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🗺️ Korat Itinerary

Korat in 3 Days, 2 Nights
City + Khao Yai + Phimai

Korat is just a three-hour drive from Bangkok, but it gives you several kinds of trip in one province: an old town with local dishes like Korat pad mee, the Khao Yai area packed with cafes and vineyards, and the Phimai stone sanctuary, which is older than Angkor Wat. This is a 3-day, 2-night self-drive plan that paces things so you're not rushing or wearing yourself out.

🚗 Self-drive🍜 Local food🍇 Khao Yai + wine
Korat in 3 Days, 2 Nights City + Khao Yai + Phimai

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

This trip is built for people driving themselves, because Korat's sights are spread out: the city sits in the middle, Khao Yai is over near Pak Chong (which you pass before reaching the city if you're coming from Bangkok), and Phimai is about 60 km north past the city. So we put day one in the city to recover from the drive, day two all-in on Khao Yai, and day three stopping at Phimai before heading home. You can follow the same plan if you arrive by coach, but you'll need a rental car or a chartered van for Khao Yai and Phimai.

Before you set off

The most fun time to visit Khao Yai is late rainy season into early cool season (October–February): cool air, green forest, and a chance at a sea of morning mist. The hot season is still doable but hotter and drier. Book Khao Yai accommodation ahead if you're going on a weekend, since it gets crowded and prices climb.

Day 1 — In Korat city: Ya Mo shrine, pad mee, and the old town

Keep day one easy and mostly in the city. If you leave Bangkok early, you'll hit the city right around midday. Start with a proper Korat-style lunch, then pay your respects at the Ya Mo monument, wander the old town, and finish at an evening market.

Day 1

Korat city

11:30
Arrive in the city and check in near the centre or close to the Ya Mo monumentA place in town makes it easy to walk to dinner spots later
12:00
Lunch on authentic Korat pad mee at Manro Pad Mee Korat (in front of Wat Sra Kaew) or Pa Aom Khua Mee KoratPad mee runs 60–70 THB a plate and you can pick your spice level. Manro has been open over 30 years
13:30
Pay respects at the Thao Suranari (Ya Mo) monument in the city centre, for blessings on work and safetyLocals hold her in deep respect; there are votive dance offerings almost every day
14:30
Walk Chumphon Gate and the old town, stopping at Wat Sala Loi to see its junk-boat-shaped architectureChumphon Gate is the surviving old city gate and photographs well in softer light
16:00
Take a coffee break at a city cafe, or duck into Terminal 21 Korat to escape the heatTerminal 21 is themed around different world cities, good for photos, with a food zone
18:00
Street-food dinner at Save One market or the railway-station areaSave One has food, clothes, and chill bars, open from evening until late

Straight talk

Korat pad mee leans sweet first, sour second, and isn't fiery like typical Isan-style pad thai. If you like heat, ask for extra chili. Many shops sell out before early afternoon, so for the famous places aim to get there before 2 pm.

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Day 2 — A full day in Khao Yai: nature, cafes, and vineyards

Today is the highlight of the trip. It's about an hour and a half from the city to Pak Chong–Khao Yai. Leave a bit early to enter the national park before the crowds, then spend the afternoon at the cafes and vineyards down on the lower slopes. Spending the night around Khao Yai is worth more than driving back into the city.

Day 2

Khao Yai

07:30
Leave the city and head for Khao Yai National Park via the Pak Chong checkpointPark entry for Thais is 40 THB for adults, 20 THB for children, and 50 THB per car
09:30
Stop at the Km 30 viewpoint to take in the mist and the ridgelines (if you're lucky with the morning fog)It's the first viewpoint as you climb from the Pak Chong side, with cool, pleasant air
10:30
Walk the Pha Kluai Mai nature trail to Haew Suwat WaterfallHaew Suwat is about 25 m high, full and pretty in the rainy season; it's roughly a 3 km walk from the Pha Kluai Mai grounds
13:00
Head back down and have lunch at one of the view restaurants around the foot of Khao YaiThe Pak Chong area has plenty of view restaurants; pick an outdoor table for the atmosphere
14:30
Visit GranMonte or PB Valley Khao Yai Winery to taste wine and tour the vineyardPB Valley's vineyard tour is about 380 THB for adults, including a wine or grape-juice tasting. GranMonte also has a restaurant overlooking the vines
16:30
Settle into a Khao Yai cafe for photos (the area has dozens — pick one to suit your style)Most Khao Yai cafes line Thanarat Road, so it's easy to drive around and choose
18:30
Dinner near your accommodation, or stop by Palio Khao Yai for a stroll and photos in its Italian themePalio stays open into the evening, with restaurants and souvenir shops, a nice chill walk before heading back
Hikers

