Loei province, the gateway between north and northeast Thailand, has so much to offer a traveler. It is one of our family’s favorite provinces in Thailand (and we’ve been to over 50!). There are many things to do in Loei, Thailand that are unique to that region. Here is our list of 10 kid friendly things to do in Loei with your family.
Location
Loei is where the rice fields meet the mountains. The plains of northeast Thailand gradually rise up into windy mountain passes as you get closer to the northern part of Thailand. Suddenly your view shifts from rice fields and becomes one of mountainsides and dragon fruit orchards. The temperature drops significantly in the mountains, making Loei one of the coldest provinces in Thailand.
The province of Loei borders Laos along its northern border. There are no land border crossings for foreigners in the province, but there are a few crossing Thai and Laos citizens are allowed to cross. We tried our hand at crossing one of these borders to see if we could, but we were denied by the guard sitting on the side of the road. Oh well. The beautiful Mekong River makes up the border between Thailand and Laos. One of our favorite things to do in Loei, Thailand is to look across the river at Laos. More on where is the best place to do that later.
Time of Year to Visit
As much of the province is at a higher elevation, the hot season of March through June averages in the low 80’s fahrenheit, which is cooler than most provinces around Thailand. The cool season from November to February is significantly cooler than much of Thailand with averages in the 70’s fahrenheit.
Temperatures during rainy season from July to October meet somewhere in the middle. However, the rain each day dampens a visit, so we suggest staying away during these months, unless it is your only time to go.
Thais enjoy getting away into the colder areas of the country during the months of November to February, so you will find the local tourist spots overflowing with people during these months. They are still worth visiting, you may just need to book ahead for accommodations.
Transportation
We strongly recommend visiting Loei with a rental car of your own vehicle. The freedom of having your own wheels is worth it. Seeing everything on public transportation would prove difficult.
Loei is connected to the rest of Thailand by buses, and it is possible to take buses from town to town within Loei. But getting anywhere specific surrounding those towns, such as national parks and to other attractions such as the Chiang Khan Skywalk, is really hard on public transportation.
Kid Friendly Things to Do in Loei, Thailand
Chiang Khan Walking Street and Night Market
Our #1 family favorite spot in Loei is the quaint town of Chiang Khan. The town of Chiang Khan has an old school charm with wooden shophouses that line the walking street in the center of town. The walking street is where the magic is.
During the day, cafes along the walking street open up to the mighty Mekong River in the back, so you can sit and enjoy Loei dishes while watching the river. Kids can bike along the boardwalk which sits on the edge of the river. Bikes are available for rent at the hotels along walking street. Our kids also enjoy roller blading on the boardwalk next to the Mekong.
At night, the walking street becomes a night market with all kinds of street food options. We love trying new and exotic creatures grilled on sticks each time we go! Some of our kids enjoyed trying the little crabs grilled on a stick, a local delicacy of the area.
Our full guide of Chiang Khan Walking Street gives more details on the town and some great accommodations nearby.
Phu Ruea National Park
Phu Ruea mountain peak is said to be one of the coldest spots in Thailand! The kids will love checking out the temperature at the top of the mountain on the big thermometer! In the morning time you can see your breath, and if you are lucky you can sometimes see frost.
Unlike Phu Kradeung with a multiple hour hike up to the top, at Phu Ruea you can drive close to the peak. Then you can choose whether you want to take a songtaew (public open backed van) or hike a short 20 minutes to the top.
The views from the peak are pretty awesome! At the peak there is a small Buddha statue next to a large gong, which you are allowed to bang for fun. The kids all enjoyed that a lot.
Phu Ruea National Park Entrance Fee
Adult (Foreign) - 200 THB
Child (Foreign) - 100 THB
Adult (Thai) - 20 THB
Child (Thai) - 10 THB
Price of Ride to the Peak
10 baht each way
We loved camping at Phu Ruea National Park in the cool season months. The weather mixed with the beautiful views from the mountainside made it a fun attraction for the whole family.
