Nam Lod Cave, aka Tham Nam Lod, is one of the most beautiful caves in Thailand. It is the system of 3 caves with its impressive stalactites, stalagmites, and the Nam Lang River flowing through the cave.
You can reach the caves by taking the bamboo raft ride on the river. There is no light inside the caves, you can only see the stunning stalactites and stalagmites by oil lamps.
Nam Lod Cave is located in Mae Hong Son, 50 km north of Pai Town Center. It is a popular half day or full day trip from Pai.
I took a late afternoon trip to Nam Lod Cave from Pai, and in this article, I will share with you my experience visiting Nam Lod Cave, how to get to the Cave from Pai and things to do inside the cave.
You can check out best things to do, my itinerary, and How I get around Pai in these articles:
- 15 Best Things to Do in Pai
- How I Spend 2-3 Days In Pai
- Getting to and Getting Around Pai
- Where Should I Stay in Pai?
Here are the main content:
Where is Nam Lod Cave?
Nam Lod Cave is a popular tourist attraction located in Soppong village in Mae Hong Son province. It is around 50 km from Pai and Mae Hong Son City, which are popular cities in Mae Hong Son province. It is about a 1–2 hour drive from either city via winding mountain roads.
The cave is 1.5km long, including Big Column Cave, Doll Cave with thousand years old prehistoric paintings, and Coffin Cave. You will reach each cave by the bamboo raft or walk. It is required to hire a local lantern guide and they will take you to the highlights of each cave.
Here is the basic information of Nam Lod Cave:
| Location | Soppong Village, 50 km from Pai and Mae Hong Son City. |
| Opening Hours | 8am to 5.30pm everyday. |
| Entrance Fee | 300-600 baht/ group depending on how many caves you visit. A group has a maximum of 3 people. |
| Duration | 2-3 hours at the cave. 2-3 hours two ways drive from Pai and the Cave. |
Best time to visit Nam Lod Cave
The best time to visit Tham Lod is in the dry season, when the water level is low and you can access all the caves. In the rainy season (from May to October), parts of Nam Lod Cave may be inaccessible, and sometimes the entire site is closed due to rising water levels.
You might still be able to explore one or two caves, so it’s best to check ahead before planning the trip. I visited Nam Lod Cave in early December and was able to visit all of the three caves.
The best time of the day to visit Nam Lod Cave is in the late afternoon, during the sunset hours where you can witness thousands of bats fly out from the cave for night hunting.
Nam Lod Cave Price and Entrance Fee
There are three options for the ticket at Nam Lod Cave. It costs 300 baht/group if you only visit Cave 1 (Column Cave). It costs 300 baht/ group if you visit Cave 1 and 2 (Column Cave and Doll Cave). You can walk to Cave 1 and Cave 2, without the need of a bamboo raft.
It costs 600 baht/ group if you visit all three caves. All tickets include a local guide with a gas-powered lantern. If you are visiting Cave 3 (Coffin Cave), the ticket will include a bamboo boat ride to Cave 3. A group is no more than 3 people. If you go alone, you need to pay full price.
After visiting all the caves. You can consider walking on the 1 km natural trail from cave entrance to Cave 3- Coffin Cave. You can actually reach the entrance (also called exit) of Coffin Cave on foot.
How to get to Nam Lod Cave?
There are several ways to get from Pai to Nam Lod Cave. These include motorbike rental, joining a group tour, or hiring a private driver.
Rent a motorbike
If you are confident with your driving skill and you have a valid license, you can consider renting a motorbike to explore Pai and travel to Nam Lod Cave. The road has lots of twists and turns, so make sure to drive slowly and carefully.
You can rent a motorbike easily at rental shops on Pai Walking street or ask for accommodation to help. The price is generally 200-300 baht per day. It is a cheap way to explore Pai on a motorbike.
Joining a group tour
There are dozens of travel agents and hotels selling tours to Tham Lod Cave. You can see brochures everywhere on the walking street. These tours will generally be cheaper than taking a private taxi. It is around 300 baht. They will also stop at places like Kiewlom viewpoint, Two Hut or Canyon for sunset.
The advantage of taking the group tour is that you can share the ticket with other people as in the group. For example, the ticket is 600 baht for groups of 1-3 people. If there are 3 people in one group, you only pay a 200 baht entrance ticket.
Hiring a private taxi driver
I visited Nam Lod Cave by sharing a taxi ride with 3 other people. The fee for the taxi is 350 baht/person. It just includes two ways to transfer from Pai to the Cave and from the Cave back to Pai. The driver drove us to the cave, waited for us to explore, then drove back to Pai.
I booked the trip to Nam Lod Cave very spontaneously. On my last day in Pai, after finishing my hike to Mae Yen Waterfall around 12pm, I called several travel agencies to see if they have available tours in the afternoon. They both sold out.
Then, one of the travel agencies called me back after 15 minutes from my call. He told me that there is a group of 3 people booking the tour for the afternoon and I can join in.
