I have traveled to Hua Hin a few times, and in this article, I will share my itinerary for 4-5 days in Hua Hin and my opinion on how many days in Hua Hin is enough. Let’s get started.
Hua Hin is a laid-back beach town located only 200 km south of Bangkok. It is known for its beaches, night markets, vibrant art scene, golf course, and relaxed atmosphere.
How Many Days in Hua Hin is enough?
In my opinion, 4-5 days is a good amount of time to explore major attractions in Hua Hin and the surrounding areas. I had 4 nights in Hua Hin and was able to explore all beaches, night markets, and temples in the city center, and nearby attractions such as Phraya Nakhon Cave, and Pran Buri Forest Park.
Here are my recommend on things to do and how long to spend to do these things in Hua Hin:
#1. Hua Hin City Center. You can explore the city center itself within 2-3 days. There are lots of shopping malls, night markets, nightlife areas, temples, and beaches to see. They are:
- Beaches: Hua Hin Beach and Khao Takiab Beach.
- Shopping Malls: Bluport and Market Viallage
- Night markets: Hua Hin Night Market, Cicada Market, and Tamarind Market
- Temples: Wat Khao Takiap, the Big Buddha, and Jao Mae Tub Tim Shrine
- Nightlife areas: Soi 94, Soi 80, and Soi Bintabaht
- Nice restaurants: Ga Hanoi, Jek Piek Seafood Restaurant
#2. Attractions in South Hua Hin. You can spend 1-2 days exploring south Hua Hin. I recommend Phraya Nakhon Cave, Khao Kalok Beach & viewpoint, Pran Buri Forest Park, Khao Tao, and Suan Son Beach.
#3. Attractions in West and North Hua Hin. You can spend a day visiting attractions in West and North Hua Hin. They are Pa La-U Waterfall, Wat Huay Mongkol, and Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park.
See more: 26 Exciting Things to Do in Hua Hin
Getting to and Around Hua Hin:
You can get to Hua Hin from Bangkok by bus, train, car, and taxi. Taking the train from Bangkok to Hua Hin is a popular option. You can take a train from either Thonburi Station or Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Hua Hin train Station. The train ride is around 3-4 hours.
The bus takes around 3,5 hours, departing from Bangkok at Sai Tai Mai Bus station. Private Taxis are expensive options for solo travelers but they are great deals for families or a group of friends.
You can get around Hua Hin by renting a car or a scooter. You can use Uber-like services such as Grab or Bolt. There are also plenty of tuk tuk and songthaew in popular tourist areas such as the night markets and shopping centers. Within a small area like Soi 94 or the city center, you can explore on foot.
See more: How to get to Hua Hin & Get Around
Best time to visit Hua Hin:
The best time to travel to Hua Hin is between November and April. This is the dry season, so you’ll have minimal rainfalls to enjoy the beaches and outdoor activities.
I visited Hua Hin in mid December, the weather was beautiful with lots of sunny days and no rain. However, the sea is quite rough because of the strong wind.
Top areas to stay in Hua Hin for tourists:
Hua Hin City Center is the most recommended area to stay in Hua Hin, especially for first-timers. This area is home to the main beach, the night markets, shopping malls, and the train station. It also has a high concentration of hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, and shops.
For a quieter atmosphere, you can consider staying further south or further north from the city center and the main beach. The downside of these areas is that you’ll need to travel to the downtown area for nightlife.
See more: The 7 Best Areas to Stay in Hua Hin
Here are my itinerary for 4-5 days in Hua Hin:
How to spend 4-5 days in Hua Hin Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival, Soi 94, and Market Village
I came to Hua Hin from Bangkok by train. I took train #251 from Jaran Sanitwong Station (one station away from Thonburi Station) at 1:15pm and arrived at Hua Hin Train Station at 5.30pm.
From the train station, you can get to your hotel by using Grab, or tuk tuk. There were several tuk tuk drivers waiting for the customers at the train station. A driver offered me 100 baht to get from the train station to my hotel in Soi 94, around 1.5km away.