Phu Kradeung National Park, Loei Province
This hike is definitely one of the top things to do in Loei, Thailand for our family! Phu Kradeung is well known by Thais as a hike to take with your boyfriend/girlfriend before you get married. Sort of a rite of passage to test your relationship because the climb is hard, much like a relationship. But we found it so fun for our family that we’ve gone back and hiked it multiple times on later visits to Loei.
Our youngest child to do the hike was 5 at the time and a slow walker. He was able to complete it in about 4 ½ hours. Such a trooper and he felt very proud and accomplished when the trip was completed.
The hike is a 5.5 kilometers hike, all uphill. In order to be allowed to hike you must start before 1:00pm. Once you reach the top you will actually be on a very large plateau with beautiful views.
Along the hike, there are rest stops. These rest stops are full of food stalls with meals or snacks; drink stalls with fruit shakes and soda; as well as souvenirs and other items you may need for your hike such as hats.
Once you arrive at the top, there is a sign welcoming you as a Phu Kradeung Conquerer! It is a great sense of accomplishment. From there, you can turn around and head down if it is not too late in the day.
However, we recommend spending the night at the top. Once you arrive at the top, the air is completely changed, with a pleasant cool breeze and beautiful scenic overlooks. The forest at the top is also very different and it feels like you’ve entered into a ‘lost world’.
At the top, there are restaurants to eat at and cafes with hot drinks for those cold nights. We love to get warm soy milk and Thai fried donuts.
Phu Kradeung National Park Entrance Fee
Adult (Foreign) - 200 THB
Child (Foreign) - 100 THB
Adult (Thai) - 40 THB
Child (Thai) - 20 THB
Park Closure
Park is closed for rainy season from: June - September
The hike itself is included in the price of the national park, but if you would like a porter to carry your bags up the mountain, it will be an additional 30 Baht fee per kilo. Camping at the top is another additional fee, although we highly recommend the experience!
Our full guide on Phu Kradeung National Park.
Skywalk Chiang Khan
Another family favorite is the Chiang Khan Skywalk located over the Mekong River. The skywalk was built about 30 minutes down the road from Chiang Khan town. The skywalk juts out from the hilltop right over the delta of the Mekong River and its tributary, the Hueang River. There is a glass walkway out over the trees where you can look down on both rivers and take in the Lao scenery on the other side.
The other side of the Mekong River is the country of Laos, so the skywalk is right on the border. We feel like this is the best place to look out into Laos. You can see villages on the other side and it is pretty magical.
We’ve laid out complete instructions on how to visit the Chiang Khan skywalk, but here are some simple FAQ’s to help you decide whether it’s a good fit for your family.
Our full guide to Chiang Khan Skywalk.
Price
Adult - 60 THB
Child - 30 THB
Hours of Operations
Daily: 7:00am - 6:00pm
Phi Ta Kon Festival in Dan Sai
Dan Sai is a small town known only for being the location of the famous Ghost Festival or Phi Ta Kon Festival. The festival lasts only 3 days at the end of June and beginning of July (held June 28-30 in 2025).
The meaning behind the festival is the people begging the gods for rain to help their crops grow. There are several parts of the festival that your kids can watch. The part to not miss is the parade. People wear traditional ghost costumes and masks. The variety and color is delightful!
Be aware that younger children could be scared of the masks, so although we recommend this festival as a kid-friendly thing to do in Loei, we also ask that you think about your own child. If your child easily scares, this may not be the best option.
Older children will enjoy the festive atmosphere, colorful costumes, and experiencing an authentic cultural experience.
Camping in a Loei National Park
There are three different national parks in Loei province to visit. A great way to visit national parks with kids is to plan a camping trip.
National parks in Thailand make it really easy to camp – they have all the necessary camping gear to rent at the campground! And if you want an outdoor adventure but aren’t a ‘camping-type’ family, all three national parks have bungalows (wood cabins) that you can also rent from the national park.
