Erawan National Park is an absolute must when you are in Kanchanaburi. The Erawan waterfalls are incredibly spectacular—some of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll see on the Thai mainland, at least in my opinion. I didn’t know much about them before my first visit to Thailand in 2005, so I went to the falls with no expectations. I visited them for a second time in October 2025 and loved it just as much. In this article, I’ll tell you all about it!
About Erawan National Park and waterfalls
The Erawan Falls are among Thailand’s most famous waterfalls and are located in Erawan National Park, in Kanchanaburi Province. The waterfall consists of no fewer than seven levels, connected by a walking trail approximately 2 kilometers long. Along the way, you will pass various natural pools with clear, turquoise water where you can swim at several locations.
The waterfall takes its name from Erawan, the three-headed elephant from Hindu mythology. According to legend, the uppermost level resembles the head of this elephant. The various levels each have their own character: some are relatively easy to reach, while the higher sections require a bit more climbing. Erawan Falls are located approximately 65 kilometers from Kanchanaburi, making them an ideal destination for a day trip.
Off to the Erawan falls
We drove our rental car from Kanchanaburi to Erawan National Park. Google Maps estimated the drive at one hour and twenty minutes, but in reality, and as is often the case in Thailand, it took longer. There isn’t much to see along the way, so we didn’t make any stops and drove straight to Erawan National Park. As a result, we arrived at the waterfalls around 10 am. We were visiting on a Sunday, and we understood that it could get very crowded with local visitors.
Note: You also have to pay a fee for your car (though it isn’t officially labeled as a parking fee); we paid 30 baht to park.
After paying the entrance fee of 300 baht per person, we were allowed to enter.
Our first steps in Erawan National Park
Upon arrival at Erawan National park, we find a small visitor center and restrooms, which we decide to use before setting off. A short while later, there is a security check, as bringing food and drinks into the park is prohibited. You can only bring water so we simply walk right through. It is 32 degrees today, so heading out without water isn’t an option. It is amazing how easily it all goes.
Next, we reach the life jacket rental station. Wearing a life jacket is mandatory in Erawan National Park if you want to swim at the waterfalls. Compliance is strictly enforced, though mostly at the lower-level waterfalls. We decide to rent just one life jacket between us (20 Baht) because we don’t want the hassle of constantly lugging around two of them.
And then, it is finally time to set off!
About the waterfalls in Erawan National Park
Erawan Falls consists of seven levels, though you essentially follow the river the entire way up. The first level is the most visited, as a paved trail leads to it, making it accessible to people with disabilities and those with strollers. The entire hike covers about 2.4 kilometers one way, and particularly near the final waterfalls, you have to do quite a bit of scrambling over a muddy path.
Keep an eye out for monkeys along the way, as they can be very aggressive. I had a run-in with a monkey that attacked me, probably because of the banana I had in the side pocket of my backpack. I realized later that wasn’t very smart, so make sure to keep all your food and drinks in a sealed bag. It’s also wise to keep valuables, such as your sunglasses and mobile phone, close at hand.
Our hike to the Erawan Falls
The first two waterfalls are the busiest. Entire families picnic here, and everyone seems to be swimming in the bright blue water; at times, it feels like a big playground. After the second waterfall, we quickly hike on, leaving the real crowds behind. Many Thai people don’t bother walking all the way to the top we have noticed.
We go for the occasional swim along the way, but the downside is that your life jacket gets soaking wet and you have to hang it on your bag (or carry it, though that’s not practical when you occasionally need to do some hand and footwork when going further up). About half way uo, there’s a side trail leading to a viewpoint. It’s great to see where you are, since all the waterfalls are tucked away in the jungle, meaning you’re constantly walking beneath a canopy of leaves.
Onwards to the highest Erawan Falls
The trail is fine up to level 4, but it becomes a bit more strenuous after that. Since we are traveling during the rainy season (October) and it rained last night, it’s quite slippery and muddy in places. Steps have been built in a few spots to make hiking up easier. If you have trouble walking, I wouldn’t attempt this section. You really have to watch your footing at times, and climbing the steps is tough, especially in the heat. But… it’s definitely worth it!
Once you reach the top at level 7, there is a sign reading “You are the conqueror”, meaning you’ve made it! Up here, no one seems to care about the mandatory life jackets anymore, and people are swimming everywhere without vests. And to be fair, it is truly beautiful here. To me, it looks just like Jurassic Park: a massive waterfall right in the middle of the jungle. It’s quite crowded though, but I guess that comes with visiting a major tourist attraction.
We stay here for a while to swim and sunbathe before eventually heading back down. The walk down takes us about an hour. We decide to grab a bite to eat at one of the food stalls next to the parking lot and then drive back to Kanchanaburi.
Practical tips for your visit to Erawan National Park
I will end this article about Erawan National Park with some practical tips for your visit and things that are good to know and/or keep in mind:
- Try to go as early in the day as possible to avoid the crowds. This is especially the case if you visit on a Sunday. We noticed that Thai people like to sleep in; we arrived at 10 a.m., and the car park was only partially full, but it was overflowing when we returned.
- Bring water and some snacks for the hike. You can’t buy anything inside the park, though there are several small restaurants near the parking area.
- You can only pay in cash. Admission costs: 300 Baht per person, 20 Baht to rent a life jacket, and 30 Baht for parking.
- You can take the public bus from Kanchanaburi to the national park, but we thought these buses looked incredibly uncomfortable. You can also book a tour from Kanchanaburi.
- Are you traveling from Bangkok? You can take the train to Kanchanaburi and then continue by local bus. In my opinion, however, doing it this way is a bit of a hassle and quite time consuming. In this case, I would opt for a organized day tour from Bangkok.
- We arrived at Erawan National Park around 10:00 and left again at 14:30. So half a day gives you enough time.
- Wear shoes with good profile if you want to visit the upper waterfalls as well. As far as I’m concerned, flip-flops are really unsuitable.
- Also pack plenty of drinking water, snacks, sunscreen, a beach towel, and a power bank—because you’re bound to take tons of photos!
- We stayed in Jim Guesthouse within walking distance of Kanchanaburi town center and paid about 25 euros per night, including breakfast.
Book your trip!
Below you will find the possibility to book your trip:
- We flew with Qatar Airways from Stockholm to Bangkok. Check rates and availability here.
- We booked all our hotels in advance via Booking. We traveled in low season (October and November) so it wasn’t super busy, but didn’t want to waste time looking for accommodation once in Thailand and this saves us a lot of time to enjoy the natural beauty.
- Find rental car rates here.
- Also find an overview of tours from Kanchanaburi here.
Conclusion and further reading
We hope you found this article about Erawan National Park useful and found the information you were looking for. If you’d like to read more about our road trip through Thailand, you’ll likely find the following articles useful as well:
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