I decided to walk as it is only a 20 minutes walk away. It was a bit overwhelming at first as the traffic was quite heavy and there was no sidewalk, but I reached my hotel at the end.
Soi 94 Hua Hin
Soi 94 is a lively area located around 2 km from the city center and the train station. This is a popular area for expats. It is packed with both international and Thai restaurants.
There are clusters of bars and nightclubs around Le Pub, Rock Zone Bar, and WonderLand. If you like bar hopping, this area is a great base. At the end of soi 94 near the intersection with PhetKasem Road, you’ll find a range of massage shops and several travel agencies.
Ga Hanoi restaurant for dinner
Soi 94 has lots of food options. You can easily find restaurants serving authentic Thai food, and international dishes such as Italian, Mediterranean, German, and Vietnamese.
I was a solo traveler, and felt comfortable dining at Ga Hanoi restaurant. This restaurant serves nice Vietnamese dishes such as pho noodle soup. The price is also very reasonable.
Market Village Shopping Center
Market Village is located very close to Soi 91, so I decided to walk to this shopping center. There was a night market in the front of the mall, where you can find many stalls selling different street foods and a stage for live music.
You can shop for anything at the market village. It was very nicely decorated during the Christmas season, attracting lots of people to take photos. You can head down to the food court at the basement to have more choices of food.
Day 2: South Hua Hin Itinerary: caves, beaches, and night markets
On my 2nd day in Hua Hin, I will explore beaches and caves in south Hua Hin. I visited Phraya Nakhon Cave, Khao Kalok Beach & Viewpoint, Khung Sai Beach, Pranburi Beach, Cicada and Tamarind night markets.
Move hotel from Soi 94 to Hua Hin City Center
I moved from my hotel in Soi 94 to Captain Joe Cafe & Hostel in the city center. I ordered a Grab taxi, a driver accepted the ride then he canceled it. I tried a few more requests later but was not successful. I decided to walk with my suitcase. It was a 30 minute walk, and I observed local life slowly along the way.
After checking the new hotel, the owner helped me rent a scooter and showed me top places to visit in Hua Hin and in the surrounding area.
Phraya Nakhon Cave
Phraya Nakhon Cave is a popular tourist attraction in Thailand, located 50 km south of Hua Hin. You can do some hiking to reach the cave, swim at the beach, and enjoy the scenic views.
It was easy for me to get from Hua Hin to Phraya Nakhon Cave because I had a scooter. If you don’t drive, you can hire a private driver and take a taxi. Be sure to arrange return transport because it can be difficult to get a taxi back to Hua Hin.
Google Maps suggests driving on highway number 4 and 4020 to get to Phraya Nakhon Cave, but I recommend driving along the Beach Road for the best experience. You can consider taking the highway on the way to the cave (the shorter route), then drive along the beach on the way back to Hua Hin.
You need to pay 10 baht for motorbike parking and 20 baht for a car at the entrance. There are several restaurants as well as souvenir shops in the parking lot area. I had seafood fried rice for lunch at one of the restaurants with beautiful views of Bang Pu Beach.
After having enough energy, I walked to the ticket counter to buy the ticket. Phraya Nakhon Cave is part of Sam Roi Yot National Park, the ticket is 200 baht for foreigner.
There are two way to get to the cave:
- Take a boat ride from Bang Pu Beach to Laem Sala Beach, the hike up 30 minutes up to the cave
- Hike all the way from Bang Pu Beach to Phraya Nakhon Cave, a 2 km trail and 1 hour hike.
The sea was quite rough with strong waves, there was no boat operated at the time of my visit. I like hiking so I decided to hike all the way to the cave and save some money on the boat.
It took me a 20 minute hike on the first part of the trail from the ticket counter, to Laem Sala Beach. There are lots of stairs up and down, as well as stunning views along the way. I saw many monkeys on the end of the first trail near Laem Sala Beach.