The three national parks in Loei are Phu Suan Sai, Phu Ruea, and Phu Kradeung.
The positive of camping at a national park in Loei over many other places in Thailand is that the weather gets chilly at night even in hot season. And in the cold season, the temperature can get almost down to freezing! Such a fun experience in a tropical country!
Bunny Temple – Wat Pra Putthabat Phu Kwai Ngoe
Just 12 kilometers up the road from Chiang Khan Walking Street is a very unique temple, Wat Pra Putthabat Phu Kwai Ngoen. Our kids are not too excited about visiting temples after living much of their lives in Thailand, but this one is special.
The temple is at the top of a hill and as you drive up, you begin to see bunnies running around in the forest outside. When you get to the top, you can find a large enclosure absolutely full of bunnies! My kids were SO excited!
Along with bunnies, there are guinea pigs and several domesticated boars. These animals are ready to be petted and fed by the kids.
You can buy food for a few baht or just feed them leaves that you find on the ground. You can enter the enclosure for free. You don’t need to buy food to go in.
This is quite an experience, with a beautiful view looking out from the temple, the animals, and the sparkle of the temple. Especially if you are traveling with little kids through the Chiang Khan area, I would recommend a stop.
Eating Local Food
When you travel around the different provinces of Thailand you will find that each area is known for different foods. A trip exploring Loei with kids must include tasting the different foods. Exploring the night market and different restaurants is a great way to find new and unique foods.
Here are a few of the foods in Loei that we have enjoyed trying as a family.
Khai Grata is a type of pan-fried eggs, served on a skillet with different add-ons. Each person makes it slightly different, and it is a great breakfast.
Food on Sticks in the night markets are really a thing. Hotdogs, intestines, eggs, bugs, crabs. If it can be skewered; it can be grilled or fried on a stick. Worth trying a few and the kids are bound to find one they are interested in.
Koong Foi Yang is a grilled baby shrimp dish. Eat them shell and all.
Phu Ruea Christmas Tree Festival
Phu Ruea province is known most of all for its cold temperatures in the winter. Thais flock to the area to enjoy the cool weather. Stalls are set up along the roads with fruits and vegetables that grow in the cooler temperatures. And the number of strawberry farms in the area continues to grow.
Amidst all of this, Phu Ruea tourism association created a special festival, first called Flower Festival and now called Christmas Tree Festival which happens from the end of November all the way into January.
You can find the biggest display of poinsettias in Thailand, as well as other flower displays. We loved walking through the poinsettias. There are many, many photo ops set up.
Cost
Free as the plants can be found along the road
Biking Along the Mekong River
The last of our top ten things to do in Loei, Thailand is actually one of the most relaxing family activities you can choose to do. All along Chiang Khan town and beyond, you can bike along the path next to the Mekong River. The bike path goes many kilometers hugging the river. You can go as far as you want and then turn around.
In the town of Chiang Khan you can find plenty of bike rentals in most of the hotels and shophouses. Our one piece of advice is to look around for kid bikes before you want to leave on your bike journey as they are much harder to find for rent than adult bikes. We were able to find a couple places that had them available.
If you do choose to go down the path for a longer bike ride, passed Chiang Khan proper, do know that you may have to maneuver onto a road once in a while as the bike path is not completely separate from the road at all times.
They are working on connecting the bike path all the way, but some areas are not complete yet or they’ve chosen to just use the road for a short distance. Over the years we have seen them working on making the bike path nicer and longer, so you should feel safe riding your bike along the path.
The bike path actually continues into the next province, Nong Khai, so you can take this biking a long way if you really want to.
We have loved exploring all the things to do in Loei, Thailand as a family. There is much to do, and we recommend exploring this area with your own family. Remember our recommendation of visiting during cool season! Once you’ve explored Loei, take a look at some other towns in northeast Thailand that are also off the beaten path!