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Yasothon–Ubon Ratchathani 3 Days
A Lower Isan Route

Yasothon and Ubon Ratchathani sit on the same Highway 23, only about 98 km apart — an easy hour and a half by car — so it makes sense to roll them into one trip. This plan starts in Yasothon for the That Kong Khao Noi pagoda and the Ban Singha Tha old town, then flows on to Ubon for the Mekong-side highlights: Sam Phan Bok, Pha Taem, Khong Chiam, and the glowing Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao after dark. We've set the timings and distances to match what's actually on the ground, whether you're driving in yourself or flying into Ubon and looping back.

🛣️ 3 days, 2 nights🛕 Pagoda + glowing temple🏞️ Sam Phan Bok & Pha Taem
Yasothon–Ubon Ratchathani 3 Days A Lower Isan Route

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Before we start, here's the shape of the route. This trip runs in a single line from west to east: Yasothon is the starting point, Ubon city sits in the middle, and the natural Mekong-side highlights — Sam Phan Bok, Pha Taem, Khong Chiam, the glowing temple — are right at the eastern edge of Ubon, another 1.5–2 hours past the city. That's why the plan works best with your own car or a rental. Without a car, the Mekong stretch is hard to reach by public transport, so renting in Ubon or joining a day tour is the way to go.

When to go

The cool season from late in the year into early the next is best — comfortable enough that walking Pha Taem and Sam Phan Bok isn't punishing. Sam Phan Bok shows its rock basins in full during the dry season, roughly January to April, when the Mekong drops. Come in the rainy season and the water floods over the basins so you see nothing, so skip that window if you want the full Sam Phan Bok.

The route and distances at a glance

The main road is Highway 23, which runs straight from Yasothon through Kham Khuean Kaeo district into Ubon Ratchathani — good road, easy driving. Here are the rough distances we used to plan each day's timing.

  • Yasothon → Ubon Ratchathani city — about 98 km, roughly 1.5 hours along Highway 23
  • Ubon city → Khong Chiam — about 75–80 km, roughly 1.5 hours; this is the launch point for the Mekong stretch
  • Ubon city → Sam Phan Bok (Pho Sai district) — about 110 km, roughly 2 hours
  • Khong Chiam → Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao (Sirindhorn district) — about 30–40 km, roughly 40 min
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Book the activities in your Yasothon 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.

🎟️ Top tours in YasothonHighlights, guided Klook 🎟️ Yasothon attractions & ticketsSkip-the-line entry tickets Klook 🚐 Day trips from YasothonOut and back in a day Klook 🌎 Yasothon activities (GetYourGuide)Global tour marketplace GetYourGuide
🎟️ See all Yasothon tours & activities (Klook)

Day 1 — Yasothon, then on into Ubon

Day one covers the Yasothon highlights from morning into the afternoon, then you drive into Ubon in the evening and sleep in the city — that saves you time the next morning so you can run the Mekong stretch in full.

Day 1

Yasothon → Ubon city

09.00
Pay respects at That Kong Khao Noi, Ban Tat ThongAn old square-shaped chedi standing in the rice fields, about 9 km from Yasothon town. Take Highway 23 and turn off into Ban Tat Thong. Free to enter, about 30–45 min — make merit and hear the legend of the son who built the chedi to atone.
10.15
Walk the Ban Singha Tha old quarterRows of prettily painted Sino-European shophouses, once a trading quarter on the Chi River. Stop by the city-pillar shrine and pay respects at the adjoining Wat Maha That; the whole quarter is good for photographing the old buildings.
11.30
Coffee in an old-building cafe in the Singha Tha quarterVachi Old Town, an old wooden-house cafe in the middle of the quarter, open Mon–Fri 08.00–17.00 and Sat–Sun 09.30–17.00, with parking behind. A coffee before you carry on.
12.30
Lunch on Yasothon home cookingTry som tam, larb, koi, tom saeb, or the town's well-known fried pla som (fermented fish). Around 60–120 THB a head — fuel up before the long drive.
14.00
Set off Yasothon → Ubon on Highway 23About 98 km, roughly 1.5 hours, passing through Kham Khuean Kaeo district. Easy driving, with petrol stations and roadside coffee stops along the way.
15.45
Check in to your Ubon city hotel and drop your bagsUbon city has far more hotels to choose from than Yasothon, from around 600–1,200 THB a night. Pick one near Thung Si Mueang and it's easy to walk out for food.
16.30
Stroll Thung Si Mueang in central UbonA big central park in front of the old provincial hall, with monuments and the commemorative candle sculpture. People come to exercise in the evening and the mood is relaxed; you can walk on to Wat Thung Si Mueang and its old scripture hall standing over the water.
18.30
Dinner in Ubon cityUbon takes its food seriously — moo yor, Vietnamese kuay chap, pho and Vietnamese dishes from the old community. Look for places around Khuean Thani Road or near Thung Si Mueang, around 80–200 THB a head.

