Hua Hin, meaning ‘stone head’, is a seaside resort city in Thailand, only about 200 km south of Bangkok. It’s the oldest and most traditional holiday resort in Thailand popular not only with foreigners but also Thais. Planning a trip to Hua Hin in Thailand? This detailed Hua Hin travel guide with travel tips will help you discover the city and its best things to do.
Here you can find the comfort and attractions of a modern travel destination mixed with the charm of still active fishing port.
Besides its 8 kilometre long beach, the city provides historical sites, golf courses, shopping opportunities, various accommodation options and great restaurants. Hua Hin is more laid-back than Pattaya, making it ideal for families, couples and travellers who just like easy holidays in the tropics.
Things to Do in Hua Hin
Pattaya is large enough city so there are plenty of tourist attractions and other things to do in Hua Hin for travelers of different taste to be busy for at least several days.
Hua Hin Beach
Hua Hin Beach is the only beach in this resort city. It is 8 kilometre long sandy strip which stretches from the north of the city to Khao Takiab. The beach is never over-crowded and offers lots of family-friendly activities between sunbathing and swimming. It is also a popular place to take a long stroll along the seashore.
There are rock formations on the main beach – the city was named Hua Hin or ‘stone head’ under them.
Discover Hua Hin, Khao Takiab, and Khao Tao from the sea, aboard the classic sailboat on this Siamtara Sunset Sailing Dinner Cruise. Sail on a traditional pirate boat, and make a stop for swimming. Walk the plank and jump into warm water. Enjoy activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, or simply relax.
Khao Takiab
One of the biggest attractions in the city is the mountain Khao Takiab, meaning ‘Chopstick Mountain’, which is situated at the southern end of Hua Hin Beach.
Khao Takiab is home to Thai temple Wat Khao Takiab. 19 metres tall standing Buddha (Phra Pang Haan Yad) meets visitors at the entrance to the temple.
This hilltop temple offers spectacular panoramic views of the city, especially nice early in the morning.
Hua Hin Railway Station
Hua Hin Railway Station is only a short distance from the centre of the city. It was built during the reign of King Rama VI. The main building of the railway station and the adjacent royal waiting room are very attractive and it is Thailand's most beautiful railway station. These brightly painted wooden buildings are a good example of authentic Thai architecture making the train station a must see attraction in the city.
If you want to travel conveniently to visit famous tourist attractions, including the railway station, Khao Takiab and others, join this Hua Hin Highlights & Monsoon Valley Vineyards Tour.
Hua Hin Night Market
Hua Hin Night Market is located in the centre of the city, on Dechanuchit Road and Soi 72 that runs between Petchkasem Road and the railway line. The market starts every night around 18:00 and ends around midnight. This night market is the most popular local market, offering wide variety of places to eat and shop.
Discover how, where, and what locals eat at night in the city. Learn where Thais go for freshly cooked takeaway meals or to eat out. Get an insider's look into the food scene of Hua Hin on this Sunset Local Eats Thai Food Tour.
Cicada Market
Cicada Market is a weekend night market, open every Friday to Sunday from 16:00 to 23:00. It is located on Khao Takieb - Hua Hin Road, at Hua Hin 87. It is a place filled with food stalls, handicrafts, and the local artists. Things here are not cheap but reasonably priced.
Vana Nava Water Park
Vana Nava Water Park is one of the finest water parks in Thailand. Not only tourists but people from all over Thailand come to this water park for amazing rides as there's something for everyone here. At Vana Nava Water Park you will find thrilling rides and slides.
Book online your Vana Nava Water Park ticket and enjoy the park and its 19 amazing rides for a discounted price.
Massage in Hua Hin
You will find massage parlors almost on every street corner in this resort city. Massage prices normally vary depending on the level of establishment but in most cases getting massage here will still be significantly cheaper than in your home country.
Normally you can get a significant discount by pre-booking your spa experience online. To get the best deal for your visit, check an extended list of vouchers at Top spa & massages.
If you don’t mind paying a little bit extra, visiting one of Thailand's most famous and highly regarded spas Let's Relax Spa is recommended. This day spa provides first class customer service and offers some of the best spa treatments available in Thailand. Book your visit to Let's Relax Spa online and enjoy relaxing massage cheaper. Various relaxing treatments and massages can be booked here: Let's Relax Spa Treatments in Hua Hin.