When you reach Laem Sala Beach, you’ll first see a sign that says “Your Health is Still Strong”. It is kind of a motivation to encourage you to continue the trail.
Laem Sala Beach is a long white sandy beach and a great place to relax and swim. Unfortunately, the sea was rough, so I just took a walk along its shore. There are toilets and restaurants on the ground of Laem Sala Beach. If you are hungry, you can eat something here.
There is a warning at the starting point of the stairs to get to the cave that says “Anyone with medical conditions, please consider your ability before entering”. It is 430m to the cave and it took me 30 minutes to hike with many stops along the way.
I spent 30 minutes inside Phraya Nakhon Cave cave itself. It is a huge cave with a small royal pavilion built in the late 19th century by King Rama V. I took lots of nice pictures and climbed around. It was very slippery even though it was dry, so be careful climbing the hills inside the cave.
The best time to visit Phraya Nakhon Cave is midday from 11am to 1pm. This time offers the best lights for nice photos. I visited the cave around 2.30pm and still have plenty of lights for the photos.
The hike back from the cave to the parking area is easier. It took me only 45 minutes in total to go to 2 different hills.
Sam Roi Yot Beach
After visiting Phraya Nakhon Beach, I put Sam Roi Yot Beach on Google maps, and had a nice ride along the Beach Road. Sam Roi Yot Beach is a very long beach, around 7 km in length. It is lined with several resorts and restaurants. It is a quiet place for a relaxing beach holiday.
Khao Kalok Beach and Viewpoint
Khao Kalok Beach is located just a short drive north Sam Roi Yot Beach. Along the way, you can stop and take a look at Wat Khao Kalok. It is a small temple set right on the main road and has beautiful architecture.
Khao Kalok Beach is another quiet long beach near Hua Hin. It is located right next to a rocky mountain, where you can find a trekking trail on the right end side of the beach. This trail takes you to a viewpoint and a beautiful beach called Khung Sai Beach.
You can rent bed chairs on the beach or bring a beach mat with you. There are several food stalls on the main road right near the parking area. You can buy food here and bring it to the beach.
Khao Kalok Beach is a popular spot for locals and my hotel’s owner recommended it to me. There are just a few foreign visitors on the beach.
Khung Sai Beach
Khung Sai Beach is an isolated beach located within 15 minutes hike through the jungle from Khao Kalok Beach & Viewpoint. It is a great spot to watch the sunset, and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. I visited this beach around 5pm and it was only me and one other person on the beach.
Pranburi Beach & night market
Pranburi Beach is located around 5 km north of Khao Kalok Beach. You can reach Pranburi Beach by continuing driving along the Beach Road. It is another nice quiet beach in the region. There are palm trees lining the beach as well as some public gym equipment.
You can find a night market tigh on the Beach Road near Paknampran Beach Park. You can search for “Welcome to Pak Nam Pran” on Google Maps to find the location of this market.
Cicada Night market
Cicada market is a famous night market in Hua Hin, located right next to Tamarind market. It is just a few minute ride from the city center and is easily reachable by taxi, Grab, and tuk tuk. This market is open in the evening on weekends from Friday to Sunday.
Cicada is a big market that has a food area, live music area, and an area for local art, crafts, and handmade goods. You can find some nice clothes here as well as souvenirs to bring home. Price for food here is even higher than the Tamarind market, in my opinion.
Tamarind Night market
Tamarind Market is a popular night market in Hua Hin, located right next to Cicada Night market, and is 5km from Hua Hin City Center. This market is open in the evening from Thursday to Sunday.
You can find all kinds of street food here from grilled meat, fried rice, pad thai, to seafood. The price is relatively high. There is live music so you can eat and enjoy the show.
Day 3: Hua Hin City Center and Pran Buri Forest Park
On my third day in Hua Hin, I explored the major attractions between Hua Hin City Center and Pran Buri Forest Park. I visited Hua Hin Beach, Bluport, Pran Buri Forest Park, Wat Tham Khao Tao, Suan Son Beach, and Hua Hin Night Market.
