🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Before we lay out the trip, here's the big picture: Roi Et is very easy to plan around. The city highlights — the Ho Hod 101 tower, Bueng Phlan Chai lake and Wat Burapha Phiram — sit close together around the lake, so you can park once and walk to several of them. The Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon, the province's signature sight, is out in Nong Phok district about 62 km from town, roughly an hour and a bit of driving up the hill. So we keep day one for an easy time in the city, and save the chedi for the morning of day two when the air is still cool and the road is quieter.
The 2-day, 1-night plan at a glance
- Day 1 (in town): Ho Hod 101 tower → Bueng Phlan Chai lake → Isan lunch → Wat Burapha Phiram (the Great Buddha) → an afternoon café break → sunset by the lake → dinner in town
- Day 2 (out to Nong Phok): leave town early → Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon at Wat Pha Nam Thip → Pha Nam Yoi cliff → lunch on the way back → stop for jasmine rice souvenirs before heading home
- Who it suits: anyone with their own car or a rental who wants to cover both the city and the hilltop chedi at an unhurried pace — works well for couples, families or groups of friends
Before you set off
Roi Et has a small airport with direct flights from Bangkok, and renting a car after you land is by far the smoothest option, since public transport to Nong Phok is sparse and awkward for touring on your own. If you're driving in from another province, parking in town is easy and most hotels have their own lot.
Book the activities in your Roi Et trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Day 1 — the city around Bueng Phlan Chai
Day one is an easy day in the city, with the main sights all close together. Start the morning at the Ho Hod tower while the sky is clear and the views are sharp, then work your way through Bueng Phlan Chai lake and the temple right next to it, and finish with sunset over the water.
In town — Ho Hod tower, the lake, the Great Buddha
Day one tips
The Ho Hod tower looks best at two times of day: a clear morning and the hour before sunset. If you want to try the zipline, go before early afternoon, as there are limited slots and on some days you'll have to queue. Wat Burapha Phiram and Bueng Phlan Chai are within walking distance of each other, so you can park once and cover several sights.
Where to stay in Roi Et city
For the one night of this trip, we'd stay in town around Bueng Phlan Chai so you can get up early and drive out to Nong Phok without hassle. Hotels in town come in a range of levels and the prices are easy on the wallet.
Hop Inn Roi Et
A budget chain hotel with clean rooms to the same standard at every branch, in town, with parking. Good for self-drivers who just want a comfortable, no-surprises room to sleep in. Rates start around five hundred-something THB per night.
The Sun Hotel Roi Et
A nicely designed hotel in town with a good feel, priced from a few hundred to around a thousand THB. It's not far from the central sights and suits anyone who wants a good-looking room without spending much.
M Grand Hotel
A popular hotel in Roi Et city with spacious rooms and full facilities. A good pick for families or anyone who wants to step up to a more comfortable stay.
Day 2 — up the hill to the Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon
Day two is the trip's highlight. You drive out of town toward Nong Phok district to pay respects at the Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon, a huge white-and-gold chedi set on a hill within Wat Pha Nam Thip Thep Prasit Wanaram. Set off a little early, as the road up the hill has some steep stretches, and the morning air is cooler and more pleasant than later in the day.
Nong Phok — the Great Chedi + Pha Nam Yoi cliff
About the drive up the hill
The road up to Wat Pha Nam Thip is steep in places, so check your car — especially the brakes — before you head up, and avoid days with heavy rain when the road gets slippery. If you go in late rainy season or early cool season, you'll get lush green hills and pleasantly cool air.
Adjusting the plan to the time you have
- Only one day: drop day two and just do the city around Bueng Phlan Chai — you can still cover the Ho Hod tower, the lake and the Great Buddha comfortably.
- Want more nature: with more time, on day two after coming down from the chedi, stop at Bueng Kloi (the "Isan sea") in Selaphum district and relax by the white sandy shore before heading home.
- Into jasmine rice: if the jasmine rice fields interest you, swap the day-two route to head out toward Thung Kula Rong Hai around Kaset Wisai–Suwannaphum instead — at harvest time the fields turn a beautiful gold.
Want a hotel in town that makes the early drive to Nong Phok easy?
See the Top 10 Roi Et hotels →