One-Day Hiking Guide to Krok E-Dok Waterfall, Thailand

When to Hike Krok E-Dok Waterfall, Saraburi?

One of the nice things about Krok E-Dok Waterfall is that the water flows all year round, but for the best time to visit, I recommend you plan your trip between October and November, after the rainy season. During this time, the water should flow the most, giving you the best conditions to experience the waterfall.

Also, the Krok E-Dok Waterfall hike is a new attraction, and the opening date and time are currently being tested. At the moment, they only allow visitors on weekends and public holidays, with a daily cap of 80 hikers per day. This includes 60 spots for reserved hikers and 20 spots for walk-in travelers like myself.

With this in mind, please plan your trip according to the given time period to avoid disappointment. If you want to be 100 percent sure, I recommend you call up the national park with the contact info below and ask them about your plan to confirm.

Telephone Number to Contact Krok E-Dok Waterfall Organizer: (+66) 069-706-2959.

How to Get to Krok E-Dok Waterfall, Saraburi?

Krok E-Dok Waterfall is located within the Saraburi province's portion of Khao Yai National Park, and in order to get to the trailhead, you will first have to get yourself to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and then to Saraburi.

Thankfully, Bangkok is a major hub in Southeast Asia, so there are several ways you can get to the city from where you live, as follows:

From the US, unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Bangkok, so you will have to rely on transit flights by Emirates, Qatar, or Turkish Airlines from the East Coast or ANA Airlines or Korean Air from the West Coast.

From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Thai Airways or local carriers like British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa to Bangkok. You can also go with Etihad, Qatar, or Emirates if you don't mind transiting.

From within Asia, there are several low-cost airlines offering numerous routes from many hub cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Bangkok. AirAsia and Thai Lion Air are excellent low-cost options.

To find a cheap flight to Bangkok, I would recommend using Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Looking for a travel guide to Bangkok?16 Best Things to Do in Bangkok

Getting from Bangkok to Saraburi

Getting from Bangkok to Saraburi by Buses/Vans

To get from Bangkok to Saraburi by buses/vans, you will have to take a minivan from the Mini-Bus stand across the road from the Morchit Bus Terminal.

You can reach Morchit Bus Terminal from almost anywhere in Bangkok via either MRT station Kamphaeng Phet or BTS Morchit station, and then from there, you can take a taxi to Morchit Bus Terminal. The taxi should cost no more than 50 THB.

Once you arrive at the Morchit bus terminal, cross the road to the mini-bus stand with the footbridge and go to Building B to buy your ticket at one of the kiosks inside. Once you arrive at Building B, the people and the kiosks will direct you to the right one. Just tell them that you want to go to Saraburi, and you should be on your way.

The mini-bus and vans from Bangkok to Saraburi leave every hour from 5 AM to 9 PM every day. The journey will take around 2 hours, and the ticket will cost about 100 - 120 THB. When you buy your ticket, they will ask you where you want to be dropped off. Tell them to drop you off at Saraburi Bus Terminal, and we can go from there.

You do not have to reserve your ticket beforehand as Saraburi does not get as many tourists as other places. However, for peace of mind, you can browse through some of the available options with the link below:

Book a Bus from Bangkok to Saraburi

In order to do the Krok E-Dok Waterfall hike in one day from Bangkok, I recommend you take the bus from Bangkok to Saraburi as early as 6 AM to arrive at Saraburi Bus Terminal by 8 AM. From there, we can continue our journey for another 45 km to the Krok E-Dok waterfall trailhead via a Song Taew.

Getting from Saraburi to Krok E-Dok Waterfall

From Saraburi Bus Terminal, you will have to get on any of the buses/song taews that go to Korat and tell them to drop you off at Yaek Eurae Intersection or at Wat Thap Kwang (you can show them this if they do not understand you: "ลงที่แยกยูเร หรือหน้าวัดทับกวาง").

The bus/song taew to Korat leaves every hour and it should cost you around 20 THB. Once you arrive at the intersection, cross the road with a crossing bridge in front of the Wat Thap Kwang temple and in front of the 7-11 store, you should see several moto-taxis ready to take you to our next stop, Ched Khot Waterfall National Park.

The moto-taxi should cost you about 150 THB. The road from the intersection to Ched Khot Waterfall National Park is around 20 km long, and it should take around 20-30 minutes to get there.

At Ched Khot Waterfall National Park, it's another 14 km until you arrive at the Krok E-Dok waterfall trailhead. Once you arrive, ask the ranger there to take you to Krok E-Dok Waterfall, and they will transfer you to the trailhead with a bunch of other people who are looking to hike Krok E-Dok waterfall.

