5 Things To Do In Lamphun, Thailand

1. Visit the interesting Luang Pha Waing Cave

Luang Pha Waing Cave is one of the biggest caves in Northern Thailand. It is also one of the most interesting. If you’re just a beginning spelunker, Luang Pha Waing is right for you as it’s quite open and spacious as caves go, and guardrails have been installed at the more difficult spots. There are over nine chambers from start to finish. There are a lot of interesting stalagmites and stalactites, and a stream that runs through the site. Legend also has it that, because of its relative inaccessibility in olden times, the cave was used as a place where robbers hid their stolen gems. In the later years though, Luang Pha Waing has been a favorite meditation spot for Thai monks. Luang Pha is 45 minutes from Lamphun. It is also a 15-minute climb to the top of the cave, so be sure you use comfortable walking shoes.

Luang Phra Waing Cave

Address: Lamphun, Thailand

2. Celebrate all things fruity with the Lamphun Longan Festival

Lamphun Longan Festival celebrates one of Lamphun’s most important crops, the longan. The longan is a round small fruit similar in taste to lychee. The festival is held every August, just in time for the Queen’s birthday. There is an annual parade that starts past Wat Phra Haripunchai. On the road, vendors sell all types of snacks especially longan-related items. During the festival, there are also laser light shows, fireworks by the river, and musical performances. Usually, there are also decoration competitions like the best vehicle decorated with longan and Miss Lamphun, a beauty queen contest. As of late, they’ve also made it a tradition to cut the world’s longest longan cake.

Lamphun Longan Festival

Address: Lamphun, Thailand

Website: Lamphun Longan Festival

3. Feel the wind at the beautiful countryside pass between Lamphun and Chiang Mai

The Lamphun - Chiang Mai countryside is just perfect for hiking and biking. You can bike through the Wat Phra That Haripunchai, through villages, and tree-lined lanes. There are also several rice paddy fields, as well as the wood carving village of Ban Tawai. You can also go through foothills of Doi Suthep and the Beekeeping Center. Lastly, you might want to check out the forest temple of Wat Umong before finally heading to Chiang Mai.

Lamphun Chiang Mai Countryside Tour

Address: Lamphun, Thailand

Website: Lamphun Chiang Mai Countryside Tour

4. Check out the magnanimous Wat Phra That Hariphunchai

Legend has it that Buddha himself visited this temple and cast his footprints in the southwestern corner of the temple compound which has two sets of his footprints. Wat Phra That Haripunchai is the most famous temple in Lamphun. It is said that construction started in 897 when the king of Haripunchai built the now - central stupa in order to house a hair strand of Buddha. The compound was built in 1044 during the reign of Queen Chama Thewi, and was only renovated in the 1930s when a northern Thai monk named Khru Ba Sriwichai ordered to have it renovated.

The temple has two Buddha images and two old chedis. The tallest of the two chedis, the Chedi Suqan, is a stunning brick spire that was built in 1418 and is about 21 meters (69 feet) high. The newer one, Phra Maha That Chedi, is about 46 meters (151 feet) high and is a classic example of Lanna architecture. In the compound, there’s also a collection of wihan houses, a 19th-century library, and a bronze gong said to be the largest in the world. The wat is found in a one-satang coin.

Wat Phra That Hariphunchai

Address: Lamphun, Thailand

Website:

Book Now

5. Brush up on ancient Lamphun history at the Hariphunchai National Museum

The Haripunchai National Museum holds exhibits and artifacts that are of important historical and archaeological importance to Lamphun. There are prehistorical human skeletons found on the Dvaravati, Haripunchai, Lanna and Rattanakosin period. There are three rooms - the Stone Inscription Hall, Main Exhibition Hall and the Folk Arts and Carved Woodenwares Hall. The museum is found in Inthayongyot Road, Nai Muean District. The museum was set up in 1967 and was completed in 1974. It was officially open to the public five years after.

Haripunchai National Museum

Address: Lamphun, Thailand

Getting to Lamphun:

You can get it from Lampang or from Chiang Mai. It’s a little out of the way although Lamphun is a fairly-small city so you don’t have to compete with a lot of people when it comes to transportation. There are also motorcycle taxis and samlors at the bus stations. Tuktuks aren’t popular in Lamphun, so it’s best to stick with buses and rented motorcycles if you want to go around. All in all, there are a lot of interesting places to see. So, make Lamphun more than just a rest stop.