Short answer
Our Erawan Falls day trip from Bangkok costs from $60 per person for about 13 hours, with hotel pickup, an air-conditioned minibus, an English-speaking guide in Kanchanaburi and lunch. The park fee is extra: 300 baht per adult as of June 2026, paid in cash on the day. Erawan National Park opens at 8:00 am and admits no one after about 3:30 pm. The falls have seven tiers, and the trail to the top is about 1.5 km. Food is not allowed beyond the second tier.
What do foreigners pay to enter Erawan National Park?
Foreign adults pay 300 baht to enter Erawan National Park, as of June 2026, according to the Thai National Parks guide to the park. The same page gives 150 baht for children aged 3 to 14 and advises foreigners to carry cash for the fee. Thai citizens pay 60 baht for adults and 30 baht for children. Our tour information gives the same adult fee and says children pay a lower rate. The fee is not part of the tour price; you pay it at the gate on the day.
The 300 baht matches the third group of a Department of National Parks regulation. The Thansettakij newspaper reported on 6 June 2022 that the regulation was published in the Royal Gazette on 9 December 2021 and took effect on 7 June 2022. It sorts parks into four groups, and the third group, nine parks in all, charges foreigners 300 baht for adults and 150 baht for children. We could not open the Department's own fee page, so treat 300 baht as the figure to expect and the ticket window as the final word.
When does the park open, and when is the last entry?
Erawan National Park is open daily from 8:00 am to about 4:30 pm all year, public holidays included, according to the Thai National Parks guide, but it is not possible to enter after 3:30 pm. Our tour information says the same: the park admits no one after about 3:30 pm, so the group needs to arrive on time. On our tour you have about 2.5 to 3 hours at the falls, and the minibus leaves for Bangkok at about 4:30 pm.
Crowds matter more than the clock. The guide says the park is busy every day and very crowded at weekends and on public holidays, and that the ideal time is as early as possible in the morning. Wikipedia's article on the park counts 519,235 visitors in 2024. Our programme reaches the falls after lunch, not at opening time, so a weekday is the best way to find more space. Ask us which dates are quieter when you book.
How many tiers are there, and how far do you walk?
The falls have seven tiers, and the water flows out of three spouts that resemble the three heads of Erawan, the white elephant of Hindu mythology, according to Wikipedia. The first to sixth tiers are reached by a trail from the visitor centre, and visitors can swim in the pools along the river. Wikipedia gives the distance from the trailhead to the top tier as 1.5 km. The Thai National Parks guide adds that the last tier needs a scramble up a few cliffs.
The start is easy. The first tier is a few hundred metres from the visitor centre, and a golf cart to the first tiers costs 20 baht per person (as of June 2026), according to the guide and our tour information. Our programme gives about 2.5 to 3 hours in the park to swim in the pools, walk the trails and see the seven tiers. It does not set a number of tiers, so if the top matters to you, write to us before booking.
Can you swim, and what about the fish?
You can swim in the pools of the lower tiers. Wikipedia says visitors can swim in the many pools and ponds along the river, and that Garra rufa, known as doctor fish, are found throughout. Our tour information says small fish nibble your feet in some of the pools. Life jackets can be rented at the falls for about 30 baht per person. Wear swimwear under your clothes and shoes with grip, because the limestone is slippery when wet.
Swimming is not guaranteed all year. The Nation reported on 17 September 2025 that the park chief had suspended all waterfall swimming from 16 September 2025, because continuous heavy rain had raised the water and made currents unusually strong. Visitors could still look at the falls and were asked to follow staff guidance. The same report says high water makes the cliff above the seventh tier split into three streams, a sight called the Elephant Head Split.
What are the food, bottle and plastic rules?
Food is not allowed beyond the second tier. The Thai National Parks guide calls the ban strict and says visitors leave their food and bottles at a checkpoint. Each drink bottle carries a 20-baht deposit (as of June 2026), refunded when you bring the bottle back, which the guide says stops bottles being left behind in nature. Our tour information gives the same two rules, so finish your snacks before you climb.
