Dinosaur Daytrip Tour

dinosaur head
view of mountains and rice paddies

Duration
Full-Day

Start/Finish
Khon Kaen to Khon Kaen

Highlights
• Seeing dinosaurs; both real fossils and fake statues
• Awesome views of the circular Phu Wiang mountains
• Walking alongside fossil footprints

Description
Khon Kaen province is famous for dinosaurs and this tour travels to the heart of dinosaur country in the Phu Wiang mountains where several important paleontological discoveries have been made, including two previously unknown species: Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, a 15-meter (49 feet) long sauropod named after Thailand’s beloved princess, and Siamotyrannus isanensis, an ancestor of Tyrannosaurs Rex named after Thailand and Isan. This is what accounts for the abundance of dinosaur sculptures in Khon Kaen city. We’ll visit the dinosaur museum, stop for photo-ops with life-sized concrete statues, and see some actual fossils still stuck in the bedrock. But, even without the dinosaurs as a draw, Wiang Kao district is a wonderful place to visit. It’s a very traditional region with few modern concrete houses and no 7-11s; and once you turn off the short main road you may feel you’ve taken a small step back in time. Plus the microclimate of the curious ring-shaped mountain range, which has just a single pass leading to its interior, makes the area highly productive, so you’ll see lots of fruits and flowers being grown. We’ll also climb a soaring tower to take in the awesome 360-degree view of the mountains. The combination of attractions makes this a great tour for both kids and adults.

We also have a two-day Dinosaurs & Dragon Fruits version of this tour.

Add-Ons
Make the most of your trip with our special add-on activities before, during, or after your tour.

dinosaur statue

Our first destination is Si Wiang Dinosaur Park, full of giant concrete dinosaur statues, plus a few animatronic ones that move and roar. It’s a great stop for kids and offers some fun photo ops. We’ll then savor the awesome 360-degree bird’s eye view of the ring-shaped mountain range from a soaring hilltop observation tower and see sets of dinosaur footprints in Phu Wiang National Park. After lunch we walk to two sets of dinosaur fossils still embedded in the bedrock. Finally, we visit the well-done Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum, which is actually a complete geology museum, but dinosaurs are the main focus.

If our itinerary doesn’t fit your exact needs and desires, please let us know. With advance notice we can usually modify things.

Prices valid until March 2023.

Group Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9+
Price Per Person 6,150 3,250 2,600 2,000 1,700 1,500 1,350 1,250 Ask

Price Includes
All sightseeing and activities as specified in the itinerary with English-speaking local guides, entrance fees, transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, hotel transfers, snacks and cold water in the vehicle, accident insurance, taxes, and pre-departure travel consultation.

Price Does Not Include
Meals and drinks, travel and medical insurance, personal expenses (such as souvenirs, snacks, etc.), tips/gratuities, and any additional expenses incurred due to airline schedule changes, natural disasters, political actions, or other factors beyond our control.

Booking/Cancellation Policies
• For tours longer than one day, a non-refundable deposit of 30% is required as soon as possible after making your reservation.
• The full payment is due before the tour begins. This can be done after you arrive in Thailand, as long as you have access to sufficient funds before you depart on your tour.
• International payments are best done by bank transfer, and the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way is with TransferWise. Credit/debit cards can be used through TransferWise or other online wire transfer services. For people inside Thailand, we accept payment via cash (Thai baht, US dollars, British pounds, and euros), ATM transfer, and counter deposit to Siam Commercial Bank.
• If local taxes and/or fuel prices increase significantly, we reserve the right to add comparable surcharges.

Click here to read our full tour Terms & Conditions.