I made it to the cave just by that. I traveled in early December, it was part of the high season and the tours are usually filled up early. It is best to book in advance if you travel in the peak season to avoid disappointment.
What to do at Nam Lod Cave?
When you arrive at the parking area of Nam Lod Cave, you will walk to the little hut and buy a ticket from there. The visitor center as well as several shops and restaurants are also located in this area.
There is a small stall selling fish food near the ticket counter. You can buy a bag of fish food for around 50 baht to feed the hungry fish at the river inside the cave system.
You will be assigned a local guide at the ticket counter. You walk for 350m to get to the cave entrance with the local lantern guide. There are toilets on the way, you can use it before exploring the cave.
The entrance area has beautiful views of the river and the jungle. The local guide started lighting the oil lantern here. You can hear sound from lots of swifts and you can feed the fish right at the wooden bridge to the entrance.
There is no electric or natural light inside the caves, so the only light comes from the guide’s lantern. You can bring your own flashlight, though none of us had one.
Cave 1 – Column Cave
From the entrance, we walked to the right to enter the first cave, the Big Column Cave. We climbed some stairs. The ceiling of the first cave is quite high, approximately 22 meters. It has towering stalactites and stalagmites. We spend 15-20 minutes at the first cave.
Cave 2 – Doll Cave
Cave 2, or Doll Cave is located on the other side of the river from Column Cave. It is on the right side from the main entrance area. From Column Cave, you walk across the bridge to reach Cave 2.
Cave 2 contains rock formations resembling various human and animal figures like crocodiles, dogs,… An interesting part of cave 2 is that it is home to prehistoric paintings from the hunters that date back to 2-3000 years ago.
The roof of cave 2 is quite low, so mind your head when walking. We spent 20-30 minutes at Cave 2. From Cave 2, we walked down the steep stairs to get down to the river for the boat to get to Cave 3.
Cave 3 – Teak Coffin Cave
Coffin Cave is the last cave in the Nam Lod Cave system. The cave is home to ancient wooden coffins and faded murals, offering a glimpse into the region’s history. It is around a 10 minutes bamboo boat ride from Cave 2. You can feed the fish while sitting on the bamboo boat.
Cave 3 involves lots of steep stairs, with a strong smell from bat guano. They are everywhere, on the stairs and handrails. Try to not touch anything and bring the face mask with you. If you have a weakened immune system, inhaling guano particles can potentially cause illness.
From the exit of cave 3, you have beautiful views of the jungle, the river, the fish, and the bamboo raft. After around 30 minutes at cave 3, we got back to the bamboo raft, and walked back to the parking area.
Natural trail – Cave Entrance to Coffin Cave
This is a one km natural trail connecting the cave entrance to Cave 3. If you have time you can take a walk along the trail that takes you to the Teak Coffin cave.
We walked back to the parking area. I bought a bottle of water and an ice cream from the shop near the visitor center. Other people in the group wanted to have a meal, so I waited for them.
Other Things to do on day trip to Nam Lod Cave from Pai
Doi Kiew Lom Viewpoint
This viewpoint is located on the highway 1095 midway between Nam Lod Cave and Pai. It has a scenic view and a good rest stop with toilets, food, and drink. If you take a group tour, the tour will likely stop here for a break and the view.
Sai Ngam Natural Mineral Spring
Sai Ngam is also a popular attraction located between Nam Lod Cave and Pai. If you want to swim in neutral hot springs, you can consider combining a visit to Tham Lod and Sai Ngam within one day. The ticket to Sai Ngam is quite expensive for foreigners, about 400 baht, while Thai only pay 40 baht.
Pai Canyon for sunset
A half day tour to Nam Lod Cave from Pai starts from 12pm will take you to the cave and ends the day at Pai Canyon where you can enjoy stunning sunset views. Pai Canyon is located around 8 km from Pai town, featuring a beautiful landscape of narrow ridges, steep drops, and panoramic views.
Is it worth visiting Nam Lod Cave?
In my opinion, yes, it is worth taking a day trip to Nam Lod Cave from Pai if you have the time. If you are short on time, you can skip it and explore attractions in Pai such as Pai Walking Street, Pai Canyon, Kho Ku So Bamboo Bridge, White Temple, and Chinese Village.
Another thing to consider is that the road is very twisty, so for those who suffer motion sickness, you might want to skip a trip from Pai to Nam Lod Cave.
Where to stay near Nam Lod Cave?
I stayed in Pai and took day trips to Nam Lod Cave. Pai has a lively nightlife scene and lots of beautiful neutral and cultural attractions to explore. You can also consider staying at the guesthouses in the villages near the Nam Lod Cave.
Overall, Nam Lod Cave is a unique cave in Northern Thailand. It is a big dark cave with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites and a river flowing through it. You can reach the cave by bamboo raft and only see the highlights of the caves though a small gas-powered lantern from a local guide.