Krok E-Dok Waterfall Hike Opening Time and Entrance Fee

As mentioned previously, the Krok E-Dok Waterfall hike is relatively new, so the organizer is currently in the process of optimizing and expanding their operation. At the moment of writing (October 2020), Krok E-Dok Waterfall is only open on weekends and public holidays from June to December.

The first registration starts at 8 AM with a daily cap of 80 hikers per day, with 60 spots available for those reserved beforehand and 20 spots for walk-in travelers. They run approximately 6 groups per day, with around 20 hikers each, and you will be accompanied by 2 rangers per group.

Since Krok E-Dok Waterfall is located in a national park area, you are not allowed to go without a ranger, and thus, doing the hike solo is out of the question.

The Krok E-Dok Waterfall entrance fee is 50 THB for the transfer to the trailhead and 400 THB for the hike (200 THB if you are Thai), so in total, you will be paying around 450 THB for the hike.

How to Hike the Krok E-Dok Waterfall in One Day?

Believe it or not, you can do the Krok E-Dok Waterfall hike in one day straight from Bangkok if you start early enough. To do the Krok E-Dok Waterfall in one day, you will have to take a bus from Bangkok to Saraburi at 6 AM.

With the 6 AM bus, you should be in Saraburi by 8 AM, and from there, you can get on one of the hourly Song Taews bound for Korat and ask them to drop you off at Yaek Eurae Intersection or at the entrance of Wat Thap Kwang.

From there, you can get a moto-taxi to Ched Khot Waterfall National Park, and they will take you to the Krok E-Dok waterfall trailhead by 9 - 10 AM. Once you arrive, be sure to ask your moto-taxi for a phone number so that you can call them to pick you up when you are done hiking.

This is very important as it is the only way you can get out of the national park, so be sure to arrange this before you arrive. From the Ched Khot Waterfall National Park, the ranger will drive you to a registration spot where you can register, pay for the entrance, and join up with the group that will be going next.

Leaving Bangkok at 6 AM, you should be able to start the hike by 9 or 10 AM. From there, it will take around 6 hours roundtrip, and you should be back at the entrance by 4 PM.

From there, call your moto-taxi (it should take them 20-30 minutes) to come and pick you up, and then you can flag down a bus or song taew from the main road to Saraburi Bus Terminal.

You should be at Saraburi Bus Terminal before 7 PM, just in time for the last round of buses from Saraburi back to Bangkok at 8 PM. In total, you will be out and about from 6 AM to around 9-10 PM when you will be back in Bangkok. It is a long trip, but it is definitely possible to do it in a day.

How Much Money Do I Need For Krok E-Dok Waterfall Hike?

Including transportation from Bangkok to Krok E-Dok Waterfall trailhead and back (100 THB for Bangkok to Saraburi bus + 20 THB for song taew to Yaek Eurae + 150 THB for moto-taxi to the trailhead, times 2 trips = 540 THB), plus the national park entrance fee (450 THB), you can expect to pay around 990 THB per person for the entire trip.

Is Krok E-Dok Waterfall Hike Safe?

There are several safety concerns that you should know before hiking Krok E-Dok Waterfall. The trail itself can get quite slippery at times, and the last stretch of the trail that goes straight up along a steep slope can be quite tricky, so be sure to have good sturdy shoes with you.

You will also be crossing knee-to-waist-deep streams 8 times on the Krok E-Dok Waterfall hike, so be sure to wear something that you don't mind getting soaked.

Bees are also something to be aware of, as you will be encountering many of them on the hike. Thankfully, the park will hose you down with their insect repellent, so you do not have to bring your own. You will also have 2 local guides with you at all times, so if there is any problem, they will help you through it.

What to Pack for Krok E-Dok Watrefall?

• Waterproof Hiking Shoes: You will be going through waterfalls and streams at least 8 times on this hike, so I recommend having shoes you don't mind getting wet. Personally, I went with Timberland Shoes that I always wore in all situations, and they survived the hike just fine.
• Snacks and Lunch: You will be hiking for 6 hours, so I recommend that you buy some food or snacks at 7-11 before you embark on the hike.
• Breathable Shirts: Thailand is really humid, and since you will be surrounded by thick forest, you will definitely be sweating your butt off. Therefore, I highly recommend wearing breathable shirts for the hike.
• Waterproof Pants: You will be crossing streams that can be up to your waist, depending on the water level, so be sure to wear pants that are either waterproof or that you don't mind getting wet. Long waterproof pants are recommended, as there are a lot of bees in the forest and you will encounter plenty of them when you hike.
• Microfiber Towel: You will get wet, and if you plan to swim, it might be best to have a Microfiber towel with you to dry yourself off when you finish the hike before getting on a bus back home.
• Bag Cover: It will probably rain when you hike, and you do not want your camera gear and other stuff to get wet, so be sure to pack a bag rain cover for the hike.
• Camera: One of the most important items in your backpack will be a good camera to capture the beautiful moments you will be experiencing. I recommend the Sony a6600 camera with the Sony 16-55mm F2.8 lens. Just be sure to keep it above the water level when you cross the streams.
• 1.5 - 2 Liters Water Bottle: You will need around 1.5 - 2 liters of water for the hike. Lifestraw Filter Bottle is a great water bottle to have with you in case you want to refill your water from the waterfall.
• Daypack: Herschel Supply Little America Backpack is my go-to daypack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, it comes in many amazing colors, and it is stylish as hell!

