Known as the Heavenly City, Nakhon Sawan is one of Thailand’s 77 provinces. A hilly city, located about 240 km from Bangkok, it is considered the gateway to the north of Thailand.
Just 3 hours away from Bangkok, Nakhon Sawan is a growing domestic destination for Thais and foreigners. It has much to offer with its high “unseen factor”, man-made structures, a myriad of temples, and the starting point of the Chao Phraya River.
I recently visited Nakhon Sawan and spent about 24 hours in the city. With little time on my hand, I tried to see as much as possible.
So, whether you are also planning to visit for one night or a few days, this Nakhon Sawan mini travel guide might just help find some things to do and see.
Dechatiwong Bridge
If you are coming to Nakhon Sawan from Bangkok, take Highway route 1 all the way to the main city. Before entering, you will have to cross the Chao Phraya River via the Dechatiwong Bridge. It is known to be an important bridge, boasting scenic views of the river and the communities that lay on its banks.
Chances are that you will drive by quickly and miss out on actually admiring its beauty. However, you can park somewhere nearby and then walk in the middle where there is a walkway. Or so I have heard. I didn’t get a chance to confirm this.
For bridge admirers and scenic photographers, it might be a good first stop in Nakhon Sawan.
Temple hopping
If you end up reaching the city too early, like me, and can’t check in to the hotel, you may wonder…what now?
What is the first thing to do in the town of Nakhon Sawan? Well, you could go for a late breakfast or an early lunch. More on where to eat later.
So, let’s go temple exploring instead. There are many to cover here but don’t worry, there are all quite near to each other. If you pace yourself, you can hit at least 3 or 4 temples before late afternoon.
Wat Khiriwong
Wat Khiriwong is a large and prominent temple complex in Nakhon Sawan. While there are quite a few structures in this area, the highlight is certainly Phra Chulamanee Pagoda (พระจุฬามณีเจดีย์ วัดคีรีวงศ์), which is situated at the top of the hill.
Phra Chulamanee is a stunningly gorgeous 4-tier bright golden pagoda that overlooks all of Nakhon Sawan. You can also see the temple from almost everywhere down below.
It is truly peaceful up here. Although you may be tempted to continuously snap photos, do take a moment to soak in the fresh air, scenic views, and alluring chants of the temple.
Make sure you visit every floor as each of them are unique. Also, as you go higher, the view grows ever more spectacular.
Other than the pagoda, the hill is also home to a giant Buddha statue and the Nakhon Sawan Tower.
It is possible to spend a good 1-2 hours exploring the complex. Maybe even more if you enjoy taking lots of photos.
Wat Luang Pu Tao
While coming back down from Wat Khiriwong, I noticed another giant Buddha statue nearby. I tried to find the way there but I must have taken a wrong turn because I ended up on the main road looking back at the statue. Anyway, I think it is worth a visit if you can find a way inside.
Here is a photo I took from one of the streets nearby.
Wat Woranat Banphot
Wat Woranat Banphot is another temple on a hill, situated on the northeast side of town. Much like Wat Khiriwong, you can see also see the Buddha statue from below.
Wat Nakhon Sawan
Named after the city and under the royal patronage, Wat Nakhon Sawan is another temple worth seeing.
While often frequented by tourists, many come here to pray and meditate as well.
Unfortunately, other than Wat Khiriwong, I did not have the time to check out any of the other temples. There are in fact, many more. So here is a list of temples in Nakhon Sawan you may want to check out.
Chill or exercise at Paradise Park
After temple hopping, go ahead and check in to your hotel to freshen up or if that can wait, take an hour or so to check out Nakhon Sawan’s landmark, the Sawan Dragon at Paradise Park.
The statue is located at the main entrance of the park and is made up of three dragons. The main and biggest one is in the middle and on the sides, stand two identical but smaller dragons.
The dragon statue signifies the life and energy of the city as well as a symbol of protection according to local beliefs.
The park itself is rather large, made even more attractive by the serene lake it surrounds. Here you can walk, run, bike or exercise. I am sure the park is also a popular venue for local events and festivals.
Clearly, paradise park is the heart of Nakhon Sawan. The entire circumference of the park is also dotted with restaurants, bars, markets, and food vendors. Many hotels are also nearby.
Pasan – iconic landmark of Nakhon Sawan
If you ever wondered where the Chao Phraya River starts from, then this is where you go to see it. พาสาน or Pasan is a structure designed to highlight the geographic location where rivers Ping and Nan merge into one – the mighty Chao Phraya, which flows all the way down to the Gulf of Thailand.
It is an interesting landmark and quite a contrast to the charming vibe of the town as it looks rather futuristic. Here you will find all sorts of locals and tourists trying to get their Instagram shots. Myself included. #guilty
If that doesn’t interest you, simply enjoy the incredible panoramic views from the platform.
The best time to go here is in the late afternoon or close to sunset. The golden hour shines beautifully on the structure and glistens the rivers flowing around it.
Where to eat
Finding something to eat in two is not an issue at all in this town. As mentioned earlier, there are countless restaurants, street food vendors and bars surrounding Paradise Park. Just take your pick.
We had an early lunch on the way at Krua Tha Num Oi, a riverside restaurant located about 35 km south of the city.
