Top 10 Must-Visit Stunning Attractions in Lopburi City

If you are traveling across Thailand from Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) to the north, you will no doubt pass through Lopburi Province and City 🧔 

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 drive north of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok) and is 180km away from the city.

Stay for a few days to 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 city 🏆

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. In this day and age, Lopburi is known for its national parks, fun and friendly monkey inhabitants. 

With its famous link to monkeys and is synonymous with primates, you will definitely 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 and hanging from power cables and every conceivable place. If you visit one of these places to see the monkeys, be careful when you are eating food because they will snatch it from you without a second’s hesitation. 

Things to See and Do in Lopburi

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

#10 Getting Around Lopburi

Lopburi is a relatively small town/city, so it is straightforward to get around. You can rent bicycles in the city for as little as 50 THB per day 🧔, but most travelers continually opt to 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 City is an exciting move if you are looking for somewhere inexpensive. 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 🥇

#9 Pa Sak Jolasid Dam

The Pa Sak Jolasid Dam is located just outside Lopburi town. It is the longest earth-filled dam 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 🥇

#8 Take Pictures at the 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.

#7 Ang Sub Lek

The Sub Lek natural reservoir is located 15km from Lopburi town 🧔 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 🏅

#8 Other Things to Do 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 City 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, which is a great place to relax in the evening 🧔 You will also find numerous market options at the Monkey Mall in the evenings. When it comes to 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 center of the city has a wide variety of bars, but they are generally for the younger Thai crowd, so that might not suit your needs. 

#7 Ban Vichayen 

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

#6 Phra Kahn Shrine 

Also located on Narai Maharat Road, the Phra Kahn Shrine 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 as King Narai's Palace, Phra Narai Ratchanivet was initially built in 1677 by engineers from Portugal, Italy, and France 🧔. By the 1800s, the palace had become dilapidated but was renovated in 1865 by King Mongkut. And by 1924, the palace had been turned into a museum. Here you will find many remains and ruins, prehistoric exhibits, Buddha images, and a vast plethora of ancient relics. 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 for Thai Kings.

#4 Phra Prang Sam Yot 

Another famous old temple built by the Khmer people is Phra Prang Sam Yot. A massive amount of monkeys also flanks this temple 🧔 The entrance fee for foreigners is 50 THB, while the price is 10 THB for Thais. 

#3 Wat Phra Phutthabat 

Located approximately 17km 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 Phra Sri Rattanamahathat

As one of the oldest temples in the entire region, built back in the 1200s, Wat Phra Sri Rattanmahathat 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 is an impressive but strange festival 🧔 If you are in Thailand during November, make sure you 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 city. We hope you have a great stay in Lopburi; remember to keep an eye out for the purse-snatching monkeys! You have been warned 🧔