Elephants at Wildlife Friends Foundation
If you want to meet elephants while staying in the resort city, the best way to do it is visiting elephants at Wildlife Friends Foundation, where you can interact with Thailand's gentle giants in a truly ethical way. At this elephant sanctuary you will be able to feed and shower them.
As the number of guests each day is limited, the sanctuary is often fully booked a few days in advance. You should book your trip to the elephants as soon as you know which date you plan to visit. A visit with transfer can be booked online here: Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand Full-Day Visit.
Muay Thai fights
The resort city is one of the places where you can find boxing stadiums to watch real fights of Muay Thai, which is Thai national sport. Explore the best places to watch Muay Thai in Hua Hin.
Thai Boxing Garden is a Muay Thai Stadium located in the centre of the city. Here you can experience the passion and intensity of a live Muay Thai fight every Saturday.
Another place to watch Muay Thai in the resort city is Antza Boxing Stadium, which invites you to immerse yourself in the electrifying world of Muay Thai on Fridays.
You can also learn the basics of Thai boxing by joining Muay Thai gym for a private or group Muay Thai session.
Wat Huay Mongkol
Wat Huay Mongkol is a must see temple in Hua Hin. The temple is situated about 15 km from the city. It has the largest statue of the Buddhist monk called "Luang Phor Thuad", who lived from 1582 to 1682. The holy monk is very well known in Southern Thailand for converting sea water to plain water by foot. This is one of the most popular and sacred places for Thais.
Wat Huay Mongkol can also be visited on this Hua Hin Highlights & Monsoon Valley Vineyards Tour.
Rajabhakti Park
Rajabhakti Park is a historical park with statues commemorating the legacy of Thai kings from the Sukhothai era to the current Chakri dynasty, encapsulating centuries of Thai culture in one scenic location.
Khao Tao
Khao Tao is a serene village where you can observe local fishermen at work and visit Wat Khao Tao, a scenic temple nestled beside a peaceful lake, offering a moment of reflection at the shrine of King Rama IX.
Rajabhakti Park and Khao Tao can be easily visited on Hua Hin Half-Day Tour.
Pa La-U Waterfall
Pa La-U Waterfall is of the most popular waterfalls in the region, located in Kaeng Krachan National Park, about 62 km from Hua Hin. It is located in the heart of the 1,000-year-old rainforest, which is rich in flora and fauna.
The easiest way to visit Pa La-U Waterfall is by joining this Pa La-U Waterfall Tour.
Sam Roi Yot National Park
Sam Roi Yot National Park, also known as Three Hundred Mountains National Park, is Thailand's First Seaside National Park. Located not far from Hua Hin, it is the place where you can enjoy the unique landscape. Sam Roi Yot is home to the amazing Praya Nakhon Cave, which is filled with daylight by the collapsed roof, in which there is a temple in the middle of the cave.
The most convenient way for visiting the Three Hundred Mountains National Park and exploring the amazing Praya Nakhon Cave is joining this Sam Roi Yot and Praya Nakhon Cave Group Tour.
Otherwise, you can discover Sam Roi Yot's beautiful landscape and beaches on Full-Day Trip to Sam Roi Yot by Sail Boat.
Snorkeling at Talu Island
Koh Talu (Talu Island) is privately owned island that can be found about 30 minutes’ boat ride away off the coast of Bangsaphan town which is located south of Hua Hin (it takes about 2-3 hours to get there). This idyllic island with white sand beaches is perfect for snorkeling as here you will find the crystal clear blue waters and shallow reefs that can’t be found near the coast.
It is possible to arrange half-day trip to the island at a local ticket office in Bangsaphan. However, boat departs Bangsaphan at 9:00 and getting there that early is quite complicated. If you want to visit Koh Talu, booking a day trip that includes all transportation and even lunch on the island is the best choice.
Kitesurfing
If you like kitesurfing, Hua Hin is definitely the place for you to visit in Thailand.
Vana Nava Sky Bar Rooftop
Vana Nava Sky is a rooftop bar, situated at the highest point of Holiday Inn Resort, featuring a clear glass balcony and offering an unobstructed 360 degree view of the beach and city skyline. Located on 27th level of the building, Vana Nava Sky provides a chic setting for a romantic dinner or drinks with stunning night scenery, making it a must visit experience.