Lunch is included on our tour, at a local Thai restaurant before the falls, so you do not need to carry food. What you do need is cash. For one adult the park extras are 300 baht for the fee, about 30 baht for a life jacket if you want one and 20 baht for the golf cart if you use it. That makes about 330 to 350 baht, plus the refundable bottle deposits. These are June 2026 figures and can change.
What is the best month for Erawan Falls?
November to January is the most comfortable time. Wikipedia gives the park's seasons as summer from February to April, the rainy season from May to October and the cold season from November to January, and the Thai National Parks guide says rainfall peaks around September and October. Our tour information agrees: November to January is the coolest and driest, February to April is hot, so take a hat, and in the rainy season the trails and rocks are wetter and slippery.
Every season has a risk. In the hot season fires can close the park: The Nation reported that Erawan closed to visitors on 21 April 2026 because of forest fires and haze, with PM2.5 at 42.9 micrograms per cubic metre, and reopened on 22 April 2026. In the rainy season swimming can be suspended, as in September 2025. During Songkran, 13 to 15 April, the tiers become a water-fight party, so leave phones and cameras that are not waterproof behind. For the latest news, the park office is on 034-574-222.
Is the full day from Bangkok worth it, and who should skip it?
Our Erawan Falls day trip from Bangkok costs from $60 per person for about 13 hours. The price covers hotel pickup in Bangkok at about 6:15 to 7:15 am, return transport in an air-conditioned minibus, an English-speaking guide in Kanchanaburi and lunch at a local Thai restaurant; some programmes add a Death Railway ride of about 60 minutes. You are back in Bangkok at about 7:30 to 8:00 pm. The park fee and life jackets are extra. The route is in our travel guide and the times in our tour schedule.
It is not for everyone. If you only want to swim, 13 hours with several hours on the road is a lot, and weekends and public holidays are crowded. If you need a guaranteed swim, remember that the park can suspend it in heavy rain. If you want temples and ruins more than water, our Ayutthaya day trip price guide covers the shorter drive. The full cost of the Kanchanaburi day is in our price guide. We confirm the date, pickup time and total on WhatsApp before you pay.
Practical checklist
- Carry about 350 baht in cash per adult for the park fee, a life jacket and the golf cart, plus the bottle deposits.
- Wear swimwear under your clothes and shoes with grip for the wet limestone.
- Be on time: the park admits no one after about 3:30 pm.
- Pack a towel, a change of clothes, sunscreen, a hat and mosquito repellent.
- Leave non-waterproof phones and cameras behind during Songkran, 13 to 15 April.
- Ask us on WhatsApp which dates are quieter.
Questions and answers
How much is the Erawan Falls entrance fee for foreigners?
300 baht per adult, as of June 2026, according to the Thai National Parks guide to the park, which lists 150 baht for children aged 3 to 14. On our tour the park fee is paid in cash on the day and is not part of the tour price.
What time does Erawan National Park open and close?
It opens at 8:00 am and closes at about 4:30 pm, but visitors are not admitted after about 3:30 pm. The guide says it is open all year, public holidays included. Check the park's news before you travel.
Can you swim at Erawan Falls all year?
Usually, but not always. The park suspended all waterfall swimming from 16 September 2025 after heavy rain, according to The Nation. It also closed on 21 April 2026 because of forest fires and haze, and reopened on 22 April.
Is food allowed at Erawan Falls?
Not beyond the second tier. Visitors leave food and bottles at a checkpoint, and each drink bottle carries a 20-baht deposit that is refunded when it is returned. Lunch is included on our tour and is eaten before the falls.
How much is a life jacket at Erawan Falls?
About 30 baht per person to rent at the falls, according to our tour information, paid on the day. Wear swimwear under your clothes and shoes with grip, because the limestone is slippery when wet.
How many tiers does Erawan Falls have, and can you reach the top?
Seven. The first to sixth tiers are on a trail from the visitor centre, and the last needs a scramble up a few cliffs, says the Thai National Parks guide. Wikipedia gives about 1.5 km from the trailhead to the top. Our tour gives 2.5 to 3 hours in the park.