Visiting Nan & Things to Do

Located in the North-East of Thailand, Nan (น่าน) borders Laos and nestles in a remote valley of the Nan river. The province is heavily forested with arable land used mainly for agriculture. It is an ancient city steeped in history with its long association with the Lannathai culture and the Sukhothai kingdom.

Nan is a province visited by tourists for its spectacular mountain scenery, tranquil countryside, friendly people and fascinating history and culture.

Getting here

• By car or coach (about 9 hours from Bangkok; 3 hours from Chiang Mai).
• By train to Phrae and then bus to Nan.
• Nok Air operates daily flights from Bangkok and Kan Air operates from Chiang Mai. We can help you organise airport taxi transfer. Contact our staff for details.

Things to do

Here are just a few examples of the sights and activities in Nan:

Wat Phumin is one of Thailand's famous temples, renowned for its cruciform bôt that was constructed in 1596. The interiors is finely decorated with carvings and the recently-restored wall murals, depicting historic life in feudal Nan, is renowned.

Nan National Museum is in the original palace of the last two feudal lords of Nan. It is now a very accessible museum with both English and Thai signs, exhibiting a large collection of Buddha images and Lanna objects.

Doi Phu Kha National Park - Visit the province's highest peak. There are several hill tribe communities in the park, as well as caves, waterfalls and forest walks.

Adventure tours - Book a cycling tour of Nan city or a 2-day or 3-day rafting and/or kayaking trip in Nan Province.

Handicrafts - Good buys include local hill tribe textile, silverware, straw weavings and woodcarvings made by the Thai Lu, Hmong and Mien communities.

More information

• Lonely Planet - Nan province
• Wikitravel - Nan travel guide
• Visit Nan (Thai only)
• Walking the footsteps on Chang Noi: Nan