Top 10 Must-Visit Stunning Attractions in Lopburi City

Rowan (Guinness Bear) 7 min read

Copy link

---

Share on X/Twitter

Share on Facebook

Share on LinkedIn

Share via Whatsapp

If you plan to travel across Thailand from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to the north, you will no doubt pass through Lopburi 🧔 

If you have any sense, you will stay for a few days to explore this beautiful region of Central Thailand. The province is divided into 11 districts and is home to over 750,00 inhabitants 🏅 If you want to explore the stunning natural beauty and a real slice of Thailand, Lopburi is an inspired choice. Lopburi is located approximately a 3-hour north of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok and is 180 km from the city.

Stay with us as we explore this beautiful region of Central Thailand, and with a lot to see and do, here are the top 10 must-visit stunning attractions in Lopburi.

Lopburi and its Monkeys 

Lopburi is quite old and was originally a stronghold of ancient Ayutthaya from as far back as the 1300s. Before that, it was a stronghold of the Khmer Empire. Today, Lopburi is known for its national parks and fun and friendly monkey inhabitants. 

With its famous link to monkeys and is synonymous with primates, you will find monkeys assembling daily in many places across the city. Most famously from 10 am to 4 pm daily at Phra Prang Sam Yod and San Phra Kan shrine. Here, you will find the monkeys running amok, hanging from power cables, and every conceivable place.

If you visit one of these places to see the monkeys, be careful when you eat food because they will snatch it from you without hesitation. 

Getting Around Lopburi

Lopburi is relatively small, so it is straightforward to get around. You can rent bikes for as little as 50 THB per day, but most travelers use the local blue buses that circle the city route. The price of these buses is just 8 THB per person. The buses pass through the town center, Phra Kahn Shrine, and the TAT office on Phraya Kamuad Road. 

Although you can rent motorbikes in the city for 300 to 400 THB daily, you should stick to the cheap and inexpensive blue buses 🧔 As the city is so compact, a motorbike is not essential. If you want to travel outside the city, you should get a bus from the local bus station or a metered taxi.

A visit to Lopburi is an exciting move if you want somewhere inexpensive. It's the perfect place off the beaten track to explore on your way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for a few days. As not so many foreign travelers visit Lopburi, it retains a genuinely Thai charm and is the ideal place for an avid traveler. You can easily reach Lopburi from Ayutthaya Bus station as buses run every 20 minutes, take about 2 hours, and only cost 35 THB per person. The value for money is simply immense 🥇

Must-Visit Attractions in Lopburi

Lopburi City is separated into two main areas: the old and the new. Lopburi has many things to see and do, centered on its vast culture and Buddhist temples. Here is a list of some of the most popular places to visit through Lopburi. 

#10 Pasak Chonlasit Dam

The Pasak Chonlasit Dam is located just outside Lopburi. It is one of the longest earth-filled dams in Thailand and offers many splendid scenic views of its surroundings. You can visit the PaSak Basin museum, restaurants, souvenir shops, places for accommodation, and camping areas. You can also enjoy a train ride across the reservoir and taste the thrill of kayaking and boating in the waters.

#9 Sunflower Field

The Sunflower fields of Lopburi will wake up the love of nature inside you. Spread across more than 320 sq km, the sunflower field blossoms from November to January. You can rent a motorbike or a car or hop onto a tuk-tuk to explore the fields. It provides an unbeatable photo op, and you can find some farmers selling sunflower seeds, oil, and umbrellas.

#8 Ang Sub Lek Resort

The Sub Lek natural reservoir is located 15 km from Lopburi. The surrounding beautiful scenery of mountains and calm environment is a famous spot for locals and foreigners to visit. You will see small hut restaurants and splash around in water using inflatable water toys or water slides. If you are looking for some adventure, there is a quad bike course near Ang Sub Lek 🏅

#7 Ban Chao Wichayen

Located in the heart of the city on Narai Maharat Rd, Ban Chao Wichayen remains Constantine Phaulkon's residence, built in the 1600s by King Narai the Great. Only the outer walls of the three main buildings remain, but with an admission price of 30 THB, it’s well worth a look.

#6 San Phra Kan

Also located on Narai Maharat Road, the San Phra Kan is the remnants of a Khmer prang from hundreds of years ago and is filled to the brim with monkeys 🏅 Be careful with these purses and food-snatching primates, but it’s lots of fun and only 50 THB entrance as well. 

#5 Phra Narai Ratchanivet 

Known engineers from Portugal, Italy, and France initially built King Narai's Palace, Phra Narai Ratchanivet, in 1677. By the 1800s, the palace had become dilapidated but was renovated in 1865 by King Mongkut. By 1924, the palace had been turned into a museum. You will find many remains and ruins, prehistoric exhibits, Buddha images, and ancient relics here. The entrance fee to the museum is 150 THB for foreigners and 30 THB for Thais. It is one of the top attractions to visit in Lopburi as it has been the palace of Thai Kings.

#4 Phra Prang Sam Yot 

Another famous old temple built by the Khmer people is Phra Prang Sam Yot. Many monkeys also flank this temple. The entrance fee for foreigners is 50 THB, while the price is 10 THB for Thais. 

#3 Wat Phra Phutthabat 

Located approximately 17 km to the southeast of the city, Wat Phra Phutthabat is an ancient temple that offers a more laid-back experience when compared to the other temples in the heart of the town 🥇

#2 Wat Phrasi Rattana Mahathat

As one of the oldest temples in the entire region, built in the 1200s, Wat Phrasi Rattana Mahathat is not just ancient but also extremely important to the Buddhist roots of the area. One of the best parts about this temple is there are no monkeys whatsoever. The admission price for Westerners is 50 THB, while the price is 10 THB for Thais. 

#1 Monkey Banquet Festival

The Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival is held each year on the last Sunday of November. It is one of the biggest and most impressive but strange festivals. If you are in Thailand during November, don't miss this unique festival. You will find many monkeys in Lopburi, and the festival is held in Phra Prang Sam Yot temple.

During the festival, tons of beautifully decorated fruit and juices are offered, which attract monkeys and hundreds of tourists to watch them and take pictures. Being one of the biggest and most famous festivals, it is unmissable and has to be the top attraction in Lopburi 🏆

Enjoy Every Moment in Lopburi!

The city's outskirts have many natural delights, such as the tall and imposing Jiin Lay Mountains. It is the ideal place for a spot of rock climbing and is a place where many rock climbers visit. Lopburi might not be a Mecca for international shopping, but it does have a few options. 

A Big-C shopping center in the middle of town has a KFC. It also has a Tesco Lotus at the Monkey Mall, a great place to relax in the evening. In the evenings, you will also find numerous market options at the Monkey Mall. Regarding food and drink, it is recommended that you head to the old town part of Lopburi. You will find numerous restaurants, food vendors, and even some Western-style eateries such as the Belgian-owned Louis Steakhouse, the New World Steakhouse, and the popular White House restaurant. 

If you are looking for nightlife or a place to have a few beers, the old town is again the place to be. You will find many curbside bars in the old town. The city's center has many bars, but they are generally for the younger Thai crowd, so that might not suit your needs. 

We hope you have a great stay in Lopburi; remember to watch for the purse-snatching monkeys! You have been warned 😉