Hua Hin City Center
I stayed on Hua Hin 55 Chomsin Road, very close to Hua Hin Beach, Soi Bintabaht, and Hua Hin Night market. In the morning, I checked out several attractions near my hotel in the city center.
Hua Hin Fishing Pier
This is a long pier where you can have nice views of Hua Hin Beach and the city center. It is a good place to take a stroll, enjoy the breeze of the sea, and take some photos. There are weekend night markets here from Friday to Sunday, every evening from 5pm to midnight.
Breakfast at Jek Piek Seafood Restaurant
This is a very nice local restaurant where you can try authentic Thai food. My hotel’s owner recommended this place. It is located very close to Hua Hin Night Market, at the corner of Hua Hin Soi 57 and Naebkehardt Rd.
They open for breakfast from 6.30am to 12.20pm and dinner from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. I tried noodle soup for breakfast. It was very tasty and reasonably priced.
Jao Mae Tub Tim Shrine
This is a small Chinese temple located at the end of Naresdamri Road. It has beautiful views of the Hua Hin coast line, the highrise building of Hua Hin, and the fishing pier.
Hua Hin Beach
Hua Hin Beach is the 5km long beach in the city center of Hua Hin. The beach is a good place for swimming, sunbathing, or taking a walk or a horse ride along its shore.
I accessed Hua Hin Beach from Hua Hin Soi 61. There are several shops selling souvenirs and beach accessories such as swimwear, hats, sandals, and beach mats on this road to the beach.
Blúport Shopping Mall
Blúport is one of the two big shopping malls in Hua Hin, along with Market Village. It is located 3 km south of the city center and easily accessible by a short Grab taxi or tuk tuk ride.
I came to this shopping mall to extend my visa because the Immigration office is located here. After filling the forms, the officer took a photo of me. They think that I worked illegally in Thailand in the past. The officer talked over the phone with another officer, and sorted it out after a couple of hours.
They stamped my passport but didn’t give it to me. She asked me to book the return ticket to be able to take the passport back. I sat there another hour trying to find and book a flight back to Australia. It was a very expensive flight but I booked it and she let me go. It took me around 5 hours at this office.
If you don’t need to extend your visa, you can go to Bluport for shopping or dining. They have 5 different floors with lots of restaurants, shops selling different goods. It is also home to a reasonably priced food court.
Pran Buri Forest Park
Pran Buri Forest Park is a popular place to visit in Hua Hin, located 20 km south of Hua Hin City Center. This forest park is known for its mango forest and a beautiful quiet beach.
You can take a walk on the 1km long wooden bridge in the middle of the mangrove forest. It is a peaceful walk under the shade of the mangrove trees. Along the way you can spot Fiddler Crabs crawling in the mud.
After a 10 minute walk on the bridge, you can reach a small observation deck tower. You can climb to the top to have stunning views of the forest and the bridge.
At the end of the broadwalk, you’ll reach a pier, where you can book a boat ride along a small river and canal that is surrounded by the mangrove forest. The ride for 1-6 people is 450 to 500 baht.
I skipped the boat ride and walked back to the beginning of the bridge. You can find a cafe and restaurant at the entrance of the park if you want something to eat or drink.
I drive to the nearby beach, called “หาดปราณคีรี (Pran Kiri Beach)”. This is a long quiet beach located within the park. There were several tents located right next to the beach. It is a great place to relax. You can have the whole beach for yourself.
Khao Tao: Beach, Temple, Big Buddha, and Lake
Khao Tao is an area located 14 km south of Hua Hin City Center. It is known for its long Khao Tao Beach, the big Lake, Wat Tham Khao Tao, Big Buddha, and the viewpoint. This area is just a 10 minute drive north of Pran Buri Forest Park.
I first drove through Wat Khao Tao to reach the beach. The beach has stunning views of the Big Buddha. I took a long walk along the beach then found the way to reach the Big Buddha.
