Silk, Stone & City Tour

silk fabric and thread
stupa

Duration
Full-Day

Start/Finish
Khon Kaen to Khon Kaen

Highlights
• Rare, historic Isan-style temple paintings
• The ancient Khmer ruins of Prasat Puay Noi
• Seeing how mut-mee silk weaving is done
• The art and the views at Wat Nong Wang temple
• Exotic food in Come Hai Market

Description
We leave the city in the morning to visit one of northern Isan’s largest and best preserved Khmer ruins and a temple with original and now very rare Isan-style murals, which are far different from the murals found in modern temples. Next we visit a silk weaving village where you can see the process of making mut-mee fabric, from raising the silk worms to spinning and dying the thread to the painstaking hand-weaving. We then spend the afternoon visiting Khon Kaen city’s most interesting and beautiful temple, the must-see Wat Nong Wang, and exploring a local fresh market. The mix of city and countryside makes a very diverse and interesting trip.

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

three towers of Khmer ruin

This tour begins in the countryside at a historic little temple that features traditional Isan-style murals, few of which exist anymore, and a style of guardian naga you’ve surely never seen before. Then we’ll visit the 12th-century Prasat Puay Noi, the largest and most intact Khmer temple ruin in northern Isan. It has some excellent carvings and you’ll most likely be able to explore it all by yourself since few visitors go there. We finish in a small, traditional silk weaving village where many families raise their own worms and you’ll also get to see the long, complicated process behind Isan’s distinctive mut-mee silk fabric. You’ll even have the opportunity to sit down at a loom and weave some yourself.

After lunch we visit Wat Nong Wang, Khon Kaen’s most famous and beautiful temple. Its distinctive stupa, Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, features a museum of local culture, a repository of rare Buddha images, Isan-focused art, and a 9th-floor observation deck with wonderful views. Then we’ll stroll through the Come Hai afternoon market to see many foods you surely won’t find at your supermarket back home.

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 5,850 2,950 2,300 1,750 1,450 1,200 1,050 950 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.