For dinner, we found a cute little restaurant called เรือวันจันทร์ ร้านอาหารไทย ซีฟู๊ด นครสวรรค์ which translates to ‘Monday boat Thai seafood restaurant’. It is located near the Ping river and the night market. Opt to sit on the open-air 2nd floor.
You could even skip eating at a restaurant and simply try all the local food at the market along this road. In hindsight, I wish we did that.
After dinner, we went for drinks at Bon Bon Karaoke & Restaurant next to Paradise Park.
Again, there are many restaurants and street vendors here to choose from. I know this might not help but we just drove around looking for a place that looked nice enough to eat and drink at. You could do the same but I think Bon Bon was a good choice. Our staff was friendly, drinks cheap and there was live music too.
Khao Nor
A trip to Nakhon Sawan is not complete without visiting Khao Nor. It is an absolute must! Especially if you are a fan of hiking and epic viewpoints.
Believe me, you will regret it if you don’t.
I would recommend doing this early morning the next day, before leaving. Now, ideally, you should stay in Nakhon Sawan for at least 2 days but since I only stayed for one, this guide is exactly that, based on my trip itinerary.
Located 46 km northwest of Nakhon Sawan town, Khao Nor is a 250m high limestone mountain with ridiculously stunning panoramic views of mountain ranges, rice fields, and charming villages.
To get to the summit it takes about 30-45 minutes depending on your fitness level. I would say the hike is moderately difficult as it switches between steep steps, rocky trails, and ladders. However, the view is totally worth the hard work and almost heart-wrenching trek.
I will be doing a separate post describing my full experience, so stay tuned for that. Till then, I leave you with pictures of the views from Khao Nor that will hopefully inspire you to visit.
Wat Si Prachasan
While driving back from Khao Nor to Nakhon Sawan, I saw a temple that looked interesting enough to stop by. It’s known as Wat Si Prachasan and within the complex, you will find a seated Buddha statue, a white/gold ordination hall, and a gleaming golden stupa.
The temple is hard to miss as you can easily spot the white and gold structures by the main road. The Buddha statue, however, is located at the far end of the area.
Where to stay
To complete this Nakhon Sawan mini travel guide, you probably need to know where to stay. There are plenty of nice accommodations in and around the city.
We stayed at B2 premier hotel, which was luckily just a few minutes away from everything and at only 600 THB/night for a superior room. A Presidential Suite room goes up to just over 1000 THB/night.
Other good options in this area are PA Thani Hotel, Hop Inn Nakhon Sawan, The Paradiso JK Design, and 42 Chic Hotel.
Hopefully, this 24 hour Nakhon Sawan mini travel guide was useful, and that it encourages you to visit.
Here is a map where I have pinpointed all the locations.
I definitely plan to go back someday to explore more of its natural wonders.
We are sorry we did not get to do trips outside of Bangkok when we visited. I might want to stay overnight in Nakhon Sawan just to get that amazing view of the Dechatiwong Bridge at night! We did love the variety of temples we found in Thailand and this would add a few more to our list. So cool to see the giant Buddha statue standing tall above the trees. And indeed such a contrast to the Pasan. I can certainly see why you would hike to the top of Khao Nor for that view!
The mountain view was definitely the highlight for me. Absolutely amazing.
Amazing photos. What kind of camera do you use?
Thank you! I use iPhone 12 Pro Max. I find cameras too heavy and requires way more editing than iPhone’s internal editing capabilities.
It is sad that only a few places are promoted in Thailand for tourism when they have so much to offer. I never heard about Nakhon Sawan but found this city of temples endearing to visit. Khao Nor is definitely my kind of place, with beautiful view along with the trekking opportunity.
Never heard of this area of Thailand but what a cool find! In particular, I love the views you captured at Wat Khiriwong! What a great viewpoint. The Dragon statue is awesome and the food you found looks so good. But I think the highlight for me would be climbing Khao Nor to see the views and enjoying the beauty that the mountain has to offer!
This is fabulous. I love all the beautiful temples and gigantic Buddha statues. What surprises me is that getting on top of Khao Nor only takes 30-45min. Judging by your photo, it seems to be very steep. Or is it that you can drive up much of the hill and then walk the rest?
I went to Thailand years ago and haven’t been since but always think of going back. I have never heard of Nakhon Sawan but good to know that it is only 3 hours drive away from Bangkok, that’s pretty awesome! I can totally add it to my list of places for the second trip. I would love to go temple hopping in Nakhon Sawan, all the temples look really good!
25 years here and only last 2-3 years I am exploring all these destinations. So, don’t feel bad about not knowing about these places. Always went to the same old places before – Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai. you would have to be here for years to be able to explore beyond the same ol same ol.
Hi. One of the best travel blogs! This was what she was looking for, some very useful advice. Beautiful adventures and beautiful places. Keep it up!
Hi! Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. Really appreciate that.
Reading this article from the Apri’ls Brasseries coffee shop in Nakhon Sawan (pretty good, btw), so thank you for it!
38 years in Thailand I have been everywhere more than twice each place .
Wow that is incredible. I’ve been here 28 years, and I am currently at 47 provinces so far. I started travel late though.