Things To Do In Lampang – Visit Lampang – Budget Travel In Thailand

Just a one hour train ride from Chang Mai, Lampang is a relaxing city with a great night market, ancient Thai homes and ornate temples.

As we had decided to travel east after our stay in Chiang Mai, we were looking at cities that would break up the journey to Udon Thani. This is where we would visit the Red Lotus Lake before heading north into Laos.

Travelling To Eastern Thailand

Most travellers planning to visit Laos from Chiang Mai tend to head towards Luang Prabang by plane, bus, boat or a combination of all three. However, as Joanna wanted to see the red lotus lake near Udon Thani, this meant we would be entering Laos via its capital city, Vientiane.

This would mean a bus ride of more than 12 hours so we looked into flights. The flights were pretty cheap. As we had a few weeks before our visa expired, we decided to see if we could move slowly across the country, stopping off at various towns and cities as we travelled. This would mean staying in places that are not really on the typical tourist trail. Our first stop was Lampang.

The little research we did before arriving informed us that Lampang is a city built on the River Wang. A historical city that has been overshadowed somewhat by Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Lampang is known for its horse-drawn carriages which still carry mostly Western tourists around the city.

Things To Do In Lampang

Best Bars In Lampang

‘The Riverside’ (map) is a popular bar and restaurant located right on the River Wang. They serve both local and international dishes. We visited after a long day in Chae Son National Park. We enjoyed a couple of beers whilst listening to a live band. It seemed to be mainly tourists eating and drinking here.

‘Mao Deep’ (map) is a lively bar that seemed to be the place for locals to hang out. The food menu was popular but it seemed surprisingly expensive. More importantly, however, the beer was cheap. There was live music in the evenings and they also showed live sports.

Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine

We had already had a long day exploring when we came across Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine (map). The music grabbed our attention and so we decided to investigate. We discovered a theatre performance and a small audience. We were invited in by the local Chinese community who seemed thrilled and a little amused by our presence. The theatre was surreal but it was a great experience.

Chae Son National Park

The next morning, we decided to try and get to ‘Chae Son National Park’ (map). It is situated approximately 75 km north of Lampang and is relatively easy to get to… if you drive. Neither myself nor Joanna drive so getting to places far out of town was sometimes a challenge and so this proved in Lampang. We had asked at the Tourist Information Centre if it was possible and was given a response of, “Sure, just take the number 9 bus,” and even shown the bus-stop printed on the tourist map. Easy, right?

Wrong. Not only could we not find anything resembling a bus stop but no-one in the surrounding area knew of the bus either. We asked in shops, hostels, traffic police, public: no-one could help us. Eventually, a policeman came to our aid and managed to convince a local songthauw to take us. He even gave us a number of a driver to bring us back! Result! It’s nice when the police do what they’re actually supposed to do: help people!

Arriving At Chae Son National Park

After a 90 minute drive through some beautiful Thai countryside, we finally arrived and all the frustrations of the morning were soon forgotten. After some lunch in the on-site restaurant, we headed up the trek to the Chae Son waterfall. The creaky wooden steps take us right up to the top and then further into the park. It really was something; especially as we had the park to ourselves.

Scary Spiders

Our enjoyment was curbed somewhat by the discovery of some seriously scary-looking spiders.  It freaked us out a little! Once we saw one, it seemed we couldn’t stop discovering them. One web across our path lead to a leaf underneath which was thousands of baby spiders. It felt nice to get out of the woods at that point.

Boiling Quail Eggs In Hot Springs At Chae Son National Park

Chae Son is famous for its hot springs, which reach temperatures of up to 100 degrees! Hot enough to boil an egg! So, that’s what people do. For 20 baht, you can buy a basket of quail or chicken eggs to boil in the hot springs. We almost boiled ourselves as we sat in the sun and waited for our eggs. They were worth it though. We went for the quail eggs and they were delicious.

Hot Mineral Spa At Chae Son

After pigging out on quail eggs, we went for a hot mineral spa. For just 50 baht, you can hire a private bungalow which has a hot tub with water from the spa. It is wonderfully relaxing and well worth the money.

Thai Massage At Chae Son

Having been in Thailand for over a month and still having not had a Thai massage, we decided that this would be the perfect environment: outdoors, but sheltered from the sun and with the sounds of the nearby lake to provide a perfect natural ambience. It was wonderful; apart from the fact that THAI MASSAGE REALLY HURTS!! Seriously, it better be good for you physically because it is not entirely enjoyable! They were very active though, using their own bodies to apply much force to every muscle and every joint. It was painful at times but we did come away feeling better. Maybe it was a placebo, but it still worked 🙂

Chae Son is a great day trip from Lampang. It is a beautiful park, unspoiled by tourism. It seems only Thai people come here so visit while it’s still unruined by mass tourism.