Hiking the Krok E-Dok Waterfall Trail

Once you arrive at the Krok E-Dok Waterfall trailhead, you will be briefed by the rangers about the ecosystem along the trail, the altitude (700m above sea level), the trail condition, and what to expect along the trail.

They will explain the condition of the forest, including the fact that you won't be encountering leeches like in the wet forests elsewhere in Thailand, which is a godsend. I hate leeches!

What they will say, though, is to watch out for the bees as you will be encountering plenty along the way, and then they will hose you down with their insect repellent just in case.

Once the briefing is done, the hike begins with the first of the many crossings of a knee-deep stream, so if you are looking to stay dry throughout your hike, forget it. You will get your shoes wet constantly as you continue further into the forest.

At first, the trail begins in an open, flat area surrounded by thick forest. You will be accompanied by two guides, one in front and one at the back. The trail may seem quite obvious at first, but the deeper you go, the less clear it becomes. Soon, you will realize why you need to be guided through the Krok E-Dok Waterfall trail.

Along the way, you will encounter many eye-catching red and orange Fungi Cups along the hiking trail. It is one of the highlights of visiting this part of the national park.

The guide will help point them out along the way, among other mushrooms that can be found in Khao Yai National Park. There is a ton of them on this trail. We found several clusters of both red and orange Fungi Cups, as well as badass-looking jet black mushrooms, and even some rock crabs.

The first hour and a half is pretty much a stroll along a flat trail with plenty of stops for you to drink and catch your breath. At one of the stops, you will find these stunning aerial roots of a Banyan tree that grew around a rotted-away host tree, leaving these beautiful hollowed-out roots that you can go inside.

As the trail gets more and more confusing, you will start to see several waterfalls indicating that we are near the first tier of Krok E-Dok Waterfall. Krok E-Dok has 8 tiers, where the 2 most beautiful tiers are the 5th and the 7th, which are the furthest you could climb and the biggest.

Once you reach the first tier of Krok E-Dok, the trail will start climbing up the mountain. Continue slowly, and you should arrive at the fifth tier in no time. The 5th tier of Krok E-Dok waterfall is another rest stop where people often gauge if they will be able to make it to the 7th tier.

If you think you won't make it, then you can stop here and enjoy the water. If this trail is easy peasy for you, then you can continue on to the sixth tier where you will be able to see the seventh tier from afar.

It can be quite disheartening to see that the next level is that far, and still a kilometer of a steep climb. However, you can already see how big the 7th tier of Krok E-Dok waterfall is, and that should help motivate you even more.

From here on out, it's all up along the quite slippery and steep trail. Thankfully, they have installed several ropes to help you get up some sketchy portions of the trail.

After 2-3 hours, you will arrive at the 7th tier of Krok E-Dok Waterfall and be blown away, literally, by its water spray. Just how beautiful and awesome the Krok E-Dok Waterfall is will amaze you. All your sweat will be swept away by the sheer power of Krok E-Dok waterfall's spray.

Once you arrive, you will have to walk a little bit further up along the roped trail, and then you will be able to bathe in one of the many pools up there. After a 2-hour hike like this, it is mandatory for you to jump in and freshen up!

Depending on how fast you are, the guide will give you the time you need to enjoy the view, as long as it isn't raining very hard or before 2 PM. It will take roughly the same time to get back, and the park closes at 5 PM.

After you are done swimming at Krok E-Dok Waterfall, you can have lunch before heading down the same way. The way down can be quite tricky, especially along the steep path and if it is raining. But as long as you go slowly, you should have no trouble.

It should take you about 2 hours to get down, and then you can swim some more at the first stream you crossed at the trailhead. After that, wait for everyone to come down, and then you can take the car back to the entrance.

Right around this time, you should have a phone signal to call your moto-taxi to take you back to the main road, so start calling them up. You should be on the main road by 4-5 PM, which leaves you around 3 hours to get back to Saraburi Bus Terminal and head home before the last bus to Bangkok at 8 PM.

Further Reading for Central Thailand

Looking for more information for your trip to Central Thailand? Here is a collection of articles about Central Thailand that you might find useful.

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