If you love nature

Pour more time into the park, walk a longer forest trail, look for wildlife in the late afternoon, and skip a few of the cafes

Cafe lovers

If you're here for relaxed photos

Hit just the viewpoint in the park, then spend most of your time at cafes, vineyards, and Palio

Family

If you're with family

Add the sheep farm, Farm Chokchai, or a zoo to keep kids entertained, and cut the long forest trails

Day 3 — Phimai stone sanctuary before heading home

On the last day, go see the Phimai stone sanctuary, the largest sandstone temple in Thailand. Built in the era of Khmer power, it's older than Angkor Wat and sits about 60 km from the city — roughly an hour's drive. Go in the morning for the angled light and thinner crowds, then have lunch before pointing the car back toward Bangkok.

Day 3

Phimai

08:00
Check out and leave the city, heading for Phimai districtAbout 1 hour of easy, smooth driving
09:00
Tour Phimai Historical Park, taking in the main prang and the cloistered galleriesOpen 07:30–18:00, entry 10 THB for Thais and 40 THB for foreigners, about 1–1.5 hours to walk around
10:30
Stop at Sai Ngam, the giant banyan tree hundreds of years old, by the canal near PhimaiShady and photogenic, with waterside restaurants to sit and rest
11:30
Have authentic Phimai pad mee, or Isan food by the water around Sai NgamPhimai is the birthplace of pad mee — chewy noodles with a well-rounded flavour
13:00
Pick up souvenirs — dried Korat noodles, Chinese sausage, pork floss — before getting on the road backYou'll find souvenirs both in Phimai and at roadside shops along Mittraphap Road
14:00
Set off back to Bangkok, arriving home in the eveningIf you have time to spare, you can stop at Wat Ban Rai (Luang Pho Khun) along the way

A tip for the drive back

Mittraphap Road backs up on Sunday evenings around Muak Lek–Saraburi. If you can avoid it, leave Phimai before 2 pm, or wait and leave after 6 pm — either beats getting stuck in the middle of it.

Rough budget per person (3 days, 2 nights)

  • Accommodation, 2 nights — a city hotel plus a Khao Yai resort, around 1,500–4,000 THB depending on level (split it if you go as a group)
  • Food — local dishes at 60–150 THB a plate, roughly 1,000–1,500 THB for the whole trip
  • Entry fees — Khao Yai 40 THB + vineyard 380 THB + Phimai 10 THB, about 450 THB total
  • Fuel + tolls — Bangkok–Korat–Khao Yai–Phimai round trip, around 1,200–1,800 THB per car
  • Approximate total — travelling as a couple or small group, around 3,000–5,000 THB per person all in

Can you do Korat without your own car?

Yes, but it takes more planning. In Korat city you can easily hail a Grab or a motorbike taxi — paying respects at Ya Mo, eating pad mee, and walking the old town need no car at all. Khao Yai and Phimai are the far-flung parts: either rent a car and drive yourself (rentals are available in the city) or buy a Khao Yai vineyard day tour with pickup from a meeting point. For Phimai, there are vans and songthaews from the Korat bus terminal, though getting around the district itself is a bit awkward on your own.

Want a well-located, good-value Korat hotel? See the ones we picked.

See 10 Korat hotels →

FAQ

On a 3-day, 2-night Korat trip, where should I stay?

We'd stay in the city the first night so it's easy to walk to evening food and the Ya Mo shrine, then around Khao Yai–Pak Chong the second night so you wake up close to the cafes and vineyards without a long drive. If you'd rather not change hotels, you can stay in the city both nights and drive out to Khao Yai for the day, but it's more tiring.

How much is entry to the Phimai stone sanctuary, and what are the hours?

Phimai Historical Park is open 07:30–18:00, with entry of 10 THB for Thais and 40 THB for foreigners. At certain times there's a Phimai Night event with evening light displays — check the dates before you go.

How much is entry to Khao Yai National Park?

For Thais it's 40 THB for adults, 20 THB for children, and 50 THB per car. Foreign visitors are charged a higher rate. The park opens early in the morning, so go before mid-morning to dodge the crowds and stand a chance of catching the mist.

How long does it take to drive from Bangkok to Korat?

About 3 hours if traffic is clear, using Mittraphap Road or the motorway. Khao Yai comes before you reach the city (around Pak Chong), while Phimai is about 60 km north past the city. Try to avoid the drive back on Sunday evenings, when traffic tends to jam up around Saraburi.

What local Korat foods should I try?

Korat pad mee (khua mee) is number one — sweet first, sour second, with chewy noodles. After that, mee krob, Isan-style som tam, and general Isan food. Don't forget to grab some dried Korat noodles to take home as a souvenir.

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