic day trip](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/similan-islands) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/similan-islands.md) — About twelve hours · Adult 2,600 THB · Child 4–9 2,400 THB - [Similan islands, early departure](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/similan-islands-early) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/tours/similan-islands-early.md) — One day, 04:00–17:00 · Adult 2,800 THB · Child 4–9 2,500 THB Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so. ## The Khao Lak safari, stop by stop It's a day that changes scene every hour or so. After the 06:50 pickup the first stop, at 09:20, is a monkey cave and the Suwan Kuha temple, with its stalactites and bats. A small zoo follows at 11:20. At 12:05 comes the elephant spa: a mud treatment, bathing and showering the elephants, a baby elephant show and a ride, all in the price. The afternoon is gentler. Bamboo rafting or canoeing down a jungle river at 12:50, a drive past fruit and rubber plantations with the guide explaining what grows where, Thai lunch at 13:50, then a turtle farm, a waterfall stop at 15:00 and, at 16:20, the Sarasin bridge viewpoint and a fruit market where the guide gets you tasting things. You leave for the hotel at 16:50. ## What the safari price covers Hotel transfer both ways, a guide, insurance, Thai lunch, national park entrance fees and the full elephant programme, bathing and riding included. You pay for drinks with lunch, souvenirs, extra food and snacks, photo and video if you want it, and temple clothing hire if you arrive in shorts. That last one is worth planning for. The card asks for shoulders and knees covered at the temple, and cover-ups can be hired there for a small fee. Bring a towel and swimwear, and a change of clothes: the card is unusually firm that this one isn't optional, because the raft and the elephants get you wet. ## Khao Lak and the Similan islands Both our Similan trips include transfer from hotels on Phuket and in Khao Lak. So if you're staying in Khao Lak you can join the classic big-boat day or the early speedboat without coming down to Phuket first. From Phuket, the classic boat's card has you driving about an hour and a half to Tablamu pier before departure at 07:30. The national park closes for the monsoon from mid-May to mid-October, so the Similan side of Khao Lak only works in the other half of the year. The jungle safari runs in both halves; the card only asks you to bring a rain jacket in the wet season. - Elephants, a raft and a waterfall in one day — Khao Lak safari - Reefs and white beaches, mid-October to mid-May — Similan islands: the classic day trip - First boat to the Similans — Similan islands, early departure ## Is the safari right for you? If you want variety and animals without a sea crossing, yes. It's a good pick for children who get bored, and for anyone who gets seasick, since nothing on the route goes out to sea. Less so if you'd rather spend an hour at one place than ten minutes at ten; the day is built for variety, not depth. One thing to know before you book: the elephant programme here includes a ride. If you'd rather swim with elephants than ride one, look at our elephant beach day instead. The whole question is worked through on [is the Khao Lak safari worth it](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-worth-it), and [Khao Lak safari or Avatar world](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-or-avatar-world) compares it with the other long jungle day. ## Booking Send the tour, the date, your hotel and everyone's ages in the chat; we confirm the pickup time for your hotel. Children under four travel free, without a separate seat or meals, 4 to 9 pay the child price and ten and over the adult one. Payment by card online is agreed in the chat once the booking is confirmed. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. On a ten-hour safari that matters more than you'd think: there's a lot of road, and a lot to ask about on it. How to book either Similan day is on [how to book a Similan islands tour](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/how-to-book-similan-islands-tour). Surin, further north, is covered on [Similan or Surin Islands from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/similan-or-surin-islands). The Similan boats board at [Tab Lamu pier](https://phukeo.com/en/guide/tab-lamu-pier), a short drive from Khao Lak hotels. ## Worth knowing Pack a full change of clothes for the Khao Lak safari. Between the raft and the elephant spa you will get wet, and the drive back to Phuket is long. ## FAQ ### How far is Khao Lak from Phuket? Far enough that the safari is a full day: pickup at 06:50, the first stop at 09:20 and the drive back from 16:50. To the classic Similan pier the card gives about an hour and a half by road. ### What does the Khao Lak safari include? Hotel transfer, a guide, insurance, Thai lunch, national park fees and the full elephant programme with bathing and a ride. Drinks with lunch, souvenirs and photo services are extra. ### Is there an elephant ride on the Khao Lak safari? Yes, the elephant programme includes a ride as well as bathing. If you'd rather not ride, our elephant beach day has no riding. ### Can I join a Similan tour from Khao Lak? Yes. Both our Similan trips include transfer from hotels on Phuket and in Khao Lak. The park is open from mid-October to mid-May. ### Is the Khao Lak safari good in the rainy season? It runs whatever the sea is doing, because nothing on the route goes out to sea. The card asks you to bring a rain jacket in the wet season. ### What should I wear on the Khao Lak safari? Swimwear and a towel, a full change of clothes, sunscreen and a hat, and something covering shoulders and knees for the temple. ### How do I book the Khao Lak safari from Phuket? Send the date, your hotel and everyone's ages in the chat. The manager confirms the pickup time and the total, and payment by card online is agreed in the chat once the booking is confirmed. ## Compare with - [Is the Khao Lak Safari from Phuket Worth It?](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-worth-it) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-worth-it.md) - [How to Book a Similan Islands Tour from Phuket](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/how-to-book-similan-islands-tour) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/faq/how-to-book-similan-islands-tour.md) - [Khao Lak Safari or Avatar World from Phuket: Which Jungle Day?](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-or-avatar-world) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/khao-lak-safari-or-avatar-world.md) - [Similan Islands from Phuket or Khao Lak: Where to Start the Day](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/similan-islands-from-phuket-or-khao-lak) · [md](https://phukeo.com/en/excursions/similan-islands-from-phuket-or-khao-lak.md) - [All tours](https://phukeo.com/en/tours) ## How to book [Ask about dates on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/66619490349?text=Hello!%20I%20found%20you%20on%20phukeo.com%20and%20I'd%20like%20to%20book%20%22Khao%20Lak%22.%20My%20dates%3A%20) --- Canonical: https://phukeo.com/en/guide/khao-lak