🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
What makes this trip work is the contrast between two towns that sit so close together. Khon Kaen is one of Isan's big cities — Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake, the nine-tier Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, a dinosaur museum, and new cafés all over town. Maha Sarakham is smaller and slower, the Tak Sila town — Isan's town of learning — because it hosts both Mahasarakham University and the Rajabhat. That gives it a student-town feel with cheap eats and plenty of cafés. Put them together over two days and you get both the buzz and the calm in a single trip.
Before you set off
Driving yourself is by far the easiest way to do this trip, because Maha Sarakham's sights are spread across different districts. Phra That Na Dun in particular sits in Na Dun district, about another 65 km south of the town centre, and public transport out there is a hassle to piece together. If you don't have your own car, renting one in Khon Kaen and driving it yourself gives you much better control over timing. Budget for fuel and expect to cover 120–150 km a day.
Day 1 — Khon Kaen highlights, then south to Maha Sarakham
Day one picks off the best of downtown Khon Kaen from morning into the afternoon, then you drive down to sleep in Maha Sarakham in the evening — so the next morning you can head straight to Na Dun without backtracking. The Khon Kaen to Maha Sarakham route uses Highway 208 and is an easy drive the whole way.
Khon Kaen → Maha Sarakham
Where to stay tonight
Sleeping in Maha Sarakham town tonight is the most convenient choice, since you can drive straight down to Na Dun in the morning. As a university town, its hotels and stays are noticeably cheaper than Khon Kaen's, ranging from budget chain hotels to guesthouses around the universities. Pick somewhere near the centre and finding dinner is easy.
Book the activities in your Khon Kaen 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 2 — the Tak Sila route to Phra That Na Dun
Day two is the highlight of the trip. Leave Maha Sarakham town and head south to Na Dun district, about 65 km away, to pay respects at Phra That Na Dun — what people call the Buddhist park of Isan. It's a Dvaravati-style stupa over a thousand years old, and this area was once the ancient city of Nakhon Champa Si. Along the way and nearby there are also Khmer sanctuaries (ku) and a museum to stop at.
Maha Sarakham → Na Dun
The sights you shouldn't miss across both provinces
Phra Borommathat Na Dun (Maha Sarakham)
A white Dvaravati-style stupa over a thousand years old, the one people call the Buddhist park of Isan, enshrining sacred Buddha relics excavated in the area. It's ringed by a wide arboretum that's calm to walk, and it's the main highlight of the trip.
Wat Pa Wang Nam Yen (Maha Sarakham)
A famous temple with an ordination hall built entirely from takhian-thong hardwood, its 32 large timber pillars making it a rare, large wooden hall. The grounds are shady and easy for photos and making merit, in Mueang district.
Bueng Kaen Nakhon & Wat Nong Waeng (Khon Kaen)
A lake in the middle of Khon Kaen with the nine-tier Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon. Climb the upper floor for a full view of the city. It's a trip-opener that combines merit-making and a city view in one spot.
Kosamphi Forest Park (Maha Sarakham)
Forest along the Chi River that's home to a troop of long-tailed macaques, with natural wetlands and shady big trees. Come early and the monkeys are lively — a good stop on the way out of Maha Sarakham town.
Ku San Tarat (Maha Sarakham)
A Khmer sandstone sanctuary that once served as an arokayasala, an ancient hospital — a trace of Khmer civilisation in the Na Dun area. A good add-on after visiting the stupa.
Ban Chiang Hian Museum (Maha Sarakham)
A local museum showing old objects and Isan folk wisdom, with a contemporary art gallery downstairs. It's in Khwao subdistrict in Mueang district, open daily 08:00–16:00.
What to eat in Maha Sarakham
Maha Sarakham is a student town, so the food is cheap and plentiful. Local Isan dishes are easy to find in every quarter, from larb, koi and jaew to ho mok and gaeng om. The dish locals think of first is jaew hon, an Isan hotpot with a hot, jaew-flavoured broth you dip beef and vegetables into. For things to take home, drop by an OTOP centre of local products in town.
- Jaew hon — a local Isan hotpot with an intense jaew-flavoured broth for dipping beef and fresh vegetables. It's the dish people in Maha Sarakham think of first.
- Local Isan food — larb, koi, som tam, grilled chicken and gaeng om, easy to find at every market and at the spots around the universities, at student prices.
- University-quarter cafés — there are lots of newer cafés around Mahasarakham University and the Rajabhat, fine for getting work done or taking a break mid-trip.
- OTOP local products — a centre of local goods in town, with silk, dried snacks and local handicrafts to buy and bring home.
Routes and getting around
- Khon Kaen → Maha Sarakham — about 70 km on Highway 208, roughly 50 minutes to an hour driving yourself. It's a straight, easy road, and there are intercity buses and vans too if you don't have your own car.
- Maha Sarakham town → Na Dun — about 65 km south, passing through Wapi Pathum district, around an hour and a half. It's a rural road with fewer petrol stations, so fill up in town first.
- Within Maha Sarakham — the sights are spread across different districts. Wat Pa Wang Nam Yen and the museum are near town, but Phra That Na Dun and the Khmer sanctuary are further out. A private car is by far the most flexible — expect to drive 120–150 km a day.
- Na Dun → Khon Kaen — the return takes about 2 hours. Leave Na Dun in the afternoon and you'll reach Khon Kaen right around evening, with time to stop for local products in Maha Sarakham town on the way.
Pace your day right
Phra That Na Dun is a fair distance from Maha Sarakham town, so don't leave it for late afternoon — the drive back is long. If you genuinely only have a single day, cut it down to Phra That Na Dun and Wat Pa Wang Nam Yen as your two main stops and skip the rest for now, so you're not rushing the drive.
Adjust the plan to your style
The merit-making route
Focus on Phra That Na Dun and Wat Pa Wang Nam Yen, then add Ku San Tarat — a full culture-and-merit run in one day. Keep Khon Kaen to just Wat Nong Waeng in the morning.
The history route
Go deep on Nakhon Champa Si: start at the museum to understand the stupa's background, then add Ku San Tarat and the Dvaravati–Khmer traces in the area. Good for anyone into ancient cities.
The family route
Add Kosamphi Forest Park so the kids can see the monkeys, stop at a university-quarter café for a snack break, and build in more frequent rests since the driving distances are fairly long.
Plan a full Khon Kaen trip — see all the hotels and sights
See the Khon Kaen travel guide →