🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
This route works best if you have a car, because the sights on both sides are scattered across several outlying districts. On the Maha Sarakham side, Phra That Na Dun and Ku Santarat are both in Na Dun district. On the Roi Et side the highlights pull in different directions: Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol is up north in Nong Phok district, while Ku Ka Sing sits south in Kaset Wisai district — and Roi Et Tower and Bueng Phlan Chai are right in the city centre, walkable one after the other. The Maha Sarakham–Roi Et distance is around 35–40 km along Highway 23, roughly a 40-minute to one-hour drive. That's why we have you overnight in Roi Et city for one night, so you can wake up to a full second day exploring the town and the outlying sights.
Trip overview and getting around
- Length — 2 days, 1 night, which is just right: an easy pace with no rushing.
- Transport — your own car is by far the easiest, since the sights are in different districts. Without a car there are buses and minivans on the Khon Kaen–Maha Sarakham–Roi Et line running between the two towns, but in town and in the outlying districts you'll need to grab a motorbike taxi or call a ride.
- Main route — Maha Sarakham to Roi Et runs along Highway 23 (Chaeng Sanit Road), a straight, well-surfaced road.
- Maha Sarakham → Roi Et — about 35–40 km, roughly a 40-minute to 1-hour drive.
- Admission — most stupas and temples are free to enter. The upper viewing deck of Roi Et Tower costs around 50 THB. Ku Santarat is an open-air historical site and free to visit.
Maha Sarakham — a thousand-year-old stupa and Khmer ku at Na Dun
Day one tip
Phra That Na Dun and Ku Santarat are in Na Dun district, south of Maha Sarakham town, while Roi Et lies to the east. If you start early and do Na Dun first, you can loop back up to Maha Sarakham town and take Chaeng Sanit Road into Roi Et without backtracking. If you'd rather take it even easier, you can skip Ku Santarat on day one and save it for a stop on the way home.
Roi Et — a city tower, a central lake and outlying highlights
Day two tip
Roi Et's outlying highlights pull in opposite directions: Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol is up north in Nong Phok, Ku Ka Sing is down south in Kaset Wisai. You can really only do one side in a single day if you want an easy drive home. To cover both without wearing yourself out, allow for a 3-day, 2-night trip instead.
Book the activities in your Maha Sarakham 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.
What to know before climbing Roi Et Tower
Roi Et Tower is a newer landmark in the centre of town that plenty of people come for, just to head up and take in the city from above. The name "Wot" comes from a traditional Isan musical instrument. The tower stands in Somdet Phra Sri Nakarin Park next to Bueng Phlan Chai, so you can walk straight over from the lake. A few things are worth knowing before you go, to make the timing easier.
- Lower level free, upper level paid — the upper viewing deck costs around 50 THB, while the lower level is free to walk around.
- There's a glass-floor skywalk — if you're afraid of heights, take it slowly and hold the rail; the view takes in Bueng Phlan Chai and the city all around.
- The zipline runs in sessions — for the thrill-seekers, it opens in morning and afternoon rounds, so check the times when you arrive.
- Late afternoon has the best view — softer sun and the city as the lights start coming on. But if you follow this plan and go in the morning, you'll still have the whole day for the other stops.
Where to stay on this trip
Stay in Roi Et city
The main pick for this plan. Most Roi Et hotels are around Bueng Phlan Chai and the central town, so you can wake up, walk the lake, climb Roi Et Tower, then peel off to the outlying highlights all in one day.
Stay in Maha Sarakham city
A good fit if you want to start from Maha Sarakham at an easy pace. There are hotels around the university and in town, though slightly fewer options than Roi Et — better as the night before you set off than as a mid-trip overnight.
For this plan we'd suggest staying mainly on the Roi Et side, since day two is mostly Roi Et city and its outlying highlights — that way you avoid backtracking. Both towns have places to stay, from small guesthouses to mid-sized hotels. You can see ranked Maha Sarakham accommodation options on our roundup page.
Tweaking the plan to your style
History and archaeology buffs
Give day one to Phra That Na Dun and Ku Santarat at Na Dun, then cross over to Ku Ka Sing in Kaset Wisai on day two. You can string the Khmer and Dvaravati story together across the whole trip, since both ku were built in nearby eras.
Temple and merit-making focus
Centre day one on Phra That Na Dun, then make Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol in Nong Phok the day-two highlight. Drop by Wat Burapha Phiram to pay respects at the standing Buddha in town too — the full merit-making circuit in one trip.
Chill, cafés and food
Trim the sights down — Phra That Na Dun and Bueng Phlan Chai are enough. On day two, head up Roi Et Tower for the view, sit at a café, and take home some Thung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice. More about eating, drinking and photos than racing around.
Want to see ranked Maha Sarakham hotels before you set off?
See the Top 10 Maha Sarakham hotels →