Enhance your visit with Vana Nava Sky sharing set packages, which provide an exceptional selection of dishes at a valuable price.
Where to Stay in Hua Hin
You should choose hotel in central Hua Hin if you want to stay in central location near the beach and night market.
Very popular location with even more accommodations is Khao Takiab area. Find your place to stay in Khao Takiab area.
For an exceptional stay in the resort city, choose one of the best Hua Hin pool villa resorts.
For a wider selection of the best rated hotels in the city, check the list of the best hotels in Hua Hin and the most popular hotels near Khao Takiab.
To get the best deal on accommodation, make sure to compare hotel deals on Booking.com with often better special offers on Agoda.
How to get to Hua Hin?
Hua Hin is located just about 200 km south of Bangkok and can be easily accessed from there by taxi, bus or train.
Bus to Hua Hin
Bus to Hua Hin leaves Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal several times a day and it takes about 3 hours to get there, depending on the class of the bus and traffic conditions.
There are also buses from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) running daily about every hour from 07:30 to 18:30. Direct Bangkok Airport bus is really convenient for travelers who are not planning to make a stopover in Bangkok. Current schedule can be found and bus tickets can be booked here: Bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hua Hin
Minivans to the resort city are also available at all 3 main bus stations in Bangkok.
Minivans depart from Ekkamai Bus Terminal every hour from 06:00 to 19:00. It takes about 4 hours to get there from Ekkamai. Minivans also leave from Mochit Van Terminal and from Khao San Road. These minivans normally also make stops in Phetchaburi and Cha-Am.
Tickets for various buses and minivans on this route can be found here: Buses and minivans from Bangkok to Hua Hin
You can also get a minivan from other cities south of Bangkok. If you are staying in Kanchanaburi, you can get a direct minivan from there as well.
Train to Hua Hin
Taking a train is an easy way to get to Hua Hin from Bangkok as most of Southern Line trains stop there. Majority of the trains leave Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, while there's still one daily train departing from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station and two daily trains departing from Thonburi Railway Station.
Trains departing from Hua Lamphong and Thonburi are third class trains that are offering very limited comfort. If you're looking for a bit more comfort, you can book second class train ticket for the trains departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat here: Train from Bangkok to Hua Hin.
The railway station is conveniently located in the centre of the city.
Flights to Hua Hin
Hua Hin Airport (HHQ) currently has only one route from Chiang Mai with scheduled 4 weekly departures. Flight schedule and tickets can be found here: Flights from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin.
Therefore, most of travelers choose to travel to one of Bangkok airports instead.
There is a direct bus route from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) making traveling to this seaside resort much easier. You can book airport bus tickets here: Shared Bus Transfer to Hua Hin.
However, most of travelers prefer to cover this route by private airport transfer as it's faster and much more convenient because you don't need to find transportation for getting from the bus station to your hotel. You can book private airport transfer here: Airport Transfer to Hua Hin.
Even better deal for private airport transfer can be found here: Private City Transfers between Bangkok and Hua Hin.
Other transportation options
To make your choice for traveling to the resort city, explore detailed guide about traveling from Bangkok to Hua Hin by different means of transportation.
Various transportation options can also be found and transport tickets can be booked by using this search form.
How to get around Hua Hin?
There's no public bus in the resort city but you can get local transport songtaew for getting around Hua Hin.
The most convenient way for exploring different attractions in the region is by booking Tour with Private Charter.
Weather in Hua Hin
Hua Hin has only two seasons - the wet and the dry. Between November and May the weather is mostly dry with little rain expected for much of this time.
Wet season here occurs between May and October. Despite being on the Gulf of Thailand coastline, the city experiences slightly different rain patterns than other east coast destinations with serious rainfall only occurring in September and October.
For the best time to visit the city check weather in Hua Hin.
Next Destination after Hua Hin?
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and the largest city of the country with tons of things to do and see, so you can easily spend days or weeks there and not get bored. The nearby Cha-Am is a resort town offering more local atmosphere as it's a popular beach destination for Thais. Kanchanaburi is known for its WWII history and beautiful nature, while Ayutthaya is home to ancient temples. Travel more south and visit the island of Koh Tao, which is a worldwide famous diving and snorkeling destination.