Chae Son National Park Opening Times: 8 am – 6 pm, Mon – Fri. 7 am – 6 pm, Sat & Sun.
Chae Son National Park Entrance Fee: 500 Baht (Spa and massage extra).

Coffee In Lampang

Hidden away in a quiet cul-de-sac is ‘Good Morning Coffee’ (map). It is not visible from the street and is a little out of the centre but it is worth looking for. The coffee shop has a couple of hostels nearby so I assume this is where it gets most of its trade. The coffee here was good and strong and it was a perfect lift for the day ahead.

Cycling In Lampang

On our third full day in Lampang, we decided to take advantage of the free bicycles provided by our hotel. I had not ridden a bike since I was about 10 so I wasn’t exactly confident. Especially on the main roads!

Google Maps showed that we could take the bikes along the River Yang, reducing the amount of time we spent on main roads and potentially giving us a much more idyllic ride.

After spending a few minutes getting used to the bike, we head out on the main roads of Lampang. WOW! I couldn’t believe how great it felt. I immediately grew in confidence and was whizzing down the main roads, indicating, dealing with roundabouts and everything! I loved it!

We took the bikes alongside the River Wang, all the way down to the old town and beyond. We then stopped for lunch at a vegetarian cafe run by a sweet, old Thai lady that talked to us non-stop, despite us not having a clue what she was talking about. She gave us extra food for free and even gave us a bag of bananas. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. Not disgusting, just watery and bland. Such a shame.

Eat Authentic Thai Food

On our first day in Lampang, we were exploring the teak houses on Talad Gao Road when we came across two elderly Thai women selling 3 pots of wonderfully aromatic curry. We decided to eat there.  The Thai women seemed thrilled to have us in their ‘restaurant’ which was more like a front room! I had a chicken green curry and Joanna had a spicy fish curry. Both were excellent and as authentic as you can get!

I don’t think the ‘restaurant’ has a name so just look out for two elderly Thai women sat outside their home with 3 pots of various curries.

Hangout Cafe

‘The Hangout Cafe’ (map) is not a place you will pass if you stay in the more touristy areas of Lampang. We would not have found it had we not done a bit of research for a place to eat on our last night.

On first impressions were that it seemed like a cool place with a nice garden. The bar and restaurant were separate, though we ate and drank in the bar area. Inside the bar is a pool table and darts, sports on the tv and music playing.

We both ordered yellow curry (seafood and vegetable). It was a little pricier than we were used to but the portions were big. The curries were delicious. They tasted more Indian than Thai and had thin strips of celery which gave it a unique, fresh flavour.

I’m not sure if there’s anything to read into the initials of the cafe, but there was certainly some hippy cabbage being smoked as we left!

Kad Kong Ta Street Market, Lampang

Kad Kong Ta Street Market (map) is a weekend market that is located on Talad Gao Road and which spills onto the adjacent side-streets. It is a colourful mix of food, drink, clothes, shoes, fruit & veg, souvenirs, homeware and just about everything else. It is less touristy than the markets at Chiang Mai and moves at a much slower pace. There are live performers along the street (usually children playing music) and there is music constantly streamed through the outdoor speakers. The vendors are friendly and everything is at a good price.

We came here solely for the food and we were not disappointed: grilled pork, fried fish balls, pastel de nate, coconut-filled pancakes, seafood kebabs, crispy chicken, fruit-flavoured sweet potato, we had a feast!

The market is open on Saturday and Sunday evening so, if you are in Lampang at the weekend, make sure you visit for a feast of all the senses!

Ratsadapisek Bridge

At the end of Talad Gao Road is the Ratsadapisek Bridge (map). For best views, visit at night time to see the bridge illuminated. The bridge is over a hundred years old. You might see swallows nesting underneath the brideg. We spent a while around here, exploring the street art on both sides of the river.

Talad Gao Road

Talad Gao Road (map) is the most famous road in Lampang. Both sides of the road are lined with historic buildings.

Each building has a plaque outside giving information on its history and the year it was built. There are some wonderful old-style Thai buildings so make sure you take your camera!

Talad Gao Road is also the location for the weekend night market.

Wat Chiang Rai

On our first walk into the centre of Lampang, we passed ‘Wat Chiang Rai’ (map). Wat Chiang Rai is a stunning white temple which is very similar in style to the White Palace in Chiang Rai. The temple was free to explore and was empty on our visit. Be sure to visit again at night to see the temple illuminated.

Is Lampang Worth Visiting?

The general consensus on the internet is that Lampang is only worth a day visit, two at the most. I disagree with this. It isn’t the liveliest of towns but if you’re not wanting to be surrounded by loud bars and parties all the time and you want somewhere to relax for a few days, then Lampang is a great place to visit. Yes, it is quiet and laidback, but sometimes that is exactly what is needed. I loved my time in Lampang.