🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
This route suits anyone with a car, because the sights are fairly spread out beyond the town centres — especially on the Ang Thong side, where the temples sit in the outlying districts. Lopburi's old town, on the other hand, is walkable: park once and you can stroll between the sights. The distance from Ang Thong to Lopburi is around 60–70 km depending on the road you take, roughly a 1-hour drive, so we've set the trip to stay overnight midway or in Lopburi town for one night, to keep things unhurried.
Trip overview and getting around
- Length — 2 days, 1 night is just right: relaxed sightseeing, no rushing.
- Transport — a private car is easiest, since the temples in Ang Thong are in different districts. Without a car, Lopburi has songthaews and motorbike taxis around the old town.
- From Bangkok — head into Ang Thong via the Asia Highway (Route 32), about 1.5 hours.
- Ang Thong → Lopburi — around 60–70 km, roughly a 1-hour drive.
- Entry fees — most temples are free, while King Narai's Palace and Prang Sam Yot charge a small fee of a few tens of THB.
Ang Thong — the Big Buddha, the Reclining Buddha and craft villages
Day-one tip
The temples in Ang Thong are in different districts and close in the early evening, so start sightseeing before noon and follow the route in order. Don't save Wat Muang for last — it gets crowded in the late afternoon, and the sun is harsh when you're photographing the open-air Big Buddha.
Lopburi — monkey town, Khmer prangs and King Narai's palace
Book the activities in your Ang Thong trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
What to know about Lopburi's monkeys before you go
Recently the municipality and the national parks department have rounded up monkeys from the town centre in several batches to ease the overpopulation problem. Now the monkeys are kept mainly as a symbol around San Phra Kan and Prang Sam Yot — which means you'll definitely still see them at those two spots, but not all over town as the old image suggests. That actually makes walking around easier.
- Keep your things tucked away — glasses, hats, plastic bags and phones; the monkeys grab fast, and carrying a food bag gets you swarmed instantly.
- Don't hold eye contact and don't tease them — monkeys read it as a challenge and may lunge at you.
- Don't feed them yourself — leave that to the staff; it's safer for both people and monkeys.
- Be careful when taking photos — monkeys like to jump on and cling, so hold your camera and phone tight.
Where to stay on this trip
Stay in Ang Thong town
Good if you want to cover Ang Thong's temples fully on day one without rushing, then drive into Lopburi on the morning of day two.
Stay in Lopburi town
Good if you want to wake up and walk the old town early, catching the monkeys while it's still cool and the crowds are thin.
If you're still unsure which side to sleep on, choose based on where you most want to be early in the day, since both towns have options ranging from small guesthouses to mid-sized hotels. You can see ranked Ang Thong accommodation choices on our roundup page.
Tweak the plan to your style
For temple and merit-making lovers
Give day one fully to Ang Thong: pay respects at Wat Muang and Wat Khun Inthapramun, then add Wat Pa Mok as one more temple before heading into Lopburi on day two.
Coming with kids
Kids already love monkeys and the Big Buddha, so add more time at Prang Sam Yot to watch the monkeys, and skip the longer walk at Ban Wichayen if the kids start to fuss.
Coming in sunflower season (Nov–Jan)
Set up day two to head out to Pa Sak Jolasid Dam for the sunflower fields as your highlight, then loop back to cover the old town in the afternoon.
Want to see ranked Ang Thong accommodation before you head out?
See the Top 10 places to stay in Ang Thong →