🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Three days is just about the right length for Hat Yai — enough time to cover the city itself, the seaside old town of Songkhla, and a waterfall in the forest without rushing yourself into the ground. The key to this trip is to keep each day in a different zone, because Hat Yai and Songkhla town are about 30 km apart and Ton Nga Chang Waterfall sits off in another direction out of town. Bounce back and forth and you'll lose a lot of time on the road.
For where to stay, we'd suggest basing yourself in central Hat Yai near Kim Yong Market and Niphat Uthit Road. You can walk to food and shopping at night, taxis and rental cars are easy to find, and it's a good launch point for both Songkhla and the waterfall. If you'd rather spend one night by the sea, you could move to the Samila–Songkhla side for the second night, but this plan assumes you stay in Hat Yai the whole time to keep things simple.
On transport, a rental car or your own vehicle is the most flexible — especially on day three for the waterfall, since public transport out there isn't great. If you're not driving, you can take a minivan or songthaew between Hat Yai and Songkhla on day two (they run often, and fares are just tens of baht). For the waterfall day, hiring a car or using a taxi/ride-hailing app is the easier call.
Day One — Hat Yai City, Morning on the Hill, Evening at the Markets
Day one stays in Hat Yai city, so there's no long travel. You'll cover the city's highlight, the Hat Yai Municipal Park on Khao Kho Hong, which has a cable car up to the Big Buddha (Phra Phutthamongkhon Maharat), the Brahma shrine, and Guan Yin. Then in the evening you head back down to eat well and walk a night market in town.
Hat Yai City — Khao Kho Hong + Night Market
Day One Tip
The Khao Kho Hong cable car closes for maintenance from time to time. If riding the cable car specifically is the point for you, check the Hat Yai Municipal Park page before you leave home. If the cable car is closed, you can still drive up to pay respects and enjoy the view as normal. Some night markets also close on Mondays, so confirm the opening days first.
Book the activities in your Hat Yai trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Day Two — Songkhla Old Town, Nang Ngam Road, Samila Beach, Khao Tang Kuan
Day two heads out of Hat Yai to Songkhla town, about 30 km away — a 30–40 minute trip by car or by minivan/songthaew. Songkhla's highlight is the old town around Nang Ngam, Nakhon Nok and Nakhon Nai roads, with century-old Sino-Portuguese buildings, street art telling the town's story, and local food. In the afternoon you carry on to the sea at Samila Beach, then ride up Khao Tang Kuan in the evening for the view.
Songkhla Old Town + Samila Beach
Make the Most of Old Songkhla
The old town is still a place where people actually live and trade. Photos are fine, but ask before photographing people or inside their homes. The midday sun in Songkhla is strong, so bring a hat, umbrella and water, and cover the old-town side in the morning before it gets too hot. Save the beach and Khao Tang Kuan for the afternoon and evening, when the breeze is cooler and the light is nicer.
Highlights in Songkhla Old Town You Shouldn't Skip
If you have a bit more time to walk the old town, these are the spots people tend to stop at. Pick whatever suits your style — you don't have to do every one in a single day.
Nang Ngam Road
The heart of the old town: century-old Sino-Portuguese buildings, old-school food shops, cafes and street art. Worth walking end to end.
Samila Beach + Golden Mermaid
Songkhla's signature beach — white sand, pine trees, and the Golden Mermaid statue on the rocks, with a view to Cat and Mouse islands. A good spot to sit and catch the evening breeze.
Khao Tang Kuan
A hilltop in the middle of town with a lift up, giving views of the town, the lake and the Gulf of Thailand all around. At the summit sits the town's twin pagoda and stupa.
Nakhon Nok–Nakhon Nai area
The lanes of old buildings carrying on from Nang Ngam Road, with shrines, old houses and cafes inside heritage buildings. Easy to wander and photograph.
Day Three — Ton Nga Chang Waterfall, a Refreshing Swim Before You Go
The last day swaps the city for the forest with a swim at Ton Nga Chang Waterfall, a large waterfall in the Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary outside Hat Yai toward the Hat Yai–Rattaphum direction. It has several tiers you can walk up to swim. Go in the morning when the water is clear and the crowds are thin, and you'll have time to head back into town to grab souvenirs before you travel home.
Ton Nga Chang Waterfall + Souvenirs on the Way Home
Ton Nga Chang Waterfall Tip
In the rainy season (roughly May–Dec on this side of the south), the water is heavy and fast — pretty, but watch for slippery rocks and the current. In the dry season there's less water but it's easier and safer to swim. Reaching the upper tiers means a steep forest path, so wear shoes with good grip, don't climb over the barriers, and follow the rangers' announcements about flash floods, especially on days of heavy rain.
Adjust the Plan to Your Style
- Traveling with family/kids — on day three focus on swimming at the waterfall's safe lower tiers without hiking up to the higher ones, and on day two add more time at Samila Beach so the kids can run around by the sea.
- Cafe and photo lovers — add more time on day two in Songkhla Old Town, hitting the cafes inside heritage buildings and catching all the street art, then drop the day-three waterfall and swap in cafes around Hat Yai city instead.
- Not driving yourself — take a minivan/songthaew between Hat Yai and Songkhla on day two, and for the waterfall day hire a car or use a ride-hailing app. If you'd rather skip the waterfall hassle, switch day three to city sightseeing — dim sum, market walks, and souvenir shopping.
- Have an extra day — add a day for Wat Hat Yai Nai (with its large reclining Buddha), Khlong Hae Floating Market, or spend a night by the sea on the Samila side to catch the sunrise.
Rough Budget Per Person
- Khao Kho Hong on day one — cable car or vehicle fee up the hill depends on the service you use; budget roughly 100–300 THB (check the latest price on site).
- Khao Tang Kuan on day two — lift fee is about 30 THB for adults and 20 THB for children.
- Ton Nga Chang Waterfall on day three — entry about 20 THB for adults + parking about 30 THB.
- Transport — a minivan/songthaew between Hat Yai and Songkhla is tens of baht per trip; hiring a car to the waterfall or using a ride-hailing app runs from a few hundred to a little over a thousand baht depending on group size. A car rental is roughly 1,000–1,500 THB per day.
- Food — dim sum, southern rice-and-curry, and night markets will fill you up for 60–200 THB a meal; a proper sit-down seafood dinner runs 300–700 THB a meal.
- Two nights' accommodation — hotels in Hat Yai city start from the high hundreds to around a thousand baht per night, and the central area near the markets is the most convenient to get around.
All in, a 3-day 2-night trip like this (not counting accommodation and your travel to Hat Yai) lands in the range of about 1,500–3,500 THB per person, depending on whether you rent a car or use public transport and how fancy you eat. Adjust it up or down to suit your style.
See well-located hotels in Hat Yai — near the markets, easy to walk to food and shopping
See the Top 10 Hat Yai Hotels →