I spent 30 minutes at the Big Buddha area, wandering around different areas and climbing all the way up to the top. This viewpoint has sweeping views of the coast line.
Big Buddha is located on the hill, opposite Khao Tao Lake. I passed the lake during sunset and it had beautiful views.
Suan Son Pradiphat Beach
Suan Son Beach is a nice beach located 10 km south of Hua Hin City center, and 7 km north of Khao Tao. I reach this beach after a 10 minutes drive from Khao Tao.
There was a sign on the main road showing directions to Suan Son Beach on PhetKasem Road. You need to turn right at PTT Station and follow the toll road direction to the beach.
I reached the beach around 6pm. The sea is rough at the time with a few locals walking on the beach. This is a quite long beach, and some views of nice views of nearby Khao Takiab mountains. You can walk all the way for 20 minutes to Khao Takiab beach from Suan Son Beach.
Hua Hin Soi 80
Hua Hin Soi 80 is a walking street bar, located just opposite of Hua Hin train station. It is a 400m long street lined with girl bars and several restaurants. It is one of the good places to visit for nightlife in Hua Hin, along with Soi 94 and Soi Bintabaht.
Hua Hin Night Market
Hua Hin Night Market is a big night market located in the city center of Hua Hin. Unlike Cicada Weekend market and Tamarind Market only on certain days, Hua Hin Night market is open every night from 6pm until midnight.
Hua Hin Night market has lots of seafood restaurants selling huge lobsters and all kinds of seafood. If you are a fan of seafood, you can check this market out.
Like many other night markets, it has lots of street food stalls, as well as souvenir areas where you can buy handmade items and clothes. If you can’t find a parking spot on Phat Kasem road, you can find many slots on Sa Song Road.
Soi Bintabaht
Soi Bintabaht, along with Soi 94 and Soi 80, are great places to go for nightlife in Hua Hin. It is only a 150m long walking street but is packed with bars and nightclubs, so you’ll have many options.
Soi Bintabaht is located just a few minutes drive from Hua Hin Night Market. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, and massage shops in the surrounding areas of this street.
Day 4: Pa La-U Waterfall, Wat Huay Mongkol, and Khao Nang Phanthurat
I spent my 4th day in Hua Hin exploring west or north part of Hua Hin. I visited Pa La-U Waterfall, Wat Huay Mongkol, and Khao Nang Phanthurat.
Pa La-U Waterfall
Pa La-U Waterfall is a popular waterfall located 70 km west of Hua Hin, very close to the border with Myanmar. It took me around 2 hours to drive from my hotel in Hua Hin City center to Pa La-U waterfall. If you don’t drive, I recommend taking a guided tour or hiring a private driver for a day.
Pa La-U Waterfall is part of Kaeng Phrachan National Park, so you’ll need to pay a fee of 300 baht at the entrance. From the entrance, you’ll drive for around 10 minutes to reach the trail to the waterfall.
There are toilets and a small shop at the waterfall. The distance from the starting point to level 5 is around 1.5km. It is quite an easy hike for me because I like hiking. I travel in mid December, the weather is dry, it is not slippery. There are ropes at some sections, you can reach along the way.
I reach level 5 after a 40 minute trek from the bottom, with lots of stops along the way to rest and take some photos. I spent a total of 2 hours at Pa La-U Waterfall.
I didn’t swim at the waterfall, but I think it is swimmable (lots of big fish in the pool though). I just sit and chill there, watching the butterflies, listening to the sound of the waterfall, and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The fish are big, I don’t think you have fish massage with them.
I had lunch at a cafe called “ป่าละอูคาเฟ่ Pa La – U Cafe” on the way back to Hua Hin. It is located only 10 minutes drive from Pa La-U Waterfall. This restaurant has stunning views of the surrounding valleys and mountains.
You can look out for the wild elephant crossing the road at PaLa – U Road. There are many signs warning about elephant crossing, so be aware of them.
