Things to do in Phitsanulok
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Phitsanulok
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cool dry season, the best window for Wat Yai at dawn, cycling Sukhothai and both national parks.
The Phra Phuttha Chinnarat Fair fills Wat Yai and the centre in January, dates to confirm for the year.
Hot season, April fiercest with average highs around 37 degrees, waterfalls thinnest before the rains.
Songkran on 13 to 15 April fills trains and the river city, in peak heat.
Rainy season, wettest in August and September, with full waterfalls, muddy park tracks and brief street flooding.
Traditional long boat races on the Nan River in front of Wat Yai, commonly in September or October.
Loy Krathong on the November full moon is a pleasant local evening on the Nan River.
Wild Himalayan cherry at Phu Lom Lo and Phu Hin Rong Kla draws cool season weekend crowds, roughly mid December to January.
What's on
- Phra Phuttha Chinnarat Fair January, exact dates vary by year
The city's great annual temple fair at Wat Yai, with crowds, food and amusements around the grounds.
- Songkran 13 to 15 April
Thai New Year water festival across the city and the river, in the hottest part of the year.
- Phitsanulok Traditional Long Boat Races September to October, exact dates vary by year
Long boat racing on the Nan River in front of Wat Yai in the rainy season tail.
- Loy Krathong November full moon
Krathong floated on the Nan River, a pleasant local evening at the start of the cool season.
Best things to do in Phitsanulok
Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat
Wat Yai, founded in 1357, houses Phra Phuttha Chinnarat, one of Thailand's most revered Buddha images, and is the city's pick.
Wat Nang Phaya
The quiet Ayutthaya period neighbour of Wat Yai, known for its Nang Phaya votive tablets and far fewer crowds.
Wat Ratchaburana
An old brick chedi and mural hall just south of Wat Yai, a worthwhile 30 minute third stop on a temple morning.
Wat Chulamani
Named as the province's oldest standing temple, with a Khmer style prang in a quiet village setting south of the city.
Wat Aranyik
A moated forest temple around Sukhothai period ruins, the most atmospheric of the city's secondary temples.
Sgt. Maj. Thawee Folk Museum
One man's lifetime collection of lower north farm, kitchen and river life, displayed in traditional Thai houses.
Buranathai Buddha Casting Foundry
A working bronze foundry opposite the folk museum, casting Phra Phuttha Chinnarat reproductions you can watch being made.
Phitsanulok Night Bazaar
The nightly river road market, food stalls first with temple views, then clothes and everyday goods, at local prices.
Where to stay in Phitsanulok
Nan River and Wat Yai, city centre
temple mornings, night bazaar and a transit night done well
Walk to Wat Yai, the night bazaar and the noodle shops, with the station a short ride away.
West side of the city
quiet, character and a two night stay
Home to the Shinnabhura boutique hotel and the Chan Palace side of the river, a short drive from the centre.
South east resort edge
drivers and a pool based stay
The Pattara resort sits in gardens away from the centre, best for travellers with a car.
Station and Mittraphap Road budget strip
late arrivals, early departures and value
Chain budget rooms and the hostel base for the Bangkok to Chiang Mai run and the Sukhothai bus.
Best restaurants in Phitsanulok
Krua Nannum
The riverside Thai and Indian dinner locals and visitors rate highest, with outdoor seating over the Nan River.
KRUA Contemporary cuisine
A polished Thai and Chinese kitchen with generous dishes, good vegetarian choice and private rooms for groups.
Hoi Kha Rim Nan Noodle Restaurant
Dangling legs noodles by Wat Yai, Sukhothai style and tom yum bowls at street prices, best before dishes sell out.
Flying veg restaurant
The evening shop where stir fried morning glory is tossed high from the wok and caught on the plate.
Khaotom Paknang
A Teochew rice porridge shop trading since 1960, serving khao tom with small fish and stewed dishes around it.
Outdoor things to do in Phitsanulok
Sukhothai Historical Park
The UNESCO listed ruined Sukhothai capital 60 to 70 km west, a full day trip by bus or an hour each way by car.
Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park
A cool mountain park of cracked rock fields, pine forest and preserved communist stronghold history, reached by car.
Thung Salaeng Luang National Park
Savanna, pine stands and wildflowers east of the city, a gentler driving and picnic park day along Highway 12.
Kaeng Sopha Waterfall
The province's largest waterfall, a broad three tiered fall with pools and food stalls, best after rain.
Chat Trakan Waterfall National Park
A multi tiered waterfall with a pool in far north forest, worth it only on a northward road trip by car.
Best hotels in Phitsanulok
Pattara Resort and Spa
The local top end, a garden resort with a large infinity pool and spa, a drive from Wat Yai and the station.
Yodia Heritage Hotel
A riverside boutique hotel with a pool within an easy walk of Wat Yai and the night bazaar.
Shinnabhura Historic Boutique Hotel
A small history themed boutique hotel with a museum element, pool and garden, a short drive from Wat Yai.
Topland Hotel & Convention Centre
The established big central hotel, high rise rooms with river views, a pool and full convention hotel services.
Hop Inn Phitsanulok Mittraphap Road
The clean budget chain pick, a reliable no frills room for a late train arrival and an early onward bus.
The 8 Factory Hostel
The social backpacker base in the centre, listed for free bicycles in a flat city made for riding.
Is Phitsanulok expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | THB 1,200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | THB 2,600 a person |
| Splurge | THB 6,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Pattara Resort and Spa: a few days ahead
- Yodia Heritage Hotel: a few days ahead
- Shinnabhura Historic Boutique Hotel: a few days ahead
- Krua Nannum: a few days ahead
- KRUA Contemporary cuisine: a few days ahead
- Book sleeper and express trains first around Thai holidays, the January Chinnarat Fair and Songkran.
- Book the Yodia Heritage, Shinnabhura and Pattara ahead on cool season and holiday weekends.
- Book a weekend table at Krua Nannum and KRUA, and go to Hoi Kha before popular dishes sell out after 1pm.
Is Phitsanulok safe?
- The US and UK warned areas are the far south and the Cambodia border, not Phitsanulok, but check the live advisories for your dates.
- Your real risks in the city are traffic, heat and sun, in that order: cross main roads with care and sightsee early.
- Use dengue repellent at dawn and dusk by the river and in the parks, and obey waterfall signs in high water.
- Emergency numbers are 191 for police, 1669 for medical emergencies and 1155 for tourist police.
Phitsanulok travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Treating Sukhothai as part of Phitsanulok: it is 60 to 70 km west, and a day trip gives you the hot middle of the day only.
- Building a Monday or Tuesday plan on the Wat Yai museum, the folk museum or the foundry without checking their days.
- Paying for an expensive city tour of free temples that a tuk-tuk and a morning walk cover better.
- Expecting a preserved old town: a 1950s fire destroyed much of the old wooden city.
Getting around Phitsanulok: public transport and more
- The Northern Line train is the best arrival, about 4.5 to 6 hours from Bangkok and 6 to 7 hours onward to Chiang Mai.
- Sukhothai has no train: bus from Phitsanulok with a change in Sukhothai town, or about an hour each way by car.
- Walk or cycle the flat centre between the station, Wat Yai and the night bazaar, and agree tuk-tuk fares first.
- The parks and waterfalls need a rental car or a driver arranged through your hotel.
Who Phitsanulok suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Phitsanulok your trip
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