Why sleep in Ubon right away

Plenty of people think about spending the first night in Yasothon, but if the Mekong stretch is the plan for the next day, moving on to sleep in Ubon from night one cuts an hour off your morning drive. On day 2 you can leave early and reach Sam Phan Bok or Pha Taem far more comfortably.

Day 2 — The Mekong: Sam Phan Bok, Pha Taem, Khong Chiam, the glowing temple

This is the highlight of the trip. Leave early and run to the far east of Ubon for the Mekong's grand canyon at Sam Phan Bok, Pha Taem with its prehistoric rock paintings, the two-coloured river meeting at Khong Chiam, then close out with the drama of the glowing Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao after dark. It's a lot of driving today — expect to be tired, but it's worth it.

Day 2

The Mekong loop

07.30
Leave Ubon for Sam Phan Bok, Pho Sai districtAbout 110 km, roughly 2 hours. Leave on the early side to dodge the midday sun on the rock basins, and bring a hat and water.
09.30
Walk Sam Phan Bok, the Mekong's grand canyonThousands of rock basins carved out by the Mekong over ages. Open 06.00–18.00, best for photos in the dry season Jan–Apr when the water drops, with longtail boats to hire for the oddly shaped rocks. About 1.5–2 hours.
11.30
Lunch by the MekongAround Pho Sai and Khong Chiam there are several riverside restaurants. Try Mekong river fish, tom yam pla khang, or koi pla, sitting with a view across to the Lao bank, around 100–250 THB a head.
13.30
Pha Taem National ParkTall cliffs above the Mekong with prehistoric rock paintings thousands of years old on the cliff face. Walk the clifftop path for wide-open views over the Mekong. There's a park entrance fee, about 1–1.5 hours.
15.30
The two-coloured river, Khong ChiamThe spot where the clear Mun River flows in to meet the muddy Mekong — the colour line is clearest in late rainy season into early cool season. Walk the bank, take photos, or take a boat out close to the confluence.
17.00
Drive to Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao, Sirindhorn districtFull name Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao, about 30–40 km from Khong Chiam, roughly 40 min. Get there before dark so you can walk up the hilltop temple while there's still light.
18.30
See the glowing kalpa tree behind the ordination hallThe draw is the painting of the kalpa tree that glows green behind the ordination hall once the sky goes dark. Free to enter, open until about 21.00, clearest on a moonless night — turn your flash off for photos.
19.30
Drive back into Ubon cityFrom Sirindhorn back to Ubon city is about 70–80 km, roughly 1.5 hours. Take it easy driving at night, and grab a light dinner before bed.

It's a lot of driving — sequence it well

Sam Phan Bok is farthest north, Pha Taem and Khong Chiam are in the middle, and the glowing temple is farthest south near the Chong Mek border crossing. If you want to lighten the day, pick either Sam Phan Bok or Pha Taem rather than both, and save the time for the glowing temple in the evening without rushing — because the glowing temple only shows fully once the sky is dark.

Day 3 — Ubon city, souvenirs, then home

Take the last day easy: cover the parts of Ubon city you haven't walked yet, have an Ubon-style breakfast, pick up souvenirs, then head home. Anyone who flew into Ubon can make their way to the airport in the afternoon; anyone who drove in can run straight back via Yasothon.

