Western Thailand · Phetchaburi

Phetchaburi travel guide: Khao Wang, cave temples and a city of food

Phetchaburi is an old royal town about 160 kilometres south of Bangkok, overlooked by a hill crowned with a 19th-century palace. Its temples hold some of Thailand's finest woodwork and murals, and its kitchens earned it a place in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for gastronomy. Most people pass straight through on the way to Hua Hin; stopping here is one of the easiest rewards of the south.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 1 October 20264 min read

White temple buildings and a domed tower on the summit of Khao Wang under a blue sky — Buildings on the summit of Khao Wang (Phra Nakhon Khiri).

Suggested time: 1 day; 2 with Kaeng Krachan
Where to stay: Phetchaburi town, or Hua Hin/Cha-am as a day trip
Season and timing: Mid-October to mid-February is coolest; Kaeng Krachan's 'sea of mist' is best from November to February.

The short answer

Give Phetchaburi a full day: Khao Wang (Phra Nakhon Khiri) in the morning, lunch of local dishes in town, then Tham Khao Luang cave and one of the old temples in the afternoon. Stay a night if you want an unhurried dinner or a trip to Kaeng Krachan National Park. The town is on the railway and the road to Hua Hin.

Khao Wang: a palace on a hill

Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park, known locally as Khao Wang (hill with palace), is the symbol of the province: a 92-metre hill whose summits carry a white chedi, temple buildings and the palace that King Rama IV built here. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory lists it as open every day.

Go in the morning, when the views over the town and the plains are clearest. Paths connect the summits; a cable car may offer an easier way up — check that it is operating. Watch for monkeys on the paths and keep food out of sight.

Tham Khao Luang: the cave temple

Tham Khao Luang, on another hill at the edge of town, is a large cave filled with Buddha images, including a great reclining Buddha. The directory notes that King Rama V and many foreign visitors came here, and that the cave appears in the work of the French naturalist Henri Mouhot, published in 1864.

The best light comes through the openings in the cave roof around the middle of the day. Steps lead down into the cave; wear shoes with grip, and dress modestly as it is a place of worship.

Shafts of sunlight falling through the roof of Tham Khao Luang onto Buddha images — Sunlight in Tham Khao Luang cave.

The tall white prangs of Wat Mahathat Worawihan against a bright blue sky — The prangs of Wat Mahathat Worawihan, Phetchaburi.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Khanom jeen thotman

Fermented rice noodles served with fried fish cakes and a sweet-sour sauce — one of the dishes TAT names as reflecting Phetchaburi's culinary roots.

Where to look: Long-established shops in the town centre.
Fit it into your day: An early lunch after Khao Wang.

Contains fish; the sauce is sweet and spicy.

Kaeng khua hua tan (toddy palm curry)

A red coconut curry made with young toddy-palm shoots, often with pork or prawns; the sugar palms that grow across the province also give Phetchaburi its famous palm sugar.

Where to look: Thai restaurants serving local dishes.
Fit it into your day: With rice at a sit-down lunch or dinner.

Contains shrimp paste; usually medium-hot.

Khao chae

Rice served in cool, scented water with an array of small savoury side dishes — a court-style hot-season dish that TAT lists among Phetchaburi's specialities.

Where to look: Shops and markets advertising khao chae, mostly in the hot season.
Fit it into your day: A light, cooling lunch on a hot day.

Side dishes often include shrimp paste and pork; availability is seasonal.

Khanom mo kaeng and palm-sugar sweets

Baked custard sweetened with palm sugar, along with khanom tan (toddy-palm cake) and lod chong with palm-sugar syrup — the desserts the town is known for.

Where to look: Dessert shops along the main road and around Khao Wang.
Fit it into your day: Buy a box to eat with coffee or to take onwards.

Contains egg and coconut; best eaten within a day.

The old temples of the town

Wat Mahathat Worawihan, with its five white prangs, may date back eight to ten centuries according to the directory, and its stucco work is admired across Thailand; it lists opening from 7:00 to 18:00. Wat Yai Suwannaram has an Ayutthaya-period teak sermon hall and murals; the directory lists 7:00 to 17:00.

These are working temples spread across a compact centre. Walk between them, or hire a tuk-tuk for a short loop, and leave time for the shophouse streets near the river.

The European-style facade of Phra Ram Ratchaniwet palace behind a formal garden — Phra Ram Ratchaniwet (Ban Puen Palace).

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Phetchaburi; departs from Hua Hin

Phetchaburi highlights: Khao Luang cave, palaces and temples

A group day from Hua Hin covering the cave, Khao Wang and Wat Mahathat, for travellers based on the beach. Check the inclusions and the time at each site.

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Phetchaburi; departs from Hua Hin

Phetchaburi's historic palaces and temples: private tour

A private alternative if you want to set the pace and add a long lunch.

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Check dates, the final price, meeting point, guide language, inclusions, accessibility and cancellation conditions on Viator. The language of this website is not the language of the guide.

Phra Ram Ratchaniwet and Kaeng Krachan

On the south side of town, Phra Ram Ratchaniwet (also called Ban Puen Palace) is a European-style palace from the reign of King Rama V, built in an Art Nouveau and Jugendstil style for the rainy season; the directory lists 8:00 to 16:00. It is a striking contrast to the hill palace.

Further west, Kaeng Krachan National Park is Thailand's largest national park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage forest complex. TAT highlights wildlife watching, hiking and the 'sea of mist' views from November to February. It needs a full day and your own transport or a tour; check park rules and seasonal closures with the Department of National Parks.

View from Khao Wang over forested slopes to Phetchaburi town and a white chedi — Phetchaburi town from Khao Wang.

Getting there and a day plan

Phetchaburi is on the southern railway line and on Highway 4 between Bangkok and Hua Hin; buses and minivans connect it with both. From Hua Hin or Cha-am it is an easy day trip.

A simple plan: Khao Wang early, lunch in town, Tham Khao Luang in the early afternoon, Wat Mahathat on the way back, then khanom mo kaeng for the road.

A white-handed gibbon sitting in a tree in Kaeng Krachan National Park — A white-handed gibbon in Kaeng Krachan.

Practical questions

Is Phetchaburi worth a stop?

Yes. It is about 160 kilometres south of Bangkok on the way to Hua Hin, with a hill palace, a cave temple, old temples and a food culture recognised by UNESCO.