Erawan Waterfall Kanchanaburi: 7 Tiers, Entry Fee & Swimming Guide
Thailand's most photographed waterfall
Erawan Waterfall is Thailand's most photographed waterfall, a seven-tier cascade of turquoise pools inside Erawan National Park. It's named after Erawan, the three-headed elephant of Hindu-Buddhist myth. Here's a real, complete guide to the fees, rules and each tier.
Quick facts
Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi: cash only at the gate
| Location | Erawan National Park, Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi |
| Distance | About 65km (1.5 hours) from Kanchanaburi town, about 3 hours from Bangkok |
| Entry fee, foreign adult | 300 THB |
| Entry fee, foreign child | 150 to 200 THB depending on source |
| Vehicle fee | 30 THB car, 20 THB motorbike |
| Payment | Cash only at the gate |
| Opening hours | 8:00am to 4:30pm daily |
| Upper tier cut-off | Sources differ, see honest note below |
| Trail length | About 1.5km one way from tier 1 to tier 7 |
| Time needed | 3 to 5 hours including swimming |
| Life jacket | Mandatory for swimming, 20 THB rental |
| Plastic bottle deposit | 20 THB per bottle, refundable |
| Best months | November to February |
An honest note on the rules and cut-off times
Erawan Waterfall: life jackets are now compulsory for swimming
The plastic and food rules
Erawan Waterfall tier 2: staff count and mark your bottles here
No food or drink is allowed past tier 2. If you want to carry a plastic water bottle further, staff count and mark it. You then pay a 20 THB deposit per bottle. Bring the same bottle back and you get your money back. Lose it on the trail and the deposit stays with the park. Alcohol, glass, polystyrene and pets are banned in the waterfall area, with fines of 1,000 THB.
The 7 tiers
Erawan Waterfall tier 2: the most popular swimming pool
- Tier 1 (Lai Kuen Rung): a short, flat stroll from the car park.
- Tier 2 (Wang Mat Cha): the most popular swimming pool, where the bottle checkpoint sits. Most day-trippers stop here.
- Tier 3: still an easy walk, though swimming here may no longer be permitted.
- Tiers 4 and 5: the trail gets steeper, with uneven ground and wooden crossings. The crowds start to thin.
- Tier 6: the hardest stretch, with a scramble over slippery rocks and roots.
- Tier 7 (Phu Pha Erawan): the summit, with pools many visitors say are the quietest and most beautiful. Expect 1.5 to 2 hours round trip from the lower tiers.
Erawan Waterfall tier 7: the quiet reward at the top
Swimming and the fish spa
Erawan Waterfall: a free fish spa in the pools
Swimming is allowed in most pools. The water stays cool year-round. Small garra rufa fish live in the pools and nibble at your feet, a free fish spa that surprises plenty of first-time visitors.
Sourced from erawannationalpark.ai.studio's Erawan National Park 2026 guide, trip.com's Erawan National Park travel guide 2026, Tripadvisor's Erawan Waterfalls 2026 reviews, wandersmiles.com's visit the falls at Erawan National Park, portail-asie.com's Erawan Falls 2026 guide, dimaak.com's Erawan Falls Thailand guide 2026, thailandtouch.com's Erawan National Park guide 2026, talesfromtheroadahead.com's Erawan Falls guide and maratnomad.com's Erawan Waterfall guide.
Practical tips
Arrive at 8:00am. The pools are clearer, the trail is cooler and you beat the tour buses.
Head straight to the upper tiers if you're fit, then work your way down. The top pools are quietest early in the day.
Wear shoes with real grip. Limestone around the pools is slippery. The upper trail also involves scrambling.
Bring cash for everything. Entry, parking, life jackets, lockers and bottle deposits are all paid in baht.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Judging the whole park by tiers 1 and 2. The quietest, most beautiful pools are higher up.
- Starting the climb to tier 7 in the afternoon. You may be turned back before the summit.
- Bringing snacks and drinks past tier 2. They're not allowed, so eat before the checkpoint.
- Losing your marked bottle on the trail. You forfeit the deposit and leave litter behind.