I drove past this road in the morning and early afternoon, so I didn’t encounter any elephants but saw many elephant’s poop on the side of the road. They are likely to come out for food in the late afternoon.
Wat Huay Mongkol
Wat Huay Mongkol is located on the way back to Hua Hin City Center and Pa La-U waterfall, so I decided to take a look at this one. It is 1 hour drive from Pa La-U waterfall and 20 minutes drive from Hua Hin City Center.
Wat Huay Mongkol is home to a massive statue of Luang Phor Thuad, a highly respected monk in Thai Buddhism. Lots of locals come here to pray. Nothing much special for me. I spent 15 minutes walking around the temple and taking photos.
Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park
Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is located 40 km north of Hua Hin City Center. This park is known for its striking limestone hills and great place to do hiking. I remind me Ninh Binh of Vietnam.
I took the 2.5km natural trail. This is a round trail taking you to Sang Thong’s holy well, and several viewpoints such as Khok-Chang Viewpoint and Thung Settee Viewpoint.
The destinations and viewpoints are not very impressive, but the hike itself is very interesting, especially if you love hiking. There are lots of birds and wild monkeys along the trail.
You need to climb lots of rocks, so be sure to have good shoes with you and be aware of the sharp rocks. The viewpoints are not very well maintained, be careful when stepping on it too.
When you return back to the starting point, you can spend 5-10 minutes climbing up to a shrine and a mirror point for stunning views of the area.I spent 1,5 hours in the park, hiking the 2.5km natural trail and the small hike to the shrine.
Wat Khao Takiap and Golden Buddha
Wat Khao Takiap is located 7 km south of Hua Hin City Center. I drove all the way to the top, passing through Fresh Seafood Market Kao Takiab with lots of seafood restaurants.
I parked my motorbike at the bottom of the staircase to the top of the temple. I came here around sunset at 6pm, and most souvenir shops in the parking area were closing.
There were lots of monkeys around and I was a bit scared if they scratched my motorbike. It was a brand new scooter from my hotel. I made sure there was no food on my scooter and around me to avoid them approaching.
I climbed up the staircase to reach the top. It has stunning views of the beaches and the city. The smell of the monkeys’ poop and urine is quite unpleasant, though.
I drove down to Khao Takiab Nuea Beach where the standing Golden Buddha is located. This area is beautiful at sunset. There are several nice restaurants on the stairs to the Golden Buddha. You can have meals here and enjoy stunning views of the sea.
Day 5: Travel to Koh Tao/ Other things to do in Hua Hin
I travel from Hua Hin to Koh Tao on my 5th day in the city. My hotel’s owner booked a combo ticket for me, including a bus ticket to Lomprayah Pier in Chumphon and the speed boat ride to Koh Tao. I walked to Lomprayah office in the morning for the bus at 9am, and arrived at Koh Tao around 3pm.
Here are other things you can do in Hua Hin:
#1. Khao Hin Lek Fai. This is a viewpoint that has stunning views of Hua Hin, located just a few minutes drive from Hua Hin City Center. I wanted to check this one but worried that the monkeys would scratch my brand new rental scooter. I have to pay the rental shops if the bike is damaged and I don’t want this problem to happen.
I plan to use Grab Bike a few times to see this viewpoint but every time I had excuses for not doing it. I visited Khao Hin Lek Fai a long time ago anyway, I just didn’t remember how it looked.
#2. Hua Hin Artists Village. My hotel’s owner (local Thao) recommended that I visit this place. It is a unique cultural and artistic space where you can admire a variety of artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces. It opens everyday from 10am to 5m except Monday.
There you have it, my recommendations on how to spend 4-5 days in Hua Hin and my opinion on how long is enough to stay in Hua Hin. I believe that 4-5 days is a good amount of time to explore the city and its surroundings. THis time frame also allows you to enjoy local food and relax time on the beach. I’m sure you will love Hua Hin and want to come back later.