Day 3

Ubon city + souvenirs

08.00
An Ubon-style breakfastTry Vietnamese kuay chap, pho, or old-style coffee with patongko at one of the old shops in town. Ubon picked up Vietnamese food influence from its old community, so there's plenty of breakfast to choose from.
09.00
Wat Thung Si Mueang and its scripture hall over the waterAn old temple central to Ubon, with a wooden Tripitaka hall standing in a pond that blends Thai, Lao and Burmese styles, and the temple that carves a Lent candle for the annual contest. You can walk to it from Thung Si Mueang.
10.30
Buy Ubon souvenirsThe well-known buys are moo yor, kun chiang (Chinese sausage), naem nueang, and hand-woven kaap bua cloth, found at souvenir shops in town. Some people stop for more Yasothon pla som on the drive back too.
12.00
A farewell lunchFind a local restaurant for the last meal in Ubon — try som tam pla ra or some punchy Isan food before everyone goes their separate ways.
13.30
Head home / to Ubon airportIf you drove in, run straight back on Highway 23 through Yasothon. If you're flying home, Ubon airport is in the city, no more than 15 min away — leave the usual time for check-in.

How to get to this route

The Yasothon–Ubon route comes down to just a few clear options — pick based on where you're starting and how sorted you are for a car.

  • Drive in yourself — the best fit for this trip, since public transport is thin along the Mekong. Bangkok to Yasothon is about 7–8 hours, then another 1.5 hours on to Ubon.
  • Fly into Ubon and rent a car — Ubon airport has several flights a day from Bangkok, about 1 hour. Land, rent a car and run this trip in reverse (Ubon first, then loop over to Yasothon) if you like.
  • Bus / minivan — there are services from Mo Chit to both Yasothon and Ubon, but once you arrive you'll still need to rent a car or join a day tour for the Mekong stretch, since the sights are spread far apart.

Rough budget per person

A 3-day, 2-night trip self-driving with 2–4 people splitting the car costs doesn't hit your wallet hard. Here's a rough per-person estimate, not counting getting to Ubon from Bangkok or the car rental.

  • 2 nights' lodging — about 1,200–2,400 THB (split between two, that's 600–1,200 THB each)
  • Food for 3 days — about 700–1,200 THB, including local food and the riverside restaurants
  • Fuel + fees — the Mekong stretch is a long drive, so budget around 600–1,000 THB of fuel per car for the whole trip, plus a little for Pha Taem entry and the Sam Phan Bok boat
  • Entry fees — That Kong Khao Noi, Wat Maha That and Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao are free; Pha Taem has a national-park fee

Straight talk

This trip involves more driving than a lot of people expect, especially day 2 with its hundred-plus kilometres along the Mekong. If you don't enjoy long drives, stretch it to 4 days and 3 nights and spend a night in Khong Chiam or Sirindhorn — then you can see the glowing temple in the evening without rushing the drive back. Yasothon itself is fine in half a day to catch the highlights; the real draw of this route is the Mekong side in Ubon.

Check the hotels and the full Yasothon travel guide before you set off

See the Yasothon guide →

FAQ

Is Yasothon far from Ubon Ratchathani, and how long does it take?

Not far. Yasothon town to Ubon Ratchathani town is about 98 km, driving along Highway 23 through Kham Khuean Kaeo district, roughly 1.5 hours. The road is good and easy, so it's simple to fold the two provinces into one trip.

Where should you stay on a Yasothon–Ubon trip?

This plan suggests staying in Ubon city both nights — there's more choice of lodging and it's close to the Mekong-side sights. Yasothon is fine as a half-day before you drive into Ubon. If you want the Mekong stretch unhurried, add a night in Khong Chiam or Sirindhorn.

When should you go to Sam Phan Bok?

Go in the dry season, roughly January to April, to see the rock basins in full, since the Mekong drops then. Come in the rainy season and the water floods over the basins so you see nothing. Sam Phan Bok is open 06.00–18.00; go in the morning to dodge the midday sun and bring a hat and water.

When should you visit Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao, the glowing temple?

Wat Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao has to be visited in the evening, after the sky goes dark, to see the kalpa tree glowing green behind the ordination hall. The temple is free and open until about 21.00, and it's clearest on a moonless night. Get there before dark to walk up the hilltop temple while there's still light, then wait for the glow after sundown.

Do you need your own car for a Yasothon–Ubon trip?

Pretty much, especially for the Mekong stretch — Sam Phan Bok, Pha Taem, Khong Chiam, the glowing temple — which are spread far apart with thin public transport. If you're not driving in yourself, fly into Ubon and rent a car, or join a day tour just for the Mekong stretch.

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